Former High Commander of NATO: Time to imagine the unthinkable.

General Sir Richard Sheriff, former deputy ally commander of the military organisation, warned that the United Kingdom defence budget is not large enough to expand only the armed forces.

Britain's “Armed Forces are traditionally and culturally based on volunteers of many experienced professionals, and this is really how we would all like to continue”, he told Skynews.

However, given the current global situation and defence financing cuts since the end of the Cold War, he added:

I think we should overcome many of the obstacles and cultural assumptions, and sincerely think the unthinkable”.

“I think we need to go further and look closely at the recruit”, he said. His intervention follows comments by Chief of General Staff General Sir Patrick Saunders, who suggested British men and women could face a call to the military in the event of a war with Russia.

The head of the British Army said citizens of the United Kingdom should be trained and equipped to fight a possible war between NATO and Vladimir Putin's forces.