Former NATO commander Sir Richard Shirreff has warned that unless the West
increases its support for Ukraine, it could get pulled into a direct
conflict with Russia.

Speaking to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Sir Richard said that the war
was at an inflection point, and the West needed to step up and increase
its support for Ukraine in defeating the Russian invasion.

https://www.businessinsider.com/ex-nato-richard-shirreff-alliance-back-ukraine-risk-war-russia-2023-5?r=US&IR=T

"Either the West doubles down now to give Ukraine the tools it really
needs to do the job in a series of sustained counteroffensives, or the
West faces — I think NATO faces — the very real possibility in two to
three years' time of potentially having to intervene to support the
Ukrainians [to] achieve final victory," he said.

"Because there's only one outcome of this; it's got to be victory. This is
a war not just against Ukraine; it's a war against the West," he said.

Sir Richard compared the situation to that which took place before the
start of World War II, when Adolf Hitler's Nazi Germany set out to conquer
swathes of Europe.

"We have to recognize that once again in Europe there is a bloodstained
autocrat prepared to inflict unspeakable suffering on peaceful democratic
neighbors to further his own imperious ambitions. We've been here before
in 1939 to 1945. And we're here again," said Sir Richard.

His comments come after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited
European capitals last week, where leaders pledged billions of dollars
more in military support for Ukraine ahead of its anticipated spring
offensive.

Leaders in the US and Europe have been wary of providing Ukraine with some
of the military aid it has requested, reportedly believing that it could
antagonize Russia and lead to a direct conflict with NATO. Russian
hardliners have menaced NATO allies with threats of nuclear attacks over
their support for Ukraine.

So far, the US and its allies have pledged $150 billion in aid to Ukraine
since Russia launched its unprovoked invasion of the country in February
2022, German think tank the Kiel Institute said in January.

But as Ukraine gears up its anticipated Spring campaign to push the
Russian military back from the territory it occupies in east and southern
Ukraine, Sir Richard warned that the West needed to further increase its
support.

He said the West should agree to Ukrainian requests for F-16 fighter jets
to offset Russian superiority in the air, increase defense spending, and
boost the the amount of ammunition it supplies to Ukraine.

As things stand, he said, the West is ill-prepared for the worst case
scenario — direct conflict with Russia.

"We are a long way short of that, [but] that [new mindset] is simply not
happening," he said.

Sir Richard served as NATO's deputy supreme allied commander in Europe,
and in 2016 penned a book, '2017: War with Russia: An Urgent Warning from
Senior Military Command,' in which he imagines the likely results of a war
between Russia and NATO allies.

### - while the world's still in propaganda-mode one can hardly believe a
damn word any of these people say? everything being deliberately spun to
create a very certain effect...

but 2 to 3 years 'grace' before it all gets very much worse, actually
sounds good?

i.e., i was thinkin' only 6 to 12 months max heh...

but then it's always surprised me just how l o n g things actually take to
unfold?

a bit like british rail heh: ya KNOW it's gonna get there eventually but
is always late ;)

but is also hopeful coz a lot can happen in 2/3 years to maybe make it all
go away...