NATO initiated Ukraine command in Wiesbaden
So far, the military support for Ukraine has been coordinated leadingly by the US. In the future, NATO will bundle activities in Germany. The alliance should not become a party to the conflict with the beginning of the operation on Friday.
NATO will coordinate weapons deliveries and training activities for Ukrainian forces from Wiesbaden, Germany. The heads of state and government of the member states decided on the start of the operation at their summit in Washington, D.C. It is set to begin on Friday.
"The goal is to establish security support for Ukraine on a permanent basis and thus ensure a stable, predictable, and consistent support," the summit declaration on the new command states. Support for the transformation of Ukrainian defense and security forces will also be provided, enabling further integration of Ukraine with NATO.
Hungary does not participate
The coordination of weapons deliveries and training activities was previously led by the United States. They had set up a 300-strong unit called Security Assistance Group-Ukraine (SAG-U) at the European Command of the US Armed Forces in Wiesbaden, Germany, at the end of 2022. For NATO, there will even be around 700 personnel involved, with Germany contributing up to 40 personnel, including a two-star general as deputy commander.
The NATO project is also seen as a precaution for the possibility of a return of Donald Trump to the US presidency in January 2025. Trump's statements in the past have raised doubts about whether the US would continue to support Ukraine in the defensive war against Russia as before. The alliance fears that a political change of course in Washington could also affect the coordination of weapons deliveries and training activities for Ukrainian forces.
Hungary will not participate in the operation. The Orban government fears that the alliance, through the command with the name NSATU (NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine), could be driven into a direct confrontation with Russia. The summit declaration states: "The NSATU will not make NATO a party to the conflict in the legal sense."
- Despite previously leading the coordination of weapons deliveries and training activities, the United States will now hand over this role to NATO, with Wiesbaden, Germany serving as the base for these operations.
- The Federal Military in Germany will contribute up to 40 personnel to the NATO project, including a two-star general as deputy commander, further strengthening the alliance's support for Ukraine.
- The attack on Ukraine has raised concerns within NATO about the potential for a change in political direction in the United States, leading the alliance to establish a precautionary measure in the form of the NSATU command in Wiesbaden.
- Germany's NATO allies have decided to proceed with the operation against Ukraine, with the operation set to begin on Friday, but Hungary has chosen to remain outside the operation due to concerns over a possible direct confrontation with Russia.
