NATO is divided over mandatory funding for Ukraine.

Many NATO member states are opposing a proposal to implement mandatory funding for Ukraine, as the military alliance seeks to maintain support for Kyiv amid dwindling US aid.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte wants member states to commit at least 0.25% of their GDP to military support for Ukraine. Photo: NATO.

Accordingly, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte wants member states to commit at least 0.25% of their GDP to military support for Ukraine, and expects this proposal to be discussed at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, on July 7-8.

However, the plan is facing opposition from many major economies in the bloc, such as the UK, France, Spain, Italy, and Canada. An internal NATO source said that only 7 out of 32 member states support this mandatory funding mechanism, mostly countries that have already spent the equivalent of or more than 0.25% of their GDP on Ukraine.

According to data from the Kiel Institute (Germany), the Netherlands, Poland, and the Nordic and Baltic states are currently among the strongest supporters of Kyiv, with military aid exceeding NATO's recommended levels.

Many major NATO countries are saying no to mandatory funding for Ukraine. Photo: NATO.

The proposal comes as European countries seek to demonstrate their continued commitment to supporting Ukraine, especially as aid from the US has significantly decreased under President Donald Trump. NATO is concerned that the support vacuum from Washington could affect Ukraine's defense and combat capabilities in the future.

In response to this issue, a spokesperson for the British Foreign Office said that London is still discussing with NATO allies all options to ensure Ukraine receives the necessary support.

Meanwhile, Russia continues to criticize Western military aid to Kyiv. Moscow argues that arms packages only prolong the conflict and increase the risk of direct confrontation between Russia and NATO.

In related developments, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that talks with the US on expanding the production of missile defense systems for Ukraine have made little significant progress, forcing Kyiv to strengthen cooperation with Europe to develop its domestic air defense capabilities.

In a video address on the evening of May 25, Zelensky acknowledged that progress in defense cooperation with Washington was slowing down, particularly in the areas of missile production and air defense interceptor systems.

Zelensky stated: “Unfortunately, there has been no substantial progress with the United States on expanding the production of anti-missile systems for quite some time. Therefore, we are trying to accelerate cooperation with Europe to build up the capacity to produce ballistic missile defense systems on the continent on a sufficiently large scale.”

However, Zelensky stressed that Ukraine continues dialogue with the US on new forms of military support, while affirming that Washington's leadership role remains "essential" for the security of Ukraine and Europe.

Thu Uyen

Source: TASS, Reuters.

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/nato-chia-re-ve-tai-tro-bat-buoc-cho-ukraine-288944.htm