Kyiv [Ukraine], May 28: Politico newspaper reported on May 26 that members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization ( NATO ) are internally divided over Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg's plan to use 100 billion euros (108 billion USD) to support Kyiv.
Even close allies to Ukraine in Eastern Europe are skeptical about this plan, with the key issue being where to mobilize such a huge source of money, while the NATO summit is about to take place in July.
This plan was proposed by Mr. Stoltenberg so that the alliance would have a binding commitment, in case former US President Donald Trump wins the November election. Mr. Trump, while in office, always criticized NATO members for not having budget contribution commensurate with that of the US. He is also said to be unsympathetic to Ukraine .
France advocates spending defense spending on the European Union (EU) rather than NATO, while German Prime Minister Olaf Scholz is not willing to spend more than committed in 2022. Some other officials believe there will have to be changes about the amount of aid. Mr. Stoltenberg's original plan was that NATO would support 100 billion euros for Ukraine over 5 years.
Also related to the situation in Ukraine, RT Radio on May 25 quoted Secretary General Stoltenberg urging NATO members to allow Ukraine to use weapon aid to attack Russian territory. Kyiv officials have recently called on the West, especially the US, to lift the ban. Washington has so far maintained its stance of not encouraging Ukraine to use US weapons to attack Russian territory, although there have been internal discussions about easing restrictions. Mr. Stoltenberg also announced that NATO will not place an air defense shield in Ukraine.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
