UK military chief warns Europe must take greater responsibility for its own defence as war returns to the continent

From the Newshound archive · first published 1 October 2026.

Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, the UK's most senior military officer, has warned that European security is no longer guaranteed and that European nations must build up their own defence capabilities. Writing jointly with Sweden's supreme commander General Michael Claesson, Knighton argued the two countries should deepen collaboration on emerging technologies to maintain Nato's competitive edge. The warning comes as the US reportedly weighs removing close to a third of its troops from Europe.

In the days before the warning was published, Sweden and Finland flew their fighter jets together on a joint mission for the first time, intercepting Russian military aircraft.

Belgian Defence minister Theo Francken warned of a 'dark winter' for Europe, calling on allies to scale up air defences and production stocks urgently.