International Presence in Kiev: NATO sends top British official
NATO is strengthening its civilian representation in Ukraine and sending a high-ranking Alliance representative to Kiev.
17.07.2024, 15:56
SDA
The former Assistant Secretary General, Patrick Turner, will head the Nato representation in the Ukrainian capital from September and act as a central point of contact for the authorities there, Nato announced. The Briton will also help coordinate military support for Ukraine and provide allies with information and assessments of the situation in the country.
The background to the strengthening of the Nato representation in Kiev is the decisions taken at the Nato summit in Washington last week. There, the 32 allies decided to launch a mission to coordinate arms deliveries and training activities for the Ukrainian armed forces, which is to be led from the German city of Wiesbaden. The summit declaration also assures Ukraine that it will again receive military aid worth at least 40 billion euros within the next year.
Years of experience in the defense alliance
Patrick Turner worked in the office of the then NATO Secretary General at the Alliance from 1992 to 1996. He later held positions including Deputy British Ambassador to NATO and was Assistant Secretary General for Defense Policy and Planning from 2018 to 2022. Acting NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg commented that Turner brings years of experience and leadership to the job.
NATO has already had an official representation in Kiev for almost a decade, which also manages a liaison office and an information and documentation center that has existed since the end of the 1990s. Among other things, it handles contacts with Ukrainian ministries and authorities and aims to promote political dialog and practical cooperation between NATO. It also advises authorities on supporting the NATO-Ukraine partnership and on reforms in the security and defense sector. There will also be more staff for this in future.
