US set to hand off direction of Ukraine defense campaign to NATO
By JOHN VANDIVER STARS AND STRIPES •
June 13, 2024 A Ukrainian soldier fires a rifle under the supervision of a Norwegian army instructor during training of Ukrainian recruits by NATO allies in the United Kingdom in March 2023.
NATO this week will agree to a plan that will put the alliance in charge of efforts to arm and train the Ukrainian military, marking a shift away from an effort that so far has been an American-led endeavor. (NATO) The U.S. and its allies will agree this week to a plan to put NATO in charge of efforts to arm and train the Ukrainian military, marking a shift away from what so far has been an American-led endeavor.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, speaking before the start Thursday of a two-day ministerial conference, said defense chiefs are gathered in Brussels to put the finishing touches on a concept expected to be met with final approval at NATO’s July summit in Washington.
“What I can say today is that we now have very broad agreement … that NATO takes a leading role in the coordination of security assistance and training,” Stoltenberg said. In recent months, there has been a push at NATO headquarters to take control of the initiative, which was launched by the Pentagon in the aftermath of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
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https://www.stripes.com/theaters/europe/2024-06-13/nato-ramstein-group-ukraine-14166992.htmlSource - Stars and Stripes