The D Brief: Putin, rattled; Gaza pier ops, suspended; F-35 crashes; Army’s drone experiments; And a bit more.
Defense OneMay 29
NATO to Discuss €100B Weapons Fund for Ukraine
story
Above: NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg addresses a press conference at the Warsaw Armoured Brigade on April 23, 2024 in Warsaw, Poland. Image copyright: WPA Pool/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
With debate continuing to swirl about permitting Ukraine to use Western weapons to strike inside Russian territory, NATO foreign ministers will also discuss the creation of a €100B ($108B) weapons fund for Ukraine as they meet in the Czech Republic on Thursday.
The package, which seeks to raise the funds over five years, was first floated by NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg last month. If approved, it would also shift control of the US-led weapons support group from Washington to NATO — reportedly an effort to shield against the "winds of political change," and the possible consequences of a second Donald Trump presidency.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
With there being differences of opinion in NATO countries about how to best support Ukraine over the next few years, the main goal of this two-day summit in the Czech Republic is to get allies to iron out those differences. This will help the allies be on the same page when it comes time for the leaders' summit scheduled for July in Lithuania.
Establishment-critical narrative
Spiraling out of control, NATO countries continue to cross their self-stated red lines and continue to escalate the conflict by getting more and more entrenched in Ukraine. Why are Western leaders so intent on sparking a global conflict that will almost certainly lead to catastrophe?
