Ben Wallace in brutal swipe at Ukraine over weapons shopping list: ‘We’re not Amazon!’
Wallace has urged Kyiv to reassess their strategy of "persuading countries to give up their own stocks."
Reuters
Ben Wallace has suggested Kyiv rein in its vocal disappointment over Nato accession if it wishes to persuade doubting Western politicians to keep funding the war effort.
In a blunt intervention, the UK Defence Secretary noted that “people want to see gratitude” from Ukraine over weapons and aid.
Wallace recalled responding to the Ukrainian government’s shopping list of weapons with the phrase “we’re not Amazon” last year.
Tempers flared at the Nato Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Tuesday, when Volodymyr Zelensky labelled a lack of solid time frame for Ukraine joining Nato as “unprecedented and absurd”.
Zelensky at the Nato Summit
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Zelensky tweeted: “It’s unprecedented and absurd when a time frame is not set neither for the invitation nor for Ukraine’s membership."
The President of Ukraine added: “It seems there is no readiness neither to invite Ukraine to Nato nor to make it a member of the Alliance.
"This means that a window of opportunity is being left to bargain Ukraine’s membership in Nato in negotiations with Russia.
“And for Russia, this means motivation to continue its terror. Uncertainty is weakness. And I will openly discuss this at the summit.”
Though the sentiment amongst Nato countries is overwhelmingly in favour of Ukraine joining, there is a logistical sticking point in article 5 of the Nato charter.
Nato 'family photo'
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Article 5 delineates that if one member is attacked then all the others should come to its defence, meaning all the Nato countries would technically be forced to declare war on Russia.
Acknowledging this, Zelensky sought a softer tone on Wednesday, admitting that “nobody is willing to have a world war” and thanking the Nato members for committing to “security guarantees for Ukraine on our way to Nato.”
Zelensky has since lauded a "very good, powerful meeting" with Biden, which is said to have gone on twice as long as scheduled and discussed "All the topics. Long-term support. Weapons. Politics. Nato."
Meanwhile, Rishi Sunak rowed back on his Defence Secretary’s comments, emphasising how “incredibly grateful” Zelensky and the Ukrainian people are for the UK’s support.
Sunak added: "It is very clear from this summit people's view is Ukraine will and should be a member of Nato."
After a fleeting visit to the UK that laid bare some of the cracks between the US and the UK, Joe Biden channelled an albeit more subdued Churchill in pledging to defend Ukraine “across land, air and sea" with modern, advanced military equipment.”
Biden at the Nato summit
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The US President added: “All our allies agreed: Ukraine’s future lies in Nato. We’re making clear our support will last long and into the future."
In May, the US green lighted the roll out of f-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, and more recently approved the use of controversial cluster bombs which are banned in 120 countries.
At the summit in Lithuania, officials from 11 nationals have confirmed intentions to start training Ukrainian pilots to fly the f-16s in Romania in August.
Additionally, the UK has pledged to provide 70 more combat and logistics vehicles to Ukraine.
Wallace’s rogue intervention follows the news that Biden had a big part to play in snubbing Wallace’s hopes of becoming the next Nato chief.
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A more conciliatory Zelensky with
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Formerly a front-runner for succeeding Jens Stolenberg in the top Nato role, Biden is said to be leaning towards endorsing Ursula von der Leyen, the current President of the European Commisison, instead.
Wallace said: “There is a slight word of caution which is, whether we like it or not, people want to see gratitude.
My counsel to the Ukrainians is sometimes, look, you are 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 have got to persuade lawmakers on the Hill in America [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. That’s just the reality of it.”
Zelensky tweeted thanks to the UK after meeting Sunak: "I am grateful to the Prime Minister and the United Kingdom for supporting Ukraine's accession to NATO and for participating in providing Ukraine with effective security guarantees for the period prior to membership in the Alliance."