Ben Wallace today said the UK had 'kicked the backside' of former Russian leaders and 'can always do it again' as he took direct aim at Vladimir Putin.

The Defence Secretary, who is a former soldier who served as an officer in the Scots Guards in the 1990s, also claimed the Russian President has gone 'full tonto' as tensions continue to rise amid the worsening Ukraine crisis.

Mr Wallace dramatically stepped up the UK Government's verbal attacks against Mr Putin as he chatted with Commonwealth soldiers during a visit to the Horse Guards building in Westminster this morning.

Mr Wallace said Mr Putin had made the mistake of having no allies to support his actions in Ukraine as he compared the Russian premier to Tsar Nicholas I during the Crimean War - which took place more than 170 years ago and included the Charge of the Light Brigade, one of the most notorious disasters in British military history.

The comments came as Ukraine said it will introduce a nationwide state of emergency and Boris Johnson announced the UK will send more defensive weapons to the nation in a bid to deter a full-scale invasion by Mr Putin.

The Cabinet minister, a former Scots Guards officer, said his regiment had 'kicked the backside' of the tsar in the Crimea and 'we can always do it again'.

He said: 'It's going to be a busy Army. Unfortunately we've got a busy adversary now in Putin, who has gone full tonto.'

Mr Wallace said the UK has 1,000 personnel on stand-by to respond to the crisis, adding: 'The Scots Guards kicked the backside of Tsar Nicholas I in 1853 in Crimea – we can always do it again.'

He continued: 'Tsar Nicholas I made the same mistake Putin did… he had no friends, no alliances.'

Mr Wallace made the comments as he visited Horse Guards alongside Home Secretary Priti Patel to announce the Government is scrapping visa fees for long-serving overseas military personnel.

Ms Patel sat stony-faced as the Defence Secretary made the remarks about Mr Putin and the Crimean War while the soldiers sat opposite Mr Wallace appeared to laugh nervously.

The change on visas will mean overseas personnel serving in the British armed forces will be able to apply to stay in the UK without paying a £2,389 application fee.

The visa fee will be scrapped for personnel who have completed six years in the forces or been discharged due to an illness or injury sustained during their service. The waiver will also apply to eligible veterans.

The new policy will come into effect in the spring and could help some of the 9,000 non-UK citizens currently serving in the armed forces if they want to apply for indefinite leave to remain in the UK after their service ends.

It came as Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said the UK will make it 'as painful as possible' for Russia if Mr Putin unleashes an all-out attack on Ukraine.

Ms Truss said the Russian leader appears to be 'hell-bent' on invading his neighbour, including potentially an assault on the capital, Kiev.

She said the Government has further measures 'in the locker' which it could activate, after an initial tranche of sanctions announced yesterday was widely criticised as being too weak.

The situation in Ukraine escalated on Monday this week when Mr Putin announced Russia would formally recognise the breakaway 'republics' of Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine.

That move was seen by many in the West as a precursor to a full-scale Russian invasion.

Ms Truss said this morning that it is still unclear whether Russian troops have crossed into the territories, after Mr Putin said he was authorising his forces to move in as 'peacekeepers'.

Mr Johnson announced at lunchtime that Britain will be sending more defensive weapons to Ukraine in response to the looming threat of a full-scale invasion.

The UK has already sent anti-tank weapons to the Ukrainian military to help counter the threat posed by Russian forces ringed around the country's borders.

he Prime Minister said: 'In light of the increasingly threatening behaviour from Russia, and in line with our previous support, the UK will shortly be providing a further package of military support to Ukraine.

'This will include lethal aid in the form of defensive weapons and non-lethal aid.'

Russia is currently estimated to have 150,000 troops massed on the borders around Ukraine, with warplanes and armoured vehicles continuing to deploy in the area.

Mr Putin has said the only way to resolve the crisis is for the government in Kiev to give up its ambitions to join Nato and to accept the 'demilitarisation' of the country.

Ukraine today said it is declaring a state of emergency as it urged its citizens living in Russia to leave the country.

Kiev is now calling up military reservists as it prepares to face down the full might of a potential Russian invasion.

The state of emergency move grants President Volodymyr Zelensky extra powers such as the ability to declare snap curfews and marks - for the first time - a direct acknowledgement from Kiev that Russia could now attack at any time in virtually any part of Ukraine, and not just rebel-held areas.
All military reservists aged 18 to 60 - more than 200,000 people - have been called up while Ukraine's border guard service has restricted movement around border zones, prohibited video recordings of its forces and banned the use of drones. Three million Ukrainians living in Russian have been ordered to leave.

Ukrainian citizens have also been given the power to bear arms - effectively activating civilian brigades who have been training with the national guard in recent weeks.

