Several major NATO countries have blocked a proposal by alliance chief Mark Rutte to sharply increase military support for Ukraine.
According to a report by The Telegraph, Rutte reportedly asked NATO members to spend 0.25% of their GDP each year on military aid for Kyiv. But the plan was opposed by the UK, France, Spain, Italy, and Canada.
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At the same time, a group of countries already spending more than that amount backed the proposal. Supporters included Poland, the Netherlands, and several Baltic and Nordic states. NATO decisions, however, require unanimous approval.
Rutte had hoped to push the plan through at the alliance summit in Turkey this July. If approved, total annual military aid for Ukraine could have reached about $143 billion, according to earlier estimates by Politico based on NATO countries’ combined GDP.
The NATO chief has repeatedly argued that support for Ukraine is unevenly shared across the alliance and that Europe must take on more responsibility instead of depending heavily on the United States.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky first floated the idea last summer, saying part of partner countries’ GDP should go directly toward Ukraine’s defense industry and weapons production.
Ukraine received around $45 billion in military aid in 2025, including weapons purchases and investments in domestic defense companies.
Rutte also previously said that Europe and Canada are spending around €1 billion per month buying American weapons for Ukraine through the PURL program, launched after US President Donald Trump stopped providing military aid to Kyiv.
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