NATO weighs €70 billion military funding plan for Ukraine

NATO allies are considering a new €70 billion military funding commitment for Ukraine, which could be unveiled at the alliance’s summit in Ankara next month, six diplomats familiar with the discussions told Politico.

The proposal, first circulated by Germany last month, aims to introduce a mechanism to improve transparency in how financial support for Ukraine is tracked and distributed. Diplomats said the initiative is partly driven by concerns among some member states that they are shouldering a disproportionate share of the burden.

“The key is to have a firm commitment from Ankara to continue the crucial support to Ukraine on a sustainable and more equitable basis,” a senior NATO diplomat said.

The push comes more than four years into Russia’s full-scale invasion, as allies seek to maintain and rebalance long-term support for Kyiv. The issue has gained renewed urgency amid assessments by some experts that Ukraine may be shifting the battlefield dynamics in its favour.

Under President Donald Trump, the United States has largely halted new military aid to Ukraine, instead supplying weapons through sales financed by allied countries.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speaking alongside NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Wednesday, called on European partners to increase deliveries of Patriot air defence interceptors to counter Russian ballistic missile attacks. He argued that supplies were constrained by stockpile shortages linked to the war in Iran, where analysts estimate that the United States and its Gulf allies have expended thousands of such systems.

Data published by the Kiel Institute this week showed that European countries allocated approximately €2 billion per month in military assistance to Ukraine between January and April, down slightly from €2.4 billion per month during the same period in 2025. The report recorded no US military aid over those months.

Support for Ukraine is expected to be a central topic at the NATO leaders’ summit scheduled for July 7–8. A NATO official said: “Discussions are ongoing on how we will continue NATO’s strong support to Ukraine and ensure fairer burden sharing."

Alyona Getmanchuk, Ukraine’s ambassador to NATO, said any new funding commitments should align with Kyiv’s immediate needs, including air defense systems, investment in drone and missile production, and extended-range ammunition.

"Until effective security guarantees become available for Ukraine, we can rely only on the financial guarantees provided by our partners," she said.

After rejecting a proposal by Rutte last month to allocate 0.25% of GDP to Ukraine, NATO members are now weighing the German plan, although negotiations remain at an early stage, diplomats said. A meeting of NATO defense ministers later this month may provide an opportunity to advance the discussions.

Under the current proposal, the €70 billion package would not consist entirely of new funding. Approximately €30 billion would be drawn from the European Union’s previously agreed €90 billion, two-year loan to Ukraine, while the remaining €40 billion would come from bilateral contributions by individual countries.

“This is natural, because of the fact that most NATO allies are also EU [members],” another senior NATO diplomat said. “It would be unfair for them to be called to contribute twice.”

However, some officials have expressed concern that reliance on EU-level funding could discourage additional national contributions.

“What is important now is that especially European countries don't see this €90 billion loan as something that is going to be instead of bilateral support,” Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard said. “Adding the bilateral support on top of that loan is absolutely crucial.”

By Tamilla Hasanova