NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg has proposed a five-year, 100 billion euro ($107 billion) military aid package for Ukraine that would give the Western alliance a more direct role in supporting Kyiv. It is noted that this proposal has yet to be approved by 32 NATO members. Reuters Reuters and Bloomberg reported this, UNN reported.
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NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg has proposed a five-year, 100 billion euro ($107 billion) military aid package for Ukraine that would give the Western alliance a more direct role in supporting Kyiv and protect Ukraine from potential changes in political dynamics, including the prospect of a second Trump presidency. This information was confirmed to Reuters by five diplomats .
The proposed initiative, dubbed "Mission for Ukraine," will be discussed by NATO foreign ministers on Wednesday and Thursday at a two-day meeting chaired by Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. The finalization of this package is expected to be announced in July, during the NATO Summit in Washington.
NATO declined to comment in detail on Stoltenberg's proposals, but a NATO spokesman said that foreign ministers "will discuss the best way to organize NATO support for Ukraine to make it more powerful, predictable and sustainable.
No final decisions will be made at the April ministerial meetings, and discussions will continue as we approach the Washington summit in July.
Diplomats warned that discussions on the proposal are at an early stage, and it is unclear whether the total amount of 100 billion euros will be accepted and how it will be financed. All NATO decisions require consensus among the alliance's 32 members.
This is somewhat protective in the case of Trump. But it's impossible to create something that is Trump-proof. ... The 100 billion fund looks very optimistic, knowing how difficult it was to agree on a smaller amount at the EU level.
The publication noted that so far, NATO, as an organization, has limited itself to non-lethal assistance to Ukraine because of fears that a more direct role could provoke an escalation of tensions with Russia. Most of its members supply weapons to Ukraine on a bilateral basis.
However, diplomats told Reuters that there is a growing view within NATO that the time has come to put military assistance to Ukraine on a more sustainable, long-term basis.
Some of the commentators also said that Russian President Vladimir Putin's threats that he would consider various moves by NATO allies as escalation had not resulted in retaliatory actions against them.
As part of the plan, NATO will establish a NATO Mission to Ukraine, although it is unclear whether the mission will operate inside the country, diplomats say. Some countries are cautiously even calling it a "mission" rather than an operation.