NATO member states agreed on Wednesday to aim to provide Ukraine with at least €40 billion a year in military aid, but refrained from making explicit pledges for the coming years, business news portal Világgazdaság reports.
The alliance seeks consistency for Kyiv in terms of funding. However, despite initial enthusiasm, several member states have found it politically and legally difficult to commit to a specific amount for several years.
Instead, according to Bloomberg, the 32 members of the alliance have set a target of €40 billion, but with the proviso that it will be reviewed every year. The target could therefore increase or decrease depending on the situation.
Funding for this year is well above the target, with the United States alone committing $60 billion. According to the plan, member states’ donations will also depend on the size of their economies.
The funding pledge will still need to be endorsed by member state leaders and will be part of the package for Ukraine to be presented at next week’s NATO summit. The proposal is intended to underline NATO’s commitment to support Kyiv in the long term and pave the way for Ukrainian membership of NATO.
The organization’s outgoing Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg originally wanted to secure $100 billion over five years before the €40 billion a year plan was formulated.
As well as aid, NATO also wants to play a greater role in identifying what military equipment Ukraine needs, coordinating arms deliveries, and training Ukrainian troops, in parallel with the U.S.-led Ramstein format, so-named after the U.S.-organized international conference held at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany.
Ahead of the summit, there has also been much debate in the alliance over what should be included in the final statement of the meeting on Ukraine’s path to NATO membership, but Kyiv is not expected to be invited to join the alliance this year due to opposition from the U.S. and Germany.
