NATO pledges $40 billion in aid to bolster Ukraine’s defence through 2025

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte reaffirmed the alliance’s unwavering commitment to Ukraine, announcing a substantial 35 billion-euro-aid package ($40 billion) agreed upon by member states to support Kyiv’s defense needs through the end of 2025.

Speaking at a press conference in The Hague, Rutte highlighted that this allocation represents an increase from the initially planned 20 billion euros, reflecting the evolving security challenges faced by Ukraine, Caliber.Az reports, citing the message on NATO’s website.

“We all want peace for the Ukrainian people. And an end to the terrible war against them.  Yet as work is ongoing in pursuit of a just and lasting peace, we must continue to make sure Ukraine has what it needs to defend today and deter in the future. Our support for Ukraine is unwavering and will persist,” he said.

“And we have - I can announce that now – new estimates showing that our European and Canadian Allies have stepped up and have already pledged – where we originally would have been able to announce a 20 billion over the first three months of this year, it is now they will provide over 35 billion euros of additional security assistance to Ukraine for the year ahead. So, in a couple of months, we went from 20 billion to 35 billion and I think that is great news,” he added. 

At the upcoming NATO summit in The Hague, allies plan to adopt an exceptionally brief final declaration - limited to just five key points. This marks a stark contrast to the extensive declarations of previous years but could ultimately benefit Ukraine. It has also emerged that NATO leaders are preparing to approve a decision to increase defense spending to 5 per cent of GDP.

A portion of this increase is expected to be allocated to supporting Ukraine, which could significantly enhance the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ defense capabilities. The new spending target is anticipated to be divided as follows: 3.5 per cent of GDP dedicated to direct military needs, and an additional 1.5 per cent allocated to broader security projects, including infrastructure development.

By Naila Huseynova