WW3 fears explode as Europe warned 'it's the 1930s and Vladimir Putin is Hitler'
EXCLUSIVE: An expert has warned Europe is in a period frighteningly similar to the 1930s due to Vladimir Putin and his potential to escalate or expand the Ukraine war.
Vladimir Putin has been compared to Adolf Hitler in the 1930s in a horror warning from an expert who said Europe had been plunged into a period that echoes the pre-WW2 era.
Nicholas Drummond, a defence analyst and strategic consultant who specialises in land warfare, cautioned that "Putin is identical to Hitler in the 1930s" which has now put Europe "in a period that echoes the 1930s to an extraordinary extent".
He drew a comparison between their stances on peace treaties and desires to exert their power. He told the Daily Express: "The situation today is remarkably similar to that which we faced in the 1930s.
"Hitler viewed the Versailles Treaty as a betrayal of Germany. Putin views the dissolution of the Soviet Union as a similar betrayal. Just as Hitler sought to create the Third Reich, Putin sought to recreate the Soviet Union.
Drummond, who advises industries, the government, and armies on defence topics, pinpointed the 2014 annexation of Crimea as a significant escalation from Putin and when "his intentions became clear".
"Between 2000 and 2014, we gave Putin the benefit of the doubt, but after his annexation of Crimea in 2014, his intentions became clear.
"We did not respond appropriately and this emboldened him to undertake a comprehensive invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Now, we are in no doubt as to his objective and commitment to achieving it."
In order to combat the growing threat from Putin, which Drummond said could expand to NATO countries if he secures a victory in Ukraine, the defence expert said Europe needs to re-arm itself faster.
He explained: "If Putin is allowed to prevail in Ukraine, his confidence will grow and he may end up attacking the Baltic States, or Poland, or he could try to bring Belorussia or Moldova into an expanded Russian Federation.
"It is only by Europe re-arming at a faster rate than Russia that we can deter further aggression. We need to re-build stockpiles of artillery munitions, rockets, missiles, and anti-tank weapons.
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"We need to invest in UAS and loitering munitions (suicide drones) like never before. With artillery causing more than 70 percent of total casualties in Ukraine, we still need armoured vehicles, including tanks, APCs and IFVs, to move safely around the battlefield."
This comes following the recent NATO summit in Washington, which saw world leaders discuss the threat posed by Putin as he continues his campaign against Ukraine.
Allies affirmed that Ukraine is on an "irreversible path" to NATO membership and pledged to maintain a baseline of roughly £33 billion in annual support to Kyiv as it defends itself from Russia's invasion and attempts to deter future aggression.
There were new pledges of air defence support, including Patriot missile systems and F-16 fighter jets, as well as promises that individual security deals being signed by NATO members with Ukraine constitute a "bridge to NATO".
As part of that bridge, NATO agreed to start up a new program to provide reliable military aid and training to Ukraine and help it get ready to join the alliance.
