Politico: NATO countries demand Stoltenberg to clarify his €100 billion plan for Ukraine

NATO allies are demanding that Alliance chief Jens Stoltenberg this week provide more clarity on his plan to allocate €100 billion to support Ukraine.

Politico writes about this with reference to sources.

Behind the scenes, even some of Ukraineʼs closest Eastern European allies have become more cautious about the plan in recent weeks, wondering where and how they will find such a significant amount of money.

"The plan is a bit confusing," said one Eastern European official.

Sources say the countries expect more clarity from Stoltenberg during a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Prague on Thursday and Friday.

Another official, also from a country friendly to Ukraine, said he "wouldnʼt be surprised" if the €100 billion figure was eventually revised. At the same time, he emphasized that allies will need to find ways to demonstrate concrete support for Kyiv.

Two other officials with knowledge of the discussion confirmed that negotiations were ongoing, particularly over the amount of money and how it would be distributed.

A fifth official warned that while ministers and Stoltenberg discuss details at the Prague meeting, no official decisions will be made, given the "informal" nature of the meeting.

It is not yet known whether the European heavyweights of NATO — Germany and France — will support this plan.

What Stoltenbergʼs proposal entails

In April, Stoltenberg proposed to the Alliance countries to create a contribution fund for Ukraine worth $100 billion over five years as part of a package that the leaders should sign at the July summit in Washington.

Under the plan, NATO would take over some coordination work from a special US-led coalition known as the Ramstein Group, which coordinates arms shipments to Ukraine from some 50 countries. The move is aimed in part at protecting against any reduction in US support should Donald Trump return to the White House, diplomats said.

Under the leadership of NATO Commander-in-Chief General Chris Cavoli, such a move could protect the Contact Group from any political changes that may occur after the US presidential election.