Former UK defence secretary: It is tragic to witness US siding with dictator Putin

, 4 March 2025, 09:26

Former UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps has called the Trump administration’s decision to halt military aid to Ukraine "tragic", warning that it poses global risks.

Shapps made his statement on X (Twitter) shortly after multiple media outlets reported that Trump had ordered a pause on all military assistance to Ukraine.

"Tragic to witness the United States – the ‘Home of the Free’ – siding with dictator Putin.

This weakens America’s global standing, undermines Ukraine’s sovereignty & emboldens aggressors everywhere," Shapps wrote on X (Twitter).

Earlier, Shapps warned against a "peace" that would allow Moscow to claim victory, stressing that if Ukraine were forced to cede any territory, it must come with a fast track to NATO membership.

Grant Shapps served as UK Defence Secretary from 2023 to 2024 under Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Read his historic speech: "The era of the peace dividend is over. Moving from a post-war to a pre-war world".