“I don’t mind going to work at a bar,” Wallace said, adding that he also plans to spend more time with his family.
UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace announced Saturday that he will step down during Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s forthcoming cabinet reshuffle.
In an interview with The Times newspaper, he declared that “he will not run next time”, but ruled out leaving Parliament “prematurely” and forcing another by-election of Sunak, whom he continues to support.
Wallace, who survived three prime ministers after four years as defense secretary, was a close ally of Boris Johnson and played a key role in UK military aid to Ukraine.
The retired British politician and military man had expressed interest in running for NATO secretary general before it was announced that the current chief, Jens Stoltenberg, had been given another year in office.
The Times notes that Wallace could now be invited to join the board of any defense company, but he says his next job could be a complete break from politics and defense.
“I don’t mind going to work at a bar,” Wallace said. “I feel quite accomplished and that gives me a lot of options.
Sometimes I think that I would like to dedicate myself to the things that I like, like Formula 1 or horse racing, just do something completely different,” said the politician, adding that he also plans to spend more time with his family.
Criticism of Ukraine
The decision to leave office is announced shortly after Wallace had to publicly retract his words about the lack of gratitude from Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky for the help Kiev receives from Western countries in the conflict with Russia.
Speaking at a news conference on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Lithuania, the senior British official said states supplying Ukraine with arms and aid packages want “to see a bit of gratitude” rather than dissatisfaction with Ukraine. the lack of specific dates for Ukraine’s accession to NATO.
In his statements, Wallace also recalled that he traveled to the Ukraine last year and that upon arriving in the country after a long journey, he was given a list of weapons that kyiv needed almost immediately. «You know what? We are not Amazon.
That’s what I told them last year, when I drove 11 hours to get that list delivered to me,” he revealed.
Zelensky lashed out at Wallace after his criticism of kyiv’s lack of appreciation. “We have always been grateful and we always thank you,” Vladimir Zelensky said then. “I just don’t know how else we should thank him.
Maybe we should wake up in the morning and thank the secretary?” he suggested. “Let him write to me how we have to thank him and I will thank him that way,” Zelenski concluded.
2023-07-15 23:22:19
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