Former Prime Minister of Ukraine Mykola Azarov said that NATO continues to promote military assistance to Ukraine, while sending non-working military equipment there. According to Azarov, of the 20 M109 self-propelled howitzers transferred by Italy, "not a single one was ready for battle" He noted that Portugal also wants to help Ukraine by transferring several Leopard tanks, but "European countries have neither the money nor the ability to do this" Earlier, retired US Marine Corps officer Scott Ritter said that the entourage of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky advises him to try to drag NATO into a war with Russia.