MOSCOW, August 31. /TASS/. Britain’s policy towards Ukraine will not change one bit after the resignation of Ben Wallace as the country's defense secretary, Yelena Ananyeva, the chief of the Center for British Studies at the Institute of Europe under the Russian Academy of Sciences, has told TASS.
"The way I see it, the policy towards Ukraine will not change one iota. Britain has taken a tough anti-Russian stance all along in support of Ukraine. It will keep doing so," she said.
The analyst said that Grant Shapps, appointed to succeed Wallace, "has been in politics for a long time and has held several ministerial posts," but "in this case personality does not matter."
Andrey Bystritsky, the board chairman of the Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club, is of the opinion that Wallace's resignation "was not an unexpected or very significant development, because it reflects some changes in Britain’s political governance."
"I think his resignation will cause no significant impact on the UK's foreign policy," Bystritsky believes.
While discussing the appointment of Grant Shapps, the expert admitted that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak "trusts him much more than Wallace and finds him more reliable in this capacity."
"I don't think he will do anything that may radically change British politics, either. By and large, the British elite is extremely aggressive. We should not expect it to take any reasonable steps toward settling any conflicts," Bystritsky concluded.
Wallace's resignation
Back in July 2023, Wallace, who has led the Defense Ministry since July 2016, said he intended to leave the Cabinet when Sunnak carries out another reshuffle. He said he was tired of politics. In his letter, he reiterated that he was looking forward to dedicating himself to some activities that he had neglected due to an extremely tight schedule and would like to "explore new opportunities." The Times reported earlier that Wallace's decision might stem from the White House’s refusal to support his candidacy for NATO’s secretary-general despite Sunak's repeated attempts to persuade US President Joe Biden to give Wallace the go-ahead.
Grant Shapps, the United Kingdom's State Secretary for Energy Security and Net Zero, was appointed the country's new defense secretary as of August 31.