NATO to appoint envoy to Ukraine amid rising tensions with Russia
NATO plans to create a new position. It involves appointing a special envoy to Ukraine to strengthen the alliance's long-term commitments to that country, reports "Foreign Policy."
NATO is considering introducing a new permanent representative to Ukraine. The plan is to station this envoy in the country's capital, Kyiv, writes "Foreign Policy."
This proposal will be presented at the NATO summit, scheduled to be held in Washington in July. It envisions creating a new role within NATO structures, to be called the "senior civilian representative" in Ukraine.
This concept is inspired by a similar position created by NATO during its nearly twenty-year engagement in Afghanistan.
The person who takes on this new role will be responsible for coordinating the support that the alliance provides to Ukraine. These tasks include managing the flow of military assistance directed to Kyiv from Western countries.
This high-ranking position is also intended to serve as a clear political signal to Ukraine and Russia, aimed at demonstrating NATO's commitment to the Ukrainian-Russian conflict and supporting Kyiv in its struggle against Russian aggression.
Opinions are divided: "Part of a consolation prize"
Several Western officials positive assess the creation of a new position and consider it part of a larger support package for Ukraine from NATO. "We’re looking at ways to institutionalize some of the bilateral support that has flowed to Ukraine and put it into the NATO alliance, to bring greater coherence to that assistance and to ensure that there is adequate burden-sharing across the alliance in our collective support to Ukraine," explained Julianne Smith, the U.S. Ambassador to NATO.
However, some Western politicians hold a different view. Some NATO representatives see the envoy's role as part of a reduced aid package. They consider it "part of a consolation prize that NATO is trying to create".
Source: "Foreign Policy"
