NATO leaders have committed to continue supplying Ukraine with arms and ammunition for at least another year, aiming to reassure the war-torn nation of their unwavering support and to send a clear message to Russian President Vladimir Putin that they will not back down. This decision comes as U.S. President Joe Biden and other NATO leaders gather in Washington for a three-day summit to commemorate the alliance’s 75th anniversary, amidst ongoing Russian advances along Ukraine’s eastern front.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, speaking to reporters, emphasized that the alliance’s 32 member countries have been collectively spending around 40 billion euros ($43 billion) annually on military equipment for Ukraine since the conflict began in February 2022. Stoltenberg stated that this level of support should be considered a “minimum baseline” moving forward. He expects that allies will decide at the summit to maintain this level of support for the next year, with the amount being shared among nations based on their economic growth. The leaders will review this figure again in 2025.
Despite their strong desire to do more for Ukraine, NATO faces challenges in finding new ways to assist. Currently, NATO allies provide 99% of the military support Ukraine receives. Soon, the alliance will manage equipment deliveries, but two significant limitations remain: Ukraine will not be granted NATO membership until the war is over, and no NATO troops will be deployed on the ground in Ukraine.
At their last summit, NATO leaders agreed to expedite Ukraine’s membership process, although the country is unlikely to join for many years. They also established a high-level body for emergency consultations and promised additional military equipment. A year later, they aim to demonstrate unity and resolve, even as political uncertainties loom over many of the organization’s key members.
Stoltenberg has been advocating for a long-term commitment to Ukraine, highlighting that major funding delays, particularly due to political wrangling in the U.S. Congress, have left Ukraine’s armed forces struggling. He had hoped that allies would agree to spend at least 40 billion euros annually on weapons in a “major, multi-year” program, which would not necessarily increase support but would maintain the current level of spending.
One new initiative likely to be endorsed by the leaders is a mission to ensure the right military equipment reaches Ukraine and to streamline training for its armed forces. In the early chaos of the war, any kind of weaponry was welcome, but the diverse array of vehicles and defense systems has become unmanageable, requiring distinct maintenance plans and dedicated supply chains. Offers of training programs outside Ukraine have also been abundant, making it challenging for Ukraine’s armed forces to prioritize which troops to send, to which NATO country, and for how long.
A senior U.S. State Department official, speaking anonymously, acknowledged the disorganized nature of the support but expressed optimism that a new mission, likely based in Wiesbaden, Germany, and led by a U.S. general, would bring order to the process. This mission would also prevent rogue governments or leaders from interfering with joint deliveries and would complement the U.S.-led effort to gather arms, known as the Ramstein group.
The U.S. is expected to announce new measures to strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses and military capabilities. A senior Biden administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, declined to detail the specific air defense capabilities to be sent but indicated that the U.S. would expedite the delivery of air defense interceptor missiles to Ukraine by redirecting planned shipments to other allied nations.
Members of the NATO-Ukraine Council are scheduled to meet during the summit, with Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hosting an event with leaders from nearly two dozen nations that have signed bilateral security agreements with Ukraine.
A significant challenge for NATO leaders is how to frame Ukraine’s membership prospects without actually allowing it to join while the conflict continues. Many allies are reluctant to admit Ukraine while fighting persists, fearing it could drag them into a broader war with Russia. Hungary opposes Ukraine’s membership altogether. In the lead-up to the summit, NATO envoys have been debating the use of terms like “irreversible” to describe Ukraine’s path to membership, tweaking language that has evolved since they promised in 2008 that Ukraine would join one day.
It remains unclear how these developments will be received in Kyiv. At their last meeting, NATO leaders were noncommittal about the timing of Ukraine’s membership, stating only that they would be “in a position to extend an invitation to Ukraine to join the alliance when allies agree and conditions are met.” Zelenskyy criticized this as “unprecedented and absurd,” arguing that vague wording about “conditions” was added even for inviting Ukraine.
In recent weeks, Zelenskyy and other Ukrainian officials have been briefed on these developments to avoid a repeat of the criticism. Stoltenberg stated that he and Zelenskyy agreed earlier this month that the new steps the leaders will take “constitute a bridge to NATO membership and a very strong package for Ukraine at the summit.”
Membership in NATO would protect Ukraine against its aggressive neighbor, which annexed Crimea a decade ago and has recently seized large areas in the east and south. However, before joining, Kyiv must reform its security institutions, improve governance, and curb corruption.
Source: Associated Press
