NEW COLD WAR: Russian aggression is a return to the bad old days, says military minister

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Mike Penning has warned Russian aggression is leading to a ‘new Cold War’

Armed Forces Minister Mike Penning also vowed to throw more money at Britain’s military in the wake of aggression from Vladimir Putin’s forces.

He said Moscow was “sending a message” to the West when it sent a battle group through the Channel on the way to Syria.

Mr Penning, who entered his post in July, claimed Russia sending its flagship, the Admiral Kuznetsov, was a “sign of what they could do”.

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Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s forces have sent their flagship, the Admiral Kuznetsov

He told Parliament: “Most of us thought the cold war was over.

“We thought we could look at the threats from other parts of the world and apply our defence accordingly.

“In the past couple of months we have had to look back to the old foe.

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Mr Penning said Britain should increase defence spending in a move reminiscent of the Cold War

“We saw their fleet sailing through the English Channel, probably as a sign of what they could do.”

“We saw black smoke coming out of the top of the aircraft carrier—she could not have gone a knot faster if she had tried because she is so old and decrepit—but she represents a threat.

“Could they have gone round the north, as they have done before?”

Mr Penning added the UK should also take this week’s positive economic figures – with growth outstripping pessimistic Brexit estimations – as a sign the UK should spend more on Britain’s military.

Britain currently spends just two per cent of its annual GDP on defence, but Mr Penning questioned: “Could we spend more?

“I am sure we could, but two per cent is a NATO guideline.

“Would it not be great…if the other Nato countries also stepped up to the plate and spent 2 per cent of their GDP on defence?”

The call comes as the world saw itself teetering on the edge of another world war.

A Russian fighter jet almost collided with an American warplane over Syria in a terrifying near miss that could seen tensions between the nations spill out into the open.