July 3, 2026, 2:28 p.mJuly 3, 2026, 3:17 p.m
Ukraine, which was attacked by Russia, is set to receive a new promise of billions in military aid at the NATO summit in Ankara. Representatives of the 32 alliance states agreed on this a few days before the summit meeting in Brussels in the final discussions on the planned summit declaration, as the German Press Agency learned.
Specifically, the planned commitment provides for a minimum financing of 70 billion euros per year for military equipment, support and training over two years – a total of 140 billion euros.
However, an EU aid package is taken into account. Through this, Ukraine is expected to receive around 60 billion euros for defense-related spending by the end of 2027. The bottom line is that there are still around 80 billion euros left that NATO states would have to raise from their national budgets.
Germany will bear the lion’s share
Because the USA under US President Donald Trump has largely stopped financing aid to Ukraine, Germany will most likely take over the largest share of the total. For this year, the federal government has already budgeted 11.5 billion euros for artillery, drones, armored vehicles and other equipment. According to the Defense Ministry, this is the highest amount since the Russian attack.
The agreement on the support commitment for Ukraine was preceded by months of discussions in which Germany strongly advocated a new promise. In the meantime, the proposal was also on the table that all alliance states provide a certain proportion of their gross domestic product to support Ukraine. But countries like France, among others, did not want to accept this.
Many important military equipment comes from the USA
Now the aim is to rely on voluntariness in order to fulfill the support promise. According to diplomats, France does not want to contribute to a specific GDP quota because it does not like NATO’s so-called Purl initiative. This stipulates that ammunition and weapons manufactured in the USA are sold to European allies and Canada – and that they then make them available to Ukraine.
Purl was launched last summer to meet US demands. Trump had previously made it clear that, in his view, the USA had had far too large a share of support for Ukraine for far too long. That’s why the other allies should now pay for further US military aid.
Europeans want to take on more responsibility
The summit declaration, adopted in a written procedure, is to be published next Wednesday at the end of the two-day summit of heads of state and government in Ankara. In addition to the promise of support for Ukraine, according to information from the German Press Agency, the agreed draft also contains formulations that are intended to make it clear that the European allies will bear significantly more responsibility for the defense and deterrence of their continent in the future. The motto is a stronger Europe in a stronger NATO.
It should also be about expanding the capacities of the defense industry. As was the case last year, Russia should be described as a permanent threat to Euro-Atlantic security.
Trouble over the Iran war
According to the plans, the Iran war started by the USA and Israel will only be briefly discussed in connection with the goal of free shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which is important for oil and gas deliveries.
Trump has recently repeatedly shown great displeasure about the lack of support from allies for the US war against Iran. US government officials such as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the allies’ course as “shameful” and announced a reassessment of US relations with NATO.
The last NATO financial support commitment for Ukraine to date came at the last NATO summit with Trump’s predecessor Joe Biden in 2024. At that time, the alliance states agreed to provide “elementary minimum financing of 40 billion euros” within one year “with the help of proportional contributions”. At last year’s summit, no such agreement was reached with Trump.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced on Wednesday that things would be different this year on the sidelines of talks with Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Defense Minister Boris Pistorius in Berlin. In a press conference, without giving specific figures, he said: “At the summit next week, the allies will promise to provide Ukraine with sustainable, reliable and long-term security support.” He expressly welcomes Germany’s strong leadership role in this issue. (dab/sda/dpa)