NATO has taken over the coordination of Western military aid to Ukraine from the United States as planned, a source said Tuesday, in a move widely seen as aimed at protecting the support mechanism from NATO-skeptical US President-elect Donald Trump, Reuters reported, UNN reported.
Details
"This move, made after a delay of several months, gives NATO a more direct role in the war against Russia's invasion, without having to use its own forces," the newspaper writes.
However, the diplomats are quoted as saying that they "recognize that the transfer of NATO's authority may have limited effect, given that the US under Trump could still deal a serious blow to Ukraine by cutting its support, as it is the dominant force in the alliance and supplies most of Kyiv's weapons.
The headquarters of NATO's new mission in Ukraine, called NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (NSATU), is located at the US base Clay Barracks in the German city of Wiesbaden, the publication notes.
"A person familiar with the situation told Reuters that it is now fully operational. No public reason for the delays has been announced," the newspaper writes.
NATO's SHAPE military headquarters says its mission in Ukraine is beginning to take over from the United States and international organizations.
"NSATU's work...is designed to put Ukraine in a position of strength that puts NATO in a position of strength to ensure the security and prosperity of its billion people, both in Europe and North America," said U.S. Army General Christopher G. Cavoli, Supreme Allied Commander Europe.
"This is a good day for Ukraine and a good day for NATO," he said.
"The NSATU is expected to have a total strength of about 700, including troops stationed at NATO's SHAPE military headquarters in Belgium and at logistics centers in Poland and Romania," the publication says.
Addendum
In the past, the US-led Ramstein group, an ad hoc coalition of about 50 countries named after the US air base in Germany where it first met, coordinated Western military supplies to Ukraine.
Trump, who will take office in January, has said he wants to end the war in Ukraine quickly, but has not said how he wants to do so. He has long criticized the extent of US financial and military aid to Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the outgoing Biden administration in Washington is trying its best to send as many weapons as possible to Kyiv amid fears that Trump may cut military supplies to Ukraine.