NATO members are expected to pledge €70 billion ($80 billion) of military aid to Ukraine for 2026 and “at least an equivalent level” of support in 2027 when they meet at an upcoming summit in Turkey on July 6 and 7.
The funding pledge was disclosed in the released text of the summit declaration, which was approved by the ambassadors of all NATO 32 members, including the United States.
It will still need final approval from leaders at the event in Ankara.
According to Reuters, the summit declaration text will reaffirm “our firm commitment to our collective defense under Article 5 of the Washington Treaty and the transatlantic bond.”
The summit text said, “An attack on one is an attack on all.”
Russia said ‘long term threat’
Diplomats told AFP that NATO’s financial pledge includes €30 billion each year from EU loans and funds already committed by individual countries.
European NATO members and Canada will provide most of the funding.
The move comes in response to US President Donald Trump’s decline in aid to Ukraine, with Kiev’s European allies signaling readiness to take over financing of Ukraine’s fight against Russia.
The summit announcement will declare Russia a “long-term threat” to “Euro-Atlantic security and stability”, while saying that European members of NATO and Canada are fulfilling their commitment at last year’s summit in The Hague to increase defense spending.
NATO countries wrote in the text of the summit that they are “building the future: a strong Europe in a strong NATO.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will be present at the summit in Ankara.
Merz hits back at Trump over budget
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Friday rejected fresh criticism from US President Donald Trump, who described the European NATO allies’ defense spending budget as “ridiculous”.
Trump specifically singled out Germany.
“The United States spends more money on NATO for their security than any other country, it gets no benefit from doing so,” Trump wrote in a social media post. Referring to the reported amount spent by each country, he said that Germany’s contribution was “much lower” than the others.
After meeting with Baltic heads of state and government, Merz stressed that his country is in the process of doubling its defense budget within four years.
“This is the largest effort ever to strengthen our defense capabilities. In this regard, we have nothing to be ashamed of,” Merz said.
Merz said he planned to broach the topic with Trump at the NATO summit in Ankara.
Edited by: Shawn Sinico
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