A former Army chief has said western allies should not rule out assassinating Vladimir Putin.
Colonel Richard Kemp, who commanded British troops in Afghanistan, told us: “NATO should consider all options to remove him from power. That would include killing him although it is not likely to be viable or desirable.”
He believes the Russian president should at least face war crimes charges.
“The best thing would be to see Putin deposed, arrested and tried, either in Russia or at the International Criminal Court,” he said.
“But those options are highly unlikely ever to happen.”
The retired Army officer said that while an assassination might be unacceptable to many people it also may be the only way to end the war and prevent future conflicts.
He added: “If it came to assassination that might be unpalatable to many but his life has no greater value than the lives of the thousands he has already murdered in Ukraine and elsewhere and may well kill in the future.
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"He is the ‘Supreme Commander in Chief’ of the Russian forces who ordered an illegal war of aggression and is a legitimate target.
"Our government planned the assassination of Adolf Hitler in the Second World War. Had he been removed instead of appeased in the late 1930s we would not have suffered a conflict that killed 70 million people.
"Osama Bin Laden, Islamic State chief Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi and Iranian Republican Guard Commander Qasem Soleimani all represented direct threats to the West. They were all killed to counter those threats. Putin represents a permanent and deadly threat that will remain while he is in power.
“Our priority should be to help remove him. If enough pressure is brought to bear on Putin’s oligarchs it could lead to a palace coup.”
