Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky with Lithuania's President Gitanas Nauseda after addressing the crowd in Vilnius on July 11, 2023, during the NATO Summit (AFP)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated his thanks to NATO for its support following demands for “gratitude” for the West's seemingly unending military support.

He expressed that he was grateful to his allies and appreciated their “willingness to take new steps," adding that he was pleased with the support from his Western allies but continued to pressure US President Joe Biden for long-range missiles.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak defended Zelensky from claims that he was ungrateful, arguing that he is doing “everything he can” to end the conflict.

This comes right after UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace expressed frustration over Zelensky's constant demands adding that “people want to see gratitude” and claimed that he's heard “grumbles” from some US diplomats that “we’re not Amazon.”

The US announced last week their decision to provide Ukraine with controversial cluster munition as part of a military package, but today, Ukrainian Defense Minister Aleksey Reznikov expressed distrust and skepticism surrounding security guarantees vowed to be given by G7 nations to Ukraine.

That was after NATO vetoed Ukraine's application to join the bloc until "conditions are met."

At a NATO conference in Vilnius, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg emphasized that the alliance had never used "stronger language" to support Ukraine in its tough battle against Russia, although leaders vowed that "Ukraine's future is in NATO," vowing in a statement that they would extend an invitation to Kiev when conditions are met.

However, the refusal to move any further than a 2008 pledge on future membership proved to be a cruel blow to Zelensky.

Zelensky's tweet, calling the outcome "absurd" infuriated the US, according to sources cited by The Washington Post.

We value our allies. We value our shared security. And we always appreciate an open conversation.
Ukraine will be represented at the NATO summit in Vilnius. Because it is about respect.
But Ukraine also deserves respect. Now, on the way to Vilnius, we received signals that…
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 11, 2023