NATO is already preparing for Trump's return
Before the NATO summit, plans are leaking out on how the alliance intends to protect itself from a potential Trump re-election. Weapons deliveries to Ukraine are set to no longer be coordinated by US soldiers, but rather by a new NATO headquarters in Wiesbaden, Germany. The Kiev office is also to receive reinforcement.
NATO is expanding its civilian presence in Ukraine, which has been attacked by Russia. A spokesperson confirmed that the 32 alliance members have decided to send a type of liaison officers to the capital Kiev. The senior official is to oversee the political and practical support of the alliance on site. The background is particularly that the NATO intends to give the green light for a new deployment at the upcoming summit in Washington for a new engagement for coordinating weapons deliveries and training activities for the Ukrainian armed forces. The headquarters for this is to be built in Wiesbaden, Germany.
It was initially unclear who would receive the new NATO post in Kiev. Further details will be communicated after the official selection, it was stated. The Wall Street Journal first reported on the plans.
NATO has had an official representation in Kiev for nearly a decade, which also oversees a since the end of the 90s existing liaison office and an Information and Documentation Center. It deals with contacts with Ukrainian ministries and authorities and is to promote the political dialogue and practical cooperation between the NATO. Additionally, it advises authorities on activities to support the NATO-Ukraine partnership and reforms in the security and defense sector. There is also to be more personnel for this in the future.
Doubts about Trump's Ukraine policy
The coordination of weapons deliveries and training activities that NATO intends to take over in the future have so far been led 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 headquarters of the US armed forces in the Hessian Wiesbaden.
The NATO project is also seen as a precaution for the possibility of a return of Donald Trump to the US presidency from January 2025. Statements by the Republican have raised doubts in the past about whether the US would continue to support Ukraine in the defensive war against Russia under his leadership as they have done so far. The alliance fears that a political course change in Washington could also affect the coordination of weapons deliveries and training activities for the Ukrainian armed forces.
- The concerns about a potential Trump re-election in the 2024 US presidential election have led NATO to consider taking over the coordination of weapons deliveries and training activities for Ukraine, as they were previously handled by the US.
- The leaked plans for NATO's protection strategy during a potential Trump presidency also include the establishment of a new headquarters in Wiesbaden, Germany, to oversee these critical operations.
- The attack on Ukraine by Russia has highlighted the need for stronger international support, and the shift in weapons delivery coordination to NATO could help assure Ukraine of continued assistance, regardless of the political climate in Washington.
