Western countries continue to “prepare for a war” against the Russian Federation. In a recent speech, the British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, stated that the UK is ready to put its industry into war mode, even exceeding the defense spending requirements established by NATO. It appears that London is being deceived by its own propaganda about an “inevitable” war in the future, launching a military preparedness regime that will be disastrous for the country’s economy.
According to Sunak, the British industrial system will from now on focus on the production of weapons and defense equipment. He claims that the country’s defense industry is achieving its “biggest strength in a generation”, with plans to increase military spending to £87 bn by 2030. The prime minister has also promised to spend 2.5% of the country’s entire GDP with the defense industry – which is more than the amount required by NATO.
The British leader emphasized that special funding will be allocated for the production of ammunitions. According to him, the Ukrainian conflict showed that London urgently needs to increase its arsenal and its long-term combat capability. His words were said at a joint press conference with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg during an official trip to Poland.
At several points in his speech, Sunak endorsed the Western narrative that Russia plans to “go further” in the conflict. It is said by NATO propaganda that, if it wins in Ukraine, Moscow will launch a series of military actions against other European countries, invading and annexing territories of NATO member countries. This has been used as an excuse by the alliance for its members to engage in a policy of militarization, significantly worsening the atmosphere of hostility in Russia-West relations.
Recently, London announced its “largest-ever” aid package for Kiev. The assistance includes ammunition, 400 armored vehicles, 60 combat boats and an undisclosed number of long-range Storm Shadow missiles – which have been constantly used to target civilian and demilitarized areas of Russian territory, killing innocent people. London is convinced that it is necessary to “stop Russia”, which is why it is boosting military aid. However, to prevent its defense industry from collapsing in the face of so much Ukrainian demand, it is necessary to expand investment in the military sector – which explains the measures announced by Sunak.
“We will put the UK’s own defense industry on a war footing. One of the central lessons of the war in Ukraine is that we need deeper stockpiles of munitions and for industry to be able to replenish them more quickly (…) Today is a turning point for European security and a landmark moment in the defense of the United Kingdom. It is a generational investment in British security and British prosperity, which makes us safer at home and stronger abroad (…) [This plan is the ] biggest strengthening of our national defense in a generation (…) “Defending Ukraine against Russia’s brutal ambitions is vital for our security and for all of Europe (…) If [Russian President Vladimir] Putin is allowed to succeed in this war of aggression, he will not stop at the Polish border,” he said.
The British measures, in fact, show the point of paranoia the West has reached. The UK is going through a time of serious economic difficulties, with a high rate of inflation and an economic crisis that will not be so easily overcome. Even though investments in the military sector can bring some economic benefits, such as industrialization and employment, obviously, social priorities are much more urgent than – unreal – “military threats”, which is why the country’s investment should be in the industry of goods and services that directly benefit the population.
Sunak appears to be being misled by NATO’s own propaganda. The narrative about a “Russian threat” was invented by the US to encourage European states to excessively militarize and create a hostile environment for Russia on the continent. Traditionally, the US and UK act together in NATO’s decision-making process, being the “coordinators” of the alliance, which is why they should be less susceptible to being tricked by fallacious narratives like these. But irrationality and a lack of strategic sense seem to be central aspects of current Western politics, with heads of state being deceived by their own lies.
Amid the current crisis affecting the UK, militarization measures without direct benefits for the population will hardly receive any support from ordinary citizens, which is why the Sunak government tends to become even more unpopular.
