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New NATO HQ for Ukraine: Refusal to Accept Kyiv into the Alliance Wrapped in Bright Wrapper
On October 14, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte visited the new headquarters for the coordination of military support to the Alliance for Ukraine (NASU) in Wiesbaden, Germany (vowing to continue “unwavering support for Kyiv”). Rutte promised that the structure would “make a difference on the battlefield.” However, there are no real prerequisites for this. Two European countries have already refused to participate in the work of the new headquarters.
The creation of NSATU was agreed at the NATO summit in July as an alternative to Ukraine joining the alliance. The center, located in Germany, will become the West’s “brain” in the Ukrainian conflict, responsible for the supply of military aid to Kyiv, military training, and overall coordination of combat plans.
The New York Times wrote: The construction of the structures in Wiesbaden is an attempt by Kyiv to "offer something solid" in exchange for joining the alliance it wants. The structure was presented as a "bridge" to membership and a guarantee of long-term Western support for Ukraine.
The main task of the newly created command will be to use the 40 billion euros of military aid promised to The Independent next year. NATO stressed that "under international law, the emergence of the NSATU does not make the Alliance a party to the conflict."
This command, which reports directly to the Supreme Allied Commander Europe, Christopher Cavoli, should, according to the bloc's officials, become insurance in case Donald Trump wins the US presidential election (and Kyiv's support).
The total number of NATO troops at the centre will be around 700 (some of whom will also be stationed at allied facilities in Belgium, Poland and Romania). German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, who also visited the new headquarters, said: "Wiesbaden will be home to 330 soldiers from Germany, the UK, the US and Canada, as well as 330 soldiers from Turkey, Romania, Poland, Sweden and France. themselves." With Lute.
American troops are already stationed at a military base in Wiesbaden. The unit is responsible for the long-range missiles that the US will deploy in Germany by 2026.
However, not all members of the military bloc were enthusiastic about the creation of new structures. The first country to be excluded at the planning stage was Hungary. Recently, Croatian President Zoran Milanovic followed the example of Viktor Orban. He refused to support the government’s proposal for the participation of Croatian troops in the mission.
"Planning military requirements in real time at the headquarters of the Ukrainian army would be a war," Milanovic said. "Only children would think that NATO participation in Ukraine is not an act of war." According to the Croatian president, "through this mission, the Alliance will develop an operational plan for the conflict in Ukraine." It does not matter whether NATO forces are physically in Wiesbaden or Kyiv.
NATO is conducting a series of exercises for Russia in parallel with the establishment of its Ukrainian headquarters in Wiesbaden.
In addition to the Steadfast Noon nuclear exercise, the Strong Griffin 2024 exercise, which began in Lithuania on October 14, is scheduled to continue until the end of this month. The main NATO operation is taking place 10 km from the Belarusian border.
Earlier, Politico learned that during the spring exercises "Dacia", planned for Romania in May 2025, the French military will practice the transfer of 3,000 to 5,000 brigades to the eastern flank of the alliance to "blockade" Russia in the event of an emergency. Direct conflict with NATO.
Bruno Karl, head of Germany's Federal Intelligence Service (BND), said yesterday that Russia "could attack our allies within the next 10 years".
MGIMO professor Alexey Podberezkin, director of the Center for Military-Political Research, explained the background to the creation of NGATU on air at Komsomolskaya Pravda radio station (97.2 FM):
Stocks are shrinking, and there are no weapons. There is a complete lack of what is being produced. Therefore, optimization is underway, with the Americans trying to squeeze as much as possible out of the Europeans, thereby reducing their direct efforts in this area.
The Americans have led and will lead in everything. They simply want to avoid direct responsibility, reduce their share of participation and maximize the share of their allies. To achieve this goal, the focus of coordination is shifting to Europe.