Several major NATO allies, including the UK, France, Italy, Spain and Canada, blocked a proposal to commit 0.25 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) annually in military aid to Ukraine, according to a report by the UK-based newspaper The Telegraph.
The report said NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte had hoped to secure agreement on the proposal ahead of the alliance’s upcoming summit in Ankara, Türkiye, but acknowledged this week that the plan lacked sufficient backing to move forward.
“I don’t think this one will be proposed,” Rutte told reporters, according to the report.
The Telegraph said the proposal was aimed at ensuring NATO members provide a minimum level of military support to Kiev as Russia’s war in Ukraine continues into its fourth year.
According to the report, at least seven NATO member states supported the initiative, particularly countries already spending more than 0.25 percent of GDP on military assistance to Ukraine.
An unnamed alliance insider quoted by the newspaper said the UK, France, Spain, Italy and Canada were “not very enthusiastic about the idea.”
Some allies ‘not spending enough’
