UK ‘not Amazon’ for weapons to Ukraine: Defense secretary Wallace

UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said Wednesday Britain is not an Amazon delivery service for weapons to Ukraine, suggesting Kyiv could express more “gratitude” to its allies in the face of Russia’s invasion.
“There is a slight word of caution which is, whether we like it or not, people want to see gratitude,” Wallace told British media on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Lithuania’s capital Vilnius.
“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,” he added.
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.

However, Zelensky fired back at Wallace’s remark, saying the Ukrainian government could “wake up every morning and personally thank the minister.”

According to Ukrainian newspaper Ukrayinska Pravda, Zelensky said: “It seems to me we have always been very grateful to the UK, always grateful to the Prime Minister and the Defense Secretary, Mr. Wallace.”

He continued: “I just do not know what he means, how else we are supposed to express our gratitude. He can text me to explain it… We can wake up every morning and personally thank the minister.” Adding that “the UK is our partner, we are grateful to it, maybe the minister wants something specific.”

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.