INCREASES in military spending in Britain are driving us to “a European war with Russia,” peace campaigners warned on Saturday.

Author and Stop The War convener Lindsey German said: “We have to see war as absolutely permanent. It’s absolutely something that is constant in the world in which we live.”

Speaking at the Morning Star conference in London, Ms German mentioned the war in Ukraine, the genocide in Gaza and wars on the African continent as proof of the never-ending conflicts Western governments are waging abroad.

“The talk about rearmament, the talk about massive military increases, the talk about militarism all the time. This is all about building towards a war, a European war with Russia,” she said.

“This level of hysteria and rubbish we are expected to believe from our government, they take it seriously.

“All of this is driving us to war. And we know the war will cost us in terms of human lives. But we also know it will cost in terms of our living standards.”

She called on people to “continue resisting over Iran, over Palestine” and asked for members of the public to join protests, including the Stop The War demonstration at RAF Fairford against the US use of British military on April 25.

Other speakers included Morning Star political reporter Andrew Murray, Venezuela Solidarity Campaign secretary Francisco Dominguez and Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) vice-chair Carol Turner.

Mr Dominguez warned of British complicity in US operations in Latin America. He said: “There is no military adventure of the US where Britain is not participating.”

Mr Murray spoke on the “absolutely critical” role of trade unions in the struggle against war. He urged union leaders to take on “the idea that increasing defence spending is the route to prosperity.”