Europeans should be grateful that Ukrainians are willing to fight Russia and die on the battlefield on their behalf, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky's senior advisor, Mikhail Podoliak.

During last week's NATO conference in Vilnius, Lithuania, Zelensky chastised NATO members for failing to provide his country with an accession roadmap.

“Europe is lucky that there is a country like Ukraine, which is ready to defend the common European way of life – dominated by competition, democracy, freedom, and so on – with the lives [of its soldiers],” Podoliak told Baltic news outlet Delfi on Friday, insisting that Russia “wants to drag all of us into a classic Soviet [prison] camp.” 

Western politicians and professionals who advocate resuming talks with Moscow are "stuck in the past," according to Podoliak. Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen recently told the Financial Times that Western help to Kiev is "not charity," as  “They are fighting for our liberty and the European security architecture."

The West's determination to assist Ukraine was put into question because, despite repeated requests from Kiev, the country was refused immediate NATO membership and was not given a precise timeframe for entrance. Last week, Zelensky expressed his outrage on Twitter, saying it is "unprecedented and absurd" not to allow Ukraine to join the US-led military alliance.

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Western officials have criticized Ukraine's comments regarding the pace of weapon transfers and other military aid. UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace stated that his country is "not Amazon" and that "people want to see a bit of gratitude."

Ukraine's much-anticipated offensive, which began last month, failed to penetrate Russian defense lines, with Ukrainian soldiers failing to cross through minefields and entrenched positions.

Musk: US debasing itself by sending cluster munitions

Earlier yesterday, Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, accused the United States of hypocrisy in reference to its supplying Ukraine with cluster munitions, which are widely prohibited.

In a tweet, Musk criticized the US for resorting to providing cluster bombs out of desperation, considering it a degradation of the country's reputation without significantly impacting the course of the war. "We have run out of normal ammunition to send Ukraine, so now send them cluster bombs in desperation, debasing ourselves with no change to the outcome."

The key is the vehicle count. If Russia's old Soviet stockpile of artillery is destroyed, they will no longer threaten Europe.

— Noah Smith 🐇🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@Noahpinion) July 15, 2023

Musk also commended the bipartisan efforts of House Republicans and Democrats who tried to prevent the transfer of cluster munitions.

It is worth noting that the US decision to deliver these munitions to Ukraine has drawn criticism from allies like the UK, Canada, and Germany, who have voiced concerns and declined to provide such weaponry.