Ukraine’s diplomatic representative to Turkey anticipates that NATO will address financial assistance for his country during the alliance’s July summit, even though the funding proposal has struggled to win over member nations.
Ambassador Nariman Dzhelialov stated during a Tuesday interview that he hopes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will participate in the July 7-8 gathering in Ankara. He emphasized that Ukraine also seeks renewed commitments from members regarding the country’s aspirations to join the military alliance.
Ukraine relies heavily on foreign assistance to meet its budget requirements and finance its ongoing conflict with Russia.
Last June, Zelenskiy requested that Western allies dedicate 0.25% of their gross domestic product toward helping Ukraine enhance weapons manufacturing. Officials indicated that NATO leader Mark Rutte had proposed the concept of alliance members, excluding the United States, spending that percentage for Ukraine’s benefit.
The proposal has encountered opposition, and Rutte acknowledged last week his doubts about its acceptance. Diplomatic sources indicated that conversations continue regarding ways to show NATO’s commitment to Ukraine during the summit.
Even with limited support for the concept, the ambassador indicated Ukraine continues advocating for the plan.
“A mechanism here (could be) one in which every NATO member contributes a part of their finances to support strengthening Ukraine’s security capabilities,” he explained, recognizing that some allies hesitate to allocate resources while working to enhance their own military capabilities according to NATO standards.
“But we are not saying ‘give us 100%’, just a very small piece,” he added without providing additional specifics.
The summit occurs during a period of strain between Washington and European partners on multiple fronts. U.S. President Donald Trump has consistently called for NATO allies to substantially increase defense spending, as his administration argues that European nations should eventually take primary responsibility for the continent’s conventional security.
Dzhelialov praised Turkey’s mediation efforts between Ukraine and Russia, noting that Ukraine remains prepared for leadership-level discussions with Russia.
He identified Turkey as the most suitable location for such talks, given its history of hosting previous negotiations and its relationships with both nations.
The ambassador highlighted defense industry collaboration as a crucial area of partnership between Turkey and Ukraine, mentioning that Zelenskiy discussed this topic with President Tayyip Erdogan during an Istanbul visit in April.
He revealed that Ukraine has presented Turkey with a proposal concerning potential sales, joint manufacturing, or technology sharing for Ukrainian drone systems, with Ukraine prepared to provide operator training if necessary.
“We have ideas, dreams, technology and they are working, but (Turkey) has the production capacity. This is a bit slow for us because the Russians are always attacking … This is why it is difficult to produce some weapons for us, but (Turkey) has that capacity,” he explained.
