Britain, France and allies block NATO proposal for fixed Ukraine aid target

Britain, France, Spain, Italy and Canada blocked a NATO proposal that would have committed allied countries to allocating at least 0.25% of gross domestic product annually to military aid for Ukraine, according to a report by The Telegraph citing alliance sources.

The newspaper said NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte had hoped to secure a compromise on the initiative at a NATO summit due to take place in Ankara. However, Rutte said this week the proposal was unlikely to be put forward for approval because it had failed to attract sufficient backing.

“I do not think this proposal will be brought forward,” Rutte said, without naming the countries opposed to the initiative.

A NATO source quoted by The Telegraph said at least seven alliance members that already spend more than 0.25% of GDP on military aid for Ukraine supported the proposal. Decisions within NATO require unanimous approval by all member states.

According to the newspaper, citing data from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, the United States, Germany and Britain have been Ukraine’s largest donors since January 2022. Total US assistance amounted to 115.4 billion euros, Germany contributed 25.3 billion euros and Britain provided 20 billion euros.

The report said Britain’s military aid to Ukraine amounted to roughly 0.1% of British GDP. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer had previously pledged to provide Kyiv with at least 3 billion pounds annually.

The Telegraph said criticism within NATO had been directed particularly at Britain, France, Spain, Italy and Canada. According to the report, some allies accused those countries of providing insufficient support to Kyiv.

Data from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy showed France had provided 7.9 billion euros in aid to Ukraine, Italy 4.1 billion euros, Spain 2.2 billion euros and Canada 14 billion euros.

Rutte previously said the burden of aid to Ukraine was not being shared evenly within NATO, adding that some countries were “underspending”.

Earlier in May, Politico reported that Rutte had proposed that allied countries commit annual support for Ukraine amounting to 0.25% of GDP, but said the initiative had encountered resistance from several major NATO members. The publication cited diplomats and sources familiar with the matter.

According to Politico, Rutte raised the proposal during a closed-door meeting of ambassadors held as part of preparations for the NATO summit scheduled to take place in Türkiye in July. One diplomat said the aim of the proposal was to make support for Kyiv “stable and predictable”.

Politico said the initiative, if adopted, could nearly triple annual assistance to Ukraine to around $143 billion.

According to the report, the proposal emerged in response to dissatisfaction among some allies over what they see as an uneven distribution of the burden of supporting Ukraine.

Data from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy showed Nordic countries were providing support to Kyiv above their hypothetical share. Western Europe’s largest economies were contributing roughly in proportion to their economic size, while southern European countries were among the more limited donors.

The idea of directing aid to Kyiv equal to 0.25% of partner countries’ GDP had previously also been raised by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Russia opposes weapons deliveries and other military assistance to Ukraine, arguing that such support only prolongs the conflict in Ukraine.