Feb 24, 2026
Britain is on an inevitable collision course with Russia whether the war in Ukraine is won or lost, the head of the British Army warns today.
On the fourth anniversary of Moscow‘s invasion of Ukraine, General Sir Roly Walker said Russia was building bigger and more lethal armed forces to prepare for a wider war.
Writing exclusively for this newspaper, the Chief of the General Staff said he could see no evidence of the Kremlin scaling back its ambitions.
But in a call to arms, Sir Roly said he believed that, when the time comes, Britain would emerge victorious and the future ‘will be on our terms, and our terms alone’.
As an indication of the Kremlin’s commitment to battle – despite suffering more than 1.25 million casualties so far – Russia continues to send tens of thousands to their slaughter on the frontline.
Last night, Armed Forces Minister Al Carns echoed Sir Roly’s concerns, likening the present situation to ‘1937 or 1938’.
And Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, claimed that Russia has ‘already started World War Three’.
Sir Roly writes: ‘We, and the West generally, are in the crosshairs of Russia. It’s us on their terms or no deal. This is not going away, however the war in Ukraine ends.
British special forces practice their rapid deployment techniques with a Chinook helicopter
‘Unless something changes, I think we are on a collision course with a Russia that is on a war footing, that is replenishing its lost equipment and rearming itself to be a bigger and more lethal set of armed forces.’
Sir Roly added that, according to the Ukrainians, Russia will only take Britain seriously when it sees our armaments factories producing at wartime rates.
For that reason, he called for the rebuilding of the UK’s national arsenal – something the Daily Mail has championed with its Don’t Leave Britain Defenceless campaign.
The decorated former SAS officer also vowed to take on and defeat Russia should it attempt to invade Nato territory.
He said: ‘Russia started this war by invading Ukraine. It seems to me only they can decide to stop it. We need to continue helping Ukraine. We can also signal to Putin that if he thinks it will be any easier to steal Nato territory then he is even more stupid than we thought. We will never give up what matters to us.’
Today Sir Keir Starmer will announce additional support for Ukraine as he convenes a meeting of allies that make up the Coalition of the Willing.
Meanwhile, in Kyiv, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper will condemn the ‘despicable’ reconditioning of civilians in Russian-held areas.
As part of the Kremlin’s Russification tactics they are being forced to adopt Russian passports and to speak Russian. They are also cut off from their families in Ukraine.
Armed Forces minister Al Carns said Russia was suffering ‘unimaginable’ operational costs, including at least 1.25 million casualties, the destruction of 10,000 armoured vehicles and 4,000 tanks.
Marking the anniversary, Mr Carns, a former Royal Marine with five tours of Afghanistan under his belt, said: ‘I never thought I would see North Korean troops fighting on the border of Europe in my lifetime – which should serve as a warning signal to us all.’
Last night Western officials predicted 2026 could prove a highly significant year for the conflict as, for the first time, Russia is now losing more troops than it can recruit.
The flipping of the so-called manpower calculus is significant due to Russia’s reliance on its infantry. Its tactical template involves sending large numbers of foot soldiers across no man’s land towards Ukrainian defensive positions. Russia only commits tanks and armoured vehicles to those advances in the second and third waves.
And on a single stretch of the front line, Russia lost 16,000 troops in a fortnight.
Western officials also believe that due to the scale of Russia’s commitment to conflict, and factors such as the militarisation of its economy, it could prove difficult for Russia to stop fighting.
Speaking to the BBC, the Ukrainian president claimed that Putin has effectively already started World War Three, adding: ‘Russia wants to impose on the world a different way of life and change the lives people have chosen for themselves.’
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GENERAL SIR ROLY WALKER: Britain and Nato are in Putin’s crosshairs. We are on a collision course with a Russia that’s on a war footing
Feb 24, 2026
By GENERAL SIR ROLY WALKER
In the months leading up to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, I was working at the Ministry of Defence as a senior staff officer. As we saw the Russian build-up, we war-gamed Putin‘s possible strategies in order to advise our politicians on their options. It was very hard to see how we could stop him, if at all.
