British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said Wednesday that Ukraine needs to show more gratitude for the support it receives from the West when asked about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s criticism of NATO’s communiqué.
“Whether we like it or not, people want to see a bit of gratitude,” Wallace told reporters. A day earlier, Zelensky wrote on Twitter that it was “absurd” that Ukraine was not given an invitation to join NATO or a timeline on when membership might happen.
Wallace said Ukraine had a habit of being ungrateful and treating its NATO backers like an Amazon warehouse. “I told them that last year, when I drove 11 hours to be given a list, that I’m not like Amazon,” Wallace told reporters on the sidelines of the second day of NATO’s Vilnius summit.
US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan made similar comments in response to a question from a Ukrainian activist who suggested the US wanted to see Ukraine lose because Kyiv was not invited to join NATO. “The United States of America has stepped up to provide an enormous amount of capacity,” Sullivan said.
“I think the American people do deserve a degree of gratitude from the United States government for their willingness to step up and from the rest of the world as well,” Sullivan added.
Sullivan’s comments were likely a message to Zelensky, as The Washington Post reported that the US delegation in Vilnius was “furious” over the Ukrainian leader’s tweet. On the second day of the summit, Zelensky toned down the rhetoric and thanked the US for support after a meeting with President Biden.
It must be pointed out that Ukraine is fighting a war in its own country, which may effect Zelensky’s sense of politeness or suavity. But after ending the conflicts in the Middle East caused a drop in revenue, the American arms dealers are more than happy to furnish arms to Ukraine: with the American taxpayer picking up the tab.
Kiev regime and it’s sponsors are not fighting war in their own country. Donbass republics proclaimed the independence from Ukraine 9 years ago. Kherson and Zaporozhie oblasts also had referendums for leaving neo-Nazi Ukraine and joining Russian Federation. How anyone with a bit of common sense and some understanding about the democracy can claim that millions of people must accept the anti-constitutional far-right coup which deprived them of all their human rights? The will of majority of the people that is the democracy.
Well, they think it’s their country, in the same way that Union soldiers thought the southern states were still their country and fought a war to bring them back. Even China agrees with the territorial integrity of Ukraine.
Mind you, there’s the law, and there’s what’s right and moral … and I’m a firm believer in self determination and the right to secession.
Yes, it is their country too, but they had no right to rule it because they came to power through the way not prescribed by the constitution.
On the other hand, Crimean parliament which organized the referendum for independence, was elected according to Ukrainian constitution. In March 2014 Crimean parliament unlike new Kiev government and raped by neo-Nazis Ukrainian parliament, had all legal powers to organize the referendum because there were no any legal power in Ukraine above it.
We agree on the legitimacy of the 2014 govt … But still that’s all internal Ukrainian affairs from a nation state perspective (realizing of course that USUK break this rule all the time) and does not change the official borders of the state, right?
Living in the real world, there’s no way Crimea is going back, nor Donbas, I think. But we live in a nation state world legally. Look what happened to the poor Catalans when they tried to go independent.
“We agree on the legitimacy of the 2014 govt” – who we? If it is “internal Ukrainian affairs”, Ukrainians themselves should agree or disagree. As we know, neither Crimea nor Donbass agreed to recognize the new far-right government. The point is, they had legal right not to recognize it and decide their own destiny themselves and they decided it on the referendum which is the ultimate expression of the democracy.
Your point has merit. The whole war has the characteristics of a cesspool. There are so many factions, each with their own agenda. It may come down to deciding which group of liars to believe. Personally, I don’t believe any of them.
Zelenski has a problem. He is fighting in HIS country as he consideres the land Ukrainian. But he dooes not want the people who live there as he does not recogbize them as Ukrainian. Wants land -/ hates people. This is what the war is all about.
There are still more such lands in Ukraine where people living there are not desireable. Suspecting sooner ir later those lands may not want to stay in Ukraine — approoriate munitions area wuired to helo with people destruction and land poisoning. Cluster bombs and depleted uranium. The warning is clear — you undesirable population will be punished severely for your aslirations to be part of Russia. Yoor land will not be useable as it will be littered with cluster bombs and poisoned by DU.
Such transparent minds.
