Ben Wallace says Ukraine remarks had been ‘misrepresented’
D
efence Secretary Ben Wallace has pledged his assist for Ukraine after suggesting the invaded nation ought to present “gratitude” for the navy assist it has been given.
Mr Wallace, who revealed in The Sunday Times he plans to resign on the subsequent Cabinet reshuffle and stand down as an MP on the subsequent election, tweeted a prolonged thread in Ukrainian to make clear his feedback.
He had made the comment after Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky branded it “absurd” for Nato to insist there have been nonetheless circumstances for his nation to satisfy earlier than it will probably acquire membership as soon as the struggle with Russia is over.
Mr Wallace tweeted: “My comments about how best to support Ukraine caused a lot of interest and were somewhat misrepresented.
“For the record, as someone who has been at the forefront of mobilising support for Ukraine, I have discussed the challenges that may arise as we work towards the common goal of helping Ukraine get what it needs to defeat this illegal invasion.
“I said that Ukraine sometimes needs to realise that in many countries and in some parliaments there is not such strong support as in Great Britain.”
He stated his comment was not a remark about governments, however “more about citizens and members of parliaments”.
“We are fortunate that the citizens of the United Kingdom and all parties in our parliament support our efforts to provide Ukraine with the necessary means,” he stated.
“Our approval ratings for supporting Ukraine are among the highest in Europe – over 70%.
“My comments were meant to reflect that it is important to remember not to talk to yourself, but to make an effort to reach out to other citizens who still need to be convinced.”
Mr Wallace additionally addressed feedback when he stated the UK was not on-line supply service Amazon after being handed a want listing for navy provides.
“The comments about Amazon were made last year to emphasise that Britain’s relationship with Ukraine is not ‘transactional’ but more ‘partnership’,” he stated.
“I will personally continue to support Ukraine on its path for as long as it takes, but national parliaments often have competing needs and Ukraine and the UK must continue to encourage this strong support, with facts and friendship.”
Last week Prime Minister Rishi Sunak distanced himself from the feedback, saying the Ukrainian president has “expressed his gratitude for what we’ve done on a number of occasions”.
Mr Zelensky later stated: “I believe that we were always grateful to United Kingdom.
“I don’t know what he meant and how else we should be grateful.”