‘Axis of upheaval’ adds urgency to review of UK defence spending

But the idea that global threats are interconnected raises military concerns. Neil Melvin, an international security specialist at the Royal United Services Institute thinktank, said: “Not only is the US not in a position to fight two major wars simultaneously, but it does not want to be so dragged into helping Ukraine against Russia that it would leave the cupboard bare in the Indo-Pacific.” The argument is not that war is in any sense inevitable, but rather how to best prevent it against a grouping of countries who for now appear focused on self-supporting rearmament. Melvin said: “It is a rather Dr Strangelove world, but this is the discussion we now need to have. What does credible deterrence look like?”