Mr. Seely, who also has a PhD in Russian military strategy warned while Russia and China are gearing up for a wider conflict, “Britain is not ready.”
He warned that our biggest vulnerability, as Putin will have learned, is in being a coastal nation surrounded by sea. He said Poland in the East would be ready to “defend European soil” in the event of a war with NATO, but the alliance is exposed at sea because Putin could easily cut out the bloc’s energy and communications supply.
Britain has just three pipelines that provide 43 percent of our baseline gas supply. Mr. Seely noted there are about 70 communication cables but these could be easily wiped out in a “deep-sea sabotage operation”.
He said there is a “need” for Britain to bolster its maritime defense, working with Scandinavian, North Sea, and Baltic Allies.
He added: “All these sea-faring countries have a vested interest in preventing Russian ocean sabotage. But Britain’s history is unique and our naval experience unrivaled, especially among our northern European allies.”
“The need is critical,” he added. “This century will witness a struggle between two versions of humanity: open societies like our own versus closed, authoritarian societies using all forms of state power to oppress their own people and threaten others. It is a struggle that we have not wanted, but one that we cannot, and must not, lose.”
