U.S. Ambassador to Poland Tom Rose has criticized European leaders for “vilifying” the American president’s efforts to bring peace to Ukraine. He also suggested that supporting Ukraine puts American lives at risk.
Rose condemned European critics of Donald Trump’s actions in a Friday post on X from his personal account.
“Europe calls Russia an existential threat – and rightly so. But unlike #belikePoland, too many European leaders insist that America confront that threat for them – ‘We must support Ukraine,’ they shout, with American money, American weapons; even risking American lives,” the ambassador wrote.
Since Donald Trump took office, the United States has not committed significant additional funds to supporting Ukraine, and the weapons provided to Kyiv are purchased by European countries. The European Union also bears the burden of financial support for Ukraine. No American troops are stationed in Ukraine, other than the forces protecting the embassy.
In his post, the ambassador accused the leaders – without naming which ones he meant – of demanding that the war continue and of accusing the U.S. president of “betrayal” when he wants to end it. Rose suggested that Ukraine cannot win the war and that an attempt to reach peace gives it a chance to preserve its independence. He also accused Europe of hypocrisy in its approach to the U.S. war with Iran.
“It is impossible not to notice the contrast between Ukraine and Iran: when Europe’s interests are threatened, it is America’s war. But when America’s interests are threatened, it is still America’s war – but only and exclusively America’s,” he wrote.
He ended the post by stating that “cheering Ukraine on from the sidelines will not win the war or stop the killing,” and that vilifying the U.S. president for trying to end it “is not a strategy, (but) an excuse for not having one.”
The diplomat published his post two days after the ninth visit to Moscow by presidential envoy Steve Witkoff, which resulted in the parties deciding to resume trilateral talks at the technical level. Nevertheless, Kremlin representative Yuri Ushakov said he sees no value in Witkoff’s new peace proposal in terms of ending the war.
The statement also comes amid criticism from some European politicians – including Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski – over the restriction of Starlink functionality for Ukraine, as well as Trump’s agreement with Russia on importing Russian diesel fuel.
From Washington, Oskar Górzyński (PAP)
