UK Defence Minister Ben Wallace announces resignation

Ben Wallace, the UK defense minister, has announced his resignation in a letter to Rishi Sunak.

Wallace, who helped lead Britain’s reaction to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, announced last month that he will step down after four years in the job and leave parliament at the next national election to seek new opportunities.

He vowed his sustained support to the administration while cautioning the British prime minister not to view defense as a “discretionary spend.”

Wallace, seen as a strong supporter of higher military spending, had hoped to be a potential successor to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, but the former Norwegian prime minister’s mandate was extended for another year.

The departure of the popular Wallace saddened some in the governing Conservative Party, but the move was unlikely to change London’s support for Ukraine.

In his official resignation letter, Wallace renewed his appeal for the government not to turn to defence to make spending cuts.

He posted on X, formerly known as Twitter: “That’s all folks. Been a privilege to serve this great nation.”

Sunak praised Wallace for his work, saying in a letter in response: “You have served our country in three of the most demanding posts in government: defence secretary, security minister, and Northern Ireland minister.”

“I fully understand your desire to step down after eight years of exacting ministerial duties.”

A former captain in the British army, Wallace, 53, was appointed as defence minister in 2019 by his friend and ally, former Prime Minister Boris Johnson after holding junior ministerial roles in earlier governments.

Wallace, like Johnson, quickly became an ardent backer of Ukraine after Russia launched its full-fledged invasion last year, pleading with other countries to help meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s requests for arms.

His disappointment at not being appointed NATO General Secretary earlier this year boiled out at the military alliance’s meeting last month, when he stated Ukraine needed to express gratitude and not treat its friends like “Amazon.”