BRITAIN must be ready to sacrifice its “sons and daughters” to defend itself from Russia, the Chief of Defence Staff has warned.
In a chilling prediction of what it might take to deter a full-scale conflict, Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton said: “More families will know what sacrifice for our nation means.”
He said the chances of Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin launching a direct attack on Britain were slim but steadily growing.
And he echoed the French General Fabien Mandon who sparked fury across the Channel last month by saying that France lacked the will to “lose its children”.
Gen Mandon, France’s top officer, accused his countrymen of “lacking strength of spirit to accept suffering in order to protect who we are”.
Addressing French mayors, Gen Mandon said: “If our country falters because it is not prepared to accept – let’s be honest – to lose its children, to suffer economically because defence production will take precedence, then we are at risk.”
Last night ACM Knighton said: “Fabien Mandon was right.
“More people being ready to fight for their country.”
Delivering his annual lecture to the RUSI think tank in London he said: “Sons and daughters, colleagues, veterans will all have a role to play – to build, to serve and if necessary, to fight.”
He said Britain faced the same threat as Germany – but noted Berlin has brought in national service and was outspending Britain on defence.
Labour have pledged to spend 2.5 per cent of GDP on defence by 2027.
In a thinly veiled swipe at the Treasury he said: “Germany expects to spend 3.5 per cent of GDP on Defence by 2029. Poland is already at 4.2 per cent.
“And we have seen just in the past few weeks France and Germany return to a form of national service.
“In reality, other than proximity, the threat in the UK isn’t really any different to the threat in Germany, for example.”
The bombshell comments come after the head of MI6 declared a shadow war with Russia and vowed to hit back against Putin’s rampant campaign of sabotage.
Blaise Metreweli, the first female chief of the Secret Intelligence Service, said her spies would take covert action to outplay Russia “in every way”.
She warned: “We are now operating in a space between peace and war.”
The spychief, known as C, said she had ordered her real life James Bonds to tap into the “instincts” of a legendary World War Two sabotage unit, the Special Operations Executive.
Its agents snuck into Nazi territory – often by parachute or submarine – with orders from Winston Churchill to “set Europe ablaze”.
Metreweli said: “We will never stoop to the tactics of our opponents.
“But we must seek to outplay them. In every domain. In every way.
She added: “Intelligence must drive action. Action must deliver advantage.”
Metreweli, 48, the youngest ever MI6 chief, said: “It is not enough to understand the world. We must shape it too.”
Last week, Nato chief Mark Rutte urged the West to prepare for war “like our grandparents endured”.
He warned the UK and other allies are next in Russia‘s sights – and said member states must rapidly boost defence spending.
Speaking at a security conference event in Berlin, Rutte said: “We are Russia‘s next target. I fear that too many are quietly complacent.
“Too many don’t feel the urgency. And too many believe that time is on our side. It is not. The time for action is now.
“Conflict is at our door. Russia has brought war back to Europe. And we must be prepared.”
A top Ukrainian major also warned that Britain is not prepared for war and will pay a “high price” if Putin attacks Europe.
Viktor Andrusiv told The Sun that the UK must learn lessons from Ukraine before it is too late.
