(UnitedVoice.com) – North Korea, China, and Iran have become increasingly bolder in recent years. Russia has passed bold and gone right to invading other countries and trying to steal their land. The conflict between Israel and Hamas has the world on edge, concerned there could be another war in the Middle East. The British Minister of Defence is worried about a much larger problem. And it’s one the world has not faced in decades.
World War III on the Horizon?
On January 15, the British Secretary of State for Defence Grant Shapps announced that 20,000 troops would be participating in the biggest NATO drills since the Cold War. In a speech to the country, he also argued that the world is in a period of “pre-war.” He said China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea are posing an unprecedented threat to the world.
Shapps explained that Russia is still at war with Ukraine almost two years after launching the unprovoked invasion. China has made it clear that it wants to invade Taiwan. He wondered how much longer the West would support Ukraine when the threat of China is looming so large. The Defence minister also said that Iran is closer to enriching uranium and achieving its goal of acquiring a nuclear weapon. Then there is North Korea, which also wants to expand its nuclear program.
Worse, Shapps pointed out that some of the adversaries are now friends. For example, Russia and China have developed deepening relations. Russia has been getting weapons from Iran and has also made a deal with North Korea.
Shapps said the world has found itself “at the dawn of this new era […] idealism has been replaced by […] hard-headed realism.”
NATO Drills More Important than Ever
To counter the threats against the world, Shapps committed approximately 20,000 British troops to participate in NATO exercises during the first half of the year. More than 40,000 service members from 31 member states and Sweden will be involved in the exercises, which are set to take place in Germany, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
The United States is also participating in Exercise Steadfast Defender 24. The Pentagon has not announced which units of the US military will participate in the drills, which will run from February to June.
The NATO exercises are meant to be a deterrent for Russia. In addition to the troops, Shapps has also committed the country’s most modern surveillance aircraft and fighter jets, submarines, and warships.
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