NATO boss Jens Stoltenberg wants to give Ukraine significantly more support and put together a gigantic aid package. The alliance also wants to coordinate future arms deliveries and training of Ukrainian soldiers. The proposal is intended to turn the tide in the fight against Russia. “The situation on the battlefield is difficult and challenging. That’s why we have to do more.” The Norwegian NATO chief hopes that he can also send a signal to Russia. “Moscow must understand that it cannot achieve its goals on the battlefield.”
LOOK. NATO boss Jens Stoltenberg: “Ukraine needs long-term NATO support”
The proposals are barely three weeks old and have since been the subject of intense internal discussions, writes the German newspaper ‘Die Welt’. The new measures must be approved in early July during the NATO summit celebrating the alliance’s 75th anniversary in Washington.
“We celebrate NATO achievements, but we cannot rest on our laurels,” Stoltenberg said. NATO support to Ukraine must therefore become less dependent on voluntary contributions from the 32 member states, but must be given an “institutionalized framework”. In this way, Kiev should be able to count on “more predictable” and “stronger” military support. Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General, made this statement on Wednesday in Brussels before the start of a meeting of the alliance’s foreign ministers.
“We must ensure reliable, predictable and long-term military support for Ukraine,” Stoltenberg said. “Less based on short-term offers and more based on long-term commitments.” The institutionalization of support should also help to better coordinate NATO contributions.
Three pillars
Stoltenberg’s strategy is based on three pillars. For example, the coordination of arms aid to Ukraine – the current so-called Ramstein format, involving about 50 countries – must from now on be led by NATO; until now the US government has taken on this task. The fear is that in the event of a change of president, the new American president, Donald Trump, could immediately stop Washington’s current coordination function from January 2025.
In addition, NATO must play a key role in coordinating the training of Ukrainian soldiers in the future. This would allow common priorities to be set and training to be more streamlined.
Third, NATO wants to set up a gigantic aid fund totaling 100 billion euros. This will be used to finance military equipment for the Ukrainian Armed Forces over the next five years. The contributions to the new special fund are in addition to regular defense expenditure, which amounts to at least two percent of gross domestic product. The 32 Member States pay in proportion to their weight and size.
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Securing long-term assistance
The advantage of this proposal is that there are fixed payments that Ukraine can count on for the next five years. So far, generating financial aid has been rather slow and difficult. Stoltenberg did not want to go into details, but does acknowledge that there is a proposal on the table to make the aid “more robust” and “more predictable”.
Russia is increasing pressure along the front, according to the NATO chief. Aid must therefore be arranged differently, more focused on the long term. “So that we become less dependent on voluntary contributions.” That is why, he believes, NATO’s role in coordinating aid and providing training must be increased. According to him, it is also a signal to the regime in Moscow that the alliance will not let Ukraine fall.
Washington
According to Stoltenberg, no decisions will be made in the coming days. This will happen during a summit in July in Washington where the heads of state and government of the NATO countries will meet to celebrate NATO’s 75th anniversary. This week the alliance has existed for exactly three quarters of a century.
If Stoltenberg’s plans are approved, it will represent a quantum leap compared to NATO’s current involvement in the war in Ukraine. In any case, arms aid to Ukraine will be secured in the long term. However, it remains unclear whether this is enough to make Ukraine switch again from a defensive phase to an offensive strategy.
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Tags: Quantum leap NATO Stoltenberg save Ukraine gigantic aid package billion euros War Ukraine Russia
