– or risk his Premiership being relegated to the scrapheap of history.
retreats from the continent.
Senior army commanders privately informed The Mail on Sunday that the government should "mothball" both the Royal Navy's aircraft carriers, redirecting the saved funds to bolster land forces.
It is suggested that Europe may need to be defended against an attack within a year.
With Russian President Vladimir Putin, coupled with his warnings that European nations must be more self-sufficient in defense.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference yesterday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the continent should be prepared for the possibility of losing Washington's protection.
He stated: 'I firmly believe the time has come – the armed forces of Europe must be established... From now on things will change and Europe needs to adapt to this new reality.'
to a European peacekeeping force, which would likely need to be around 100,000 strong.
He stated, "The UK would have to provide a considerable share of that, and we simply couldn't manage it."
'The current state of our military is quite concerning, being both numerically weak and lacking in capability and equipment. It has the potential to be quite embarrassing.'
The government is planning to increase the tax rate from its current level of 2.3 percent of GDP to as much as 3.5 percent.
He warned that the current defense review, led by former Labour Defense Secretary George Robertson and based on defense spending not exceeding 2.5 percent of GDP, will fail unless the Prime Minister and Chancellor Rachel Reeves identify additional funds.
Lord Dannatt urged Sir Keir and Ms Reeves to 'consider their own priorities and reflect on whether health, education, roads, and infrastructure are truly more important than defense and national security'.
While speaking on the BBC's Week In Westminster, he emphasized the need to 'find ways of generating more funds, exceeding the current 2.5 per cent threshold, targeting at least 3 or 3.5 per cent for the initial allocation of our defense budget'.
If that didn't happen, 'then this Strategic Defence Review is going to be empty, it's going to be a failure. And, frankly, it'll send Keir Starmer to the scrap heap of history.'
Sources near the review have dismissed claims that it will recommend one of the Navy's aircraft carriers – which together cost more than £6 billion – to be put into storage.
But one senior general spoke out last night in private, saying: 'It costs over $120 million annually just to operate a carrier.'
'Put them both in storage and the funds saved can be redirected to the land campaign, which is scheduled for the next 12 months. The carriers can always be refurbished.'
Separately, General Sir Richard Shirreff, formerly Nato's Deputy Supreme Allied Commander for Europe, pointed out that the UK may need to revert to "levels of defense spending not seen since the Cold War" to support a Nato "band of deterrence".
He stated, "It's a sacrifice that must be made because unless it's made, we will not be able to enjoy peace."
He stated: 'Russia will never relinquish its goal of erasing Ukraine from the map as an independent nation. And once that objective is accomplished, it will set its sights on other targets.'
Also speaking at the Munich conference yesterday, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy adhered to the plan of increasing defense spending to 2.5 percent even as he acknowledged: 'If Ukraine were to fail, the costs would be significantly higher.'
We spent, on average, seven percent of our GDP during the Cold War era and above. Therefore, don't assume that failing to meet the 2.5 percent target now will result in long-term cost savings.
However, Malcolm Richards, a former captain in the British Army's logistic corps, warned that 2.5 percent "will deliver nothing," saying, "If he doesn't increase spending further, I fear the UK will face consequences and Starmer will be remembered as the person who failed the nation and cast himself out of power."
– an objective strongly rejected by Putin.
Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson stated: "A sovereign nation cannot be restricted in selecting which organizations it wishes to join."
'Ukraine's desire to join NATO is entirely reasonable. The decision to do so is a matter for Ukraine and NATO.'
French President Emmanuel Macron is planning to host an urgent meeting of European leaders in Paris, at which Sir Keir is expected to be in attendance.
The Ministry of Defence stated: 'Everyone acknowledges that defence spending needs to increase. That is why the MoD budget was boosted by nearly £3 billion in the latest Budget and why we will establish a path to 2.5 per cent in the spring.'
'The Strategic Defence Review is thoroughly examining the threats we face and the capabilities we require to address the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.'
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