Ukraine can beat Russian army and even 'break' it, defence secretary insists
9 May 2022, 13:08
It is "very possible" Ukraine will defeat Russia and force a return to the pre-invasion status quo, Britain's defence secretary has said.
Ben Wallace used the Vietnam war as an example that shows smaller countries can defeat much bigger states in conflict.
His comments come as Russia put on a huge military parade in Moscow, commemorating the victory over Nazi Germany – and providing Putin with an attempt to justify his invasion of Ukraine with more baseless claims.
Mr Wallace said: "Look, it is not inconceivable that large superpowers, as such, as he thinks he is, lose on the battlefield."
He went on: "It is very possible that Ukraine will break the Russian army to the extent that they either have to go back to pre-February or they have to effectively... it folds in on itself.
Read more: Desperate Putin tries to rally Russia as Victory Day broadcast hit with anti-war message
"But, ultimately, the price that is being paid by Russians for their illegal invasion is a price that needs to be faced up by the Russian leadership.
"That's what's so absurd about today's parade in Moscow: where is the facing-up to the reality of what's happened to Russia's reputation, but also the Russian soldiers, and also what they've been doing to, effectively in a sense, their brothers and sisters, their Ukrainian brothers and sisters, where is that culpability?"
Fears over whether Russia will turn to devastating weapons, like its nuclear arsenal, in Ukraine have grown as the conflict has become protracted – instead of the rapid lighting war the Kremlin hoped would end with the capture of Kyiv in just days.
But Mr Wallace, speaking at the National Army Museum in Chelsea, said he would not speculate over their possible use.
His remarks came as Vladimir Putin made a rambling speech to troops marking Victory Day.
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The president, who has made a habit of false claims about the war in Ukraine and the history of that country, said his country was "preparing for the invasion of our land, including Crimea" – the peninsula Russia seized from Ukraine in 2014.
"The death of every soldier and officer is painful for us," he said. "The state will do everything to take care of these families."
But viewers on online outlets MTS mobile operator, NTV Plus, Rostelecom, and Wink saw the message: “The blood of thousands of Ukrainians and hundreds of their children is on your hands. TV and the authorities lie. No to war.”
The names of major channels Rossiya-1, Channel One and NTV-Plus were also changed to the anti-war slogan by hackers.
Meanwhile, Britain has pledged £1.3 billion more in military support to Ukraine, a significant escalation.
