Great Britain, France, Spain, Italy, and Canada did not support NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte’s initiative to increase military aid to Ukraine. It was proposed that each member country of the Alliance allocate 0.25% of its GDP to support Ukraine, but this idea did not receive unanimous support.
This is reported by Finway
Why Rutte’s Initiative Was Blocked
Mark Rutte hoped that the new large-scale aid plan for Ukraine would be approved at the NATO summit in Ankara. However, due to the opposition from five countries, the decision could not be made. According to information from the Alliance, London, Paris, Madrid, Rome, and Ottawa are “not enthusiastic about this idea,” despite the fact that seven other NATO states — including the Netherlands, Poland, as well as the Baltic and Scandinavian countries — are already spending more than 0.25% of their GDP to support Ukraine and have advocated for the corresponding initiative.
“I would very much like more countries that speak so positively about Ukraine to also back their words with real money,” said Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson to reporters.
In the Alliance, decisions are made by consensus, so objections from even a few states become decisive. It is noted that this is not the first reputational loss for Great Britain this week — the British government allowed temporary exemptions for the purchase of aviation fuel and diesel produced from Russian raw materials in third countries.
Different Levels of Contributions to Support Ukraine
The military contribution of Great Britain remains one of the largest among NATO members, but it accounts for only about 0.1% of the country’s GDP. The contributions from France, Italy, Spain, and Canada cause the most dissatisfaction within the Alliance, as they significantly lag behind the potential of their economies. According to the Kiel Institute, the Netherlands, Poland, and the countries of Northern Europe and the Baltics are already providing military aid to Ukraine at levels equal to or above 0.25% of their GDP.
Mark Rutte has repeatedly emphasized that aid to Ukraine is unevenly distributed and has urged European countries to increase support without relying solely on the United States. According to him, many states are still spending insufficiently to support Ukraine, despite their statements of solidarity.