Nato may arm Kyiv if Trump wins election

NATO could send weapons and ammunition to Ukraine for the first time under a plan to “Trump-proof ” Western support for the war-torn nation.

The $100 billion (£79.5 billion) “trust fund” scheme would see the transatlantic military alliance take charge of donations previously sent on an individual basis.

It would likely require European Nato members to commit a greater proportion of money and weapons than they currently do, which officials believe will help placate Donald Trump.

Trump supporters have blocked a major tranche of aid to Ukraine from passing Congress as he rails against Nato members that do not spend enough on defence.

Officials fear Ukraine funding could further dry up if Mr Trump is re-elected in November.

Jens Stoltenberg, Nato’s departing secretary-general, has privately told member states a shift in the alliance’s donations policy is needed to “shield it [aid to Ukraine] against the winds of political change”, a tacit admission that American support is not guaranteed.

Details of the plan are still under discussion, but officials expect Europe to agree to fund the majority of long-term aid packages.

“It needs to be some sort of trust fund construction, but one where you all agree to do this based on a common funding distribution key,” a senior Nato diplomat said. “It solves a burden-sharing problem.”

But plans for Nato to directly give weapons to Ukraine would be seen in Moscow as escalatory given Vladimir Putin’s attempts to paint his invasion of Ukraine as a bid to stop Nato expanding its borders.

In early discussions over the “Nato Mission Ukraine” scheme, a number of allies have raised issues over a previously-agreed red line to directly deliver lethal aid to Kyiv.

“If we are to do this, we have to cross the Rubicon in that Nato will have a role in coordinating the supply of lethal support to Ukraine,” the senior diplomat said.

Under the scheme, Nato commanders would take over the reins of power of the Ukraine Contact Group of 50-plus allies co-ordinating weapon deliveries to Kyiv previously managed by the Americans.

It would be underpinned by an offer of $100 billion in funding over the next five years to improve the state of Ukraine’s armed forces with weapons and training.