British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said on Wednesday that the UK is ‘not Amazon’ when it comes to supplying arms to Ukraine, suggesting that Kiev could show more ‘gratitude’ towards its allies in the face of the Russian invasion.
“This war is a noble war […] but sometimes you have to convince parliamentarians in the United States. We have to convince politicians who in other countries are wondering if it’s worth it,” Wallace told British media on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. .
“Like it or not, people want to see gratitude,” he added.
“The people of the UK have always supported us. We are very grateful to him, ”swept the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky. “I don’t know what he (Wallace) meant and how I could be grateful to him. »
Turning to his Defense Minister, Oleksiy Reznikov, Mr. Zelensky then asked him with a laugh to send “words of gratitude” to Mr. Wallace by calling the British minister “today”.
“Not Amazon”
British media report that Wallace also expressed frustration when, during a trip to Ukraine last year, he received a “list” of weapons Ukraine needed.
“You know, we’re not Amazon. I told them that last year when I drove 11 hours to get a list,” Wallace said.
Also present in Vilnius, the British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, tried to calm things down.
“President Zelensky has expressed his gratitude for what we have done on many occasions, including in his incredibly moving address to the (UK) Parliament earlier this year,” he said during a press conference. .
“I know that he and his people are incredibly grateful for the support we are showing, for the welcome we have provided to many Ukrainian families but also for the leadership we are showing in this conflict,” he added.
On the second day of the summit in the Lithuanian capital and almost 18 months after the start of the Russian invasion, the members of the G7 (United States, United Kingdom, France, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan) presented a new plan for Ukraine’s security.
This announcement was welcomed by Ukraine, which stresses, however, that this should not replace its future membership of the Atlantic Alliance.