Mark Rutte: Many NATO countries are not providing enough aid to Ukraine

21.05.2026 | International news

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has called for a fairer distribution of aid to Ukraine, after it became clear that the burden is falling on a limited number of allies.

Снимка от PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY Official website, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)

Rutte: A new debate on aid to Kyiv is needed

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has sharply criticized some of the alliance's member states for not allocating sufficient financial resources to support Ukraine. He is insisting on the introduction of a minimum threshold for aid.

"Support is not distributed equally within NATO. It is concentrated on a limited number of countries," noted Rutte.

Among the countries making the greatest efforts are Sweden, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Norway. However, a large part of the alliance is lagging in its commitments.

The 0.25% of GDP proposal

According to data from the Kiel Institute, the Scandinavian and Baltic states, along with Poland and the Netherlands, are leaders in terms of the volume of military aid relative to their GDP.