Trump's peace plan: Bolstering Kremlin ties with new allies
According to General Mike Elviss, commander of the British field army, Donald Trump's plan to negotiate a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia could provide the Kremlin with an opportunity to rebuild its army and collaborate with the "axis of aggressors," including China, Iran, and North Korea.
At the International Armoured Vehicles Conference in Farnborough, Elviss warned that once hostilities cease, a race to rebuild armoured forces will commence as nations prepare for potential future conflicts. "What is certain is that once the guns fall silent in Ukraine, there will be a Russian resurgence, reconstitution, and more collusion with a new axis of aggressors," he stated. He further added that there would be a race to "re-establish conventional deterrence in an era of strategic confrontation."
The general emphasised that by "conventional deterrence," he primarily refers to armoured forces.
The race between Russia and the West
High-ranking military officers in the UK's Ministry of Defence believe that following any peace agreement facilitated by Trump, "a new race will unfold between Russia and the West to prepare their forces for the next conflict." Lieutenant General Sir Ralph Wooddisse, commander of NATO's rapid reaction corps, warned that Russia will be "whole lot better next time round," as its military continuously adapts to conducting military operations.
He also cautioned that Britain should not assume Russia will exhibit the same low effectiveness as in 2022 when it failed to take Ukraine.
Russians rebuilding their forces
Major General Matthew Van Wagenen, deputy chief of staff for operations and intelligence at NATO in Europe, stated that Russia is already rapidly rebuilding its armed forces and will likely return to its pre-2022 readiness level sooner than we think.
Van Wagenen warned that across the alliance, there is a shortage of armoured vehicles due to donations to Ukraine and underinvestment over the past 35 years. He stressed the need to ramp up production to prepare for future conflicts. When asked about the extent of the deficit, he replied that there is a significant shortage.
The British army requires hundreds of vehicles, including armoured ones and auxiliary vehicles like Land Rovers or fuel tankers, to adequately supply troops and fulfil its NATO commitments.
According to Defence Procurement Minister Maria Eagle, approximately £4.9 billion is currently being invested to equip the army with 623 modern Boxer armoured vehicles and 148 Challenger 3 tanks, expected to enter service by 2030.
