Ukraine must show ‘gratitude’ to the West to keep support, UK defense minister warns

VILNIUS — Ukraine must show “gratitude” to its allies, despite its disappointment over the way NATO framed Kyiv’s future membership prospects, in order to maintain long-term Western public and political support, the British defense secretary warned on Wednesday.

Speaking to reporters at the NATO summit in Vilnius, Ben Wallace cautioned that the U.S. is heading for a presidential election next year, and lawmakers from countries making big military donations to Kyiv could face a political problem if they are met with Ukrainian anger. There is concern across Europe that NATO-skeptic Donald Trump could return as U.S. president.

“Sometimes you have to persuade lawmakers on the Hill in America, you have to persuade doubting politicians in other countries that, you know, that is worth it, that it is worthwhile and that they are getting something for it,” he said. “And whether you like it or not, that’s the reality of it.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vented his disappointment with the wording of the summit communiqué, published Tuesday evening, which stated NATO would be “in a position to extend an invitation to Ukraine to join the Alliance when Allies agree and conditions are met.”

The reference to “conditions” was a particularly sore point for the Ukrainian leadership. 

Some U.S. lawmakers, Wallace continued, complain about the support provided by Washington to Kyiv. “Sometimes you would hear grumbles not from the administration in the American system, but you would hear them from lawmakers on the Hill … ‘We’ve given $83 billion worth or whatever, we are not Amazon,’” he said.

The defense secretary added he’s advised the Ukrainian government to take this into account.

“There’s a slight word of caution here which is, whether you like it or not people want to see gratitude,” said Wallace.

Wallace insisted Ukraine has achieved a great milestone at this summit by getting a clear statement from the alliance that Kyiv’s rightful place is in NATO.

“The win here for Ukraine is the sort of cultural acceptance that Ukraine belongs to NATO,” he said. “The word ‘belongs’ implies fate, implies it is going to happen. It is not an if, it is a when.”