Five major NATO powers block NATO plan for additional military aid to Ukraine – The Telegraph
The UK, France, Spain, Italy and Canada have blocked a proposal by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte for Alliance members to allocate 0.25% of their GDP to military assistance for Ukraine.
Source: The Telegraph, citing NATO sources
Details: Rutte acknowledged that his initiative would not move forward due to the lack of unanimous support among allies. He had hoped the plan would be approved at the upcoming Alliance summit in Ankara.
At least seven NATO countries that already spend more than 0.25% of their GDP on support for Ukraine backed the proposal. These include the Netherlands, Poland and the Baltic and Nordic states. However, decisions within NATO are made by consensus and London, Paris, Madrid, Rome and Ottawa opposed the initiative.
According to one Alliance source, those countries are "not very enthusiastic about the idea".
The report describes this as a double blow to the UK's reputation. Earlier this week, the UK government approved temporary exemptions for purchases of aviation fuel and diesel produced from Russian crude oil in third countries.
The UK's military contribution is the third largest in NATO, although it amounts to around 0.1% of the country's GDP. Most of the frustration expressed by partners is directed at France, Italy, Spain and Canada, whose contributions fall significantly short of what their economies could support.
According to publicly available data collected by the Kiel Institute, the Netherlands, Poland and Nordic and Baltic countries already provide support amounting to 0.25% of GDP or more.
Rutte argues that assistance to Ukraine "is not evenly distributed within NATO" and that many countries are "not spending enough when it comes to the support for Ukraine".
The NATO chief has long stressed that Europe must take greater responsibility for supporting Ukraine instead of relying heavily on US assistance.
"I really would like more countries that speak so extremely well about Ukraine to also put the money where the mouth is," Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson told journalists.
Background:
- In December 2025, Denys Shmyhal, the then Ukrainian defence minister, called on Kyiv's partners in Ukraine Defence Contact Group (also known as the Ramstein format) to allocate at least 0.25% of GDP to Ukraine's defence needs.
- The three Baltic states – Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – took on this commitment at that time.
- On 22 May, Rutte proposed that allies discuss an initiative by Estonia on a long-term commitment to provide Ukraine with military assistance amounting to 0.25% of GDP annually.
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