Putin a 'lunatic with small man syndrome' says minister as PM blasts 'toxic masculinity'

29 June 2022, 08:25 | Updated: 29 June 2022, 10:39

Putin is suffering from small man syndrome, Wallace says

By Asher McShane

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has branded Putin a ‘lunatic’ with ‘small man syndrome’ following comments from Boris Johnson who labelled him ‘crazy’ and ‘macho’.

Mr Johnson said the Russian president would not have invaded Ukraine if he was a woman and condemned Putin’s ‘toxic masculinity’.

Speaking as he prepared to go from the G7 summit in Bavaria to NATO, Mr Johnson told German broadcaster ZDF: “If Putin was a woman, which he obviously isn't, but if he were, I really don't think he would've embarked on a crazy, macho war of invasion and violence in the way that he has.

“If you want a perfect example of toxic masculinity, it's what he's doing in Ukraine”.

Mr Wallace told Nick Ferrari at Breakfast on LBC this morning: “I certainly think Putin's view of himself and the world is a small man syndrome, macho view.

'You rarely hear the phrase small woman syndrome. You always hear small man syndrome and he's got it in spades.”

Mr Wallace said that if he had been leading an invasion as disastrous as Putin's assault on Ukraine, he would have been fired by now and the Government would have been overthrown.

On the progress of Russia's flawed invasion, Mr Wallace said: "I would still say Ukrainians are winning. They are extracting huge amount of cost from the Russian forces. Over 25,000 Russians have been killed.

Defence Sec: Ukraine is winning the war against Russia

"Russia has failed on all its major objectives. It is now reduced to a grinding advance of a few hundred metres every few days at massive cost in one small part of eastern Ukraine.

"If it happened the other way round I would have been fired by now, the government would have been overthrown in Britain and there would have been thousands of very angry parents and girlfriends who have lost their husbands.

Mr Wallace said Putin has "reduced Russia in the eyes of the world."

Read more: Met placed into special measures

Defence Sec calls for more spending in face of Russian threat

Reiterating his call for increased defence spending to counter the threat from Russia, Mr Wallace said: "Russia has become far more dangerous to us in the West

"Come the middle of the decade, end of the decade the threat is going to be bigger than it is now.

"Threat is changing and come 2024 we should look at increasing our spending on defence.

Read more: Ghislaine Maxwell jailed for 20 years over sex trafficking underage girls

"The world is more dangerous and more anxious, and we need to start having the discussion about how important defence is in all our lives.

"What matters is the job of defending this country. If you don’t have the forces to defend yourself, suddenly it will be a top priority of the public."

On troop numbers, he said: "We are currently at 79,000 trained troops. I will always fight for our troops to be properly equipped, properly led and properly protected and connected.

"I will always fight a government that would try to overstretch troops."

The Prime Minister is expected to urge Nato members to "dig deep" and invest more to modernise defences in Europe.

Boris Johnson will tell them at a summit in Madrid that following Russia's invasion of Ukraine - the decade ahead will be more dangerous.

Yesterday, Turkey lifted its veto over Finland and Sweden's bid to join the defence alliance, clearing the path for expansion.

More Nick Ferrari

See more More Nick Ferrari

Rishi Sunak’s job is under threat from a plot of backbench Tory MPs who want to replace him with Penny Mordaunt before the general election.

Tories 'need to stop messing around and get behind the Prime Minister,' Business Secretary tells LBC

Exclusive
'This is trivia': Kemi Badenoch hits out at continued furore over Tory donor 'racism' row

'This is trivia': Kemi Badenoch hits out at continued furore over Tory donor 'racism' row

Government suspends tariffs on key imports to boost SMEs launching £660 million northern powerhouse fund

Government suspends tariffs on key imports to boost SMEs launching £660 million northern powerhouse fund

'Floating voters' unconvinced by Jeremy Hunt's Budget

LBC's 'Floating Voters' left unconvinced by Jeremy Hunt's Budget

Leila Khaled, who hijacked planes, will appear via video link at a fundraiser hosted by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign. Andy Street wants police to look at the event

'I'm not comfortable with it': West Mids Mayor to speak to police amid fury over Palestinian hijacker’s fundraiser

Andy Street taking calls from the public on Nick Ferrari at Breakfast

Tory MP's claim that Birmingham has 'no-go areas' was 'ridiculous', West Midlands Mayor tells LBC

Minister quizzed on tweet where he described Trump as 'cancer'

Minister Bim Afolami says tweet in which he referred to Donald Trump as 'a cancer' is appropriate

Lee Anderson

Police 'looking into hate speech complaint against Lee Anderson' after MP said Sadiq Khan was controlled by Islamists

Richard Tice said he turned down two Tories who tried to join the party

Reform UK leader Richard Tice says he rejected two Tory MPs who tried to defect in the last year

Michael Tomlinson repeatedly refused to answer Nick Ferrari's question

Nick Ferrari cuts off minister who refuses to answer his questions nine times over Lee Anderson's 'Islamophobic remarks'

Rishi Sunak is facing a revolt for sacking Lee Anderson

Lee Anderson refuses to apologise for 'Islamist' comments as he doubles down on criticism of Sadiq Khan

Rishi Sunak is facing a revolt for sacking Lee Anderson

PM denies Tories have 'Islamophobic tendencies' as minister says Lee Anderson's comments were 'profoundly wrong'

Dame Esther Rantzen has told LBC why she is campaigning to change the law on assisted dying

‘Dogs get treated better than humans’, Esther Rantzen says, as TV legend demands assisted dying law change

Rishi Sunak (l) puts on a brave face to the Tories by-election defeats on a visit to Harlow. New Kingswood MP Damien Egan (top r) and Wellingborough MP Gem Kitchen (bottom r)

Rishi Sunak begs frustrated Tories 'not to put Starmer in power' after party suffers double by-election disaster

New Labour MPs Damien Egan and Gen Kitchen

'They are not very good results': Tory chairman admits after double by-election drubbings as MPs call for tax cuts

The peer was speaking to LBC's Nick Ferrari at Breakfast

'It was known yesterday' Azhar Ali had made more Israel conspiracy theory comments, peer tells LBC