UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has announced his plans to step down from his position after his bid to lead NATO was reportedly rejected by the United States. Wallace revealed his decision to leave government at the next cabinet reshuffle in the fall and confirmed that he will not stand for reelection in Parliament. In an interview with the UK Times, he expressed his eagerness to completely exit politics.
Although Wallace emphasized that he had no intention of leaving the cabinet prematurely and triggering a special election, he stated that his resignation was not due to the anticipated defeat of the Conservative Party. Instead, he explained that his constituency was being dissolved. However, he subtly hinted that he had grown weary of the job, mentioning that he had spent numerous years with three phones by his bed.
The outgoing defense secretary also made predictions about the future state of the world, highlighting the increasing dangers and insecurity by the end of the decade. He warned that the UK could find itself in either a cold or warm conflict, with Russia, China, and lingering terrorist groups posing threats from all sides.
During Wallace’s tenure, he served as defense secretary for four years under the leadership of three prime ministers. Notably, he played a significant role in arming Ukraine in its conflict with Russia, asserting the UK’s leading role in the matter. It was reported that former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who Wallace had a close alliance with, intervened during a state visit to Ukraine last year to prevent President Vladimir Zelensky from engaging in peace talks with Moscow.
Despite Wallace’s firm support for Ukraine, he faced criticism last week when he suggested that expressions of gratitude instead of detailed lists of weapon demands might help garner support from western allies. His comments drew snarky remarks from Zelensky, who volunteered to personally thank the minister every morning. Wallace later clarified that his comments reflected the sentiments of other countries, not his own, and assured that the UK remained committed to assisting Ukraine in acquiring the necessary resources for success.
Wallace formally abandoned his bid to replace Jens Stoltenberg as the Secretary General of NATO when it was announced that Stoltenberg’s term would be extended. He explained that the next leader of the alliance would need to appease both French President Emmanuel Macron and US President Joe Biden, neither of whom supported his candidacy. Reportedly, Biden rejected Wallace’s bid due to his behind-the-scenes promotion of training Ukrainian pilots on F-16s as a means to pressure the US into providing them.
In addition to Wallace, more than 40 other Conservative MPs have announced that they will not seek reelection. This has led to speculations about a potential electoral defeat for the party, which has witnessed the turnover of four prime ministers within the span of four years.
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