Ukraine funding scheme blocked inside NATO by UK, France and allies
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (Photo: Getty Images)
UK, France, and several other NATO allies blocked the ambitious plan of the alliance's Secretary General Mark Rutte to increase military aid to Ukraine, according to The Telegraph.
What happened
Rutte had hoped to approve the proposal at the annual NATO summit in Ankara. At least seven member countries, which already spend more than 0.25% of their GDP on aid to Ukraine, supported the idea.
However, any NATO decision requires unanimous support from all members of the alliance, and five countries blocked it.
Double blow to UK's reputation
For London, this is particularly painful news. Britain positions itself as one of Ukraine's most devoted allies. This week, Starmer's government has already come under criticism for easing sanctions on the import of Russian-origin petroleum products.
UK's official contribution — £3 billion per year, or about 0.1% of GDP — is the third largest after the US and Germany, but significantly lower than the proposed threshold.
Who gives and who doesn't
According to the Kiel Institute, the Netherlands, Poland, the Nordic and Baltic countries are already spending at or above 0.25% of GDP.
France, Spain, and Italy — the third, fourth, and fifth largest economies in Europe — regularly receive criticism for their insufficient contributions.
The blocking of the plan comes amid a broader crisis of trust within NATO. At the GLOBSEC forum in Prague, European leaders argued over whether to continue relying on American weapons — the US under President Donald Trump has become a source of uncertainty for the alliance.
In mid-May, the US Army unexpectedly canceled the deployment of more than 4,000 troops to Poland. Later, Trump personally intervened in the situation and asked Hegseth why the deployment was canceled.
