VILNIUS – Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda on Thursday welcomed an initiative to create a 100-billion-euro NATO fund for Ukraine, saying it would allow ensuring the Alliance's support to Kiyv independently of political processes.
Nauseda's comment came after NATO's top diplomats discussed a proposal for a 100-billion-euro, five-year fund for Ukraine at their meeting in Brussels on Wednesday.
"I welcome the idea itself. We do need a mechanism to make this support process objective, determined by certain criteria," Nauseda told journalists.
"This does not rule out the possibility of individual states contributing much more, but it first and foremost ensures the much-needed solidarity so that a collective agreement to continue supporting Ukraine is reached regardless of political winds and crosswinds," he said.
According to Nauseda, even if the NATO fund is approved, solutions will still need to be sought to provide macro-financial assistance to Ukraine.
"Individual countries will continue to try to help in various ways, both financially and through other means," he said.
The current proposal envisions NATO's 32 members contributing to the fund according to the size of their economy. However, some Western countries are skeptical about the initiative.
Deividas Matulionis, Lithuania's ambassador to NATO, told LRT Radio earlier on Thursday that the Alliance should aim for more than 100 billion euros in financing for Ukraine.
A meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council was held in Brussels on Thursday to discuss Ukraine's prospects for joining the Alliance. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba updated his NATO counterparts on Kyiv's most pressing defense needs.
At their summit in the Lithuanian capital last July, NATO leaders pledged to invite Ukraine to join the Alliance "when Allies agree and conditions are met".
Kyiv hopes to receive an invitation to join NATO during this year's summit in Washington, D.C., but is unlikely to get one.
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