Britain slammed as 'unreliable and insignificant' NATO partner

Britain has been slammed as an "unreliable and insignificant" NATO partner as the Government is urged to increase defence spending. Defence analyst and strategist Nicholas Drummond said the country should be taking the risk posed by Russia more seriously and preparing for a potential future conflict.

Mr Drummond, advisor to arms manufacturer KNDS Deutschland, accused Labour of ignoring this threat, which may present itself "sooner rather than later".

He told the Express: "It is worrying that the Government has refused to recognise the risks we face or the fact that we may be forced to act sooner rather than later. It is not planning to allocate increased money to defence before 2027/2028. This makes Britain an unreliable and insignificant alliance partner."

Mr Drummond also put forward a concerning timeline for a full-on conflict with Russia, warning it may come within the next 12 to 18 months.

He said: "Putin may need to escalate further, more immediately to ensure his survival. It means we could be drawn into a wider conflict with Russia sooner rather than later.

"A wider conflict with Russia occurring within the next 12-18 months is a scenario for which neither Britain nor Europe are prepared."

The defence expert explained that the British Army needs to increase its size and resources, or it will not be able to make a "sustainable contribution to any land conflict".

He said: "Britain possesses a capable and credible navy and air force, but the British Army lacks the scale and resources to make a sustainable contribution to any land conflict."

This comes after Dr. Marcin Kaczmarski, Lecturer in Security Studies at the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Glasgow, revealed the two ways in which the Russian military could engage with Britain.

He told the Express: "One is what we have already seen. These are incursions into the airspace, increasing the number of Russian patrols in the North Sea, which can even accidentally lead to a clash."

Second, if British troops were deployed to western Ukraine, Dr. Kaczmarski does not expect Moscow to directly confront British or European forces, but rather operate in a "grey zone" of plausible deniability.

"He thinks Russia would likely resort to deniable attacks - for example, using drones - and then claim they were accidental."