Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, the United Kingdom's outgoing head of armed forces, has decided to stay another year after all, but not to serve Brits.
Radakin says it is worth his while to postpone his retirement for the sake of helping Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky fight against Russia.
The 58-year-old, who was scheduled to retire last November, will instead stay on to help advise Zelensky about how to win the war against his opponent, Russian President Vladimir Putin.
According to reports, Radakin was asked by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to stay in his post until autumn 2025, a request that was reportedly approved by King Charles III.
Sources close to Radakin cited his successes in "shuttle diplomacy" between Washington and Kyiv last summer. Radakin held key meetings in person with Ukrainian military chiefs even as the White House expressed anxiety about the U.S. possibly appearing too closely involved in the war.
"They said he was able to grasp the tactical detail of the land war in Ukraine while also able to link this to the bigger strategic picture and the need to align the military response with the wider economic and diplomatic effort," reported The Times.
"He travelled without any British ministers to Kyiv to meet President Zelensky to discuss Ukraine's strategy and how the West could help. A Ukrainian military source said he was liked for his 'wise strategic thinking' and had been helping the country with its battle plans, without going into detail for security reasons."
(Related: Did you hear? Western special forces are already on the ground in Ukraine fighting against Russia.)
Ukraine will collapse without U.S. welfare payments
Radakin was first appointed to his post just a few months before Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. He is now leading the British military through what The Times described as "the most dangerous period since the end of the Cold War."
Radakin is credited with having helped Ukraine strategize how to destroy Russian ships and reopen the Black Sea. Now, Ukraine's maritime trade is returning, or so we are told, to pre-war levels.
For the rest of his extended time as military head, Radakin's job will be to maintain government "continuity," especially with the UK's general election soon to come.
"I think the secretary of state respects his experience and sees him as an ally in wanting to improve the armed forces and ensure it is prepared to defend our great country," commented a source close to Defense Secretary Grant Shapps.
"He has helped sail the ship of state through three prime ministers, the death of a monarch, and a war in Europe," said another military source about Radakin's strong relations with allies like Ukraine and the United States.
There are also efforts afoot to overhaul the British military to improve its capabilities moving forward.
Meanwhile, the Russia-Ukraine war rages on with no apparent end in sight. Ukraine is running out of ammunition, we now know, and Russia is steadily making advances further and further into the territory.
Without further U.S. funding, Ukraine is likely to collapse, The Times admits, though Radakin says he believes "Britain is safe" from the conflict, this countering warnings from General Sir Patrick Sanders, chief of staff of the British army, who recently suggested that Brits need to train and get equipped for conflict.
Despite growing threats to Great Britain, Sunak has not announced any plans to increase defense spending.
Estonia, meanwhile, says it is preparing for a potential armed conflict with Russia in the next decade, citing claims that Russia will go after the West at large next.
The latest news about the escalation that will come from this can be found at WWIII.news.
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