NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has proposed a new initiative that could fundamentally change the way Western allies finance Ukraine. He proposed requiring all alliance countries to annually allocate 0,25% of their GDP to Kyiv.

According to Politico, Rutte raised this issue at a closed meeting of NATO ambassadors in late April, seeking to make support for Ukraine "consistent and predictable." If the initiative is approved, according to the publication's calculations, annual aid to Kyiv could triple to $143 billion.

However, this proposal has already encountered stiff resistance. Several major alliance countries, including France and the United Kingdom, have expressed skepticism. Diplomatic sources note that implementation of the initiative in its current form is unlikely, as it requires unanimous approval from all NATO members.

It's worth noting that the idea of ​​fixed deductions from GDP is not new: Ukraine has been requesting this type of assistance since October 2025, estimating its defense needs for 2026 at $60 billion. However, current disagreements call into question the adoption of a new funding mechanism ahead of the alliance's July summit in Turkey, where this issue is expected to be a central one.