It’s difficult to say what the war is “all about.” There is NATO expansion, and the strategic problem that it brings. There are also countries who lived under the Russian “jack boot” for 3 generations and took a quick exit at the first opportunity to join NATO. There is Putin’s desire to bring back the USSR. There are all the politics of Ukraine. We shouldn’t over simplify.
Putin has no desire to bring back the USSR. Why would he?
That’s true. Putin even tried to squeeze Donbass back into Ukraine. Minsk Agreements were about that.
It is not so difficult to say what the war is about. 1 – Russian government is trying to prevent the deployment of US missiles or US military biolabs on Ukrainian territory. 2- Ukrainian people themselves never wanted US military infrastructure on their territory. That’s why US organized the coups in 2004 and 2014 in effort to force upon Ukrainian people a pro-American government which will act in the interests of US. That’s how Ukrainian people were divided in two hostile to each other groups and the civil war started. Then both NATO and Russia interfered and we have what we have.
What concerns Russian “jack boot”, you may say the same about any other big country. The separatist movement is not so difficult to organize. By the way, on referendum March 1991, organized by Gorbachev, over 70% voted against the disintegration of USSR. The will of people was ignored by the corrupted communist elites of the republics, including Russian communist elite.
By the way, it wasn’t so easy to bring to power pro-US governments even in Baltic republics. In first presidential elections in Lithuania people voted for former communist boss Brazauskas and not for pro-American Landsbergis. In the next presidential elections, Brazauskas was forced not to participate, so a pro-American candidate could get into the office.
Yeah, how come you are not grateful at losing hundreds of thousands of soldiers lives and hundreds of billions in damage to your nation and millions of citizens probably left forever all so that Russia is weakened, Germany’s economy is destroyed, and our corporations make a killing?
“Okay. You got me. You drive a hard bargain. I din’t want to do this, but I know how you can make me more grateful. What do I get for a million more dead Ukrainians?” (Sarcasm alert)
Remember how it used to be a joke that NATO would support Ukraine to the last Ukrainian? Looks like that turned out to be not so funny. Our neocon masters are as much for killing Ukrainian conscripts as they are for killing Russians. Why else would they force them to attack without air or artillery support?
Some of “the best money we ever spent.”
“Why else would they force them to attack without air or artillery support?”
To give the appearance of some vitality to hide the reality of a spent force and the fiasco it is turning out to be. NATO’S obsolete junk will not enable the farmers of Ukraine to defeat or weaken the best, biggest and most technically advanced military state on the planet. It was a Neocon delusion, all hubris and no real firepower. Destin to be more of a fiasco than Afghanistan if that is even possible….!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks to Anglo-Saxon oligarchy Ukraine became a disaster area. Particular thankful should be Ukrainians for the contamination of their best in Europe agricultural land by British depleted uranium. Also special thanks to Boris Johnson for sabotaging the peace agreement.
That’s right. The Anglo Saxon Oligarchy has been attacking Ukraine and annexing their land.
Russia has zero to do with this war.
If Anglo-Saxon oligarchy annexed Ukrainian land and made it prosperous, it would be much better than what they have done to it and to Ukrainian people.
yes the A-S-O had a chance but they kind of dropped the ball there
Oligarchs don’t care about the people. They care only about their own profit and their own power.
Remember what is written in Bible: no one can serve both to God and to Mammon. The oligarchs by definition are serving to Mammon.
Russia was O.K with prosperity but not missiles. 2BAD & 2LATE A bad choice for all… Neutrality and no missiles were not quite as bad as DU agriculture & dead young men.
Except protecting their people and homeland from NATO’S U.S. & British nuclear missiles on their border. A small request ignored & now enFORCED by Russia. GTFO in action for the hard of hearing!!
“US officials…’furious’ over Zelensky complaining about the NATO communiqué”
Blinken to Ukrainian Prez in “productive” pre-summit meet:
Meat grinder!! MEAT GRINDER FOR SAWED-OFF RUNTS THAT FLAP THE YAP!!!
We missed you, Abramawicz! Everyone was getting sick and tired from my sarcasm. It’s good to have you back!
thx! this site and the posters on it have been important for me. though ‘fraid other commitments caused the sudden drop out…so expect to follow n’ post less. in solidarity…
We never get tired of good sarcasm! 😁
“I think the American people do deserve a degree of gratitude from the United States government for their willingness to step up and from the rest of the world as well,” Sullivan added.
