IT is an unfortunate truth that all the dynamics which existed in the Cold War some 30 years ago have been resurrected again.

One only needs to read about Russia’s military war games staged recently which are now even larger than in 1981 when Russia was the USSR.

It has involved some 300,000 troops, 1,000 aircraft and nearly 100 naval vessels, but this time includes Russia’s ally, China. Russia has completely modernised its armed forces, but to what end? No one is threatening it.

During the last Cold War, Western Europe was very much an armed camp defended principally by British and American forces, but not so now.

Europe is weak militarily and has no appetite to counter the threat especially with a dependency on Russian gas and oil.

It is difficult to see how Europe could defend itself if Mr Putin decided to unleash his military might.

The ultimate response could be to threaten nuclear war, but would we be prepared to contemplate self-destruction?

My view is that it would be worth the risk, but that is not everybody’s view and certainly not Mr Corbyn’s, who would not even threaten to use it if he were Prime Minister.

Britain has been the key to keeping Europe free over the centuries, whether reigning back Spanish and French ambitions and latterly Germany in two world wars.

Britain has been essential to keeping Europe safe, although you would not think it the way the EU is reacting over Brexit.

The UK must be the number one priority to put out of action if Mr Putin ever decided to act and make no mistake.

Regrettably, currently, we do not have the military hardware or the political will or for that matter the public’s awareness to face up to this new threat.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the end of the Great War, the war to end all wars, a war that was supposed to bring peace to the world, yet they still carry on.

What else would historians write about if it were not part of the human dynamic?

What is disturbing now is that China and Russia seem to be acting together much as Germany and Japan did in the Second World War, but this time having much more able leaders, both acting as dictators in their respective countries.

Their ultimate goal could be to control between them Western Europe, the Middle East, the Far East and Africa and certainly America seems reluctant to face up to this possibility.

Perhaps George Orwell’s view of world conflict in his novel 1984 may not turn out to be a work of fiction after all?

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