News - Middle East: NATO has pledged $43 billion in military assistance to Ukraine and guaranteed an ‘irreversible path’ for the ex-Soviet republic toward membership in the US-led military alliance once the current war with Russia is over.

The binding assurance of protection was made after the 32-member bloc formally declared on Wednesday that it would ultimately grant Ukraine membership but only after the conclusion of the ongoing war.

The alliance also pledged to supply Ukraine with at least $43bn in military aid within the next year to boost its defenses against Russia.

NATO member nations, both individually and collectively in their summit statement in Washington, outlined measures to strengthen Ukraine’s defense. As part of the pledge to bolster Ukraine’s military, the United States, the Netherlands, and Denmark announced that Ukrainian military pilots would receive NATO-provided F-16s as soon as this summer.

Furthermore, NATO declared a lasting pledge of security aid to Ukraine and affirmed the creation of a new NATO center to ensure a consistent supply of weapons and training to Ukraine from the bloc’s members. This is while Kiev argues that these commitments do not provide the military capability necessary to defeat the Russian forces.