Five NATO countries blocked a plan for mandatory spending on aid to Ukraine - The Telegraph

The United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy, and Canada have blocked a proposal for NATO member states to annually allocate 0.25% of their GDP to military aid for Ukraine. This was reported by The Telegraph, citing sources, according to UNN.

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It is noted that this week, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated that the plan would not be implemented as it failed to garner sufficient support. He mentioned that he had hoped to ratify the proposal at the Alliance's upcoming annual summit in Ankara.

According to the publication's sources, at least seven NATO member states that already spend more than 0.25% of their GDP on military aid to Ukraine expressed support for the plan. However, any proposals adopted by the Alliance require the unanimous support of all member countries.

"They are not very enthusiastic about the idea," a source told the publication, referring to the UK, France, Spain, Italy, and Canada.

The publication added that the volume of the UK's military contribution to support Ukraine is the third largest after the US and Germany. However, it does not reach the 0.25% of GDP mark.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer previously pledged to allocate at least £3 billion per year—approximately 0.1% of GDP—for the foreseeable future. Meanwhile, France, Spain, Italy, and Canada lag behind many of their smaller allies in terms of financial contributions.

As the publication emphasizes, according to data collected by the Kiel Institute, the Netherlands, Poland, as well as the Nordic and Baltic countries, provide aid amounting to 0.25% of GDP or even higher.