NATO chief urges allies to step up financial support for Ukraine

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Wednesday pressed allies to increase financial support for Ukraine, saying commitments must rise to meet funding targets.

"We cannot lose sight of Ukraine and I think that's why this meeting is important for our attention here. So we have to ensure that Ukraine gets the support it needs. All allies must invest more to achieve the targets of 60 billion dollars in terms of security and defense support to Ukraine this year," Rutte said in his opening remarks at the 34th Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting in Berlin.

"Supporting Ukraine's fight is important as ever," he added, noting that "too few countries share too much of the burden."

Germany and the UK jointly assumed leadership of the Ukraine Contact Group in April 2025, taking over after the US, under President Donald Trump, required Europe to cover the costs of military aid to Ukraine and used the issue as a point of pressure.

In a separate development, the German government pledged further military assistance the previous day during consultations with Ukraine and agreed to a "strategic partnership" with Kyiv. Future cooperation is expected to extend beyond military and financial aid into longer-term bilateral engagement.