In hindsight, the Russian dictator had set his mind on a quick war and a marvellous victory parade in Kyiv, and the only variable was when it would all start.
As the inevitability of military action became clear to us, the options for the West narrowed. But we needed to do whatever we could, short of joining in the war, to help the Ukrainians resist occupation. That way, we would help them inflict a deep cost on Russia for invading a neighbouring country.
After all, if it was that easy to swallow up Ukraine, might the Russians get greedy and roll on through Moldova, to bits of the Balkans and the Baltic states? I certainly thought so.
As it turned out, when the shooting started, Ukraine mattered more to Ukrainians and to Europe than the Russians had predicted. Their spirit of uncompromising defiance spurred something deep in the British people.
I remember the large crowds of quiet but resolute citizens demonstrating solidarity for Kyiv. They demanded action and leadership from their Government, and across the country people hoisted up the blue and yellow flag of Ukraine, opened their homes to refugees and raised money and supplies to send to the new European eastern front. We cared – and were right to.
The trajectory of Britain’s response was thus set. From the political to the tactical, we were ordered to do what we could to help.
On my first visit to Kyiv shortly after the full-scale invasion, the Ukrainian generals were clear that this was their war to fight. Our role was to gather as much international diplomatic, military and economic support for them so they could defend against the invasion, get as much of their country back as possible and make the Russians pay a high price for what they had started.
They wanted to emerge from the war stronger, closer to Europe and more aligned with Nato, so that this would never happen again.
Simply put, they wanted at last to break away from the centuries-old grip of Russian imperial ambition, as so much of central and eastern Europe had done at the end of the Cold War.
The reason British support mattered wasn’t just out of principle. It was the realisation that this war was about more than Ukraine.
Putin’s strategic design was much greater. It was, and remains today, the collapse of Nato, division within Europe, and ultimately restoring dominion over those states that were once part of the Soviet Union.
We, and the West generally, are absolutely in the crosshairs of this. It’s a deal on their terms, or no deal at all.
This is not going away however the war in Ukraine comes to an end. Unless something changes, I believe we are on a collision course with a Russia that is on a war footing, that is replenishing its lost equipment and that is re-arming fast. Neither the terrible price his troops have paid with their own blood on the battlefields nor the extraordinary resolve and fighting power of the Ukrainians to keep going has made Putin think twice about the cost versus the gain. This war still really matters to him, and it’s in the balance. Wars always are, until they end.
In response, with all that it means for our collective future, the British Army – alongside the Royal Navy, Royal Air Force and the Cyber & Specialist Operations Command – has been ordered to get ready to ‘war fight’ alongside the rest of Nato.
As the military professional with responsibility for the British Army, I must think about the worst-case scenario.
Ukraine is showing extraordinary resolve and ingenuity – we need to keep helping them do that.
My almost singular focus for the Army has been on modernising and boosting the fighting power of our land forces as quickly as possible, so our soldiers can fight and win their battles if called upon. That’s what the Strategic Defence Review recommended and we’re getting on with it, informed by almost daily insights drawn from the war in Ukraine.
But as my Ukrainian opposite number warned me when I saw him some months ago, it’s not just the front lines that matter when you are dealing with this Russia.
Putin will only take us seriously when he sees our factories producing at wartime rates. And that’s why I believe so strongly in the need to rebuild our own national arsenal and reconnect society with its Armed Forces.
It’s time for the economic regeneration of traditional defence industries, and also a good moment to create new ones for robotic and autonomous systems, artificial intelligence and cutting-edge software. These are the new tools of war.
The urgency could not be clearer. Just ask yourself: If you knew now that our soldiers would be involved in large-scale combat operations in 2027, what would you be doing differently – and why are you not doing it?
