NATO Split: Five Member States Stall Ukraine Aid Plan Amid Deepening Alliance Tensions

NATO has failed to agree on a plan for annual military aid to Ukraine amounting to 0.25% of GDP from Alliance member countries. The initiative was opposed by the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy, and Canada.

This is reported by The Telegraph.

According to the newspaper, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said this week that the plan did not receive sufficient support among allies. He hoped to approve the proposal during the upcoming Alliance summit in Ankara.

The newspaper’s sources reported that at least 7 NATO member states supported the initiative. These are states that already spend more than 0.25% of their GDP on military assistance to Ukraine. At the same time, decisions in NATO are made only if all members of the Alliance provide unanimous support.

“They are not very enthusiastic about this idea,” the source said, commenting on the position of the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy, and Canada.

The material notes that the United Kingdom is the third-largest donor of military aid to Ukraine after the United States and Germany, but its contribution does not exceed 0.25% of GDP.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer previously promised to allocate at least £3 billion per year, approximately 0.1% of GDP.

The publication also reported that France, Spain, Italy, and Canada are inferior to several smaller allies in terms of the amount of financial assistance they provide to Ukraine.

According to the Kiel Institute, the Netherlands, Poland, the Nordic countries, and the Baltics are already providing aid to Ukraine at 0.25% of GDP or higher.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, on the eve of the NATO summit, called on allies to strengthen support for Ukraine.

“I would really like more countries that speak so enthusiastically about Ukraine to also back up their words with actions,” said Kristersson.

By the way, a group of US senators from both parties appealed to Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth with a demand to immediately unblock $600 million in military aid intended for Ukraine and US allies in Eastern Europe.

Earlier, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte expressed dissatisfaction that not all countries are contributing equally to Ukraine’s military needs. According to him, the main burden of assistance is currently borne by only 6-7 states.

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