Vladimir Putin is as much of a threat to Europe as Islamic State, posing a "real and present danger" to Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, the UK's Defence Secretary has warned.
Michael Fallon said that Nato is "getting ready" for any kind of "aggression from Russia whatever form it takes".
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The Times describes his comments as "some of the toughest language of any senior British minister towards Russia since the crisis over Ukraine erupted a year ago".
It comes as Ukrainian troops yesterday pulled out of the strategic town of Debaltseve after it was stormed by pro-Russian rebels – a "highly significant victory" for the Moscow-armed separatists, reports The Guardian.
Fallon suggested that the ceasefire in eastern Ukraine had all but collapsed and raised concerns that Putin would deploy the techniques used in Ukraine, such as sending in armed men in unmarked military uniforms, to destabilise the Baltic States.
Speaking to journalists on board a flight to Sierra Leone, where British forces are helping to fight Ebola, Fallon said the likelihood of such warfare techniques being deployed in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia was a "very real and present danger".
All three countries are members of Nato, meaning that an attack on one could trigger all Nato members to respond.
Asked whether the West was ready for war with Russia, he said: "Nato has to be ready for any kind of aggression from Russia whatever form it takes. Nato is getting ready."
He added that it was not a new Cold War because it appeared that tensions were "warming up".
Moscow has sharply increased its defence spending, and two weeks ago two Russian bombers were flown down the English Channel, prompting the UK to scramble jets to see them off, Fallon said.
"That just shows you, you need to respond," he added. "Each time he does something like that, you need to be ready to respond."
-
Political cartoons for January 17Cartoons Saturday’s political cartoons include hard hats, compliance, and more
-
Ultimate pasta alla NormaThe Week Recommends White miso and eggplant enrich the flavour of this classic pasta dish
-
Death in Minneapolis: a shooting dividing the USIn the Spotlight Federal response to Renee Good’s shooting suggest priority is ‘vilifying Trump’s perceived enemies rather than informing the public’
-
Why Greenland’s natural resources are nearly impossible to mineThe Explainer The country’s natural landscape makes the task extremely difficult
-
Iran cuts internet as protests escalateSpeed Reada Government buildings across the country have been set on fire
-
What do the people of Greenland want for their future?As Europe prevaricates over US threats for annexation there is a unifying feeling of self-determination among Greenlanders
-
US nabs ‘shadow’ tanker claimed by RussiaSpeed Read The ship was one of two vessels seized by the US military
-
All roads to Ukraine-Russia peace run through the DonbasIN THE SPOTLIGHT Volodymyr Zelenskyy is floating a major concession on one of the thorniest issues in the complex negotiations between Ukraine and Russia
-
How Bulgaria’s government fell amid mass protestsThe Explainer The country’s prime minister resigned as part of the fallout
-
Is Europe finally taking the war to Russia?Today's Big Question As Moscow’s drone buzzes and cyberattacks increase, European leaders are taking a more openly aggressive stance
-
Pushing for peace: is Trump appeasing Moscow?In Depth European leaders succeeded in bringing themselves in from the cold and softening Moscow’s terms, but Kyiv still faces an unenviable choice
