-c439b7bd9030ecf9d5a4287dc361ba31.jpg "Photo of Katherina Popilnichenko")
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has suggested that member nations allocate 0.25% of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) toward assistance for Ukraine, according to Politico on May 13.
We bring you stories from the ground. Your support keeps our team in the field.
The proposal was raised by Rutte during a private meeting of NATO ambassadors in late April. This session was organized to prepare for the upcoming NATO summit scheduled for July 7–8 in Turkey. Several other initiatives regarding Ukraine were also discussed during the gathering.
The Secretary General's proposal faced pushback from France and the United Kingdom.
Additionally, some member states expressed a desire for future funding models to account for their existing contributions to a €90 billion ($105.4 billion) European credit package for Ukraine.
This discussion follows a commitment made by alliance leaders in late June 2025 to invest 5% of their GDP into defense and security-related spending annually by 2035. That target was established under the Hague Declaration during a previous summit.
During the Ramstein meeting held in February 2026, Ukraine secured approximately $38 billion in military aid for the year. Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov noted that this sum represented record commitments since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, with over $6 billion already formalized in specific packages.
Key allocations included $2.5 billion for drone production and $2 billion for air-defense systems, alongside urgent agreements with European partners to transfer Patriot interceptor missiles.
Major contributors like Norway committed $7 billion, while Germany pledged €11.5 billion for its broader support budget, and the Netherlands specifically vowed to allocate at least 0.25% of its GDP to Ukraine’s defense.
Discuss this article:
-9a7b3a98ed5c506e0b77a6663f5727c5.png)
-72b63a4e0c8c475ad81fe3eed3f63729.jpeg "Photo of Cyril Barabaltchouk")
