‘We are not Amazon’: British Defence Secretary сalls for more gratitude from Kyiv after Zelenskyy's criticism of NATO. Ukraine’s leader reacts 

The Guardian reported about this.

In response to Wallace’s comments, Zelenskyy said “we could get up in the morning and express our words of gratitude personally to the minister”.

The Ukrainian president added that he “didn’t understand” the comments made by Ben Wallace, adding that Ukraine was “always grateful to the UK”.

“We were always grateful to the prime minister and to the minister of defence because the people in the UK have always supported Ukraine. We are grateful for this,” Zelenskyy said.

“How else should I express my words of gratitude?” he asked.

Earlier during the day the British Defence Secretary said that Ukraine should show more gratitude for the help it had received from the West.

"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," Wallace said.

At the briefing in Vilnius, he also told how he came to Ukraine last year to get a list of necessary weapons.

"You know, we’re not Amazon. I told them that last year, when I drove 11 hours to be given a list," the British Defence Secretary said.

At the same time, the Defence Secretary understands that Zelenskyy was addressing his audience. Wallace added that the final summit agreement "is good for Ukraine".

Why Zelenskyy was outraged

On Tuesday, 11 July, a two-day NATO summit began in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius. Allies are discussing the challenges that member states face now and may face in the future in light of Russia's aggression and terrorism. 

In particular, on the first day, the NATO summit in Vilnius adopted a package of decisions on Ukraine: the Membership Action Plan phase is cancelled, and the country will receive an invitation to join the Alliance after fulfilling the requirements for accession and consent of all allies.

However, Volodymyr Zelenskyy was outraged by the existence of "conditions" for Ukraine to receive an invitation to NATO and said that it looked like "unwillingness to invite our country to the Alliance." The President of Ukraine stressed that Ukraine appreciated openness, but, according to him, right now, on the sidelines of the summit, wording on the invitation to the Alliance is being discussed, in which Ukraine is not involved.

The White House also commented on Zelenskyy's statement. John Kirby, Strategic Communications Coordinator for the White House National Security Council, noted that Ukraine still has to fulfil requirements before it can join NATO. He also said that Ukraine would not be able to join the Alliance while it is at war.