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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
National
Dan Sabbagh and Peter Walker

Army chief says people of UK are ‘prewar generation’ who must be ready to fight Russia

Soldier looking through sights of machine gun
Gen Sanders said that in the last 30 years, the British army has halved in size. Photograph: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

Downing Street has dismissed a warning from the head of the British army that the UK public must be prepared to take up arms in a war against Vladimir Putin’s Russia because today’s professional military is too small.

Rishi Sunak’s spokesperson said the prime minister did not agree with comments made by Gen Sir Patrick Sanders in a speech on Wednesday, and was forced to insist there would be no return to national service, which was abolished in 1960.

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