The Secretary General of NATO, Mark Rutte, has called on member states to allocate 0.25% of their GDP to support Ukraine, aiming to address internal disagreements within the alliance regarding assistance to Kyiv.
This proposal, which could unlock tens of billions of dollars in aid, has already faced significant resistance from several influential NATO members. Rutte raised the issue during a closed-door meeting of NATO ambassadors at the end of last month, according to two diplomats and one individual familiar with the discussions.
The topic was part of preparations for the upcoming NATO summit scheduled for July in Turkey. Should member states endorse Rutte’s idea, annual aid flows to Ukraine could effectively triple to $143 billion, based on NATO’s estimates of the combined GDP of its member countries. Last year, Ukraine received $45 billion in security assistance from allies, which included everything from weapon purchases for its military to investments in Ukrainian defense companies and programs for acquiring U.S. arms led by NATO.
Rutte’s proposal responds to concerns from Northern and Baltic European countries, as well as the Netherlands and Poland, which contribute a significantly larger share of their GDP to Ukraine compared to larger economies in Western and Southern Europe. EU foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, confirmed that the issue of uneven burden-sharing is frequently raised in closed meetings.
Rutte aims to secure support for Ukraine while minimizing divisions within the alliance, as assistance to Ukraine has been in disarray since former President Donald Trump suspended nearly all new military aid, leaving European countries and other allies to shoulder the burden of support for Kyiv.
“We are heading to the summit in Ankara, which will, of course, be largely dedicated to Ukraine – ensuring it has the strongest possible position,” Rutte stated.
However, the proposal has met skepticism from some allies, including France and the United Kingdom, making its approval in its current form unlikely. Any collective goal must be agreed upon by all NATO members, according to diplomats.
The idea of establishing a GDP percentage target is just one of several initiatives being considered to achieve concrete results for Ukraine at the summit on July 7-8. Additionally, complications arise as some NATO allies who are also EU members want their contributions to a recently approved €90 billion loan to Ukraine—of which €60 billion is earmarked for military expenses—to be factored into any future proposals requesting increased funding for Kyiv.
According to diplomats, NATO foreign ministers are likely to discuss this matter at a meeting next week in Helsingborg, Sweden. They added that this meeting could provide an opportunity to gauge support for various initiatives.
- The NATO Secretary General has pledged that alliance member states will provide Ukraine with military support totaling $60 billion by 2026.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has proposed that member states contribute 0.25% of their GDP to support Ukraine, potentially increasing annual aid significantly. However, the proposal faces resistance from key allies, complicating discussions ahead of the upcoming NATO summit.