Former UK defence secretary criticizes White House messaging on Ukraine war

Former UK Defence Secretary Sir Ben Wallace has criticized the White House’s messaging regarding the war in Ukraine, calling it "all wrong" and suggesting that Russian President Vladimir Putin will not halt his aggression against Ukraine.

Wallace’s remarks come amid ongoing discussions about how the US and its allies should handle the conflict, Caliber.Az reports citing foreign media.

Wallace, who served as Defence Secretary from 2019 to 2023, expressed concern over the tone of US rhetoric, particularly comments from President Donald Trump. He argued that Trump's approach, which includes bullying Ukraine and offering hope to Russia, is counterproductive.

"What I think is the saddest part of what we are witnessing at the moment from the White House is that the messaging is all wrong,” Wallace said.

"The messaging seems to be from Donald Trump 'I will bully Ukraine and I will give hope to Russia'."

Wallace emphasized that such a stance sends the wrong signal if the ultimate goal is to push Russia back or to compel Putin to negotiate. He asserted that this messaging does not align with the objective of strengthening Ukraine’s position or pressuring Russia to come to the table for peace talks.

The former Defence Secretary’s comments come amid growing pressure from the US for Ukraine to consider a peace agreement with Russia. This pressure has been evident in recent actions, such as the US denying Ukraine access to crucial commercial satellite imagery, which had been used to support military operations against Russian forces.

By Vafa Guliyeva