'Alarm bells are ringing' around Russia, former Defence Forces chief warns

Mark Mellett, said: “Effectively the Russian Federation was able to declare it was going to annex 5,000 square kilometres where we have sovereign rights for five days." Photo: Sam Boal/RollingNews.ie

Planned Russian war games 200km off the Irish coast are a “wake up call'' to Europe, the former Defence Forces Chief of Staff has said.

Addressing an Institute of International and European Affairs panel discussion, former Vice Admiral Mark Mellett said: “Alarm bells are ringing and Europe needs to learn the language of power”.