(Bloomberg) -- A proposed $100 billion fund for Ukraine will help ensure all NATO allies do their part to help Kyiv fend off Russia’s invasion, said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg amid concerns that some large member countries are lagging behind.

“One of the reasons why I want a stronger NATO framework around the support is that’s a way to ensure fair burden sharing,” the NATO chief said in an interview with Bloomberg TV’s Jonathan Ferro, Annmarie Hordern and Lisa Abramowicz.

“That makes it easier to get all allies on board — also the United States,” he added. 

Bloomberg was first to report on NATO plans to establish the fund, which would total around $100 billion over five years, with ambitions to get leaders’ sign-off in July. Although it’s not yet official, NATO’s foreign ministers are already managing expectations — at a meeting in Brussels this week to celebrate the alliance’s 75th anniversary, some expressed caution about the fund’s ability to attract significant financing. 

Read More: NATO Allies Urge Caution Over $100 Billion Aid Plan for Kyiv

The US has for years pressed allies to spend more on their own defense — and, since Russia’s invasion, Ukraine’s as well. European allies are now stepping up, partly in the hopes that this will help convince Republican lawmakers to back a $60 billion aid package.  

While the way in which the fund will be financed still needs to be worked out, it will likely be based on each country’s gross domestic product — a method many officials believe will address the problem of fair burden sharing. France, in particular, trails Germany and the Nordic nations in its donations to Ukraine in both relative and absolute terms. France was one of the allies that expressed skepticism about the plan, according to a senior envoy. 

In addition to launching the fund, NATO is looking to assume greater responsibility in coordinating weapons deliveries to Ukraine, which have so far been helmed by the US-led Ukraine Defense Contact Group. While such a move would shield the structure from political volatility in the US, particularly if Donald Trump returns to the White House, it would also shift NATO’s role in the war. 

Stoltenberg this week stressed the urgent need to shore up aid for Ukraine in the long-term and also more immediately as Ukrainian forces struggle to fend off Russian attacks in light of severe ammunition shortages. He warned of a scenario in which Moscow makes significant gains due to Ukraine’s lack of aid.

“My proposals on a stronger NATO role is based on the situation on the battlefield in Ukraine, the urgent need to have more reliable, predictable support,” Stoltenberg said. “We have to ensure that burden is shared equally among allies.”

Read More: Moscow is Outpacing Ukraine’s Allies in the Race for Ammunition

--With assistance from Jonathan Ferro, Annmarie Hordern and Lisa Abramowicz.

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