NATO will present a new €40B annual financing scheme for Ukraine and “build a bridge” to membership.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg believes in the approval of the Ukraine’s new defense financing system by the Alliance members at the NATO summit. After the ministerial meeting in Prague, dedicated to preparation for the July summit, Stoltenberg reported fruitful negotiations on how to guarantee Ukraine’s long-term defense support and defined its expected scope.

“We have already provided Ukraine with €40B in security assistance per year, and I am asking NATO member states to make a corresponding commitment for the following years,” he said.

One of the key ideas is the fair distribution of the financial burden. Stoltenberg suggests that proportionality to each country’s GDP can be used as a basis.

In his turn, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on the sidelines of the Prague meeting that July’s NATO summit in Washington should ensure the construction of a “bridge” to Ukraine’s membership in the Alliance. “A powerful package of support for Ukraine” will also be approved at the summit.