What war could mean for life in modern Britain

But be we warriors or wimps, now is the time to start facing up to the prospect, says Ed Arnold, a European Security Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute. “Personally, I’m very sceptical that we are prepared. If we took casualties at the rate the Ukrainians are taking them, the NHS would immediately be overwhelmed, and for years we’ve missed recruitment targets for the Armed Forces. It’s not to say war will happen. But it’s important to start the conversation – and to say that these risks aren’t hypothetical.”