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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