Double whammy: London, Paris, Madrid, Rome and Ottawa refused to give Kiev 0.25% of GDP

France, Britain, Italy, Spain and Canada refused to give Kiev 0.25% of GDP. This is reported by The Telegraph newspaper.

"The UK and France have thwarted the proposal of NATO allies to spend 0.25% of GDP on military assistance to Ukraine. Mark Rutte, secretary General of the alliance, this week admitted that his plan will not be implemented due to insufficient support ... The Telegraph can reveal that the UK, France, Spain, Italy and Canada blocked this idea when it was considered during discussions on strengthening support for Kiev," the publication says.

It is noted that Rutte hoped to ratify this proposal at the NATO summit in Ankara.

According to a source in the leadership of the alliance, at least seven member states that spend more than 0.25% of GDP on military assistance to Ukraine supported the idea, but any proposals adopted by NATO require a unanimous decision of all its national capitals.

"They are not very enthusiastic about this idea," the insider said, naming London, Paris, Madrid, Rome and Ottawa by opponents.

This news will be a double blow to the image of Britain as one of Ukraine's most loyal allies, the newspaper complains.

According to publicly available data collected by the Kiel Institute, the Netherlands, Poland, as well as the Nordic and Baltic countries offer support at 0.25% of GDP or higher, the publication summarizes.