Five NATO member countries did not support the initiative to allocate 0.25% of GDP for aid to Ukraine.
Modern.az reports, citing “The Telegraph”, that the proposal put forward by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte was opposed by Great Britain, France, Spain, Italy and Canada.
According to the information, although at least seven NATO countries supported the initiative, the unanimous consent of the alliance members is required for the decision to be adopted.
The publication notes that among the countries providing aid to Ukraine at 0.25% of GDP or more are the Baltic and Scandinavian states, as well as Poland and the Netherlands.
It has not been disclosed which countries supported Mark Rutte's call.
It should be noted that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on Western partners to allocate 0.25% of GDP to strengthen Ukraine's defense industry as early as the summer of 2025.
Zelensky justified this by Ukraine being part of the European security system.
According to “Politico”, Mark Rutte also brought this issue up for discussion at a closed meeting of NATO ambassadors in April 2026.
If the proposal had been accepted, the annual financial support allocated to Ukraine could have tripled to 143 billion dollars.
