If the British Army Were Asked to Fight Tonight, It Would Be Ready, Says UK General

Britain's armed forces would be prepared to confront Russian troops "tonight" if Russian leader Vladimir Putin were to invade another Eastern European country, a senior UK military official stated on November 21, as reported by Politico.

Speaking before the UK House of Commons Defense Committee, Deputy Chief of the British Defence Staff, Lieutenant General Rob Magowan, was asked how many British brigades could be deployed to NATO's eastern flank in the event of significant Russian escalation.

“If the British Army were asked to fight tonight, it would fight tonight,” he stated. “I don’t think anyone in this room should harbor any illusions—if the Russians invaded Eastern Europe tonight, we would meet them in that fight”, affirmed Magowan.

Despite Lieutenant General Magowan’s reassurances about the readiness of the UK armed forces, concerns remain regarding their overall capabilities amid rising tensions in Europe.

Magowan acknowledged to Members of Parliament that the UK military possesses "a range of operational risks and operational strengths" and reiterated his earlier statements on the need for "more lethality" in their arsenal, according to Politico.

Previously Ukraine’s Ambassador to the UK and former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, stated that the direct involvement of Russia’s autocratic allies in the war against Ukraine marks the beginning of World War III.