Britain can trust the US, Defence Chief tells LBC amid fears of war with Russia
This comes as US President Donald Trump launched a scathing attack on European leaders last week, branding them "weak"
The head of Britain's armed forces has told LBC that the UK can trust the US amid the growing risk of a potential war with Russia, but added that he “does not recognise” the White House's “characterisation of Europe".
Listen to this article
Sir Richard Knighton made the comments after claiming earlier this week that Britain's "sons and daughters" need to be ready to fight, as Russia could attack this country at any moment.
Asked if we can trust the US to support the UK militarily, Sir Richard said: "My experience is based on the contacts I have with the US military, and I can tell you from the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff down to the most junior person that I deal with in the US armed forces.
"They are our friends and our allies and our comrades. We've fought alongside each other, and I judge that I can trust our fellow armed forces."
His words come as US President Donald Trump launched a scathing attack on European leaders last week, branding them "weak" in comparison to Vladimir Putin's forces.
Read More: 'We stand with Ukraine': Starmer holds peace talks with leaders in show of 'European unity'
Read More: Moment Ukraine's underwater drones strike £300m Russian submarine in 'first-of-its kind' attack
“I think they are weak,” Mr Trump told POLITICO.
“But I also think that they want to be so politically correct.”“I think they don’t know what to do. Europe doesn’t know what to do.”
The US President accused European leaders of “talking too much” and failing to deliver on the war in Ukraine, as he demanded Volodymyr Zelenskyy “get his act together.”
Earlier this year, Vice President JD Vance said free speech is "in retreat" in Europe and is now a bigger threat than Russia.
Commenting on President Trump, Vice President Vance and US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s statements on Europe’s defence strategy, Sir Richard said: "We know that President Trump has reinforced their commitment to NATO and to NATO Article Five, I live in Europe and I don't recognise the characterisation of Europe."
Sir Richard Knighton also told LBC that he "cannot see conscription returning in the short term” but refused to rule out its return within his lifetime and stated he is confident the British people would fight in a war if called upon.
Last night, the US told Ukraine to accept "platinum standard" security guarantees as part of a broader peace deal to end the war and ensure Russia ceases any further westward expansion.
The exact details of the offer are not currently public, however they are reported to be Nato-style security guarantees for Kyiv if it agrees to cede territory.
However, the US delegation has also warned that the offer will not be available forever, adding pressure on President Zelenskyy to agree to the latest set of terms.
Rustem Umerov, Ukraine's Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council, posted about the progress of the negotiations on X:
"Over the past two days, Ukrainian-US negotiations have been constructive and productive, with real progress achieved. We hope we will reach an agreement that will bring us closer to peace by the end of the day."
The Telegraph has reported that sources now believe 90 per cent of a peace deal has been agreed by both Russia and Ukraine.
Sir Richard also confirmed that talks are ongoing about developing a UK Iron Dome defence system and stated that we will "definitely see improvements by the end of the decade” in our missile defence.