The British Defense Minister announced his resignation from the post, Aljazeera reports. According to the publication, he caused the prime minister's dissatisfaction with his criticism of Ukraine, namely the phrase "we are not Amazon", hinting that Ukrainians could express more gratitude for the supply of weapons.
Ayub ar-Rimi
It has been only a few days since the scandalous statement by British Defense Minister Ben Wallace about the "ingratitude" of Ukraine in the issue of arms supplies, as he has already announced his resignation from his post this fall.
A big surprise was the statement of the British Defense Minister on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Vilnius. He reminded Ukraine that the West and, in particular, his country, "is not Amazon" and called on Kiev to show great gratitude for military and financial assistance.
These words did not go unnoticed in London. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has officially distanced himself from the statements of his Defense minister. Wallace, in turn, announced his intention to resign this fall and give up his political career, although just a few days ago he denied these rumors.
The Financial Times newspaper, citing sources close to the Defense Ministry, said that the news of Wallace's departure from politics "does not matter."
The British Defense Minister was one of the main supporters of arming Kiev. The "Ukrainian Dossier" boosted Wallace's public approval rating, but it also became the final nail in the coffin of his military-political career.
Unpredictable statements
British Defense Minister Ben Wallace has become an extremely popular figure since the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine. It is interesting to note that he was able to retain his post under three different prime ministers of the country (Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak).
Wallace sought to demonstrate absolute support for Kiev and was one of the main supporters of providing him with combat tanks. That is why the UK became the first European country to supply the Ukrainian army with modern Challenger 2 tanks. Wallace also advocated training Ukrainian pilots to control Western fighters and stated that London would consider the possibility of supplying Kiev with longer-range weapons systems.
All of this has made Ben Wallace one of the most politically influential figures in the Conservative Party. He was even considered the favorite to be the next Conservative leader, according to opinion polls. But Wallace decided not to run for the post in order to focus on his work as Secretary of Defense.
Ben Wallace was engaged in mobilizing the West to help Ukraine. It was expected that he would prepare Kiev for the supply of Western-style fighters. However, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak did not like his criticism of Ukraine, so Wallace decided to resign.
Blow from NATO
The British Defense Minister was unable to take up the post of NATO Secretary General. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak tried to convince the West, and especially the United States, to support Wallace's candidacy, but NATO countries decided to extend Jens Stoltenberg's tenure as head of the alliance for another year.
This decision caused discontent on the part of the British Defense Minister, who believed that he had done everything possible to support Ukraine. Wallace has always been at the forefront of military aid to Kiev and, probably, that's why he was angry at Ukrainians who did not support his candidacy properly.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky reacted to the words of British Defense Minister Ben Wallace about Kiev's insufficient gratitude for the supply of weapons and military equipment. He stated that he did not understand his claims. London is a partner of Kiev. Ukrainians are grateful to him, but perhaps the minister wants something special.
In addition to announcing his retirement, Wallace outlined a bleak picture of the world for the coming years. He is convinced that the UK will enter into a direct confrontation with Russia by 2030.
"By 2030, the UK will enter into a global conflict with Russia. Whether it's a cold conflict or a hot conflict, I think we will find ourselves in a difficult situation," he said.
Loss for Conservatives
Now one thing is obvious: the Conservative Party has lost one of the iconic figures, who is still highly respected by the British. According to the latest poll conducted among party members, Ben Wallace is the second most popular politician after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Everyone expected Ben Wallace to lead the Conservative Party after the next election, which will be held in early 2025. However, he decided to sever all ties with the Conservatives, stating that he would not run in the upcoming elections. His decision can be explained by his unwillingness to be defeated. Opinion polls have shown that the Conservative Party will lose to the Labour Party because of the general discontent and anger that its decisions have caused in recent years.