NATO’s Ukraine support package slowly takes shape, but details remain elusive

NATO members discussed options for how to ringfence the alliance’s Ukraine support and training coordination, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Friday (14 June), however in preparation for the July summit, a lack of concrete pledges remains.

More than two years after Russia invaded Ukraine, NATO members are looking at securing their security assistance against potential political uncertainties in its member states, one of the major deliverables for the alliance’s Washington Summit in July.

Their pledge of “support for as long as it takes” since the beginning of the war is now taking shape.

Speaking to reporters in Brussels when Stoltenberg presented the Ukraine support package, likely to be his legacy, before stepping down in the autumn.

In a bid to make the coordination of aid and the training for Ukrainian forces secured from any government and political changes, especially in the US, after November’s presidential elections, NATO institutions will take over the two tasks, Stoltenberg said.

As anticipated earlier, members “agreed to a plan where NATO will lead the coordination of security assistance and training,” which is a combination of the efforts led until now under ad hoc formats of Ramstein and Wiesbaden.

A three-star general will take responsibility, reporting to NATO’s supreme allied commander in Europe (SACEUR) and overseeing around 700 personnel from across the alliance and partners.

Despite concerns that Hungary would block the package, it passed thanks to Budapest being allowed to opt-out from it.

Donations of Western-style equipment and training of armed forces to NATO standards are expected to keep Ukraine on the path to membership in the military alliance.

Since it applied for membership two years ago, the country only received a lukewarm approval.

With the NATO leaders’ summit just around the corner, Ukrainians and their Western allies – such as Lithuania – have been pushing for an invitation to NATO or a stronger positive signal.

Meanwhile, the US and Germany, amongst others, remain wary of such a move, preferring measures to “bridge” Ukraine and the military alliance.

One key part of this ‘bridge’ is providing Kyiv with enough military donations to end its fight against Russia – with what its backers hope, victory.

Stoltenberg proposed that members promise Kyiv a continued yearly $40 billion worth of military support plan, but details remain to be defined.

NATO diplomats speaking to Euractiv on condition of anonymity expressed different views on how the contribution should be factored in, and whether it should go beyond a ‘political pledge’ or be shaped into a clear cash-based and multi-year commitment.

Kyiv’s Western supporters have donated and bought large quantities of defence-related equipment to support the fight against Russia, including an intense search for air defence systems, as well as massively increased defence spending.

Stoltenberg said that spending keeps increasing, which he labelled as good news.

Defence equipment production – especially in ammunition – remains too little compared to Ukraine’s needs, with Russia firing five to ten times as much.

He also added that allies will discuss a ‘defence industrial pledge’ to be endorsed by leaders in Washington, “to scale up production and develop industrial base fit for purpose,” for war-time production needs.

Commentating on NATO’s own readiness to fight, should it be attacked, Stoltenberg said the allies have “500,000 [troops] at high-level readiness, which is significantly more than the level set at the 2022 Vilnius summit,” where Stoltenberg mentioned a 300,000 strong-force.

[Edited by Alexandra Brzozowski/Rajnish Singh]

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