British defence minister, a key player in helping Ukraine, to step down from his government post
British Defence Minister Ben Wallace, who is also a member of parliament, has announced that he will not take part in the next parliamentary elections and will step down from his government post at the next cabinet reshuffle, reports Digi 24.
A member of the Conservative Party, Ben Wallace played a key role in Britain's response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and was a close ally of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson. The next UK general election is due in a year and a half at the latest.
Ben Wallace has previously expressed interest in the post of NATO secretary-general before it was announced that the current leader of the North Atlantic alliance Jens Stoltenberg would stay on for another year.
Last week, conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak dismissed comments by the defence minister who suggested Ukraine should be "grateful" for the military support it has received, according to Digi24.
During the NATO summit in Vilnius, the G7 group of states, which includes the US and the UK, announced that they are providing security assurances to Ukraine. The G7 intends to provide Kiev with rapid security assistance, modern military equipment in land, sea and air and economic assistance to impose economic costs on Russia.
