UKRAINE should show more “gratitude” for the West’s support against Vladimir Putin, Ben Wallace said yesterday.
The Defence Secretary spoke out after Volodymyr Zelensky erupted over the lack of a concrete timetable for joining Nato.
Ben Wallace has said Ukraine should show more ‘gratitude’ for Western support
Rishi Sunak and Volodymyr Zelensky meet at Nato today
He said that last summer he drove 11 hours to Ukraine only to be presented with a list of requested supplies – and told them: “I’m not Amazon.”
The remarks came at the Nato summit in Vilnius where allies have agreed in principle to eventually grant Ukraine membership.
Mr Zelensky had fumed that he was cut out of the negotiations and blasted the delays to accession.
Yesterday Mr Wallace told reporters: “There is a slight word of caution here, which whether we like it or not, people want to see gratitude.
“My council to the Ukrainians is sometimes if you’re persuading country to give up their stocks”
He said Zelensky was fighting a “noble war” but had to persuade uneasy American congressmen and “doubting politicians” that it was worth helping him.
Shortly afterwards Mr Zelensky sent a gushing tweet saying he was “grateful” for the UK’s support.
It followed a bilat with Rishi Sunak who told him: “It’s good to see you in Nato where you belong.”
Western leaders tried to patch up with President’s Zelensky with a jovial first meeting of the Nato-Ukraine Council yesterday.
Appearing to bury the hatchet, the Ukrainian Prez said: “You are truly the leaders in support for Ukraine. We really appreciate it.”
He added at a press conference: “We understand that some are afraid of talking about our [Nato] membership now because no one wants to have a world war.
“This is logical and understandable. Ukraine is fighting and it surely understands that it can’t be a member as long as the war continues. This is absolutely clear.”
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