The UK and its allies are no Amazon – the e-commerce giant that offers fast delivery – when it comes to shipping arms to Ukraine, and Kiev would be wise to let its supporters “see the gratitude”, British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said on July 12.
Mr Wallace made the comments in response to a Sky News reporter's question about whether the failure of allies to give President Volodymyr Zelensky a timeframe for Ukraine to become a NATO member at the Lithuania summit would undermine the morale of his troops on the front line.
Mr. Wallace said he did not believe that would be the case, describing how Ukraine kept asking for more even after receiving the latest batch of weapons.
“There is a little bit of a caveat here, which is that whether you like it or not, people want to see gratitude,” Mr. Wallace said during a meeting with journalists on the sidelines of the two-day NATO summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius.
“My advice to the Ukrainians is that sometimes you have to convince countries to give you their own arsenals. This is a noble fight, and we see it as a fight not only for you but also for our freedoms.”
“But sometimes you have to convince American lawmakers on Capitol Hill, you have to convince skeptical politicians in other countries that it’s worth it and that they’re going to get something in return for giving it. And whether you like it or not, that’s the reality.”
British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace at the NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, July 12, 2023. Photo: The Telegraph
Mr Wallace said he had also told the Ukrainians last June that the UK was not a “delivery service” when it came to supplying weapons.
“I told the Ukrainians last year, when I drove 11 hours to Kiev to be given a shopping list for weapons – I said, we are not Amazon.”
He also said he had warned them that they needed to train their troops better to stop them suffering such high weekly casualty rates as it risked losing political support. Instead, Mr Wallace had offered to provide a training programme in the UK.
London has been one of Kiev's staunchest supporters since Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year, and Chancellor Rishi Sunak has said Britain and its allies will double down on their support for Ukraine.
On July 11, just before the joint statement of the NATO Summit in Lithuania was released, which said that “Ukraine’s future is in NATO,” but that Kiev would only be admitted “when the allies agree and the conditions are met,” President Zelensky strongly criticized NATO leaders, saying that “It is absurd and unprecedented that no time frame has been set for Ukraine’s invitation and membership.”
On July 12, Mr. Zelensky softened his tone, saying that the outcome of the summit was good even without a formal invitation for Ukraine to join NATO, and that he had received positive news about defense packages from allies.
At a press conference, Mr Zelensky also said he did not understand Mr Wallace’s comments. “We are always grateful to the UK, the British Prime Minister and the British Secretary of Defense for always supporting us,” the Ukrainian president said.
“I just don’t know what he means, otherwise how are we supposed to express our gratitude? He can text me to explain… We can wake up every morning and personally thank the minister. The UK is our partner, we are very grateful for that, but maybe the minister wants something specific,” Mr Zelensky continued.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak wrote on Twitter on July 12, 2023: "NATO is where Ukraine belongs"
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, July 12, 2023. Photo: PA Media
Asked about Wallace’s comments, British Prime Minister Sunak dismissed them, saying that Zelensky had “expressed his gratitude for what we have done, for example in his incredibly moving speech to the British Parliament earlier this year.”
“He has done so many times, so I know he and his people are incredibly grateful for the support the UK has shown, the welcome we have given to many Ukrainian families and the leadership we have shown throughout this conflict when we were the first to provide tanks or long-range weapons,” Mr Sunak said.
“People all over Ukraine are also fighting for their lives and freedom every day and they are paying a heavy price for that, so I completely understand Mr. Zelensky's desire to do everything possible to protect his people and end this war.”
“We will continue to provide him with the support he needs,” the British Prime Minister concluded .
Minh Duc (According to Sky News, Reuters)
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