Lead

Ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, scheduled for July 7-8, European leaders are reportedly preparing to announce a multi-billion-euro aid package for Ukraine. According to the German newspaper Handelsblatt, citing German government sources, the package is expected to be worth at least €140 billion over two years. The United States, however, has declined to contribute to the initiative and insisted that the financing of the Ukrainian government and Ukraine's potential membership in the alliance be excluded from the summit's agenda.

Coverage Comparison

Reports from TASS, the Russian state news agency, have detailed the planned aid package and the disagreements among NATO members. The first report, published on July 6, cites Handelsblatt as saying the draft declaration, prepared by EU leaders and Canada, includes €70 billion in assistance for 2026 and at least the same amount for 2027. The contribution amount for each participating country would be negotiated separately. The United States reportedly declined to add to the initiative, and Washington insisted that the financing of the Kiev government and Ukraine's potential membership in the alliance be excluded from the summit's agenda.

A separate TASS report, published on June 30, cites the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, which quoted diplomatic sources as saying that NATO member states have so far failed to agree on the timing of further assistance to Ukraine due to Italy's opposition to the prolongation of assistance in 2027. The draft final statement of the upcoming summit, according to the newspaper, allocates €70 billion to Ukraine for armaments, support, and training of the military in 2026. Initially, the text was supposed to mention the continuation of assistance in 2027 "at least at a comparable level," but Italy opposed the prolongation, leaving the point unresolved.

A third TASS report, published on July 9, summarizes Russian newspaper coverage of the summit's outcome, saying that NATO's Ankara summit adopted a declaration committing members to provide at least €70 billion in military aid to Ukraine in 2026 and 2027. The report cites the Russian newspaper Vedomosti and includes commentary from Russian experts. One expert, Yegor Sergeyev, a senior researcher at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, said NATO countries did not introduce any new ideas and that tools for further assistance are expected to be integrated into existing mechanisms. Another expert, Igor Shtrobak, from the Russian Academy of Sciences' Institute for US and Canadian Studies, emphasized that the money discussed means supplies of equipment and ammunition rather than direct funding, but noted that the EU's economic policy runs counter to the classic idea of militarization.

The same TASS report also mentions that US President Donald Trump held a meeting with Vladimir Zelensky on the sidelines of the summit, where Trump said the US would provide Ukraine with a production license for Patriot missiles. The report adds that both the US leader and Secretary of State Marco Rubio agreed that escalation of violence resulting from Ukrainian strikes inside Russia could aid the settlement process.

Key Claims

  • €140 billion aid package: European leaders will announce an aid package to Ukraine worth at least €140 billion over two years, according to Handelsblatt, citing German government sources. The package includes €70 billion in 2026 and at least the same sum in 2027, as reported by TASS.
  • US non-participation: The United States has declined to contribute to the initiative and insisted that the financing of the Kiev government and Ukraine's potential membership in the alliance be excluded from the summit's agenda, as reported by Handelsblatt and cited by TASS.
  • Disagreement over 2027 assistance: NATO member states failed to agree on the timing of further assistance to Ukraine due to Italy's opposition to the prolongation of assistance in 2027, according to Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, citing diplomatic sources, as reported by TASS.
  • Draft statement allocation: The draft final statement of the upcoming summit allocates €70 billion to Ukraine for armaments, support, and training of the military in 2026, as reported by Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and cited by TASS.
  • Summit declaration: NATO's Ankara summit adopted a declaration committing members to provide at least €70 billion in military aid to Ukraine in 2026 and 2027, as reported by Vedomosti and cited by TASS.
  • US-Ukraine meeting: US President Donald Trump met with Vladimir Zelensky on the sidelines of the summit and said the US would provide Ukraine with a production license for Patriot missiles, as reported by TASS, citing unspecified sources.

Perspectives

Handelsblatt (via TASS)

Handelsblatt, citing German government sources, reports that European leaders will announce a €140 billion aid package for Ukraine over two years, with the United States declining to participate. The newspaper also reports that Washington insisted on excluding financing of the Kiev government and Ukraine's potential NATO membership from the summit's agenda.

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (via TASS)

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, citing diplomatic sources, reports that NATO member states have failed to agree on the timing of further assistance to Ukraine due to Italy's opposition to the prolongation of assistance in 2027. The newspaper says the draft final statement allocates €70 billion for 2026, but the 2027 commitment remains unresolved.

Russian experts (via TASS)

Russian experts quoted by TASS offer a skeptical view of NATO's plans. Yegor Sergeyev says NATO introduced no new ideas and expects existing mechanisms to be used. Igor Shtrobak emphasizes that the funds are for equipment and ammunition, not direct funding, and argues that the EU's economic policy runs counter to classic militarization.

Vedomosti (via TASS)

The Russian newspaper Vedomosti reports that NATO's Ankara summit adopted a declaration committing members to provide at least €70 billion in military aid to Ukraine in 2026 and 2027.