Ukraine invasion exposed Europe’s ’vulnerabilities’, admits UK defence chief

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine “exposed” Europe’s “vulnerabilities”, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace admitted today.

The UK Government has faced repeated claims that decades of cuts to the armed forces have left Britain less protected.

The UK has shipped weapons to Kyiv to help President Volodymyr Zelensky’s regime battle Kremlin tyrant Vladimir Putin’s military.

But speaking from NATO headquarters in Brussels, Mr Wallace said: “Ukraine has exposed across Europe, including in France and in Germany and other nations, our own vulnerabilities - our ammo stocks, our readiness levels, our ability to meet a Russia or any other enemy that chooses to play or attack us what we call ‘before threshold’, before formal armed conflict.”

Mr Wallace said forces across the continent were paying the price for years of "hollowing out" that has seen weapons caches depleted, readiness levels reduced and essential maintenance neglected.

But he blasted claims that NATO chiefs had asked Germany to stay in charge of the organisation’s 12-month, rotating rapid-reaction force - which Britain is due to provide next year - as "just b*******".

Mr Wallace piled pressure on Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to boost defence spending when he delivers the Budget on March 15.

He said that when the world was becoming "much more dangerous and unstable" it underlined the need to bolster funding.

Ex-military top brass, former defence ministers and Conservative backbenchers have called for more cash for the armed forces.

Asked if he wanted a “bigger, long-term defence budget”, Mr Wallace said: “Yes, and I’m not the only one who wants that.

“The Prime Minister and the Chancellor said in the Autumn Statement that they recognise that the direction of travel warranted more money being spent on defence.

“That was in black and white in the Autumn Statement, that’s clear.”

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg also called for coalition countries to pump more cash into their militaries.

Opening today’s talks in Brussels, he said: “We will take steps to strengthen the protection of our critical infrastructure, including undersea cables and pipelines.

“All of this requires resources, so we will also address how we can maintain and step-up defence spending across the alliance.”

He added: “It’s obvious that we need to spend more.”

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Ben Glaze