'We're not Amazon', Wallace tells Ukrainian president, urging him to keep UK and other allies on side

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has suggested Ukraine should display more gratitude for the military aid from the West, saying that the US and the UK had told the country: "We're not Amazon".

Mr Wallace said some allies providing defensive aid to Kyiv "want to see gratitude" from Ukraine for them supplying the country with a shopping list of weapons to defend itself against Russia's invasion.

He said the US and the UK have told Ukraine that "we're not Amazon" – a reference to the online retail giant – after being handed requests for new weapons.

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Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has made clear his frustrations at the reluctance of Nato members to agree on a timetable for Ukraine to be admitted into the alliance.

Many Western allies, including the Biden administration and the UK Government, have been vocal backers of Ukraine.

The UK, in particular, has been at the forefront of Western states in sending weapons and defensive equipment to the war-torn country.

But Mr Wallace, who is attending the Nato summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, appeared to suggest Mr Zelensky needed to be mindful about keeping "doubting politicians" in the US on side, particularly with a presidential election coming up next year.

He added that some allies providing defensive aid to Kyiv "want to see gratitude".

The Defence Secretary told reporters: "You will sometimes hear grumbles, not from the administration in the American system, but you'll hear from lawmakers on the Hill 'We've given $83bn worth, or whatever, you know, we're not Amazon'. But that's true. I told them that last June."

"I said to the Ukrainians last June, when I drove 11 hours to be given a list, 'I'm not Amazon right'."

Mr Wallace went on: "There is a slight word of caution here which is that, whether we like it or not, people want to see gratitude... you're persuading countries to give up their own stocks."

"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 it's worth it and it's worthwhile and they're getting something for it.

"Whether you like that or not, that is just the reality of it," he added.

Mr Wallace defended the straight-talking relationship between himself and President Zelensky, saying he told the Ukrainian leader they needed to train their people better "because Ukraine was losing more people than it should do every week" – "which is why we do Interflex".

He went on: "And that's why we've trained 17,000 [and] we’re going to do another 10,000. Because there is that public support.

"But you just have to be straight right? And, yeah, President Zelensky is being straight about his disappointment."

Downing Street insisted that Mr Zelensky had shown his gratitude for the UK's support.

Nato leaders have stressed the importance of military support for Ukraine. 

General James Hecker, Commander of the United States Air Force in Europe, said that while Nato support was "extremely bad for Putin", it was still expensive for the alliance.

Professor Justin Bronk of the defence and security think tank the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) discouraged the use of the word "ungrateful" in the discussion around Nato support. 

The Royal Air Force's Air and Space Commander Air Marshal Harvey Smyth declined to comment on the situation. 

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.

"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."

Following his meeting with Rishi Sunak, Mr Zelensky said he was "grateful to the Prime Minister and the United Kingdom for supporting Ukraine's accession to Nato and for participating in providing Ukraine with effective security guarantees for the period prior to membership in the alliance".