Tag: Ben Wallace

Ex-UK Prime Ministers Truss and Johnson Urge Sunak to Send Jets to Ukraine

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is under increasing pressure from his immediate predecessors Liz Truss and Boris Johnson to send fighter jets to Ukraine. Sunak’s government has so far not committed to providing Ukraine with British jets, arguing that it takes too long for pilots to train on the Royal Air Forces’ F-35 and Typhoon…


Eighth Briton Dies in Ukraine Since Russian Invasion Began

A man has become the eighth British national to die in Ukraine since the start of Russia’s invasion on Feb. 24, 2022. The identity of the individual is not yet known but the UK Foreign Office said their family has been informed. A Foreign Office spokesperson said: “We are supporting the family of a British…


AUKUS Increases Australia’s Sovereignty, Not Dependence on US: Defence Minister

Australia’s alliance with the United States, including the AUKUS partnership, enhances rather than diminishes the country’s sovereignty, Defence Minister Richard Marles remarked. In a statement to the House on Feb. 9, Marles repudiated critics of the AUKUS alliance, such as former prime ministers Paul Keating and Malcolm Turnbull, who argue the acquisition of nuclear submarines…


Russia Denies Putin Threatened Boris Johnson With Missile Attack in Pre-War Phone Call

Russia has denied former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s claim that President Vladimir Putin threatened him with a missile strike in a call ahead of the invasion of Ukraine. In a new BBC documentary series, Johnson said the “extraordinary” conversation took place in February 2022, days before Russia launched an assault on Kyiv on Feb….


UK Minister Says COVID-19 Checks on China Arrivals ‘Under Review’

The possibility of the UK imposing COVID-19 checks on visitors from China is still “under review,” a senior Cabinet minister has said. Asked about the government’s position on the issue, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said on Dec. 29: “The government is looking at that, it’s under review.” He noted that the UK authorities had “noticed”…


Russians More Likely to Tap Cables Than Cut Them: UK Defence Analyst

A British defence analyst says the recent damage to an undersea telecommunications cable off the coast of Scotland is unlikely to have been carried out by the Russians, who are more likely to be fitting devices that would extract information. Extra police officers were sent to the Shetland islands after an undersea telecommunications cable was damaged…


Russia May Use ‘Dirty Bomb’ Pretext to Escalate Ukraine War, Western Countries Warn

The United States, the UK, and France have rejected Russia’s allegation that Ukraine is planning to use a so-called “dirty bomb” in the ongoing conflict, and have accused the Kremlin of trying to use the allegation as a pretext for further escalation. As Ukrainian forces advance into Russian-occupied Kherson Province, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu…


British Troops Join Training Drill With Swedish and Finnish Forces

British troops have taken part in a training exercise alongside Swedish and Finnish armed forces as the two Nordic countries prepare their accession to the NATO military alliance. Exercise Vigilant Knife, which took place in northern Finland from Aug. 29 to Sept. 2, was intended to further strengthen the interoperability of the three armed forces,…


Boris Johnson Makes Surprise Visit to Kyiv on Ukraine’s Independence Day

Ukraine “can and will win this war” with Russia, Boris Johnson said on a surprise visit to Kyiv on the country’s Independence Day, less than two weeks before he is set to step down as UK prime minister. Aug. 24 is the 31st anniversary of Ukraine’s independence from the Soviet Union, and also marks six…


Russia Unlikely to Succeed in Occupying Ukraine: UK Defence Chief

Russian President Vladimir Putin is unlikely to succeed in occupying Ukraine, UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has said. Speaking at a conference in Copenhagen on Aug. 11, Wallace said it is important to understand that fighting and loss of life was still taking place, but added Russia was “starting to fail in many areas.” “They…