I have been amazed at how many British businesses, service providers and manufacturers have come to us to ask how they can help. That spirit of generosity and an inclination to serve Britain in whatever way they can, by bringing their skills and expertise to bear, or taking a risk with their cash flow, is inspirational.
I can assure you that it has been matched by bottom-up innovation and creativity from our soldiers, too. This is all giving them the confidence to know their country has their backs if it comes to combat. They will be ready in mind and body, no question, but it needs to be more than that.
Russia started this war by invading Ukraine, and it seems to me only they can decide to stop it.
Ukraine is showing extraordinary resolve and ingenuity, and we need to keep helping them do that.
We can also signal to Putin that, having failed to achieve his mission after four years of what was meant to be a short excursion to steal a country, if he thinks it will be any easier to steal a bit of Nato territory, he is even more stupid than we thought. So don’t start a war with us, or any of our partners or allies.
We will never give up what matters to us. Our future will be on our terms, and ours alone.
- General Sir Roly Walker is Chief of the General Staff
“Putin’s strategic design was much greater. It was, and remains today, the collapse of Nato, division within Europe, and ultimately restoring dominion over those states that were once part of the Soviet Union.”
Which not coincidentally, is very similar to the Krasnov regime’s “strategic review.”
Reflections on four years of demonic horror :
As we all recall, the poisonous little rat nazi was so confident that he would soon be mincing around the Maidan with his piss-ass Generals, that he sent his vermin army in with full dress uniforms stored in their vehicles.
We now know that crucial Five Eyes Intel was provided that warned of Hostomel Airport being stormed and prepped up as a landing base for hordes more vermin to overrun Kyiv.
We now know that Boris’s 2000 NLAWS helped save the day and that he was able to influence Biden to send Javelins in viable numbers.
The battle of Kyiv was won by a nimble army that was outnumbered and outgunned by vermin.
Four years later that army is still outnumbered and outgunned but fights valiantly on, even though the level of support needed consistently runs at 20% of what is needed.
In 2022, new and terrible enemies joined in on the side of putler : China, NK and Iran.
In February 2025, the axis of evil had a new member : the United States of Krasnovia, which commenced its attack on Ukraine in the Oval Office and has been doing its best to force a Ukrainian capitulation ever since.
Although we can live in hope of an economic collapse of the cauldron of devilry, it’s still just a pipe dream.
The putinaZis must be crushed militarily.
To repeat what I said yesterday:
We need a powerful new military/political/trade/intel-sharing alliance.
Not sometime in the future, NOW.
Core members should consist of : CANZUK, Japan, the Scandies, the Balts, France, Poland, Germany, Netherlands and of course Ukraine.
The armed forces of the alliance should integrate with each other as much as possible.
With Ukraine as the Senior Service, I’d put a Ukrainian General in overall command.
Each member should commit to at least one division of mechanised troops (one Brigade for the smaller countries) and at least one squadron of warplanes.
The ones with naval assets should also commit as much as they can.
The military-industrial complex should also integrate and go immediately onto a war footing.
Troops should start flowing into Ukraine until all the major cities are guarded; thus freeing off at least ten more Ukrainian divisions for the frontline.
For every third world idiot willing to fight for the putinaZis, there must be an equivalent number of them willing to join a new force of mercs. Let’s tap that resource.
The U.K. should be tooling up now to start producing home grown tactical nukes. We had them for almost 50 years; until Tony Blair decommissioned them.
We can no longer rely purely on US-supplied trident strategic nukes, so this is the solution.
We should then start supplying them to Ukraine.
And finally, to repeat the words of Gen Zaluzhnyi yesterday:
“We, Ukrainians, have no choice. We will either perish or survive. The formula for survival is simple: keep fighting, strengthen the economy, and maintain unity.”
Not standing your ground with strength, courage, and determination only encourages evil scum to act more aggressively. It’s simple common sense.
Btw, “thus freeing off at least ten more Ukrainian troops for the frontline” should of course have read :
“thus freeing off at least ten more Ukrainian divisions for the frontline.”
Now corrected!
Indeed!