Five key NATO member countries—Britain, France, Spain, Italy, and Canada—have declined to back Estonia’s proposal that would require alliance nations to allocate at least 0.25% of their GDP for military assistance to Ukraine. This information was reported by The Telegraph, citing NATO sources.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte presented the Estonian initiative for discussion among allies but acknowledged that it is unlikely to gain approval at the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara due to a lack of support from several member states.
Conversely, the proposal has found favor among nations already contributing over 0.25% of their GDP to Ukraine’s support, including the Baltic states, the Netherlands, Poland, and several Northern European countries. However, without backing from major players like Britain, France, Spain, and Italy, the initiative is expected to face significant hurdles.
The Telegraph notes that while Britain allocates approximately 0.1% of its GDP to support Ukraine—an amount that is substantial given the size of its economy—countries such as France, Italy, Spain, and Canada lag behind despite their vocal support for Ukraine.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson expressed his desire for more countries that advocate for Ukraine to also provide tangible financial support, stating, “I would very much like to see more countries that speak so well of Ukraine also back their words with real money.”
The article does not address the positions of the United States and Germany. The Trump administration had previously urged European allies to increase their defense spending to 5% of GDP.
On May 21, Rutte remarked that aid to Ukraine is not distributed evenly among NATO countries, noting that while nations like Sweden, Germany, Canada, the Netherlands, and Denmark are taking a leading role, many allies are “not spending enough” to support Kyiv.
The proposal from Estonia to mandate NATO countries to allocate 0.25% of their GDP for military aid to Ukraine has faced resistance from major member states. Despite some nations supporting the initiative, its future remains uncertain without backing from significant contributors.
Source: The Telegraph