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Britain, France, Spain, Italy and Canada blocked a NATO proposal that would have required member states to spend 0.25% of gross domestic product (GDP) on military aid for Ukraine, the Telegraph reported.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte had hoped to ratify the measure at the alliance's upcoming summit in Ankara in July.
At least seven NATO members who already meet or exceed the threshold supported the plan, but unanimous backing is required, and it was not forthcoming.
Rutte told reporters, "I don't think this one will be proposed," without naming the blocking countries.
The Telegraph identified them as the U.K., France, Spain, Italy and Canada.
An alliance insider said at least seven member states that already spend over 0.25% of GDP on aid to Ukraine had voiced support, but noted that any proposal adopted by NATO requires unanimous backing from all member states.
"They're not very enthusiastic about the idea," the insider said of the opposition group.
According to Kiel Institute data on bilateral aid allocations to Ukraine from January 2022 to February 2026, the United States leads all donors at €115.38 billion ($134.3B), followed by Germany at €25.29 billion ($29.4B) and the UK at €20.01 billion ($23.2B). Canada contributed €13.97 billion ($16.2B), France €7.91 billion ($9.2B), Italy €4.09 billion ($4.76B) and Spain €2.23 billion ($2.59B).
By GDP share, however, the picture is different.
The Netherlands, Poland, and the Nordic and Baltic states offer backing at or above the 0.25% of GDP threshold that Rutte was seeking to enshrine.
France, Spain, Italy, and Canada fall well below it and have been repeatedly accused by smaller allies of not pulling their weight.
The UK's situation is nuanced. Its absolute contribution is the third largest after the U.S. and Germany, and Prime Minister Keir Starmer has pledged at least £3 billion per year, approximately 0.1% of GDP, for the foreseeable future. Most criticism has been directed at France, Spain, Italy and Canada, whose economies rank among Europe's largest.
On the NATO defense spending chart, Poland leads all members at approximately 4.5% of GDP in 2025, while Spain sits near the 2% NATO target, the floor, not the ceiling, Rutte was seeking.
Sweden's Prime Minister, Ulf Kristersson, speaking ahead of a NATO meeting in Sweden this week, publicly challenged allies: "I really would like more countries that speak so extremely well about Ukraine to also put the money where the mouth is."
The Telegraph described the news as a "double-blow" to Britain's credibility as one of Ukraine's staunchest allies.
The U.K. government separately came under criticism after it softened sanctions against Russian oil and gas exports, signing off on time-limited carve-outs for purchases of jet fuel and diesel refined from Russian crude in third countries, citing the situation in the Middle East.
The move surprised Kyiv and other allies.
A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson said: "The UK continues to engage with Nato allies on all proposals to ensure the alliance can best support Ukraine."
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