Europe facing 'most dangerous moment… since 1945', former UK NATO commander warns

A British general has warned that Europe is facing war on a scale not seen since the defeat of Nazi Germany after Vladimir Putin ordered his troops into Ukraine – locking him into a collision course with the West.

Sir Richard Sherriff, who served as NATO’s deputy supreme commander from 2011 to 2014, said the ‘invasion’ of Ukraine overnight ‘could turn into a catastrophic war… on a scale not seen in Europe since 1945.’

He also described the current situation as ‘the most dangerous moment’ that Europe has faced since the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962.  

‘I think it’s difficult to overstate the seriousness of the situation,’ he told the BBC.

Europe is facing its most perilous moment since the Cold War and could see its worst fighting since the Second World War after Putin (pictured) ordered his troops into Ukraine 

NATO could easily be dragged into fighting in Ukraine, General Sir Richard Sherriff has warned, sparking all-out war (pictured, Russian tanks on the border today)

While any war would initially be between Ukraine and Russia, Sir Richard said the possibility that NATO could get involved is ‘very real’.

He told Radio 4’s Today programme that ‘NATO has got to man the ramparts now’ and the West has to ‘assume the worst’ when it comes to Russia’s nuclear strategy.

Sir Richard spoke out after Putin last night signed an order recognising two of Ukraine’s eastern provinces – Donetsk and Luhansk – as independent republics.

Parts of the provinces have been under occupation by pro-Russian separatists since Putin last invaded the country in 2014, in a conflict that has claimed 14,000 lives.

While Russia is widely known to have been supporting the separatists including via its armed forces, the Kremlin has always denied having boots on the ground.

But that changed last night when Putin ordered tanks and troops across the border to defend the two regions, setting up a clash with Western leaders and NATO.

Videos showed armoured vehicles in the city of Donetsk early Thursday, and while insignia were not visible there is little doubt they are Russian.

Western leaders are now deciding how to respond.

Russian tanks were pictured in separatist regions of eastern Ukraine overnight, after Putin ordered his troops in on the pretense of a ‘peacekeeping mission’

A Russia tank is silhouetted against car headlights in Ukraine’s Donetsk region overnight, after moving into the area on Putin’s orders

Despite warning that any movement of Russian troops into Ukraine, no matter how small, would constitute an ‘invasion’ and trigger unprecedented sanctions, the word has been barely uttered since and action has been limited.

Joe Biden signed an executive order last night forbidding Americans to trade with Donetsk and Luhansk, but stopping short of the ‘decisive’ measures promised.

White House spokesman Jen Psaki said tougher measures would follow. 

Boris Johnson vowed sanctions would be announced by the UK today while saying Putin seems ‘bent on a full invasion’ – without saying what he believes is happening at the moment.

Josep Borrell, the EU’s foreign minister, also refused to use the term while vowing a package of EU economic measures saying only that ‘Russian troops have entered Ukrainian territory’.

Video taken overnight showed Russian tanks and troops are now in rebel-occupied regions, but it remains unclear whether Putin will stop there.

Donetsk and Luhansk are much larger than their rebel-occupied territories, and Putin’s order does not make it clear whether Russian troops plan to enter all of it.

Putin also gave an ominous warning of ‘bloodshed’ if Ukraine’s troops try to resist him, indicating that a wider invasion is still on the cards.

Russia has up to 190,000 troops backed by thousands of tanks, hundreds of fighters