NATO considers appointing envoy to Ukraine in strategic shift

NATO is considering the possibility of introducing a new, permanent representative to Ukraine, with plans to station them in the country's capital, Kyiv, writes "Foreign Policy".

This proposal will be presented at the NATO summit in July in Washington. It envisions creating a new role within NATO structures, called the "senior civilian representative" in Ukraine.

This concept is inspired by a similar position that was previously created by NATO during its nearly twenty-year engagement in Afghanistan.

The person who takes on this new role will be responsible for coordinating the support that the alliance provides to Ukraine. These tasks include managing the flow of military assistance directed to Kyiv from Western countries.

This high-ranking position is also intended to serve as a clear political signal directed at Ukraine and Russia. It aims to show that NATO is committed to the Ukrainian-Russian conflict and supports Kyiv in its struggle against Russian aggression.

Several Western officials positively assess the creation of a new position and consider it part of a larger support package for Ukraine from NATO. "We’re looking at ways to institutionalize some of the bilateral support that has flowed to Ukraine and put it into the NATO alliance, to bring greater coherence to that assistance and to ensure that there is adequate burden-sharing across the alliance in our collective support to Ukraine," explained Julianne Smith, the U.S. Ambassador to NATO.

However, some Western politicians hold a completely different opinion. Some NATO representatives see the envoy's role as an element of a reduced aid package. They consider it "part of a consolation prize that NATO is trying to create".

Source: "Foreign Policy"