UK Defense Secretary: "We're Not a Shopping Mall... Ukraine Should Be Grateful," Candid Remarks

Criticism of Zelensky During NATO Summit Visit
Zelensky and Sunak Express "Repeated Thanks" to Soothe Tensions

At the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit, no schedule was presented for Ukraine's NATO membership, and when President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed disappointment over Western support, the UK Secretary of State for Defence delivered a blunt message to Ukraine.

According to major foreign media on the 12th (local time), Ben Wallace, the UK Secretary of State for Defence, who visited Lithuania to attend the NATO summit, responded to a question about Ukraine expressing dissatisfaction over not receiving a clear answer on NATO membership by saying, "They should be grateful."

On the 12th, Ukrainian President Zelensky and NATO Secretary General shook hands at the NATO summit.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

On that day, Secretary Wallace recalled when he visited Ukraine last June, traveling over 11 hours by car and receiving a list of weapons purchases from the Ukrainian side, saying, "As you know, I said 'We are not Amazon (the online shopping mall).'"

He added, "People want to see gratitude (from Ukraine). The war in Ukraine is noble and a war for freedom, but sometimes Ukraine has to persuade members of the U.S. Congress who doubt whether supporting weapons is worthwhile. Like it or not, that is the reality."

Secretary Wallace's remarks are presumed to be in response to President Zelensky pressuring member countries by saying on his way to Vilnius the day before, "If the NATO summit does not set a deadline for Ukraine's membership, it will be absurd."

Earlier, President Zelensky expressed dissatisfaction via Telegram, saying, "It is unprecedented that the schedule for NATO membership has not been set, and ambiguous wording has been added to the membership conditions."

However, regarding Secretary Wallace's remarks, President Zelensky expressed gratitude, saying, "We are always thankful to the UK. We are always grateful to the UK, the Prime Minister, and the Secretary of State for Defence." At the same time, he added, "I do not know what he meant or how we should be grateful. The Secretary of State may want something special, but we have a great relationship with the UK."

He also told Oleksii Reznikov, Ukraine's Minister of Defence, who was nearby, "What happened with the UK Secretary of State for Defence? If you did not express thanks, please give him a call today."

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also said that day, "President Zelensky has expressed gratitude several times for what we have done," and emphasized, "I fully understand his desire to do everything possible to protect his people and stop the war. We will continue to provide all the support needed."

There is an analysis that Secretary Wallace's candid remarks were made considering that they could potentially be interpreted as a sign of discord between the UK and Ukraine.

Meanwhile, the NATO summit concluded after a two-day schedule. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said, "Ukraine is now closer to NATO than ever before," and added, "Today, I chaired the first NATO-Ukraine Council, where Ukraine will consult and decide on an equal footing with NATO allies."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.