The war in Ukraine has now lasted almost the same length of time as World War One.

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And the world has felt the profound impact of this war too: lives lost, global supply chain disruption and renewed geopolitical tensions over competition for resources – in this case, critical rare earth minerals. But while being Ukraine’s closest ally, the UK is still moving far too slowly to bolster its own defence and security.

In the Kremlin’s own rhetoric, the UK is increasingly framed as one of Russia’s principal adversaries. Yet, without the long-awaited Defence Investment Plan, there is widespread uncertainty, and the Ministry of Defence has warned that the speed of rearmament risks undermining the UK’s status as a leading member of NATO.

The Russian army possesses the same........

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