UK Defence Secretary: it is not too late for Putin to end his invasion
March 3, 2022, 5:45 pm

UK Defence Secretary: it is not too late for Putin to end his invasion

Three children are among nine people who were killed when Russian forces shelled parts of Ukraine's second largest city - with footage showing a series of explosions outside an apartment building (File photo: Euromaidan Press)

The BBC reported, UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has said that it is not too late for Vladimir Putin to end his invasion of Ukraine.

Speaking at a news conference, Mr Wallace said Mr Putin was risking his nation being isolated for decades to come if he did not withdraw troops.

He also said thermobaric weapons had been deployed, and he worried how far Russia would go in the future.

At a news conference in the Estonia capital, Tallinn, following a meeting with Nato allies, Mr Wallace said: "The consequences of what we are seeing in Ukraine will ripple through Europe and Nato for not just weeks, but months and years to come."

He said it was unknown what kind of weapons Mr Putin was willing to use, but added that "massive amounts" of artillery had been deployed to Ukraine, as well as controversial thermobaric weapons.

Robert Ben Lobban Wallace is a British Conservative Party politician currently serving as Secretary of State for Defence since 24 July 2019 and Member of Parliament for Wyre and Preston North, formerly Lancaster and Wyre, since 2005 (File photo: Facebook page)

These weapons - also known as "vacuum bombs" - are much more devastating than conventional explosives of a similar size - they create a massive blast wave and a vacuum that sucks up all surrounding oxygen, killing or injuring people in its path.

Mr Wallace said there was concern about how far the Russian military would go with weapons in the future - and it would be difficult for the international community to engage with Mr Putin in the long-term after his attack on a sovereign country "at huge scale, inflicting huge damage and violence".

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He added that the idea of a "normal relationship" with the Russian government would be almost impossible "unless President Putin chooses to cease what he is doing now."

The defence secretary says Russia's invasion of Ukraine has sparked a united response in Europe that President Putin failed to predict.

You can certainly see and feel it in the capital of Estonia. Public buildings and squares in Tallinn have been lit up with the colours of the Ukrainian flag. Officials wear gold ribbons in a show of solidarity. But it's much more than that. Estonia and Denmark, the two countries Mr Wallace is visiting, are both supplying weapons to Ukraine.

The UK has done the same and says it is helping to "facilitate" those deliveries - though British officials are not giving any details of how.

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Denmark, like the UK, also contributes to the Nato military force that has been established in Estonia.

That specific force was first set up to act as a deterrent following Russia's invasion of Crimea in 2014, and to reassure an ally.

Britain has now doubled the number of its troops in Estonia in response to Russia's actions in Ukraine.

President Putin was warned that this was likely to be one of the consequences of invading Ukraine - more Nato, not less on Russia's border.

Source: BBC

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.