Tag: President Biden

Let me start off by putting my support for Ukraine in their struggle against the Russian invasion on the line. I also believe that western allies should be helping Ukraine in this struggle.

In the past, I have offered arguments for why Vladimir Putin may have been justified in renewing his steadfast demands that NATO not admit Ukraine or other Eastern Europeans to their club, and I still stand by those claims.

Ben Wallace, the UK’s defence secretary, made an important—and immediately divisive—point this week, though, as the war between the two nations shows little promise of coming to an end anytime soon.

During the ongoing NATO summit, where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is once again pushing for more support in terms of more powerful military equipment, and that his homeland hadn’t been issued a timeframe for joining the bloc, Wallace spoke with typical frankness about the situation. 

Wallace said: ‘Whether we like it or not, people want to see a bit of gratitude.

‘Sometimes you are asking countries to give up their own stocks [of weapons]. Sometimes you have to persuade lawmakers on the [Capitol] Hill in America.’

He added: ‘You know, we’re not Amazon. I told them that last year, when I drove 11 hours to be given a list.’

There was immediate outcry at Wallace’s bluntness. 

He was accused of being ‘wrong’ and ‘out of order’ and was even gently slapped down by the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who said that everyone agreed Zelensky had expressed his gratitude. 

But here’s the thing – I genuinely think Wallace is right.

Many of the British public are struggling with the cost of living crisis, and making ends meet is becoming increasingly difficult. 

So when they hear that the Ukrainian leader is moaning about a perceived lack of action despite the billions the UK has already pledged, they can be forgiven for feeling a little aghast. 

That’s all Wallace was saying, not that the aid should stop, not that the Ukrainian cause was not just, simply that Zelensky needed to recognise that ‘war fatigue’ in countries battling economic crises is a real threat, and that gratitude always helps.

And I think he’s entirely correct.

In total Ukraine has received around $150billion from countries around the globe in the year since Putin’s invasion. 

Meanwhile, Afghanistan, a country that the West played a pretty significant part in destabilising, is in dire need of around $4.6billion in humanitarian aid this year, according to the UN. 

There’s no rush by NATO to plug that significant gap, and I don’t think it’s anti-Ukraine of me to point out that there may be a hint of hypocrisy at play. 

And nor do Wallace’s comments don’t mean *he* is anti-Ukraine, just that we need to be realistic about the levels of aid that the UK is giving to them and just how long that is sustainable.

There are estimated to be as many as 32 countries around the world engaged in armed conflict,  but Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is too often considered by politicians and parts of the media as the only one worth paying attention to.

I won’t speculate as to why, but I think it is important that Zelensky doesn’t forget that this is not the only country facing a fight, and that’s what the Defence Secretary’s comments might help achieve. 

Wallace may be an outlier in the UK – and I suspect he feels liberated by the fact that he has consistently ruled himself out of standing for the Tory leadership – but he isn’t the only player on the world stage who feels resources and the attitude of western citizens need to be taken into account.

The American national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, told a public forum at the same NATO summit: ‘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.’

President Biden has always said the USA will continue supporting Ukraine for as long as it takes, but a recent poll showed a 5% fall in support for the US backing Zelensky’s country in reclaiming territory, something that could have informed Sullivan’s comments. 

I wouldn’t suggest the West stops all funding and aid to Ukraine, but fatigue is a real danger, and Zelensky needs to be aware, and yes grateful, about how much this is truly costing his allies. 

And that’s why Ben Wallace is right.