The British Defence Secretary has said that last year he drove 11 hours to Kyiv to “be given a list” of weapons needed, to which he replied, “I am not Amazon.”
Ben Wallace has said that he is not an Amazon delivery service to provide weapons and military hardware to the war-torn country.
The Tory MP said that Western countries have been pumping in billions of pounds worth of weaponry and other types of military aid to Ukraine as it is a just cause after Russia invaded in February 2022.
Wallace told reporters at the two-day summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, “There is a slight word of caution here, which is that whether we like it or not people want to see gratitude.
Read more on Russia-Ukraine war:
There are ‘significant risks’ with Ukraine joining NATO which could push Putin in to a corner
“My counsel to the Ukrainians is sometimes you’re persuading countries to give up their own stocks [of weapons] and yes the war is a noble war and yes we see it as you doing a war for – not just yourself – but our freedoms.
“But sometimes you’ve got to persuade lawmakers on the Hill in America, you’ve got to persuade doubting politicians in other countries that you know, that it’s worth it and it’s worthwhile and that they’re getting something for it.
“And whether you like that or not, that is just the reality of it.”
Sky News reported that the Defence Secretary told Ukrainians in June 2022 that he is not a delivery service for weapons.
Wallace said, “I said to the Ukrainians last year, when I drove 11 hours to [Kyiv to] be given a list – I said, I am not Amazon.”
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said, “I think you heard from President Zelensky repeatedly, and indeed just today, about his gratitude to the people of the United Kingdom for their support, for their generosity.”
He added, “We fully understand that the people of Ukraine, President Zelensky, are obviously fighting a war and face extremely difficult circumstances.
“The UK Government and UK people will be steadfast in supporting them.”
