British military chiefs, including SAS hero Chris Ryan, have blasted a top Donald Trump advisor for dismissing the Ukraine war as ‘Europe’s problem’ – warning the claim would only ’embolden’ Vladimir Putin.
Elbridge Colby, the former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy and Force Development, triggered outrage last night over his remarks, which a former Colonel in British military intelligence today branded ‘dangerous’.
In his astonishing critique, the military strategist – who is widely tipped for a top security job in DC should Trump emerge victorious from November elections – said Britain must stop ‘haranguing’ the White House to help Kyiv.
Colby’s comments came on the eve of a key meeting between Western leaders in Washington for NATO‘s 75th-anniversary summit today, attended by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and President Joe Biden.
British special forces legend Chris Ryan has now lashed out, with the famed military hardman warning the American official’s remarks would only spur on Putin to continue with his savage invasion in Ukraine.
‘Unless depleted or defeated Putin won’t stop at Europe, victory would embolden him and the rest of the axis who work as proxies for one another,’ the retired soldier-turned-author told MailOnline.
‘The only choice is to stand together again as we did against Hitler.
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‘Elbridge clearly doesn’t understand the concept that Europe is an extremely important buffer between the US and the East.
‘For an educated man I can’t understand why he doesn’t see the totality of the threat the US faces and unfortunately choosing to concentrate on the front door leaves his back door wide open.’
The former special forces operator added: ‘Ukraine is fighting for us all and we are supporting their fight and 100 per cent should stand by them until the job is done.’
Philip Ingram, a former Colonel in British military intelligence, also slammed the military strategist – as he chillingly warned the world was now on an ‘accelerated path’ to global war.
‘The comments that Ukraine is Europe’s problem and Britain should not pester DC are very dangerous when looking at support for Ukraine in isolation,’ Colonel Ingram said.
‘They will embolden Putin and trigger him to use all means possible to support Trump becoming the next US President.’
But the former spymaster added: ‘However, in a more global context they may be a recognition of realism. With the Middle East and south-east Asia becoming hugely more unstable, what is happening there could have a greater effect on the US and the US knows the EU and UK have little capability to help.
‘This could be the first commentary recognising that we are on an accelerated path to global conflict and in that case, Ukraine would primarily be a European issue. The US would remain involved but not to the degree it is currently.’
Further concerns have been raised by a senior Royal Navy officer, who agreed the comments would ’embolden’ Putin.
Commodore Steve Prest, the former director of naval acquisition in the Royal Navy, admitted we should be ‘very worried’ by the American’s remarks.
‘Should we be worried that a key Trump ally has reportedly said that the war in Ukraine is ‘Europe’s problem’? Yes, we should be very worried indeed,’ the veteran naval officer said.
‘Europe’s security is underpinned by American military muscle. European Governments have, frankly, relied too heavily on Uncle Sam and neglected their own Defence and Security responsibilities in recent decades.
‘President Trump gave the Europeans a wake-up call during his first presidency, and this was reinforced dramatically by the illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine.’
He continued: ‘In the short-term, such words will embolden President Putin. He will view such fractures in the willingness of the Alliance to keep its word as weakness and he will try to exploit it.’
The naval officer said a credible ‘deterrence’ was key to ‘stopping things before they start’.
But he said for this to work, nations must show ‘resolve’.
‘That resolve is being tested by Ukraine and Nato needs to pass the test,’ added Cmdr Prest.
‘That is in America’s interest. America’s own security is tied to that of Europe across the Atlantic and, to its West, what happens in the Asia-Pacific region. This was a lesson of the twentieth century and, despite some of the retreat of globalisation, it remains more true today than ever.’
The senior officer said any show of weakness or ‘fragility’ in such alliances could spur on the like of China and Russia to seize upon it.
‘If further chaos ensues in Eastern Europe, the lesson from history is that ‘Europe’s problem’ could escalate to become America’s problem very quickly indeed,’ he warned.