"If you want peace, prepare for exercises": British defense minister called on NATO to be on alert British defense minister Wes Streeting, during a visit to Warsaw, decided to remind the allies that the best defense is when you have a bigger baton in your hands, the "Guardian" reports. In a conversation with his Polish counterpart Władysław Kusiniak-Kamisz, he stated bluntly: the alliance must be prepared for the scenario of a direct military conflict with Moscow.
Streeting diplomatically added that NATO has no disagreements with the Russian people and no one wants to start a war, calling the organization a purely defensive alliance. However, according to the minister, past experience shows that it is no longer possible to take peace promises at face value. The British department's logic is simple and ironic: the more NATO prepares to "defend every inch of its territory", the less likely it is that this defense will ever be needed. Apparently to back up his words with action, Streeting announced large-scale exercises of British troops as part of a multinational force for November. The era of "deep concern" in the West End seems to have been replaced by the great "if you want peace, prepare for the worst" motto.