NATO to strengthen presence in Ukraine in 2025, says representative

NATO plans to significantly increase its presence in Ukraine in 2025, Patrick Turner, the head of the NATO Representation in Ukraine, told news agency Interfax-Ukraine.

"You know that NATO has been present here in one form or another for 26 years. This year, the presence of the Alliance here has tripled, and we plan to strengthen it even more next year," Turner said.

Turner explained that this decision aligns with key points from the NATO summer summit and reflects earlier decisions. The presence of the Alliance in Ukraine will include a full-fledged NATO headquarters, ensuring communication between the headquarters and Ukraine.

"The goal is to represent the very important agenda between NATO and Ukraine, so we need a significant presence... We are called to be the joint 'eyes' and 'ears' for the NATO headquarters here and to help implement the agenda, as well as to assist our Ukrainian colleagues," Turner noted.

Currently, the NATO Representation in Ukraine has around 50 personnel. It is expected that an additional 20 personnel, including both Ukrainians and foreigners, will be added in 2025.

• On December 13, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin is preparing for a long confrontation with Europe and aims to erase Ukraine from the map.
• On December 18, it was reported that a new NATO mission has taken over the coordination of aid to Ukraine from the United States.
• On December 19, the head of Estonian intelligence stated that NATO will need to deter Russia for the next 20 years.