NATO has taken over some responsibilities in coordinating aid for Ukraine from the U.S. with Washington's consent, ensuring a stable support mechanism going forward, NATO Military Committee Chief Admiral Rob Bauer said on Jan. 16.
"And that doesn't change on Monday," Bauer said at a press conference of NATO military chiefs in Brussels, referring to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration on Jan. 20.
Trump has pledged to swiftly push for a peace settlement in the Russia-Ukraine war after taking office, prompting fears he might reduce military support or push Kyiv toward painful concessions.
This led to other partners in the pro-Kyiv coalition preparing mechanisms for stable security assistance for Ukraine should Trump decide to withdraw the U.S. involvement.
"The framework after Washington (summit) is to transfer some of the things that were organized by the U.S. now into NATO," Bauer said.
"The SAG-U (Security Assistance Group - Ukraine), the IDCC (International Donor Coordination Center), that was a group of nations helping Ukraine. Now, NATO is taking over that responsibility, and the United States has agreed to that."
These decisions are based on the NATO Washington Summit in July 2024 and were included in its final communique. Bauer said these changes aim to create a stable mechanism to ensure continued support for Ukraine, regardless of political changes.
The Dutch admiral added that this is reassuring for Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi "because for him, the war doesn't change because of what happens in the White House. The war is there (in Ukraine) on Monday as well."
Dominic Culverwell
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