NATO proposes new 100 billion euro aid plan for Ukraine
On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), the foreign and defence ministers of the member states have proposed a new aid package for Ukraine. The feared possible arrival of Donald Trump to the US presidency has been one of the main reasons why the European bureaucracy is shortening the deadlines for the approval of the new aid package.
Among the proposals mentioned during the meeting were short- and long-term military support and the standardisation and formalisation of aid to avoid dependence on donations from member states, especially the United States.
These proposals and plans will allow NATO to play a direct role in coordinating the supply of arms, ammunition and equipment in the war against Russia.
"We must ensure reliable and predictable security assistance to Ukraine over the long term, so that we rely less on voluntary contributions and more on NATO commitments. Less on short-term offers and more on multi-year commitments," said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
According to Stoltenberg, Ukraine has urgent needs, so "delays - in the delivery of military equipment - have real consequences on the battlefield". He noted that the dynamics of support must change. Russia is willing to pay a very high price for materials and soldiers' lives in exchange for small gains on the ground. "That's why the situation on the frontline is so hard, so difficult," he said.
NATO chief Stoltenberg, meanwhile, declined to confirm funding levels, saying the goal is to make the final decision at the July summit in Washington. Diplomats explained that under both proposals, part of NATO's coordination work would be taken over by a special US-led coalition known as the Rammstein Group.
This measure, in the form of a decree, will be passed to prevent it from being paralysed or overturned in the event that former US President Donald Trump becomes White House president. It is in part a measure designed to protect against any reduction in US spending on support for Ukraine.
Ukraine demands more aid
At a meeting in Brussels with the Ukraine's Foreign minister, Josep Borrell, not only reused existing resources, but also called for a new funding obligation from the UK. Borrell demonstrated that the EU and its member states were too many to provide military support to Ukraine. The head of European diplomacy noted that "these barbaric attacks reinforce the EU's (European Union) desire for increased support".
Meanwhile, Finnish President Alexander Stubb signed a 10-year security agreement with Ukraine in Kiev after Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky said Russia plans to mobilise 300,000 new troops for a summer offensive.
The agreement signed by Stubb and Zelensky makes Finland the eighth NATO member this year to commit to long-term security cooperation with Kiev.
Hungary criticises the proposal
While welcomed by some NATO Foreign Ministers, Stoltenberg's proposal generated mixed views among member states. First, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, through government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs, said on his official X account that Hungary "does not support any NATO proposal that would push the Alliance into war".
In response to Hungary's refusal, Stoltenberg said he had spoken with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to address concerns about NATO's role in Ukraine and that he was confident those issues would be resolved in the coming weeks.
According to Belgian foreign minister Hadja Lahbib, Stoltenberg's proposal includes the creation of a fund worth 100 billion euros over a five-year period to "develop a stronger and more stable institutional framework to support Ukraine".
Currently, coordination of international military assistance is centralised by the US with a group of fifty countries known as the Rammstein Group. "We are now discussing how we can build a stronger institutional framework for NATO around this issue and ensure that support is 'long-term predictable' and that the burden is shared fairly," Lahbib added.
From his perspective, he expects NATO leaders to make a decision on the issue at the summit in Washington next July. Meanwhile, Russia has pointed out that NATO has reverted to a Cold War mentality as it celebrates its 75th anniversary this week.
