The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is set to significantly increase its presence in Ukraine, including appointing a special representative in Kyiv, as decided at the NATO Summit in Washington on July 9-11.
According to the report, NATO’s representation in Ukraine will undergo leadership changes, with the new head assuming the status of Secretary-General’s special representative.
“Negotiations about who will take this position are ongoing,” the European Pravda states in the article. Sources cited by the media outlet indicate that European NATO members insist the appointee should not be an American to balance US influence.
The Alliance’s presence in Kyiv is expected to change both in size and level. The article states that there would be a large number of ‘seconded officers’ from allied states responsible for key areas.
“In short, they are taking the work with Ukraine seriously. And this probably became the key change brought by the Washington summit.”
The new NATO structure in Kyiv has been tasked with ensuring Ukraine’s readiness for membership, particularly in implementing reforms in the security and defense sector. The report considers this “probably the main positive news,” arguing that if the bureaucratic machine starts working on Ukraine’s NATO membership, “this intention is no longer just at the level of politicians, and they really plan to implement it. Of course, if Ukraine itself remains on this path.”
The summit agreed upon a new structure called “NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine” (NSATU) to coordinate all types of long-term assistance to Ukraine.
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