Britain and her allies should make Russia ‘feel threatened’ as part of their strategy to thwart the Kremlin, a former national security adviser has urged.
asserted
adviser → make → Kremlin
Lord Sedwill, who also served as Cabinet Secretary, warned that a strictly defensive approach was not enough to deter an adversary such as Vladimir Putin.
asserted
approach → serve → Putin
Rather the UK, working alongside its Nato partners, should make the Russian President realise that his disruptive and illegal actions have consequences.
asserted
actions → work → consequences
Lord Sedwill’s intervention comes as the UK is involved in so-called ‘hybrid warfare’ against adversaries such as Russia and Iran.
asserted
UK → come → Russia
Russia is also preparing for conflict with Nato by reinforcing command posts along its border with member states, building walls of sandbags and erecting netting designed to prevent attacks by drones.
asserted
Russia → prepare → drones
Former National Security Advisor Lord Sedwill warned a strictly defensive strategy would not be enough for Britain and her NATO allies to deter Russian President Vladimir Putin from probing the West's defences.
asserted
Britain → warn → defences
While British soldiers are preparing for arctic warfare, so too are the Russians.
asserted
Russians → prepare → warfare
The Atlantic Future Forum heard today how Kremlin forces are reinforcing command posts along their frontline in the High North, building sandbag walls and erecting netting to prevent attacks by drones.
asserted
forces → hear → drones
Addressing the Atlantic Future Forum conference aboard HMS Prince of Wales, which has docked in Oslo, Lord Sedwill said: ‘Sometimes the most effective form of defence is to cause a dilemma, it is to go on the offensive.
asserted
it → address → offensive
‘How can we present Russia with a set of strategic dilemmas, how can we make them feel they are under threat?
asserted
they → present → threat
[Because] we are already facing daily hybrid warfare, whether that is cyber-attacks, bomb threats, assassination or dirty money in our politics.
asserted
that → face → politics
‘Can we put some pressure on the Russians?
asserted
we → put → Russians
Because deterrence requires not just effective defence.
asserted
deterrence → require → defence
It requires there to be some jeopardy for our adversaries in continuing to probe us.’
asserted
It → require → us
Lord Sedwill told senior military officers gathered aboard the aircraft carrier that they were already engaged in conflict with Russia and other adversaries, such as Iran.
asserted
they → tell → Iran
The crossbench peer revealed how Iranian cyber operatives were seeking to undermine political cohesion in the UK.
asserted
operatives → reveal → UK
By way of example he cited how those bots were bombarding social media platforms with messages supporting Scottish independence.
asserted
bots → cite → independence
Lord Sedwill warned international generals and ministers against relying on conventional defensive strategies, despite Nato being a defensive alliance.
asserted
Nato → warn → strategies
Allies must not ‘concede the initiative’ to the Kremlin, rather to impose a sense of ‘jeopardy’ that makes President Putin think twice, he explained.
asserted
he → concede → jeopardy
Lord Sedwill said: ‘That is something I really want to emphasise.
asserted
I → say → ?
Whether we are talking about land, sea and air.
asserted
we → talk → land
‘It is also true if we are talking about the hybrid space, cyberspace and the information space.
asserted
we → talk → space
Deterrent requires not just effective defence.
asserted
Deterrent → require → defence
It requires there to be some jeopardy.
asserted
It → require → ?
‘Russia is increasing its presence and activity on NATO’s northern flank, seeking to exploit the geography, to threaten our collective defences and to sow instability.’
asserted
Russia → increase → instability
A senior Norwegian naval officer responsible for security in the country’s high north told how Russia was making preparations for a land conflict with Nato.
asserted
Russia → tell → Nato
Vice Admiral Rune Andersen told the Atlantic Future Forum: ‘Russia’s threat perception has increased also.
asserted
perception → tell → Forum
We have seen preparations such as sandbags and anti-drone netting’
asserted
We → see → sandbags
While Norwegian intelligence chief Kristin Ven Bruusgaard said increased threat perception by both sides made conflict more likely.
asserted
conflict → say → sides
She said: ‘There is a high risk of misunderstandings.
asserted
She → say → misunderstandings
We don’t comprehend where the red lines are for the other.
asserted
lines → comprehend → other
So the dynamic [between NATO and Russia] could shift quite rapidly.’
uncertain
dynamic → shift → NATO
The Aporia