Sure, willingness. As if we had a choice.
i think that Americans as a whole are not even aware of where their public tax money goes. i’m sure that middle class mothers of school children would be outraged if they realized that the pentagon gets almost a $trillion/year while the public school-systems have to beg for every penny.
Spy, I hate to disagree with you because, you know, you’re a spy and probably have a James Bond laser watch that you can split me in half with. But, I’m sure the middle “class mothers of school children” already realize. They voted for Joe Biden. (Sarcasm alert)
What choice they had? Trump also never minded increasing the military spending.
Maybe Trump did anything good for the democracy? Maybe he tried to liberate Assange? No, he did nothing of the kind.
When the mainstream media is owned by oligarchs, the elections make not much sense.
Agreed
The whole Republican vs Democrat debate is a sham. There is no real difference in foreign policy from regime to regime; from Reagan to Bush to Clinton to Bush to Obama to Trump to Biden. Different rhetoric, maybe, but the underlying policy is always the same.
Sullivan is finally standing up for us, the taxpayers! Although, I would rather they spend the money on feeding and housing the homeless in my neighborhood. It’s getting ridiculous. I can’t even listen to my Bose car stereo without being bothered by people begging at every traffic light. (Bad taste Sarcasm)
“Sure, willingness. As if we had a choice.”
Even more true in non-crazed Western Europe, where – vs. governments taking anti-democratic actions – citizens poll as strongly opposing future Ukrainian NATO membership:
“Majority of Germans oppose NATO membership for Ukraine – poll” May 2023 https://www.taghribnews.com/en/news/593375/majority-of-germans-oppose-nato-membership-for-ukraine-poll
“As many as 54% of the respondents opposed the prospect, the news agency reported on Friday. Only 27% of those polled said they would agree to offer Kiev the prospect of membership in the US-led military bloc.”
Right.
On.
Wars!
“Whether we like it or not, people want to see a bit of gratitude,” Wallace told reporters.
ok exactly what is it that Wallace’s people “like or not” – do they resent spending money on aid for Ukraine?
NO GRATITUDE FOR SUCKERS & NEVER AN EVEN BREAK
Narcissists are totally unaware of the concept of “gratitude”. And ZelBoy exhibits all the classic traits of a narcissist.
Toss in some sociopath there too.
But you know what IS like Amazon? Amazon. Z should check if those Abrams tanks qualify for free shipping. And pay the bill himself.
Our “exceptional” diplomats are as “smart” as our “smart bombs” and as “hyper-vigilant” as our “Patriot missiles!” Their answer to Zelensky for complaining about the death and destruction of his country for no good reason whatsoever: “The Bad News For You Is We’re Not Going Anywhere. You’re Stuck With Us.” …What’s that? No… I’m not kidding. I’m serious… That’s exactly what they told him… (Sarcasm alert)
Oh poor ben he had to drive 11 hours. Certainly a more traumatic than 100k to 300k Ukrainians dying for ur proxy war.
This is what happens when u elect a poser like zelansky as ur leader u become cheap fodder in a proxy war
It does not sound like the Brits are looking forward to another Winter of hearing how Ukraine will kick Russia out in a new Spring offensive.
“The American People”??? We were NEVER ASKED, so Sullivan can take his “thanks” and shove them up his ass. I don’t want $1 of my taxes funding this abomination; if all the nations “helping” had actively tried for a peaceful settlement, and implemented the Minsk accords, hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians, and Russian, would still be alive and whole; millions of refugees would still be in their homes; a potential trillion dollars in infrastructure damage wouldn’t have happened, Ukraine would control all its territory, with some concessions (except for Crimea, that ship done sailed), hundreds of billions of dollars would be repurposed, and Germany would have been spared a recession.
So spare me your “thanks” you ignorant weaselly little half man coward. I didn’t think it possible that the US government could summon up a despicable little crowd of evil warmongering psycopaths to equal Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Feith, et al; but Biden, Sullivan, Milley, Nuland, and their cabal are just as evil.