Britain’s defense minister, Ben Wallace, said Britain would continue to support Ukraine no matter who the next prime minister is.
Ukrainian lawmakers have said people are “extremely concerned” about whether the next British leader will provide the same level of cheering after the resignation of Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
In an interview broadcast on Saturday GBNewsWallace said Britain is a “perfect square” behind Ukraine.
“We are not the only one to provide support to Ukraine,” he said. “It’s all about it, not me, not the prime minister.”
Wallace was at an army base in northern England and visited Ukrainian soldiers who had begun training for several weeks.
“Today we have British troops here, training Ukrainians in northern Britain,” Wallace said, adding that there are also troops in Estonia and Poland as part of the NATO deployment.
“Action is important in all of this,” the Defense Minister said, stressing that he does not believe that support for Ukraine will disappear after Johnson resigns.
“It’s very sad that the Prime Minister leaves this post, but he’s been leading from the Ukrainian front, but the whole political system supports what we’re doing in Ukraine. That’s complete. I don’t think it will end in. “
Approximately 1,050 UK service personnel are stationed to carry out training programs. The program will take place at the Ministry of Defense sites in the northwest, southwest and southeast of the United Kingdom and will train up to 10,000 Ukrainians in the coming months.
Training provides volunteer recruits with little or no military experience with effective skills in frontline combat. Based on basic British soldier training, the course covers the laws of weapons handling, battlefield first aid, field crafting, patrol tactics, and armed conflict.
The UK Government has also procured an AK variant assault rifle for the training program. This means that Ukrainian soldiers can train with the weapons used at the forefront.
This was supported by Welsh Guards, who tested more than 2,400 such rifles in 17 days to ensure that Ukrainians were ready to begin training.
The United Kingdom also donated clothing and equipment to support the training and deployment of Ukrainian soldiers in Ukraine.
Later Saturday, Wallace announced that he had decided not to run for the Conservative leadership contest, saying he was concentrating on his immediate work.
“After careful consideration and discussions with colleagues and family, I decided not to participate in the Conservative Leadership Contest. The Secretary of Defense expressed his support and colleagues on Twitter. I am very grateful to the wide range of members who have been lost. “
“It wasn’t an easy choice, but my focus is on keeping my current job and this wonderful country safe. Good luck to all candidates and let us all work on it. I hope to return to quickly focusing on the issues chosen, “he added.
Four members will start bidding by Saturday, with more members expected to participate.
The Parliamentary Procedures will be announced on Monday, but the two finalists will be elected by 20 July and the new Prime Minister will be elected in early October.
PA Media contributed to this report.
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Lily Zhou is a freelance writer who mainly covers the British news of The Epoch Times.