NATO foreign ministers gathered in Brussels to mark 75 years since its founding. Stoltenberg: "We must be firm in our support for Ukraine"
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday that the alliance must provide Ukraine with more systematic military support over a longer period, and that Kyiv's membership of the alliance is a matter of "when, not if", DW reports.
He was speaking as the foreign ministers of NATO member states met in Brussels for a two-day summit.
"We need to shift the dynamics of our support," Stoltenberg said as he arrived at the meeting.
"We must ensure reliable and predictable security assistance to Ukraine for the long haul so that we rely less on voluntary contributions and more on NATO commitments, less on short-term offers and more on multi-year pledges."
Stoltenberg declined to comment on proposals reported by mulitple diplomats that he has proposed military support for Ukraine worth €100 billion ($108 billion) over the next five years.
The aim is reportedly to have an aid package finalized in time for a NATO summit which will be held in Washington in July.
A German foreign ministry spokesperson confirmed that the proposals would be discussed over the course of the two-day meeting chaired by Stoltenberg.
The proposals received support from the foreign ministers of NATO members Latvia and Poland, whose countries both share borders with Russian territory.
Latvia's Krisjanis Karins said the proposed could be funded if allied members committed "a certain percentage of GDP."
That call was backed by the UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron who said upon arrival at the meeting that it was "vital that Britain and [NATO] get the weapons and support Ukraine needs" by committing "two percent" of GDP.
