NATO commander warns UK PM’s military cuts are “recipe for disaster”

A senior NATO commander has criticised Andy Burnham’s decision to cut Army training to save £30 million, describing the decision as a “recipe for disaster”.

Lt Gen Benoît Desmeulles said the move could undermine Britain’s ability to fight, Caliber.Az reports, citing The Telegraph.

Earlier this month, it emerged that the Army had temporarily suspended key live-fire and tank training exercises as part of efforts to reduce costs.

Asked by The Telegraph whether the decision was a mistake, Lt Gen Desmeulles said: “Yes – it’s a very, very bad thing that you make the savings on the [training] exercise.”

Speaking at the International Institute for Strategic Studies summit in Prague, he said he was concerned that the cuts would affect the effectiveness of British troops.

“I’m sad for my English friends,” he added. “We had the same a few years ago. It’s not a good thing. No training equals no ‘fight-tonight’ capacity. If we are not good at our job and we don’t have the equipment, that’s a recipe for disaster. So it’s a very bad thing,” he outlined.

Hundreds of British troops are believed to have been affected by the temporary spending reductions, which The Telegraph understands have hit 3rd Division.

The cuts are also expected to affect thousands of reservists, with volunteer soldiers instructed to serve fewer days because of budget constraints.

The Prime Minister has yet to commit to increasing defence spending to 3 per cent of GDP by 2030, despite calls from military chiefs. He maintained that any increase should not come at the expense of the welfare budget.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov