General Richard Shirreff, a retired British military commander and former second-in-command at NATO, discusses his early warnings about Russian expansion and the potential threat it poses to European nations. He published a book in 2016 titled “War with Russia,” which depicted Russia invading the Baltics, and recounts the skepticism he faced when the book was released. Shirreff attributes his warning to his clear understanding of Russian history and the long-term pattern of expansion until eventual collapse. He also mentions reading a post-speech transcript given by Putin after the annexation of Crimea in 2014, which caused him great concern due to its suggested intentions.
Shirreff’s first wake-up call was during Putin’s invasion of Georgia in 2008, and he points out the fatal mistake of assuming Russia should be considered a strategic partner rather than a threat. The General expresses concern with human complacency and the failure to learn from history, emphasizing that history may not repeat itself but tends to rhyme.