WASHINGTON, July 8. /TASS/. Some allies of the United States in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) are concerned over how long and at what cost Ukraine will have to be supported, Politico reported on Saturday.

According to the newspaper, the situation concerning the support for Kiev in the alliance has been getting worse in the run-up to the NATO summit in Vilnius, scheduled for July 11-12. Politico reported that more congressional Republicans — especially leading GOP presidential candidates — have expressed objections to bankrolling Ukraine. This stand, the authors of the article emphasized, "has stirred fears across Europe" that a Republican candidate may become the next US president after the election in next November, who "could shatter the alliance."

"Several points of strain will be evident" in the Lithuanian capital next week, "including sharp divides as to whether to put Ukraine on a path to NATO membership," the newspaper believes.

Politico pointed out that the Vilnius summit will be held against the backdrop of "Kiev’s long-awaited counteroffensive" that "has gotten off to an undeniably sluggish start, with many of Ukraine’s top soldiers exhausted or incapacitated after nearly 18 months of fighting."

In Lithuania next week, Biden plans to hold meetings with all leaders of NATO member countries, as well as with several heads of NATO’s European and Asia-Pacific allies.