Conflict in Ukraine - Germany to host new NATO headquarters.
A NATO operation to oversee arms shipments and military training for the Ukrainians will be based in Germany, as per reports from alliance insiders. Wiesbaden has been selected as the site where US troops in Europe have previously handled coordination duties. The initiative will be spearheaded by a Three-Star General reporting directly to NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe.
Yesterday, the North Atlantic Council gave the green light to the operation's operational plan in a non-binding vote. The move was endorsed by defense ministers today.
In the past, the US had spearheaded support operations. They assembled a 300-person unit known as the Security Assistance Group–Ukraine (SAG-U) at the US European Command headquarters in Wiesbaden, Hesse in late 2022.
The new NATO project is viewed as a precautionary measure against the potential return of former US president Donald Trump to office in January 2025. Previous Republican statements have cast doubt on the likelihood of continued US support for Ukraine in its defensive war against Russia under a Trump administration.
Hungary will not participate in the NATO project. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's administration worries that NATO could be drawn into a head-on confrontation with Russia because of the initiative.
Efforts to persuade Hungary not to obstruct consensus for the project have been made by assuring that the country would not have to contribute financially or with personnel.
The ongoing project is currently referred to as "NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine" (NSATU) within NATO. Previously, most NATO members favored the name "NATO Mission Ukraine," but Germany argued that it could be misconstrued by Russia as NATO deploying soldiers in Ukraine. They feared that the name might be used by Russia for anti-NATO propaganda.
Preparations can now commence for the project following the clearance of its operational plan. In an ideal scenario, it would commence in July, when the Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the leaders of the other NATO nations gather in Washington for a meeting.
Additionally, the German government contends that the current name, NSATU, would not be misconstrued as NATO soldiers being sent to Ukraine, as in the previous name suggestion.
Read also:
- The new NATO mission in Germany will oversee arms deliveries to Ukraine, as reported by the German Press Agency.
- This military training activity is aimed at assisting Ukraine's armed forces in their conflicts with Russia.
- The initiative, known as NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (NSATU), has received approval from NATO's North Atlantic Council.
- The US has historically played a significant role in providing assistance to Ukraine, as seen in the establishment of the Security Assistance Group–Ukraine (SAG-U) in Wiesbaden.
- The potential return of former US President Donald Trump in 2025 has prompted the creation of the NSATU project as a precautionary measure.
- Hungary has decided not to participate in the NSATU mission due to concerns about escalating conflicts with Russia.
- Efforts are being made to gain Hungary's support without requiring any financial or personnel contribution.
- The NATO headquarters for the NSATU project is located in Wiesbaden, the same site where US troops handled coordination duties in the past.
- The operational plan for the NSATU project was approved by the North Atlantic Council in a non-binding vote, followed by endorsement from defense ministers.
- Boris Pistorius, a Three-Star General, will head the NSATU project, reporting directly to NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe.
- Germany argues that the name NSATU is less likely to be misconstrued by Russia as a provocation, avoiding potential anti-NATO propaganda.
- The leaders of NATO nations, including Germany's Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz, are scheduled to meet in Washington in July, aiming for a commencement of the NSATU project during this period.
