Berlin, July 1 (EFE).- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Wednesday that NATO allies are expected to commit at least 70 billion euros in military and financial support for Ukraine at next week’s summit, while discussions continue over extending that commitment into 2027.
According to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ), the draft summit declaration under negotiation would commit allies to providing Ukraine with around 70 billion euros in military equipment, training, and other assistance by 2026, with a proposal to maintain a similar level of support in 2027.
«We also want to send a signal of continued support for Ukraine from Ankara. The federal government proposes that we, as the European NATO allies, make a new funding commitment to Kyiv. We hope Moscow draws the right conclusions from this. We will not reduce our support for Ukraine,» Merz said at a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius.
Merz said the decision to begin peace negotiations rests entirely with Russia.
«The time should come when the Russian leadership declares itself willing to enter talks and negotiations,» he said.
“It depends solely on Moscow. The willingness of the Europeans, NATO and, above all, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Ukraine to engage in dialogue has been demonstrated on numerous occasions. It is solely up to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin to begin these talks and end the war.”
According to Politico, the United States is not expected to participate in the new European funding commitment.
However, Rutte stressed that US support remains essential and continues through the PURL program, under which Ukraine has been purchasing US-made weapons, particularly missiles for Patriot air defense systems, with financial backing from Canada and European partners since 2025.
“I think that’s fair,» Rutte said. «Only the United States can provide support on this scale, and it continues to do so, while also helping in many other ways that cannot always be made public.”
Merz also noted that at the recent G7 summit in the French city of Évian, leaders, including US President Donald Trump, endorsed a declaration supporting tougher sanctions on Russian oil and gas exports and increased deliveries of air defense systems to Ukraine.
«The President of the United States was with us and signed the document. This is the clear position of the G7, and it is something we can rely on ahead of next week’s NATO summit,» he said.
Debate over extending aid
According to FAZ, NATO ambassadors discussed language for the final declaration of the July 7-8 summit that would commit allies to providing Ukraine with 70 billion euros in military equipment, support and training by 2026.
However, disagreement remains over a proposal to maintain «at least a comparable level of aid» in 2027.
The newspaper said Italy opposes explicitly extending the commitment to 2027, leaving that language in brackets in the latest draft declaration, which ambassadors are due to review again on Thursday.
FAZ said the annual figure of 70 billion euros is not based on a fresh assessment of Ukraine’s military needs but on existing commitments. It includes the European Union’s 30 billion euro loan to Ukraine, while the remaining 40 billion euros correspond to the pledge agreed at NATO’s 2024 Washington summit.
If allies also agree to maintain a comparable level of assistance in 2027, total pledged support would amount to about 140 billion euros over the two years. EFE
cae-sk
