Russia places UK ex-minister Ben Wallace on wanted list
Background and Developments of the Ben Wallace Case
LONDON, May 13 (Reuters) - Russia has placed British former defence minister Ben Wallace on a wanted list in connection with an unspecified criminal investigation, state media said on Wednesday, citing the Russian Interior Ministry's database.
Ben Wallace's Role and Response
Wallace served as the UK's defence minister from before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 until August 2023, since when he has continued to advocate for boosting military support for Kyiv and condemned Russian aggression.
The state media reports did not give further details on the case against him.
Wallace's Reaction to the Russian Move
Commenting on the move, Wallace said: "I am not surprised by this latest Russian stunt at a time when the Kremlin is failing at home and abroad."
"The whole world knows that Russia illegally invaded Ukraine four years ago," he said by email, accusing the Kremlin of "sending thousands of young Russian men to their deaths all for the sake of (President Vladimir) Putin's ego."
Events Leading Up to the Wanted Listing
Calls for Action Against Wallace
Last October, a regional Russian lawmaker called for Wallace to be put on Russia's international wanted list over comments he made at the Warsaw Security Forum about Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014.
Wallace's Statements on Crimea
Speaking at the forum in September, Wallace had recommended helping Ukraine carry out a military strike on the bridge which links southern Russia to Crimea.
"We have to help Ukraine have the long-range capabilities to make Crimea unviable. We need to choke the life out of Crimea. And if we do that, I think Putin will realise he's got something to lose," he said. "We need to smash the cursed bridge."
Context of Russia's Wanted List
It is not clear how many foreign officials or public figures are on the Russian Interior Ministry's database of wanted persons. In 2024, independent news outlet Mediazona said the list included dozens of European politicians and officials.
Symbolic Nature of Russian Convictions
Moscow has convicted some officials and journalists in absentia but the cases are largely symbolic.
(Reporting by Alessandra Prentice; editing by Philippa Fletcher)
