NATO’s Increased Support for Ukraine: A Commitment to Security
The NATO chief recently announced that updated projections indicate European and Canadian allies intend to extend over €35 billion in additional security assistance to Ukraine over the upcoming year, reports 24brussels.
Prime Minister Rutte emphasized that there is a consensus within the alliance regarding the importance of maintaining support for Ukraine. “This is the reason why, I think also last year in Washington, NATO allies agreed that for Ukraine, there is an irreversible path of Ukraine to enter NATO,” Rutte told reporters. “That remains true today and will still hold after the upcoming summit on Thursday.”
During the 2024 NATO summit held in Washington, the member states reached an agreement that utilized the term “irreversible” in relation to Ukraine’s long-anticipated bid for NATO membership, a topic that has been contentious among member nations for nearly twenty years. This resolution demonstrates that the alliance continues to back Ukraine’s ambitions for NATO membership, despite the past administrations’ resistance towards Kyiv’s accession.
Rutte noted that the forthcoming NATO communiqué from the summit would incorporate “significant language” connecting the alliance’s new commitment to allocate 5 percent of gross domestic product on defense with support for Ukraine; however, he did not provide further details on the execution of this new pledge.
Additionally, Rutte remarked that a majority of the air defense systems promised to Ukraine following last year’s Washington summit have already been delivered to Kyiv, yet he acknowledged that further assistance is essential. He conveyed NATO’s objective of achieving a fivefold enhancement in air defense capabilities.
