NATO plans to set up an aid fund of more than 100 billion USD for Ukraine
NATO is considering a 100 billion euro ($107 billion) fund to aid Ukraine within five years. This can be considered part of a plan to prevent the scenario of Donald Trump being re-elected as US president
Reuters quoted diplomatic sources as saying that NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has proposed establishing a fund to support Ukraine in the long term. Specifically, this fund is worth 100 billion euros to support Ukraine within 5 years.
The proposal would give the Western alliance a more direct role in coordinating the supply of weapons, ammunition and equipment to Ukraine.
NATO declined to comment in detail on Mr. Stoltenberg's proposals, but an official in the bloc said the ministers would "discuss the best way to organize support for Ukraine, helping Kiev become stronger.
The proposal will be discussed by NATO foreign ministers during a two-day meeting in Brussels, starting today, April 3. This is a meeting to celebrate the 75th anniversary of NATO's founding and also to prepare for the alliance's summit next July.
NATO diplomats admit that discussions on the proposal are at an early stage. All NATO decisions need the consensus of all 32 members. "We will not make a final decision at the ministerial meetings in April and discussions will continue when we hold the Washington summit in July."
However, the meeting will show European allies' willingness to support Ukraine as the US military aid package worth more than $60 billion remains deadlocked in parliament. According to the plan, NATO will take over some coordination work from a special US-led alliance known as the Ramstein group.
The meeting took place in the context that NATO is looking for a new leader to succeed Mr. Stoltenberg and the alliance faces the risk of fracturing when former US President Donald Trump is likely to be re-elected.
Mr. Trump repeatedly stated that he could withdraw the US from NATO and signaled to stop aid to Ukraine if re-elected. Until now, NATO has focused on non-lethal aid to Ukraine out of concern that a more direct role could escalate tensions with Russia. Members of this organization have provided billions of dollars in weapons on a bilateral basis
Still, diplomats say there is a growing view within NATO that it is time to put military aid to Ukraine on a more sustainable footing, and NATO is the best place to do it.
Some people believe that, although Russia warned that it would consider NATO's arms aid to Ukraine as an act of escalating tensions, so far, Moscow has not had any significant retaliation.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on April 2 that NATO is considering measures that could be considered a "necessary bridge" to bring Ukraine into the alliance. Up to now, NATO still affirms that Ukraine cannot join the bloc until the conflict has ended, but will certainly become a member at some point.
