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Rutte has called on NATO allies to increase their support for Ukraine to $60 billion

Rutte has called on NATO allies to increase their support for Ukraine to $60 billion

16 April 2026, 11:36

Rutte has called on NATO allies to increase their support for Ukraine to $60 billion — NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. Photo: Wiktor Dabkowski, ZUMA IMAGO

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has called on Alliance member states not to let their guard down regarding Russia’s war against Ukraine and to step up security support for Kyiv. He made this statement at a meeting of the Contact Group on Defence for Ukraine in the ‘Ramstein’ format.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has called on Alliance member states not to lose sight of Russia’s war against Ukraine and to increase military and security support for Kyiv to $60 billion by 2026.

He made this statement on 15 April at the start of the 34th meeting of the Ramstein-format Contact Group on Defence Issues for Ukraine, which was held in a hybrid format. Rutte himself was present in Berlin, along with the defence ministers of Germany, the UK and Ukraine – Boris Pistorius, John Healey and Mykhailo Fedorov. Other participants joined online.

Rutte stressed that allies must ensure the capacity for continuous support for Ukraine. In his words, Ukraine must not be lost from view.

He noted that, with international attention focused on the war between the US and Israel against Iran, concerns are growing about a possible weakening of support for Ukraine. At the same time, according to the NATO Secretary General, support for Ukraine’s struggle remains as important as ever.

Rutte also stated that currently too few countries are shouldering too heavy a burden of aid. In this regard, he called on all allies to invest more in order to reach the target of $60 billion in security and defence support for Ukraine this year.

Among the priorities, he cited strengthening Ukraine’s air defence, as well as the supply of drones, missiles and long-range artillery munitions.

Rutte also mentioned the PURL initiative, under which deliveries of key air defence assets and other critical equipment to deter Russia are continuing. According to him, there have been no changes to deliveries under this initiative; they are continuing, but allies and partners must ensure their funding.

The NATO Secretary General expressed optimism regarding the funding of PURL by the end of the year. At the same time, he again drew attention to the uneven distribution of the financial burden within the Alliance. According to him, a limited number of countries are shouldering the bulk of this work, although the situation is gradually improving.

Rutte also stated that there is broad consensus among allies on both sides of the Atlantic regarding the need to provide Ukraine with everything necessary to continue resisting Russian aggression.

During the meeting, UK Defence Secretary John Healey announced that London would supply Ukraine with the largest package of drones in its history. According to him, Kyiv will receive at least 120,000 drones in 2026. He also stated that despite international attention on events in the Middle East, the UK will not divert its focus from supporting Ukraine and will stand by the country for as long as it takes to achieve peace.

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Zelenskyy has called on NATO to step up its support for air defence and speed up the delivery of Patriot systems

During a meeting of the Ukraine–NATO Council in Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasised the need to strengthen Ukraine’s air defences and increase supplies of Patriot interceptor missiles. He also thanked partners for their support of Ukraine and for attending the Alliance meeting in the Ukrainian capital.