New alliance mission - Nato expands presence in Kiev
NATO is expanding its civilian presence in Ukraine, which was attacked by Russia. A spokesperson for the German Press Agency confirmed that the 32 alliance member states have decided to send a liaison office to the capital Kiev. The senior official is supposed to oversee the political and practical support of the alliance on site.
Background is mainly that NATO intends to give the green light for a new deployment at the upcoming summit in Washington next week to coordinate weapons deliveries and training activities for the Ukrainian forces. The headquarters for this purpose is to be built in Wiesbaden, Germany.
It was initially unclear who would get the new NATO position in Kiev. Further details will be communicated after the official selection, it was said. The Wall Street Journal had first reported on the plans.
NATO has been present in Ukraine for a long time
NATO has had an official representation in Kiev for nearly a decade, which also manages an existing liaison office and an information and documentation center. It deals with contacts with Ukrainian ministries and authorities and is supposed to promote the political dialogue and practical cooperation between NATO and Ukraine. In addition, it advises authorities on activities to support the NATO-Ukraine partnership and reforms in the security and defense sector. There should be more personnel for this in the future.
The coordination of weapons deliveries and training activities that NATO intends to take over in the future have so far been led federally by the United States. They had set up a roughly 300-strong unit named Security Assistance Group-Ukraine (SAG-U) at the end of 2022 in the European Command Headquarters of the US Armed Forces in Wiesbaden, Hesse.
Project for the scenario Trump
The NATO project is also seen as a precaution for the possibility of a return of Donald Trump to the US Presidency as of January 2025. Statements by the Republican raised doubts in the past about whether the US would continue to support Ukraine in the defense war against Russia under his leadership as before. In the alliance, it is feared that a political change of course in Washington could also affect the coordination of weapons deliveries and training activities for the Ukrainian forces.
- The decision to send a liaison office to Kiev was made by all 32 NATO member states, as confirmed by the German Press Agency.
- The liaison office is expected to oversee political and practical support from NATO in the Ukrainian capital.
- The upcoming NATO summit in Washington next week is set to give the green light for a new deployment to coordinate arms deliveries and training activities for the Ukrainian armed forces.
- The headquarters for this coordination will be established in Wiesbaden, Germany.
- The exact individual to fill the new NATO position in Kiev is yet to be officially announced, with further details to be shared post-selection.
- NATO has had an existing presence in Ukraine for nearly a decade, managing a liaison office and an information and documentation center in Kiev.
- The US has led the coordination of weapons deliveries and training activities for Ukraine so far, with a roughly 300-strong unit named Security Assistance Group-Ukraine (SAG-U) established in Wiesbaden at the end of 2022.
- The NATO project in Ukraine is viewed as a precautionary measure against the possibility of a return of Donald Trump as the US President in 2025, amid past doubts about US support for Ukraine in the defense war against Russia.
