British Defense Minister Ben Wallace said on Friday that his statements that the West would like to see more thanks from Kyiv for the aid provided were misinterpreted, News.ro reports.

In a post on Facebook, Ben Wallace notes that “he was talking about the fact that Ukraine sometimes needs to recognize that in many countries and parliaments it does not have as strong support as in Great Britain.”

“My comments about how best to support Ukraine caused a lot of interest, but also misinformation. (…) We talked about the fact that Ukraine sometimes needs to recognize the fact that in many countries and in some parliaments there is no such strong support as in Great Britain. This was a comment not about governments, but rather about citizens and parliamentarians of the international community,” explained Ben Wallace.

“We are fortunate that the British people and all parties in our parliament support our efforts to help Ukraine. Our ratings of support for Ukraine are among the highest in Europe – more than 70%,” said the British Defense Minister.

“My comments were trying to reflect that it’s important to remember that we shouldn’t be talking to ourselves, but making an effort to reach out to other citizens who still need to be convinced,” Wallace insisted.

As for his statements regarding the shopping list provided by Kiev for Amazon, which were widely quoted, he clarified that they were made with reference to an event last year and wanted to emphasize the fact that Britain’s relationship with Ukraine is not “transactional”, but rather “partnership”.

“Personally, I will continue to support Ukraine to the end, as long as it takes, but national parliaments often have competing needs and Ukraine and the UK must continue to encourage this strong support through facts and friendship,” he concluded on Ben Wallace’s Facebook. post.

The Storm Raised by Ben Wallace

“Whether we like it or not, people would like to see some appreciation,” Ben Wallace told a briefing in Vilnius when asked about the Ukrainian president’s comments that it was “absurd” to tell Kyiv that he was welcome. NATO, but without giving it a clear prospect of joining. “Sometimes you ask countries to give up their own stocks (weapons). Sometimes you have to convince congressmen on Capitol Hill in America,” said Ben Wallace, quoted by The Guardian.

According to the same source, Wallace said that he traveled to Ukraine last year and received a “shopping list” of weapons. “You know, we’re not Amazon,” he said. “I told them that last year when I drove 11 hours there to get the list,” he testified. But Ben Wallace said he understood what Zelensky was saying to his audience and that despite his displeasure on Tuesday, the final deal at the Vilnius summit was good for Ukraine.

Later, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi was asked at a press conference in Vilnius how he would comment on the statements of the British Defense Secretary, who said that Ukraine should show its gratitude, not anger, for what it received from its allies in the West. Zelensky answered in a humorous tone, but emphasized that Ukraine is always grateful for the help it receives from London. “I think we’ve always been grateful to Great Britain. We have always been grateful to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense for the fact that the people of Great Britain have always supported Ukraine. We are grateful for that,” Zelenskyy said. “How else can I express my gratitude? Or we could, you know, wake up in the morning and personally thank the minister. Seriously, I don’t understand the point of the question. We are grateful to Great Britain,” said Zelensky.

On the other hand, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also seemed on Wednesday that he wanted to diffuse any tension created by his minister Wallace. “President Zelenskyi has repeatedly expressed his gratitude to me, the British people and other allies. He did this very movingly in Parliament when he was in the UK earlier this year. He remains grateful for our support and guidance, as well as for hosting many Ukrainian families. I think everyone sees what he feels,” Rishi Sunak commented at the press conference.