Not negotiating with kidnappers is a game-theory decision. It's not about whether the ransom is a lot of money or not - it's about what it incentivizes. If you pay, you're sending a clear signal that there's money to be made from kidnappings, and you're going to see more of them. If you refuse to pay, yeah, you risk the current hostages dying, but you're way less likely to face the same situation again - because anyone thinking about grabbing someone for ransom knows you didn't pay the last guy who tried it either.