Stoltenberg's proposal to create a 5-year $107 billion aid fund for Ukraine has caused a mixed reaction from NATO member states
Kyiv • UNN
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg proposed a 5-year, €100 billion ($107 billion) military aid package called Mission for Ukraine to provide long-term, predictable security assistance to Ukraine, but at a meeting in Brussels, Allies had mixed reactions to the plan.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg's proposal to create a five-year, 100 billion euro ($107 billion) fund for Ukraine drew mixed reactions from NATO member states on Wednesday. Reuters reported on the meeting and UNN reported.
Context
This proposal to make military support for Ukraine a long-term commitment is intended to give the Western alliance a more direct role in coordinating the supply of weapons, ammunition and equipment to Ukraine as it fights the Russian invasion.
Under the plans, NATO would take over some coordination work from the ad hoc U.S.-led coalition known as the Ramstein Group, a move aimed in part at guarding against any reduction in U.S. support if Donald Trump returns to the White House, diplomats say.
We need to change the dynamics of our support. We need to provide reliable and predictable security assistance to Ukraine for 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.
Details
The initial reaction from the alliance showed that the decision might not be easy.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó "firmly stated that Hungary will not support any NATO proposals that could bring the alliance closer to war or change it from a defensive to an offensive coalition," government spokesman Zoltán Kovács told X.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Burbock called the plan "correct and important.
Latvian Foreign Minister Krishnanis Karins also welcomed this, suggesting that contributions could be a percentage of each member's GDP.
Other ministers said they needed to look at the details, including how it would be financed.
Privately, some officials were more candid. "NATO has neither the budget nor the means to raise that kind of money," said one diplomat.
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called for new financial commitments, not just re-profiling existing commitments.
Meanwhile, Russia has said that NATO has returned to Cold War thinking as the alliance celebrates its 75th anniversary this week.
Regarding Ukraine's membership in the Alliance, NATO stated that our country cannot become a member while it is at war with Russia, but that it will eventually join the Alliance.
Recall
Before the meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg saidthat there will be no final decision on the approval of military aid "mission for Ukraine" at today's and tomorrow's meeting, but he expressed hope that politicians will reach a consensus on this issue and approve it at the July summit.
The proposal to create a five-year, €100 billion ($107 billion) military aid package called Mission for Ukraine, which would give the Western alliance a more direct role in supporting Kyiv, was proposed by NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg on the eve of March 2, but was formally considered in Brussels today.
