NATO may agree on a new €70 billion support package for Ukraine
This is reported by Politico, citing NATO diplomats.
Allies are seeking a new format for supporting Ukraine
According to the publication, the initiative was proposed by Germany. It envisages the creation of a new mechanism designed to make the funding of military aid to Ukraine more transparent and to distribute the burden more evenly among the allies. Politico’s sources note that discussions are ongoing among NATO countries because some partners consider the current distribution of costs to be unequal. One of the Alliance’s diplomats emphasised that the main task is to maintain long-term support for Ukraine on a stable basis. According to Politico, the new package will not consist entirely of additional funds. It is currently being discussed that around €30 billion could be raised through the European Union’s already agreed loan facility for Ukraine, with a further €40 billion coming from bilateral commitments by individual countries. At the same time, some allies fear that the existence of a European financial mechanism could reduce states’ willingness to provide additional aid separately.
Why the issue of support for Ukraine has become more pressing
The discussions are taking place against the backdrop of changes in the US approach to military aid for Ukraine. As Politico reports, under Donald Trump’s presidency, Washington has almost ceased allocating new military aid packages and is primarily selling weapons to Ukraine using funds from other partners. At the same time, Kyiv continues to insist on the need to strengthen its defence capabilities, particularly its air defence systems. During a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on partners to increase supplies of Patriot interceptor missiles, which are needed to defend against Russian ballistic strikes.
What priorities does Ukraine cite?
Ukraine’s Ambassador to NATO Alona Getmanchuk told Politico that the allies’ new commitments must meet Kyiv’s key needs. Among the key areas, she cited strengthening air defence, investment in the production of drones and missiles, and providing Ukraine with long-range munitions. According to her, as long as Ukraine has no effective security guarantees, financial guarantees from partners remain important. Support for Ukraine is expected to be one of the main topics at the next NATO summit.
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