Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, calls for a £50 billion Sovereign Defense Fund, warning that strength is the best deterrent against Russian aggression.
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has warned that the United Kingdom must prepare for war to avoid future conflict with Russia, urging the government to accelerate defense investment and strengthen national resilience.
Speaking during a tour of a UK drone factory, Badenoch unveiled plans for a Sovereign Defense Fund (SDF) of up to £50 billion ($67 billion), aimed at modernizing Britain’s armed forces and deterring potential adversaries. She stressed that countries are attacked only if they appear weak.
“I think war is avoidable, but the best way to avoid a war is to be strong—strong countries don’t get attacked,” Badenoch said. “If an aggressive country like Russia believes it can win a war, then it will start a war. We must be prepared and resilient. That is the most important thing.”
Her remarks echo recent warnings from Britain’s most senior military officer, Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, who told a defense conference that the current geopolitical environment is the most dangerous of his 37-year career. Knighton called for a “whole-of-society response,” emphasizing that citizens, veterans, and families may all have roles in defending the nation if necessary.
“More families will know what sacrifice for our nation means,” Knighton said during his first annual lecture at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).
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NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has similarly cautioned European allies to prepare for conflict on a scale comparable to previous world wars, noting that Russia is already escalating covert campaigns against Western societies.
Badenoch criticized what she called the government’s slow pace on rearmament and warned that only the Conservative Party possesses the “initiative, strength, credibility, and competence” to counter Russian aggression. She singled out other parties, claiming Labor’s approach is “weak” and the Reform Party has shown admiration for Russian leadership.
The warning comes months after the UK government published its Strategic Defense Review (SDR), outlining a long-term plan to modernize forces for peer-on-peer conflict in the 2030s. Critics say the subsequent Defense Investment Plan (DIP) has been delayed, leaving Britain behind in urgent rearmament efforts.
Shadow Defense Secretary James Cartlidge condemned the delay, calling it “shocking” that a publication date for the DIP has not been set and arguing that rapid changes in warfare require faster government action.
Badenoch’s intervention highlights rising concern among UK policymakers that deterrence requires tangible investment and readiness, with national security increasingly tied to both military capability and public resilience.