British Defense Minister Ben Wallace said on Friday that Vladimir Putin “risks losing everything” if Russia does not withdraw its forces from Ukraine.
In a busy week for diplomacy, European leaders met in Moldova in recent days for the European Political Community summit, attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. NATO foreign ministers also met in Oslo to discuss short-term aid to Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression, as well as long-term plans for Ukraine’s potential membership in the military alliance.
Defense ministers from around the world gathered in Singapore on Friday for the Shangri-La Dialogue Defense Summit. On the sidelines, Wallace told CNBC that the Storm Shadow long-range cruise missiles recently supplied by the UK gave a “boost” to the Ukrainian counteroffensive.
He added that while there is no “magic bullet,” the British government sees Ukraine gaining momentum.
“Russia, we see under constant pressure – it is running out of stocks. I think the reckless and illegal use of targeting critical national infrastructure, civilian areas, is really a sign of desperation , this is not a sign of the strength of the Russian regime, and so I am optimistic for the future,” Wallace told CNBC’s Sri Jegarajah.
Ukraine’s capital Kyiv suffered aerial bombardment this week, although Russia denied that civilians were specifically targeted. Russian strikes against numerous hospitals, schools, and theaters in various regions of Ukraine have been documented since the beginning of the invasion in February 2022. Last month, the UN estimated that more than 24,000 non-combatants had died in the past 15 months.
Meanwhile, Moscow was hit by drone strikes earlier this week, with President Vladimir Putin saying the attacks targeted Russian civilians, while the country’s foreign ministry vowed to respond “as hard as possible which are possible steps.”
Speaking to reporters outside the EPC meeting in Moldova on Thursday, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy said the conflict would only stop if Ukraine won, adding that “Russia can stop this war earlier, it can they came out of their independent territory from our territory.”
Wallace echoed this sentiment, suggesting that the only route to peace is for Russia to end its aggression and withdraw troops from Ukrainian territory – a call unlikely to be heeded in Moscow.
“I think it’s very important that Russia understands that if it wants to extricate itself not only from international isolation, but also from what it’s doing in Ukraine, it needs to begin that process of withdrawal,” Wallace said.
“Everyone sees the fact – except potentially President Putin – that they have lost 250,000 men of their armed forces, killed or wounded, they have lost more than 10,000 armored vehicles, they are in a sad state.”
He also spoke of “exploding conflicts” within Russia’s political and military apparatus. Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of Russian mercenary contractor Wagner Group and former close ally of President Vladimir Putin, launched a scathing public attack on the Kremlin’s war efforts as the group suffered heavy losses in Ukraine.
“I think the truth depends on the Russian system, and I think the first step to peace is the withdrawal of those forces,” Wallace added.
When asked whether further escalation of the conflict or the feeling that Moscow is trapped in a spiraling land war could increase the chances of Putin deploying Russia’s nuclear weapons, Wallace cited the importance of India and China which raised concerns about nuclear escalation late last year.
“We don’t see an increase in the threat from the Russians,” he said. “But I think the key here is that President Putin needs to know that he cannot win Ukraine, he needs to realize that he is in danger of losing everything.”
Beijing continues to position itself as a potential peacemaker in the conflict, and China’s special envoy for Eurasian affairs recently embarked on a 12-day diplomatic tour of Kyiv, Moscow, Warsaw, Paris, Brussels and Berlin .
Envoy Li Hui said at a press briefing on Friday that Russia appreciates China’s “sincere desire and earnest efforts” to find a solution, according to Reuters, adding that he believes Ukraine has not “firmly” shut down or Russia is the door to peace talks.
China has previously laid out a multi-point peace plan that has angered Kyiv and the West for being too accommodating to Russia as the state wages an illegal war of aggression. Beijing has refrained from condemning Moscow for inciting the conflict, or for its many subsequent attacks on civilians and national infrastructure.
