How NATO wants to “defend” against the possible return of Trump. Stoltenberg proposes a fund of 100 billion for Ukraine

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has proposed a military aid package for the Ukrainian army worth 100 billion euros over five years, which would give the Western alliance a more direct role in providing support to Ukraine, they said on Tuesday. , five diplomats quoted by Reuters.

Under the plan, NATO would take over some of the coordination work from an ad hoc US-led coalition known as the Ramstein group – a step intended in part to protect against a possible reduction in US support if Donald Trump returns to the White House, diplomats said.

The proposal is expected to be discussed at a two-day meeting of NATO foreign ministers on Wednesday and Thursday with the aim of finalizing a package of measures in time for the NATO summit in Washington in July.

Until now, NATO as an organization has limited itself to non-lethal aid to Ukraine, fearing that a more direct role could trigger an escalation of tensions with Russia. Most of its members supply arms to Ukraine on a bilateral basis.

But diplomats said there was a growing view within NATO that the time had come to put military aid to Ukraine on a more sustainable, long-term basis, and that the Western alliance was best placed to take a large part. from this role.

Also, some said that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s threats that he would consider various measures taken by NATO to be escalating did not actually lead to retaliatory actions against allies.

Caution in statements

As part of the plan, NATO would create a NATO mission for Ukraine, although it is not yet clear whether the mission will operate inside the country, diplomats said. Some countries were cautious even about calling the operation a “mission”.

NATO’s secretary general said the plan is intended in part “to hedge against the winds of political change” for any NATO member, but Trump is uppermost in the minds of many, a senior NATO diplomat said.

NATO declined to comment in detail on Stoltenberg’s proposals, but a NATO official said the foreign ministers would “discuss how best to organize NATO’s support for Ukraine, to make it stronger, more predictable and more sustainable.”

“No final decisions will be made at the ministerial meetings in April, and discussions will continue as we approach the summit in Washington in July,” the official said on condition of anonymity.

Diplomats have warned that discussions on the proposal are at an early stage and it is not clear whether the total sum of 100 billion euros will be accepted or how it will be financed. All NATO decisions require a consensus among the 32 members of the alliance.

“It goes some way to protecting, in Trump’s case. But it is impossible to create something resistant to Trump,” said another diplomat. “A fund of 100 billion seems very optimistic, knowing how difficult it was to reach an agreement on a smaller amount at the EU level,” added the diplomat.

“NATO allies continue to stand by Ukraine, either through their own bilateral security assistance or through NATO’s Global Assistance Package, or CAP, as we call it here.

The Alliance is determined to see Ukraine emerge victorious, and we stand with the members of the UDCG, or the Contact Group for the Defense of Ukraine (Ramstein group – no), constantly looking for ways to give our friends in Ukraine what they need on the battlefield.” , commented, on Tuesday, in a press conference, the US ambassador to NATO, Julianne Smith.

Editor: Adrian Dumitru