NATO steps in to shield Ukrainian aid from Trump's influence
NATO has assumed responsibility for coordinating military aid to Ukraine from the United States, to safeguard this assistance from President-elect Donald Trump.
NATO has taken over the coordination of Western military aid for Ukraine from the USA. According to the Reuters news agency, this initiative is intended to protect the aid mechanism from the Alliance-sceptical President-elect Donald Trump. This affords NATO a more direct role in countering the Russian invasion while not requiring the involvement of its own armed forces.
Diplomats warn
Nevertheless, diplomats caution that this change may have limited impact. Under the Trump administration, the United States could substantially weaken Ukraine's situation by reducing its aid, which comprises the majority of military support for Kyiv. The headquarters of NATO's new mission for Ukraine, titled NATO Support for Security and Training in Ukraine (NSATU), is located at the US base in Wiesbaden, Germany.
Previously, Western military aid for Ukraine was coordinated by the so-called Ramstein Group under US leadership, a coalition of approximately 50 countries. During his first term as president, Trump threatened to withdraw the USA from NATO and insisted that allies spend 3% of GDP on military purposes, while NATO's requirement is 2%.
