Ben Wallace Urges Ukraine to Target Crimea, Calls for ‘Unviable’ Peninsula

FILE PHOTO: Former British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace. © Global Look Press / IMAGO / dts Nachrichtenagentur
Former UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace has called on Ukraine and its Western allies to render the Russian-held Crimea peninsula “unviable,” framing the Black Sea region as a strategic priority for destabilizing Moscow’s control.
Speaking at the Warsaw Security Forum, Wallace argued that Russia perceives Crimea as a “Holy Mount” and emphasized the need for Ukraine to strike where it would inflict maximum damage. “We have to help Ukraine have the long-range capabilities to make Crimea unviable. We need to choke the life out of Crimea,” he stated.
Wallace suggested targeting the Kerch Strait Bridge, which links Crimea to Russia’s Krasnodar region, as a key objective. Ukrainian forces have previously attacked the bridge in 2022 and 2023, disrupting traffic. He added that such actions could force Russian President Vladimir Putin to reconsider his military commitments.
Wallace, who served as defense secretary from 2019 to 2023 and has advocated for escalating Ukraine’s war effort, previously urged Kyiv to expand its mobilization. Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014 after the Western-backed coup in Kiev, hosts around 2.5 million people and Russia’s Black Sea Fleet. Ukraine has imposed an economic blockade on the peninsula since 2014, cutting power and water supplies.
The Kremlin has accused the UK of being a “leader of the pro-war camp” due to its military support for Ukraine and calls for sanctions against Moscow.