State Council—

NATO foreign ministers are meeting in Brussels on Wednesday and are expected to discuss a proposal to create a $100 billion fund to support Ukraine’s military.

The plan, proposed by NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, also includes a more direct involvement of NATO in coordinating military assistance provided by member states, a role already held by the U.S.-led alliance of more than 50 countries.

A final decision on the proposal will not be made until a July summit of NATO heads of state.

Ahead of the talks in Brussels, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken renewed his call on the U.S. Congress to provide military aid to Ukraine.

“We are at a critical moment where it is absolutely necessary to provide the Ukrainians with what they need to continue to defend themselves, particularly in terms of ammunition and air defense,” Blinken said on Tuesday during a visit to a defense facility in Paris with the French Defense Ministry. .” Minister Sebastian Lecornu.

Congress has yet to approve the Biden administration’s supplemental budget request, which would provide aid to Ukraine’s armed forces and help the country defend itself against a Russian offensive.

Biden called on the Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives to approve the military and financial aid package. House Republicans have delayed action on it for months, prioritizing domestic issues.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that if Kyiv does not receive military assistance from the United States, Ukrainian troops will have to withdraw “step by step and small steps.”

French Foreign Minister Serjeune visited Beijing earlier this week. After meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, he said France wanted China to send a “clear message” to its close partner Russia on Moscow’s actions in Ukraine.

France and China have sought to strengthen ties in recent years. Chinese President Xi Jinping plans to visit France in May.

At a meeting in Paris in February, Wang told French President Emmanuel Macron that Beijing appreciated France’s “independent” stance. But Paris has also sought to pressure Beijing over its close ties with Moscow, which have grown even closer since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

U.S. and French officials say they are working closely to effectively prevent North Korea and China from transferring arms and materials to Russia, which could bolster Moscow’s defense industrial base.

This report contains information obtained from AFP and Reuters.