Western officials have called the Ukraine conflict a proxy war against Russia
NATO members could formally include weapons supplies to Ukraine as part of increased defense budgets, according to a proposal cited by Euractiv on Tuesday.
Members of the US-led military bloc have already provided hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of arms to Ukraine in what is increasingly recognized as a Western proxy war against Russia.
Under new proposals, Ukraine’s Western backers would be able to classify such deliveries as contributions to NATO’s collective security, five sources familiar with internal discussions told Euractiv.
NATO leaders are expected to approve an increase in the bloc’s defense spending target for members – from the current 2% of GDP to 5% – during a summit scheduled for later this month in the Netherlands. Secretary-General Mark Rutte has reportedly suggested a “dual-track” system that would allow up to 1.5% of GDP to be spent on “defense-related” efforts such as cybersecurity and infrastructure upgrades. Funding directed to support Ukraine’s war with Russia could also be included in the category, Euractiv reported.
The proposed accounting shift is aimed at addressing criticism from US President Donald Trump, who accused European nations of not carrying their burden, according to the outlet. The change could also give European NATO members greater flexibility to procure arms for Kiev directly from Ukrainian defense contractors, the report added.
Multiple Western officials have publicly characterized the Ukraine conflict as a proxy war. Keith Kellogg, a special envoy on Ukraine policy under Trump, acknowledged as much on Fox News on Sunday as he warned that actions such as the possible supply of German-made Taurus missiles to Kiev risked complicating any path to peace. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also used the term in February, with the Kremlin agreeing with his statements.
The Trump administration has said it intends to walk away from the conflict if peace talks between Ukraine and Russia reach a dead end. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is not expected to attend a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday – the first such gathering the Pentagon would skip. The group was created three years ago to coordinate arms supplies to Kiev.
Russian officials have accused European NATO members of encouraging a protracted conflict, referring to it as a “fight to the last Ukrainian.” They have stated a preference for achieving Moscow’s goals through diplomacy rather than military means.
