NATO Chief Urges Allies to Spend 0.25% of GDP Each Year on Military Aid to Ukraine

Mark Rutte has proposed that NATO allies spend 0.25% of their GDP each year on military aid for Ukraine.

According to Politico, the proposal is intended to reduce growing tensions within the Alliance over support for Kyiv. Rutte discussed the idea during a closed-door meeting with NATO ambassadors in late April.

“Mark Rutte and many of us want to ensure that support for Ukraine is consistent and predictable,” one NATO diplomat said.

According to diplomats, Rutte’s proposal was partly a response to frustration among some capitals that they are doing far more than others to help Ukraine.

The report notes that the Nordic and Baltic countries, as well as the Netherlands and Poland, allocate a larger share of their GDP to military aid for Ukraine than many countries in Western and Southern Europe.

If allies approve the idea, annual aid to Ukraine could reach $143 billion, based on estimates using the combined GDP of NATO members. Last year, Ukraine received $45 billion in security assistance from allies, covering everything from weapons purchases to investments in defense companies and the procurement of U.S. weapons.

However, diplomats note that Rutte’s proposal has been met with skepticism from some allies, including France and the United Kingdom.

The idea of setting a target based on a percentage of GDP is just one of several options currently being discussed within the Alliance to ensure long-term military assistance for Ukraine.

The publication notes that a similar idea was first voiced by Volodymyr Zelensky last year.

“Ukraine is part of Europe’s security, and we want 0.25% of each partner country’s GDP to be directed toward our defense industry and domestic production,” he told journalists in June 2025.

Last week, Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers approved amendments to the 2026 budget aimed at financing security and defense needs. Thanks to the unblocking of an EU loan, defense spending is expected to rise to about $99 billion in 2026.