Former UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has sharply criticised Donald Trump’s posture on Ukraine and the UK government’s handling of both defence spending and trade policy with the United States, in a candid interview with LBC’s Matt Frei.
Speaking during a wide-ranging segment on LBC available here, Wallace warned that the former U.S. President appears to be searching for “an exit ramp” from Ukraine, rather than securing a meaningful resolution to the conflict.
“I think the victory is getting further apart rather than closer,” Wallace said. “It’s really depressing that this [Trump] administration seems to take the side of Russia… Trump said he heard from the Russians that [a deadly strike in Sumy] was a mistake. It isn’t a mistake. They are bombing and killing people every day.”
Wallace accused Trump of adopting Kremlin talking points, including suggesting Ukraine had invaded Russia — “an absurd and insulting rewriting of history,” according to the former Defence Secretary.
Wallace added that “Trump is always on the side of himself” and accused the former U.S. President of having “some form of fetish towards President Putin.”
Turning his attention to UK foreign policy, Wallace labelled the current approach to defence funding and U.S. tariffs as “craven and pathetic.” He argued the government had offered Trump a state visit without securing any tangible policy concessions in return.
“You want to put 10% tariffs on us? That’s fine. No state visit until the tariffs are removed. And we’ll treble the digital services tax from 2% to 6%,” Wallace suggested.
He said the UK should act with greater self-worth, especially when dealing with tech giants such as Google and Meta, who “pay no VAT and no tax in this country even though they make billions from British consumers.”
Wallace also made a controversial proposal to fund higher defence spending by reducing public sector pension liabilities.
“We currently spend over 10% of GDP on welfare, benefits and pensions… The liability for public sector pensions in the UK is £2.3 trillion,”he said.“Britain has been spending a lot of its money on itself and not on its security – and taking American support for granted.”
He backed plans to increase defence spending beyond the government’s current pledge of 2.5% GDP by 2027, arguing this was inadequate given the “generational challenge” posed by global instability.
Wallace was scathing about the idea of a Trump state visit in the midst of Ukraine’s ongoing struggle.
“We’ve got it all back to front,” he said. “You don’t show up at the White House clutching an invitation from the King. That’s the prize, not the opening bid.”
He concluded with a warning that Trump was more interested in “the fanfare of the deal” than its substance, pointing to past examples including North Korea and the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
“He just wants to show the people of the Midwest that he got something for them. That’s all he really cares about.”
I would dearly like Mr Ben Wallace to be part of the Government that is in office, & should be courted by those with aspirations of being so.
Bot test!
Putin declares an Easter truce
Bot test2
Putin declares an Easter truce
Reads like a rambling psycho complaint. Mr. Wallace desperately trying to stay relevant.
Everything he says seems pretty accurate.
Watch the video link, it’s a credible interview and he defends himself well against robust challenge. Far more than a few excerpts in the text. Whilst I think Rutte is doing a good job in very challenging circumstances, Wallace – in hindsight – would have been a decent choice for NATO Sec Gen. Real shame it fell through.
Ben was a good defence minister and now has more liberty to speak out. The whitehouse is an embarrassment sadly. Whilst Europe needed to do more this was no way to go about it.
Servicemen both current and ex- have a great deal of respect for the views of Ben Wallace. He sees and says things as they are, rather than from the body politic. Trump, for all his bluster is a business man and will always be looking for the deal, no matter which side that comes from. In its current form, no matter who wins over Ukraine, Trump can say: “I won!” What we don’t want to see is Russia/Trump winning and so far that is what it looks like. And whatever the cost, Britain and its armed forces and ALL its allies must be ready for whatever the future holds. If Trump steps back we have to be available to fill that gap with something, and fast and if that means cutting pensions for pen-pushers in Whitehall, and applying the correct taxation on American companies in this country then so be it. But we need to get to it NOW, not in 5 years time!
Surprise surprise , another one of Trump’s supposed policies doesn’t survive first contact with reality .
Why does the article repeatedly refer to ‘former president Trump’?
How’s Ukraine going in pushing back Russian forces within its own borders? We know there’s a need to shoot things over the fence but shouldn’t the main emphasis be within its territory? Maybe it is? Just all this “monopoly” going on between Trump and Putin. As if Putin will budge with his territorial gains, assets locked up, sanctions and the economic isolation. Meanwhile Ukraine could become totally landlocked, it already is from the Asov, if they waste more time playing diplomats. What about Ukraine’s sovereign territory and its minerals in the ground not to mention all the ports and maritime infrastructure now under Russian occupation. Hope the West continues to give Ukraine the means to push these buggers out and lock the gate!
Can’t argue with any of that. Wallace has come across as as decent a man as you can be in politics.
Unlike so many modern politicians he has both relevant experience and the character to fulfil his position as Minister of Defence. Those with a background of activism lack real understanding whilst those motivated by personal advantage usually lack the character for public service e.g. Shapps.
At least the Strategic Defence Review is led by Lord Robertson who has both relevant experience and character though it’s not realistic to expect him to persuade HM Treasury to pay for the actual threat and resources to meet that IMHO. It’s obvious that 2.75% GDP by 2030 is the affordable amount not meeting the threat and solving 20 years neglect.
Yes.
well he is part of the warmongering ‘coalition of the willys’
Ben Wallace is 100% right about trump the starter letter to trump invitation to meet the king was embarrassing at a time when the war was still going on in Europe- Ukraine. Pathetic’. Starter should show some backbone and stand up to the showman Trump Labour voter no more
Wallace repeatedly impressed as Defence Secretary. He listened to expert advice, asked searching questions, assimilated the answers, then spoke truth to various powers.
One of the few politicians I’d trust to get it right.
Agent Krasnov has been compromised since 2015 if not before including the pee tapes and funding for the Trump Organisation that his son Eric is on public record saying that TO doesn’t depend on Wall Street rather ruzzian banks.
As his 43 fraud convictions show, his reputation on Wall Street is poor so not investable.
The first point is merely apocryphal but the second is solid. Negotiation about a Trump Hotel or Building in Moscow didn’t come to anything so likely just a way to engage him with the prospect of a “really great deal”
In Afghanistan the panic exit was caused by #45 doing a “really great deal” with the taliban not the national government and Allies, to demonstrate his incompetent diplomacy.
That low reliability gave kaputin permission to invade Ukraine in the knowledge that the Budapest memorandum would not be honoured.
The terrorist state has been able to mislead with misinformation and attack democracy and defence spending that should be strong enough for freedom to endure.
#55 Giving permission to be our worst selves enables division and discord, which makes the FSB happy. They thrive on chaos.
The FSB kompromat is going to plan as #45 will do whatever they want.. As Ben says, his actions clearly support the terrorist state.
In the ruzzian war in Ukraine, USA surrendered first.
President Zelenskyy is the leader of the free world.
Slava Ukrainia 🇺🇦 Slava Heroyam 🇺🇦
#vpdfo #FDJT
Hello.