Bloomberg: Ukraine’s NATO support center lags behind schedule

Despite plans for a fall opening, the command center in Wiesbaden remains understaffed, raising concerns over readiness and coordination.

Dec 3, 2024 - 19:00

Bloomberg: Ukraine’s NATO support center lags behind schedule

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

People familiar with the matter told Bloomberg that establishing a new NATO command center to coordinate training and security aid for Ukraine is behind schedule.

NATO’s aid to Ukraine during Russia’s ongoing war has significantly intensified, with the Alliance pledging at least $43 billion in military assistance over the next year to bolster Ukraine’s defenses. The commitment was made during the NATO summit in Washington in July 2024, where leaders declared Ukraine’s “irreversible path” toward NATO membership.

Bloomberg reported that the NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine was supposed to open this fall in Wiesbaden, Germany, with 700 personnel.

“Instead, the center is still ramping up, with a few hundred on staff. Many posts still unfilled as countries have been slow to send the promised personnel, added the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive issues,” said Bloomberg.

One of the key commitments made by NATO members at the Alliance’s summit in July was the creation of the command. By establishing this center, NATO members agreed to take on a greater role in coordinating military aid and training for Ukraine. They aimed to shield the aid from political changes in the US amid concerns that Donald Trump may roll back American support.

In mid-October, just two weeks after taking office, NATO’s new secretary general, Mark Rutte, traveled to Germany to visit the center. At that time, it was reported that the command center was still being formed, with its staff spread between Wiesbaden and logistics hubs in the Alliance’s eastern flank.

Earlier, Mark Rutte, NATO’s Secretary-General, warned US President-elect Donald Trump that forcing Ukraine into a weak peace agreement with Russia could create a “dire threat” from global adversaries like China, Iran, and North Korea.

NATO chief warns Trump: forced Ukraine peace deal could embolden China, Iran, and North Korea

Rutte stressed that a peace deal that fails to adequately support Ukraine would have serious implications not just for Europe, but for global security as well.

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