The British government said on Thursday it would replace its outgoing defense secretary Ben Wallace, a former soldier who was respected in the White House and the Pentagon and came to symbolize Britain’s steadfast support for Ukraine in the war against Russia.
His replacement, Grant Shapps, a politically astute Conservative Party operative, has indicated he will maintain British support for Ukraine. Mr. Shapps has held several cabinet posts and is a close ally of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, although he has much less foreign policy and security experience than Mr. Wallace.
Mr Wallace’s departure has been a long time coming – he was put forward by Downing Street in a failed bid to become Secretary General of NATO – but Mr Shapps’ appointment came as a surprise. His name was not on most shortlists of candidates for the position, which has become particularly well-known since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
Mr Shapps has already held four ministerial posts in the past year, a tumultuous period for the British government. Sunak’s predecessor, Liz Truss, appointed him interior minister in the chaotic final days of her term. He had previously served as transport secretary under Mrs. Truss’s predecessor, Boris Johnson, where he developed a reputation as a deft spokesman for the government during tense moments.
Support for Ukraine has remained strong across the political spectrum in Britain, although there has been occasional tension between Mr Wallace and the Treasury over his demands for bigger increases in the defense budget.
In his letter of resignation to Mr. Sunak, Mr. Wallace said: “I know you will agree with me that we should not go back to the days when defense was seen by the government as a discretionary expenditure and savings were achieved through erosion.” He added: “We both share the belief that now is the time to invest.”
Mr Wallace, who was a captain in the Scots Guards, had hoped to succeed Jens Stoltenberg as Secretary General of NATO. But despite his good reputation in Washington, his candidacy did not receive the support of the United States.
Mr Shapps recently visited Ukraine in his capacity as energy minister, where he announced a loan from the UK government to the country’s state-owned nuclear power company.
“I look forward to working with the brave men and women of our armed forces who are defending the security of our nation,” Mr Shapps said in a post on X, formally known as Twitter. “And continued British support for Ukraine in their fight against Putin’s barbarian invasion.”
