BRUSSELS: NATO foreign ministers were set to meet on Wednesday (Apr 3) to discuss how to put military support for Ukraine on a long-term footing, including a proposal for a €100 billion (US$107 billion) five-year fund and a plan seen as a way to “Trump-proof” aid for Kyiv.
The proposals by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg would give the Western alliance a more direct role in coordinating the supply of arms, ammunition and equipment to Ukraine as it fights Russia’s invasion, diplomats say.
The plans will be discussed during a two-day meeting in Brussels that will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and prepare for a July summit of alliance leaders in Washington.
“We need to shift the dynamics of our support,” Stoltenberg said as he arrived at the meeting.
“We must ensure reliable and predictable security assistance to Ukraine for the long haul so that we rely less on voluntary contributions and more on NATO commitments. Less on short-term offers and more on multi-year pledges.”
He declined to confirm levels of funding and said the aim was for a decision to be taken at the July summit.
Under the plans, NATO would take over some coordination work from a US-led ad-hoc coalition known as the Ramstein group – a move designed in part to guard against any cut in US support if Donald Trump returns to the White House, diplomats said.
Until now, NATO as an organisation has focused on non-lethal aid for Ukraine out of fear that a more direct role could trigger an escalation of tensions with Russia. Its members have provided billions of dollars in arms on a bilateral basis.
Diplomats said there was a growing view within NATO that it was time to put military aid to Ukraine on a more sustainable footing and NATO was best placed to do that.
But they said it was unclear whether the €100 billion figure would be accepted or how it would be financed. NATO decisions require consensus among its 32 members.
Source: CNA
