If there’s anyone who knows about the UK’s national security and its threats, it’s this former MI6 boss, who just warned that a Trump reelection could remove an “essential” aspect that would put the UK at risk.
Former MI6 Chief’s Warning
Sir Richard Dearlove, former head of MI6, has warned the UK about Donald Trump’s potential re-election, citing consequences for the UK’s national security.
Donald Trump is currently the Republican frontrunner for the upcoming U.S. presidential race, with only one other candidate standing in his way from a potential repeat of Trump v. Biden.
Sir Richard expressed worries that Trump’s actions, if he were to return to office, could be “problematic” for the Atlantic Alliance and could be a “political threat” to Britain.
National Security Considerations
The former MI6 chief stressed that Trump has the potential to act “hastily,” suggesting that if he were to “damage the Atlantic Alliance,” then it would be “a big deal for the UK.”
Former President Donald Trump has always been a stern critic of the NATO alliance, arguing that countries do not pay their way and even suggesting that the alliance was “obsolete.”
Discussing the broader intelligence perspective, Sir Richard outlined two primary concerns – the situation in Ukraine as Russia’s invasion continues and China’s potential invasion of Taiwan.
Global Behavior of China
China’s behavior is a huge concern of the U.S. “From an intelligence perspective, the two things we need to worry about are… Ukraine and what China’s long-term behaviour globally is going to be,” Sir Richard said.
Sir Richard pointed out that China is a concern, “particularly in relation to Taiwan and how threatening China is to Western interests.”
In addition to traditional security concerns, Sir Richard pointed out the political threat posed by Trump’s potential re-election, stating that he was “worried about” Trump’s reelection, describing it as “problematic” for the UK’s national security.
Importance of Atlantic Alliance
The potential damage to the Atlantic Alliance was Sir Richard’s main concern since, according to him, “We’ve put all our eggs in defense terms in the NATO basket,” he warned.
Trump warned NATO countries, “You gotta pay,” while addressing a crowd of his supporters at a rally in South Carolina, before hinting that, if he were President, he wouldn’t protect a NATO country if it were invaded.
Trump claimed that he had a conversation with the leader of an unnamed NATO country, “One of the presidents of a big country stood up and said, ‘Well, sir, if we don’t pay, and we’re attacked by Russia, will you protect us?’” Trump said.
In response, Trump claimed that he called the leader a “delinquent” and told them, “No, I would not protect you,” followed by cheers from the crowd.
Allowing Russia to Invade
Trump stunned the world by admitting he would sit back and allow Russia to hypothetically invade the country, claiming, “I would encourage them (Russia) to do whatever the hell they want. You got to pay. You got to pay your bills.”
In contrast to Trump, current President Joe Biden has pledged billions of dollars in foreign aid to both Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East and is currently trying to get a huge $95 billion aid deal approved by Congress.
Trump, on the other hand, argued that the bill should not be approved and that the US should focus on securing its own Southern Border before protecting other countries.
Sir Richard’s Further Warning
Sir Richard warned that if Trump is “serious” about “changing the balance” with NATO, it could be detrimental for Europe as it would not have one of the world’s biggest nuclear powers protecting it.
“The American nuclear umbrella for Europe is, in my view, essential to Europe’s security and defence,” said Sir Richard, showing just how important the upcoming US election is for the UK and Europe.
With only a few months remaining before the election, the warning from the former MI6 boss shows that the UK public should keep a close eye on developments overseas.
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Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Evan El-Amin.