NATO Secretary General proposes $107 billion plan for long-term Ukrainian support.

On April 2, 2024, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, speaking at a press conference ahead of a meeting held at Brussels, Belgium, with NATO foreign ministers at the alliance's headquarters, proposed the creation of a €100 billion ($107 billion) fund to support Ukraine over the next five years. He aimed to transition from short-term assistance to a more stable support mechanism for Ukraine to ensure stability despite potential political changes within NATO member countries.
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This plan aims to transition from short-term assistance to a more stable support mechanism for Ukraine to ensure stability despite potential political changes within NATO member countries. (Picture source: NATO)

Stoltenberg's proposition involves NATO potentially taking over the coordination of the supply of military aid to Ukraine, which includes arms, ammunition, and equipment. If approved, this plan suggests a shift from the current arrangement, where a U.S.-led coalition known as the Ramstein group primarily oversees such coordination. The proposal also aims to mitigate potential risks associated with fluctuations in U.S. support, considering the political uncertainties in the United States, notably the possibility of Donald Trump returning to the presidency and the ongoing delays to a new $60 billion US military aid package for Ukraine, blocked in Congress by Republican MPs.

The announcement of this initiative, to which Ukraine has expressed its approval, has led to a wide range of responses from NATO members, as the funding for Stoltenberg's proposed plan would be contributed by the alliance's 32 members, calculated in proportion to their contributions to NATO's shared budget, based on Gross National Income.

Some members, including Hungary's Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, have voiced concerns regarding the proposal's potential to alter NATO's defensive stance or increase the alliance's involvement in the conflict. Others, like German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Latvian Foreign Minister Krisjanis Karins, have shown more favorable attitudes towards the plan, suggesting that contributions could be tied to a percentage of each member's GDP. Meanwhile, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares and Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani have emphasized the need for clarity on the operational aspects of the fund, including legal bases and the avoidance of duplicating existing efforts.

The proposed fund and strategic shift in NATO's approach to supporting Ukraine come as the alliance marks its 75th anniversary and evaluates its role and strategies in the face of increased global threats. The plan is set to be deliberated further with the goal of a decision by the NATO leaders' summit in Washington in July. This initiative, introduced at a moment when the conflict in Ukraine has seen recent escalations, with Russian forces making significant advancements, would be the first instance of the alliance directly coordinating the provision of military support to Ukraine since the start of the conflict with Russia in 2022.