In a remarkable intervention that lays bare mounting concern within Britain’s defence establishment, former Defence Secretary Sir Grant Shapps has suggested that he is unable to fully disclose the reasons behind Donald Trump’s apparent allegiance to Vladimir Putin—citing a secrecy rule enshrined in Whitehall protocol.
Sir Grant, a long-time Conservative MP and recently departed Cabinet minister, issued a scathing rebuke of the former US President, accusing him of enabling tyranny and undermining the democratic values of the West through his stance on Russia’s ongoing aggression in Ukraine.
Speaking to Times Radio, the ex-Defence Secretary said he had “some theories” as to why Mr Trump appeared so supportive of the Russian strongman, but hinted that he was constrained by the UK’s 30-year rule, which keeps certain state secrets classified for three decades. “I may have to wait for the 30-year rule to talk about them,” he noted cryptically, leaving listeners to ponder what explosive truths may yet lie buried in government vaults.
This provocative statement arrives just as Mr Trump ratchets up pressure on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to accept a controversial peace settlement that would see large swathes of Ukrainian territory—including Crimea—conceded to Moscow.
The proposed terms, reportedly delivered via Mr Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff during a five-hour negotiation in St Petersburg, would see Russia retain Crimea and formal control over the occupied territories of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia. Such an agreement would, in effect, render millions of Ukrainians Russian citizens overnight.
Sir Grant was unequivocal in his condemnation. “It’s sick. It’s disgusting. It’s revolting,” he said of Trump’s approach. “This is the leader of the free world, who is really coming out as nothing more than a swaggering bully, and choosing tyranny over democracy.”
The former minister accused Mr Trump of moral bankruptcy for attempting to coerce a democratic nation into surrender. “The idea that a President of the United States would publicly bully the democratic leader of a sovereign nation into accepting a forced, unjust peace—it’s beyond the pale. It betrays everything the West has stood for since the end of the Second World War.”
Sir Grant’s remarks further amplify a chorus of unease on both sides of the Atlantic as the 2024 US Presidential election looms and Mr Trump’s return to the Oval Office becomes an increasingly plausible reality. A cornerstone of his campaign has been the vow to end the Ukraine war “within 24 hours” of taking office—a promise derided by many as either naïve or dangerous in its implications.
In recent days, Mr Trump has grown more combative, taking to his Truth Social platform to lambast President Zelensky for his refusal to entertain any proposal that would see Ukrainian land transferred to Russia.
“Zelensky is boasting that Ukraine will not legally recognise the occupation of Crimea. He has nothing to boast about,” Mr Trump wrote, calling the peninsula “a lost cause” that had been “handed over to Russia without a shot being fired” during Barack Obama’s presidency. “He can have peace or he can fight for another three years before losing the whole country.”
Such statements have alarmed NATO officials and democratic allies, who see them as dangerously appeasing to the Kremlin’s territorial ambitions. Mr Zelensky, for his part, remains defiant. “This is our territory, the land of the Ukrainian people. This will not happen,” he told The Wall Street Journal, insisting that recognising Russian sovereignty over Crimea is simply not on the table.
Sir Grant Shapps’ latest intervention adds weight to speculation that Mr Trump’s entanglement with Moscow goes far beyond the public eye. “It’s publicly reported that he’s had previous run-ins with Kyiv, unrelated to the war,” Sir Grant said, alluding to the former President’s past attempts to strong-arm Ukraine into aiding his political ambitions—most notably during the first impeachment scandal involving Hunter Biden.
“People may come to their own theories as to why he seemed to be in cahoots with Putin,” Sir Grant added, a carefully worded phrase that nonetheless conjures deep suspicions of illicit ties or covert sympathies.
He characterised Trump’s political style as one rooted in intimidation and bravado: “He’s spent his entire career as a sort of swaggering bully. Anyone who disagrees with him, he shoots down—and then half the time ends up with them in his Cabinet.”
Behind the rhetoric lies a serious question: to what extent can Europe trust a future Trump-led White House, should he reclaim the presidency in November? And if Sir Grant’s hints of buried intelligence are to be taken seriously, might there come a day when official documents confirm long-held suspicions about a transatlantic alliance far more shadowy than previously known?
For now, Britain’s political elite remain tight-lipped. But if Sir Grant Shapps’ warning is anything to go by, the history books may yet reveal secrets far darker than diplomacy dares to discuss today.
Main Image: Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street
