Foreign ministers meet in Brussels to mark NATO's 75th anniversary

The foreign ministers of NATO's 32 member states gathered in Brussels on Wednesday to mark the alliance's 75th anniversary. Among the issues being discussed is a proposal to set up a 100 billion euro fund to help Ukraine in its war against Russia.

The proposal by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is for a five-year fund to "ensure reliable and predictable security assistance to Ukraine for the long haul," he said on Wednesday. "We need to shift the dynamics of our support," Stoltenberg said as he arrived at the meeting.

"It's dangerous to make promises we can't keep"

German Foreign minister Annalena Baerbock said the proposal to support Ukraine through "reliable, long-term structures" was "right and important". Latvian Foreign minister Krisjanis Karins also welcomed the proposal, suggesting that member states could each contribute a percentage of their GDP.

"It's dangerous to make promises we can't keep," Belgian Foreign minister Hadja Lahbib said when asked how much her country would be willing to contribute. Lahbib said NATO members would discuss the plan's feasibility.

The aim is to reach a consensus before NATO's next summit in Washington in July

Hungarian Foreign minister Peter Szijjarto "firmly stated Hungary will not back any NATO proposals that might draw the alliance closer to war or shift it from a defensive to an offensive coalition," government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs said on X.

Stoltenberg would not go into details of the proposal and said a decision on the fund was not expected immediately. The aim is to reach a consensus before NATO's next summit in Washington in July. 

^{NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg opens a round table during the North Atlantic Council meeting of foreign ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels on 3 April 2024 © Kenzo TRIBOUILLARD / AFP}