Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has emphasised the importance of international alliances and partnerships in the face of Russian aggression in Europe, particularly Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, he also stressed the significance of NATO’s nuclear capability as a deterrent against further Russian aggression.
The conference marked the end of a week of diplomatic activity for the Defence Secretary, including a meeting of NATO defence ministers in Brussels and an agreement with the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force to accelerate the supply of military aid to Ukraine.
Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace, said:
“NATO remains united in the face of threats to our security in the Euro-Atlantic. Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine, and the global response to it, go to show the importance of our international alliances and partnerships.”
According to a Ministry of Defence news release:
“The Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) is a group of like-minded nations – Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, United Kingdom. The nations share the same purpose, values and a common focus on security and stability in the JEF core regions of the High North, North Atlantic and Baltic Sea region.
The JEF provides a responsive, capable, and ready military force that undertakes integrated activities at sea, on land and in the air, across northern Europe. These activities are preventative and proportionate and demonstrate solidarity, capability, and resolve to stand together for security and stability in the JEF core regions.”
The Joint Expeditionary Force comprises Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the UK.
Can you imagine where we would be right now if parliament had voted to abolish the nuclear deterrent several years ago? Would have been a disaster and left us at the mercy of blackmail from Putin. The UK now needs to rearm and reinvest in defence, How to get to 3% GDP to defence- cut the welfare bill, it is ballooning out to frankly ridiculous proportions. Startling fact, more than 50% of the UK population receive more from the state then they pay into the state. That cant be right?
I’ve pointed this out before: the receipt from the state includes the value of health care and education. It isn’t a simple comparison of cash in and out. So of course families on average incomes with children at school receive more value than they pay in overall taxes. The same average family before having children and after they have reached 17/8 will likely be net contributors. There are more obvious ways to free up funds to rebuild defence and equally important domestic energy production. Reduce foreign aid further Axe HS2 Stop paying £bs for the hotel and other benefits for… Read more »
It’s not right, because it’s factually incorrect.
The study, that several newspapers quoted, said more that 50% received “in benefits” more than they paid in tax – but these benefits were not just financial support, they included in their calculations “benefits in kind” – eg NHS, free schools, etc.
Thank goodness parliament voted a few years ago to renew the British nuclear deterrent. Otherwise we would have been able to be blackmailed by Putin with his frankly ridiculous, ill-conceived and utterly unfrightening nuclear threats.
NATO as a whole have been very cool and calculated whenever one of Mad Vlads cronies have gone on record to threaten the world and NATO with nuclear Armageddon, not once has a NATO country replied with a tit-for-tat response.
Sadly it looks like we’re going to loose Ben Wallace, he’s been the best defence secretary we’ve had in a very long time. 😎
?? A protest over next MoD budget settlement, or appointment as next NATO Secretary General? Very unfortunate, if it occurs.☹️
Looks like he is angling for a NATO post: he will be gone from govt in 2 years so best bail out now.
Two additional years w/ Big Ben at the helm and if provided w/ sufficient resources, could prove crucial to UK rearmament.
Yep, I agree. Big Ben has got to fight for those resources and he is pugnacious and has a good chance of getting them, he’s done it before. But Sunak and Hunt will be tough nuts to crack, the coffers are nearly empty. Government borrowing is massive and just the interest on the debt is eye-watering.
In 2 years time Ben would probably not be DS anyway as the Tories are likely to have lost the next General Election.
I think he’ll make a cracking NATO Secretary General given his performance at Defence… but first he had to get past the French wanting a EU person in the post.
Big Ben would obviously excel at NATO, but believe his highest and best use is in his current position. Is there any other politician available w/ the intelligence, experience and character? Penny Mordant?
…Mordaunt…🙄
Mordaunt would be good and her experience as a RN reservist would be useful. She is very high profile and fought a good campaign in the leadership contest.
PM telling Europe to step up sending Ukraine the best NATO kit ,agree however it might be wise if he sorts out our own frist .🙄
Ben Wallace seems to be on the ball yet again! Far to good for this Government so NATO job offers will be round the corner! Big loss for us methinks. I
He’s done less than nothing to sort out the various procurement disasters despite being in the job for a relatively long time – no excuses.
Every one of his press conferences are now treated as a job interview for NATO SecGen but it’ll probably go to somebody from Eastern Europe. The next SecGen will also need to have a close relationship with the EU and even though Wallace described the Leave camp as ‘clowns’ and campaigned for Remain he probably doesn’t tick that box either.
Utter tripe.
Wrong, he has raised the issue of reduced defence spending and its impact, in his own straightforward way, to the wider population in the UK. That alone is a job well done!
‘Raising the issue’ is a very low bar for success. Meanwhile, we getting real terms defence spending cuts.
All political parties are full of low bar dross! Low bar is default setting, it’s very much like an election, unless you are one of the “I will vote for my party no matter what” sheeple person, nowadays we no longer vote for who is best, it is now who is least worst!
I wonder why Sunak continually makes speeches recognising the need to ensure Ukraine is properly defended and providing the required resources but forgets that the same outlook is required at home.
He does have a MinDP to sort out procurement.
So Russia is attacking on mass the Bakhmut area, and here is a
video clip of a Ukrainian T64BV in the anti personnel mode attacking Russian infantry. The question I have to ask is how come no Russian soldier has a ATGM handy? Which raises question about the quality of Russian troops and how many ATGMs Moscow has, because no Tank should be out in the open like that.
And here is the Ukrainian army showing how to kill armour with an RPG
Where is the supporting armour for the PBI? Just shows over again that the Orcs have no combined ops training! No wonder they can only advance in yards if they have to walk.
Wikipedia states that the JEF is a successor to the UK-only JRRF, which fizzled out in 2010 as otherwise uncommitted manpower could not be made available whilst Op Herrick and Op Tellic were running. Is this correct? Was JRRF formally disestablished?