Wallace reportedly told Zelensky this at a meeting during the NATO summit in Vilnius and then repeated the comments during various media interviews. The remarks are another blow for Zelensky who failed to get a clear timeframe for Ukraine's entry into NATO and other 'conditions' that Ukraine is required to meet which have not yet been fully disclosed. NATO leaders confirmed this week that Ukraine would only be permitted to join the alliance "when allies agree and conditions are met". It is being reported that currently, the USA, UK and Turkey are all against Ukraine's entry and a small number of other nations have not yet openly commented.
However, the summit was not all bad news for Ukraine, there were a number of commitments to supply more equipment to the war-torn nation. The UK has pledged to supply 70 logistic and combat vehicles, ammunition for Challenger 2 tanks and support package for equipment repair. The UK will also join a NATO project to establish a medical rehabilitation centre for Ukrainian soldiers.
Germany has finalised a €700million package for Ukraine which includes two Patriot defences systems, 40 Marder infantry fighting vehicles, as well as some more tanks and ammunition. France has said it will supply additional long range cruise missiles and Norway will increase its military support to Ukraine by 2.5 billion crowns this year to 10 billion.
Russia plans to display NATO equipment it has destroyed in Ukraine outside the embassies of Western countries that supplied it, parliamentary speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said on Wednesday.
"The proposal to install burned equipment next to the embassies of those countries that send it to Ukraine is especially interesting," said Volodin, who issued orders for such a display to be organised.