Rutte has called on NATO to provide Ukraine with billions more in aid
This is reported by Politico, citing NATO diplomats and a source familiar with the situation.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has called on allies to increase aid to Ukraine.
According to Politico, he proposed that Alliance countries allocate 0.25% of their GDP to Ukraine.
Rutte raised the issue during a closed-door meeting of NATO ambassadors at the end of last month. This was reported to the publication by two Alliance diplomats and one person familiar with the situation.
The proposal is being discussed as part of preparations for the July NATO summit in Turkey.
If the allies support Rutte’s idea, annual aid to Ukraine could effectively triple – to $143 billion. Politico bases these calculations on NATO estimates of the combined GDP of Alliance countries.
Last year, Ukraine received $45 billion in security aid from its allies.
This sum included arms purchases for the Ukrainian army, investments in Ukrainian defence companies, and programmes to procure American weapons for Kyiv, which were coordinated by NATO.
Why Rutte proposed a new formula
According to Politico, Rutte’s proposal was a response to dissatisfaction among the countries of Northern and Baltic Europe, as well as the Netherlands and Poland.
Data from the Kiel Institute shows that these states allocate a significantly larger share of their GDP to supporting Ukraine than the major economies of Western and Southern Europe.
The EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, confirmed that the issue of the uneven burden is regularly raised at closed-door meetings.
Rutte aims to ensure support for Ukraine whilst reducing divisions within NATO.
Politico notes that aid to Ukraine is in a difficult situation after Donald Trump suspended almost all new military support. As a result, European countries and other allies have effectively shouldered the main burden of aid to Kyiv.
“We are heading to the summit in Ankara, which will, of course, be largely devoted to Ukraine – to supporting its strongest possible position,” Rutte said.
Who is sceptical about the idea
Rutte’s proposal has already met with scepticism from some allies.
According to Politico, these include France and the UK.
It is therefore unlikely that the idea will be adopted in its current form.
Diplomats stress that any alliance-wide target must be agreed by all NATO members.
A target figure as a percentage of GDP is just one of several options being discussed ahead of the summit on 7–8 July.
What else is complicating the negotiations
An additional factor in the negotiations is the EU’s €90 billion loan to Ukraine.
Some NATO allies, who are also members of the European Union, want their contributions to this loan to be taken into account in future proposals to increase aid to Kyiv.
Of the €90 billion loan, €60 billion is to be spent on military expenditure.
According to diplomats, NATO foreign ministers are likely to discuss this issue next week in the Swedish city of Helsingborg.
This meeting could reveal the extent to which allies are prepared to support various options for additional aid to Ukraine.
Earlier, Mark Rutte promised that NATO member states would provide Ukraine with $60 billion in military support during 2026.
As reported by ThePublic, Europe is discussing potential mediators for negotiations regarding the war in Ukraine
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