Suggesting Kyiv could express more “gratitude” to its allies in the face of Russia’s invasion, UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace on Wednesday said that Britain is not an Amazon delivery service for weapons to Ukraine.
During an interaction with the British media on the sidelines of a Nato summit in Lithuania’s capital Vilnius, the defence secretary said: “There is a slight word of caution which is, whether we like it or not, people want to see gratitude.”
“Sometimes you’re persuading countries to give up their own stocks. And yes, the war is a noble war and yes, we see it as you doing a war not just for yourselves but also our freedoms.
“But sometimes you’ve got to persuade lawmakers on the Hill in America,” Wallace said referring to the US Congress.
“You have got to persuade doubting politicians in other countries that it is worth it, it’s worthwhile and they are getting something for it,” AFP reported quoting him.
Wallace also recalled that after receiving a list of weapons requests from Ukraine last year, he told officials in Kyiv “I am not Amazon”.
Asked about Wallace’s remarks, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky “has expressed his gratitude for what we have done on a number of occasions”.
“Not least in his incredibly moving address that he made to parliament earlier this year and he has done so again to me, as he has done countless times when I have met him,” Sunak told reporters in Vilnius.
“So I know that he and his people are incredibly grateful for the support we have shown, the welcome that we have provided to many Ukrainian families, but also the leadership we have shown throughout this conflict,” Sunak added.
On Wednesday, the second day of the Nato summit, the leaders of G7 nations pledged to offer “enduring” military support to help Ukraine defeat invading Russian forces.
Zelensky welcomed the security guarantees but did not disguise the fact that he would have preferred Nato to have agreed a clear timetable for Ukraine to join the alliance.
