NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is considering establishing a fund of $100 billion over five years from alliance members to provide long-term support for Ukraine. The goal is to make it more challenging for individual NATO members to disrupt ongoing support for Ukraine and to prevent potential disruptions if US President Donald Trump were to secure a second term. The fund, while not enough to support Ukraine’s war effort indefinitely, would provide a base of support that NATO officials see as crucial.
Stoltenberg emphasized the need for NATO to commit to providing more support for Ukraine and rely less on voluntary contributions. He announced plans to transform NATO’s comprehensive assistance package into a multi-year program of assistance and discussed the possibility of NATO assuming more responsibility for coordinating military equipment and training for Ukraine. He stated that NATO allies already provide 99% of all military support to Ukraine.
Former Trump administration officials believe that while Trump may not immediately pull back US support for Ukraine, he may want the conflict to come to a swift end through negotiations with all parties involved. This could potentially result in Ukraine having to give up some of its territory currently held by Russia. NATO is considering taking over the leadership of the Pentagon-led Ukraine Contact Defense Group, which coordinates logistics for weapons deliveries into Ukraine, to ensure continued support in case Trump wins a second term.
There is ongoing discussion within NATO about establishing independent commitments with Ukraine by individual member countries to ensure continued support that cannot be disrupted by individual alliance members. This would create separate funding sources for Ukraine that would not be dependent on NATO. These steps are being considered to ensure sustained support for Ukraine and to prevent potential disruptions in assistance, particularly in light of uncertainty surrounding US support under a potential second Trump term.
NATO’s proactive approach to solidifying long-term support for Ukraine is in response to concerns over potential disruptions in assistance due to individual member countries’ actions and uncertainty surrounding US support under a potential second term for President Trump. Establishing a $100 billion fund over five years and potentially taking over the leadership of the Pentagon-led Ukraine Contact Defense Group are among the measures being considered by the alliance to ensure ongoing support for Ukraine’s war effort against Russia and to provide a reliable and predictable security assistance. Additionally, NATO is looking into ways to ensure that funding for Ukraine is not solely reliant on the alliance, but also involves commitments from individual member countries. These efforts aim to future-proof Ukraine’s support and minimize the impact of potential changes in US policy towards Ukraine.
