Former British Army colonel explains real tactics an 'angry' Putin is likely to use on the West

Amidst the rising tension between nations in Europe and the West, a former colonel has revealed what we could expect from Russia and NATO in the near future.

Following charged comments from Russian commentators and their leader about a potential war on the West, several Brits have become unsettled about what may come next from the Kremlin.

Colonel Richard Kemp was the head of the British armed forces during the war in Afghanistan, and he has shared his thoughts on what Russian President Vladimir Putin might do next, as well as what the UK needs to do in preparation for the worst.

He's not the first ex-military member to speak about the ongoing tensions between Russia and NATO either, as former military chief Sir Richard Barrons urged that 'families and communities' must prepare for attacks.

The colonel spoke about what Putin might do following the war with Ukraine (Contributor/Getty Images)

Speaking to LADbible, Colonel Kemp discussed the potential of an all-out war as a result of the on-going conflict between Russia and Ukraine, noting that while a 'Russian assault against the West' was wide of the mark, there is a cause for concern.

"(If) Russia prevail in Ukraine, then at some point it returns to the offensive, possibly against NATO countries like the Baltic States and Poland, possibly Romania... those countries are in NATO and NATO, including Britain, have an obligation to defend them if they're attacked," he explained.

But when asked about what could lead to an attack from Russia, the former military man said they would take action 'if NATO countries got more heavily involved in defence of Ukraine.'

"I think that could prompt Russia to strike back against one or more NATO countries, maybe by missile attacks or something like that," he suggested.

Colonel Kemp thinks that the war between Russia and Ukraine has been a wake up call to the West (DANIEL LEAL/AFP via Getty Images)

But the worry following Ukraine's attack on Russian air bases earlier this week, which saw around 10 warplanes destroyed, is on Putin's reaction, according to Colonel Kemp.

Highlighting the 'risk of anger' when it comes to Putin's potential tactics, the ex-military man explained: "He's probably not going to be driving tanks into Western Europe, but he has people all around Europe who are ready to carry out sabotage attacks against our countries, and things like cyber attacks, which happen fairly frequently and that could be intensified."

Luckily though, the UK have 'woken up', in the colonel's words, with Kemp urging people up and down the country to 'be ready to fight if necessary'.

"We've been living in a dream world, since the end of the Cold War, for decades, where we think war really can't touch if we can send a few people off to fight in Afghanistan or Iraq, but it's not going to touch us and it's not going to affect the majority of people," he claimed.

Sir Keir Starmer has acknowledged the need for an increased awareness of the Armed Forces in the next generation (Andy Buchanan - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Speaking about the recognition of the war in Ukraine, he said that it has made more people aware of the possibility of war in the UK, though he noted that the chances of Putin attacking the UK is 'very very low, to say the least'.

Colonel Kemp spoke about NATO countries taking action in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine war as well, a welcome change across the board.

He also highlighted the 'recruiting problem' in the armed forces, as fewer people than ever are trying to join, though Prime Minister Keir Starmer has stated his intent to raise awareness for Armed Forces in schools.

Kemp did warn of the possibility of conscription as well, though chances are slim.

"If we do get involved in the future in a major war, let's say, in Eastern Europe, and that's not beyond the bounds of possibility, then we probably would need to implement conscription," he added, particularly if we aren't 'able to achieve the numbers needed by voluntary means'.