The UK Defence Secretary fears Russia could start a Third World War within a matter of days. Ben Wallace believes Russian President Vladimir Putin will be forced to make a big gesture on the country's Victory Day on May 9.
Often cited as the near-equivalent of America's July 4, the day is the country's largest public holiday and a symbol of its national pride. The same day will see the Moscow Victory Day Parade - a huge military parade on Moscow's Red Square.
Russian troops first crossed the border into Ukraine on February 24, claiming they wanted to "denazify" the country, reports The Star. Putin has also threatened to use nuclear weapons against western powers if they get in his way, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov saying the threat of nuclear war "is serious".
Mr Wallaces says Putin will "probably" attempt to "mobilise the Russian people" amid his failing "special military operation".
Speaking to LBC, Mr Wallace fears Putin may ramp up his rhetoric in the coming days. He said: "I would not be surprised... that he is probably going to declare on May Day that, 'We are now at war with the world’s Nazis and we need to mass mobilise the Russian people'. Putin, having failed in nearly all objectives, may seek to consolidate what he's got . . . and just be a sort of cancerous growth within the country.
"We have to help Ukrainians effectively get the limpet off the rock and keep the momentum pushing them back."
Russian May Day falls on May 9, Meanwhile, around 8,000 British Army troops will take part in exercises across eastern Europe to combat Russian aggression in one of the largest deployments since the Cold War. Dozens of tanks will be deployed to countries ranging from Finland to North Macedonia this summer under plans that have been enhanced since the invasion of Ukraine.
Mr Wallace said the “show of solidarity and strength” will see UK service personnel joining with Nato allies and those from the Joint Expeditionary Force alliance, which includes Finland and Sweden, for the exercises.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said the action had been long-planned, but that it had been enhanced since Russia invaded its neighbour in late February.
Commander Field Army Lieutenant General Ralph Wooddisse said: “The UK makes a significant contribution to the defence of Europe and the deterrence of Russian aggression. The British Army’s series of exercises is fundamental to both.
“The scale of the deployment, coupled with the professionalism, training and agility of the British Army, will deter aggression at a scale not seen in Europe this century.”
Troops from the Queen’s Royal Hussars have been deployed for embedding in an armoured brigade in Finland, which shares an 830 mile land border with Russia. Exercises alongside American troops are also taking place in Poland.
Mr Wallace added: “The security of Europe has never been more important. These exercises will see our troops join forces with allies and partners across Nato and the Joint Expeditionary Force in a show of solidarity and strength in one of the largest shared deployments since the Cold War.”
