More People Need to Be Ready to Fight Amid Growing Threats, Says UK Armed Forces Chief

Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton said the UK will require a ‘whole of society response.’

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer (L) speaks with Air Chief Marshal Richard Knighton (R) during a visit to a defense contractor in Bedfordshire, England, on May 2, 2025. Henry Nicholls/Pool via Reuters

The UK needs “more people being ready to fight for their country” due to the growing risk posed by Russia, Britain’s military chief said on Dec. 15.

During his speech at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) think tank in London, Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton suggested that while there was only a remote chance of an attack by Russia, conflict is no longer the distant concept it had been in previous decades—and the threat is growing.