A NATO delegation led by Supreme Allied Commander Transformation Admiral Pierre Vandier arrived in Ukraine, marking the first visit by NATO military officials at this level since Russia's full-scale invasion began, Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Pavlo Palisa reported on Facebook.
Talks focused on two tracks: Ukraine's expanding role in NATO exercises and the future of the NATO-Ukraine Joint Analysis, Training, and Education Centre (JATEC).
Palisa said discussions centered on Ukrainian forces participating in future NATO exercises as a simulated adversary — the so-called Red Team. Last year's experience, he noted, gave allies a firsthand look at contemporary warfare methods. "Ukrainian teams demonstrated a significant advantage in training scenarios," Palisa wrote, adding that the experience introduced allies to the latest methods of warfare.
The deputy head of the Presidential Office framed Ukraine's contribution in broader terms: "Today, Ukraine is not just a security consumer. Ukraine is a producer of it."
The delegation also discussed the next phase of JATEC, the joint NATO-Ukraine initiative officially launched in early 2025 and designed to advance interoperability between the Armed Forces of Ukraine and NATO militaries, as well as to facilitate experience-sharing between the two sides. "We are entering the final stage of deploying Ukrainian command systems, developing analytical capabilities, and joining the scaling of training programs," Palisa said.
