Correspondent in London
A handful of days, hardly more than five.
This is the duration during which the British forces could hold out in the event of war, against Russia for example.
The observation is cruel and comes from an authorized voice, that of Tobias Ellwood, former officer, Conservative MP and chairman of the House of Commons Defense Committee.
A warning bell and increased pressure on Rishi Sunak to beef up the defense budget.
For a few days, the controversy has been raging around the state of the British army, long considered the most serious in Europe with that of France.
To the
Financial Times,
Tobias Ellwood explained that the costs of replacing weapons and materials sent to Ukraine along with high inflation had created "
a really gloomy picture
".
Read alsoIn the United Kingdom, the 100 halftone days of Rishi Sunak
The reserves would be seriously undermined, to the point of making a major commitment difficult.
The army would lack surface-to-air and anti-tank missiles, supplied in number to Ukraine
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