(OPINION) The world must be ready for a nuclear war with Russia if Vladimir Putin’s army collapses, an ex-Nato chief has warned. General Sir Richard Shirreff urged the West to keep up the pressure on the tyrant as his invasion of Ukraine loses momentum.
He suspects the bloodthirsty nation’s army is heading for a total collapse – in what could be Russia’s biggest military disaster for 100 years. Sir Richard, who served as Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe for the alliance, even said Ukrainian forces could have successfully driven back Putin’s forces by the end of 2022.
But after Putin unleashed a barrage of missiles on Ukraine in retaliation for the bombing of his prized bridge in Crimea, it has stoked fears about the lengths Mad Vlad will go to. Sir Richard warned the danger – including threat of nuclear weapons – has by no means gone away despite Russia’s recent retreats.
He told The Sun Online: “We should take that nuclear threat very seriously – but we should not in any way blink and I am pretty encouraged by the response of the West. “But if we are promising massive retaliation in some way or other, you have to prepare for the worst case, and the worst case is being at war with Russia.
“There will be no peace in Europe while either Putin, a Putin-like regime, or an ultra-nationalist sits in the Kremlin.” He drew a grim comparison between Putin and Adolf Hitler, saying the Russian leader is now “in the bunker” as the German dictator was in the dying days of World War Two.
“We are dealing with crunchy political issues at the moment, but nevertheless – we might not want this war, but this war might want us,” Sir Richard explained. “We must prepare for the worst case. This is about insurance. The way to avoid a potential war with Russia is to be ready for it, and we are not ready for it.”
But the former Nato commander believes the West have a fighting chance against Putin’s crumbling army – that is heading for disaster. He continued: “I think the scene is being set for a decisive rout of the Russian Army in Ukraine.
“This could be an avalanche, and we are now seeing the cracks in the in the snow. “The Ukrainians are creating more problems than the Russians are capable of solving. It’s looking good.” Sir Richard hailed the “masterclass” counter-offensive which has seen Putin’s men driven back in the east and south of Ukraine – and added the fightback is “maintaining the momentum”.