If an invasion does take place then martial law will be imposed, the head of Ukraine's security council said. The state of emergency will last for 30 days, but could be extended.

Mr Putin delivered a sabre-rattling address to his troops this morning to mark Defender of the Fatherland Day, praising their 'battle readiness' while saying he is assured that they will fight to defend Russian security interests - which he called 'non-negotiable'.

Russia also began evacuating staff from its Kiev embassy, with the flag reportedly lowered over the building.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10542729/Ben-Wallace-claims-Putin-gone-tonto-Ukraine-crisis.html

FERNANDEZISBACK:
A non nuclear war?
The UK cannot invade Russia on its own. It is doubtful that they could do it with the aid of all of NATO: Russia still has the advantages of defense in depth that geography gives it.

Russia can try to invade the UK but the odds are that it would have a lot of ships sunk and aircraft shot down trying. They don’t have a staging post to launch the invasion closer than their home territory and distance makes launching an invasion harder. That’s the UK’s equivalent of defence in depth.

Both nations can do a lot of damage to each other’s homelands with non-nuclear weapons. The UK would take more damage from fuel air explosives launched at our cities… But Russia has less wealth and less capacity to recover from serious damage to its major cities.

It would end in a stupid draw just like the War of 1812..if it's a nuclear war then both country will go down in drain...it's unimaginable seriously..

NigeriaNawa:


Basically if Russia hits the UK with missiles, it means all out war with NATO and if only non-nuclear weapons are used, Russia will surrender in a week

Meanwhile the UK Navy is more modern than the Russian Navy with more carriers and more deadly weaponry.

FERNANDEZISBACK:

I don't think Russia will surrender so easily..they are bunch of rugged fighters..

NimrodEndOfDays:
i am supporting Russia. please we need you to send one nuclear missile into England

NigeriaNawa:


Yes, but they are known to lose millions upon millions of soldiers before victory - 27 million alone in world war 2 and 8 million of these were soldiers.

FERNANDEZISBACK:
A non nuclear war?
The UK cannot invade Russia on its own. It is doubtful that they could do it with the aid of all of NATO: Russia still has the advantages of defense in depth that geography gives it.

FERNANDEZISBACK:

Cos they fought hard, often and in many battles. They sent huge numbers into battle, more than anyone else..

You know why I said they wouldn't surrender easily..If the war is taking place in Russia, there is no way the opposition might win. The Russians are one of the most patriotic defenders in the world. When an invading force is fighting a stubborn enemy, the time is on the defender’s side. The latter only has to drag out the war long and hard for the invader to question why they are dying on foreign soil while the defender doesn’t have to go anywhere or justify to their people! I don’t care if people say Russia’s population is roughly only half of USSR. If a war breaks out today, Russia would be willing to sacrifice 27 million people like what USSR did if that is what it takes to drive back an invader! What’s America’s tolerance for causality before quitting? 50K in Vietnam!
So you get the maths?

ivolt:

Who told you anybody wants to invade Russia?
The issue is about defending Ukraine's sovereignty and not Russia.

NigeriaNawa:


This is not the second world war, there are dangerous weapons now that can vaporise whole army divisions.

oskopy:
I pity NATO for this will be opportunity for God to pay them for all the evil they committed during Biafra war against the south east.
Ordinary Biafra stood their ground against your Nato for 3 years rigged war, I see Britain and America loose their powers.

Karmaisme:
I want to see what NATO will do in the event Russia invade Ukraine.
I just don't want China to get themselve involved.

NigeriaNawa:


You think Putin is mad. He knows that for every missile he sends to a NATO country, he will get thousands more back

oskopy:
I pity NATO for this will be opportunity for God to pay them for all the evil they committed during Biafra war against the south east.
Ordinary Biafra stood their ground against your Nato for 3 years rigged war, I see Britain and America loose their powers.

Lipscomb:
Reckless statement from old soldier that will close his door should war started. This idiot think commonwealths Will support them.England always air their voice once America is in front .

Putin should start negotiation with China this is right time to checkmate America power with that of uk government. Africa should support Russia.

oskopy:
I pity NATO for this will be opportunity for God to pay them for all the evil they committed during Biafra war against the south east.
Ordinary Biafra stood their ground against your Nato for 3 years rigged war, I see Britain and America loose their powers.

Lipscomb:
Reckless statement from old soldier that will close his door should war started. This idiot think commonwealths Will support them.England always air their voice once America is in front .

Putin should start negotiation with China this is right time to checkmate America power with that of uk government. Africa should support Russia.

NigeriaNawa:




Meanwhile the UK Navy is more modern than the Russian Navy with more carriers and more deadly weaponry.