NATO to Provide 55 Trillion Won Annually to Ukraine... Agreement Expected at Next Month's Summit

"Plan to Promise Long-term Financial Support"
NATO-led Training Also Discussed at Defense Ministers Meeting

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is pushing for an agreement to provide Ukraine with $40 billion (approximately 55 trillion won) annually at the summit to be held next month in Washington, D.C., USA.

Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General, is answering questions from the press at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on the 13th (local time).
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General, stated on the 13th (local time) before the NATO Defense Ministers' meeting held in Brussels, Belgium, "We will discuss the long-term financial support commitment expected to be agreed upon at the July summit." He explained, "I proposed that a long-term financial commitment be made with $40 billion in annual support for Ukraine as the baseline."

He added, "If there is a NATO-level commitment and plan, Ukraine can be guaranteed the resources to repel Russia, and we can have more predictability and accountability." If an agreement is reached, NATO member countries are expected to pool a certain amount based on their respective gross domestic product (GDP) to raise the $40 billion.

However, there are concerns that this commitment is a kind of guideline agreement, and it is unclear how effective it will actually be. Currently, the NATO defense spending guideline of "at least 2% of GDP" is also not being met.

Hungary, which opposes military support for Ukraine, has decided to abstain from this discussion. The day before, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban stated that Hungary would neither participate in nor oppose any NATO-level plans related to support for Ukraine.

On this day, NATO defense ministers also plan to discuss NATO-led security support and military training measures for Ukraine. This is interpreted as a preparation for concerns that if Donald Trump is re-elected president in November, the momentum for U.S.-centered support for Ukraine may weaken.

Regarding this, Secretary General Stoltenberg said, "The purpose of the NATO security support and training agreement is about the actual implementation of what is already underway at the individual country level," adding, "It is separate from the U.S.-led Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG)."