Ukraine must constantly prove its value for allies, UK ambassador says

Kyiv has to constantly prove to its allies that it is a valuable partner, Melinda Simmons, the outgoing UK ambassador to Ukraine, told BBC in an interview.

• Subscribe to LIGA.net in English on Twitter

She said that one should not talk about the West as a single organism but rather as groups of countries, including, for instance, the Group of Seven or NATO.

"And one of the things that Ukraine has to do is to prove again and again that it is a valuable partner for a huge variety of countries that provide support, both military and financial," the UK ambassador stressed.

"After all, these countries are stepping up and providing such support for the first time in history. It is difficult for Ukrainians to understand why Ukraine needs to constantly show the world that this is exactly what it should be doing."

Ms Simmons added that although she can understand Ukrainians emotionally, it is necessary to look at the situation from the standpoint of foreign governments that provide money and weapons.

"There is no room for emotional conversations. It should be a strategic, clear, concrete conversation," she believes.

"And it should be not only about the struggle, but also about Ukraine's commitment to its institutions, justice, and transparency — no matter how hard it is to hear."

The United Kingdom has committed GBP 4.6 billion in military assistance to Ukraine since Russia's full-scale imvasion last February, one of the largest contributions among Kyiv's allies.