Pistorius names timeline for launching NATO aid coordination mission for Ukraine

The Security Assistance and Training Mission for Ukraine (NSATU) will start coordinating NATO assistance to Ukraine from January 2025. This was announced on November 25 by the head of the German Defense Ministry Boris Pistorius after the discussion of the heads of defense departments of Germany, Britain, Italy, Poland and France on the return of US President-elect Donald Trump to the White House.

"From January, the NATO Security Assistance and Training Mission for Ukraine in Wiesbaden will take over the coordination of NATO assistance to Ukraine," Reuters quoted Pistorius as saying.

According to him, the West's goal is to enable Ukraine to act from a position of strength. He also said that the next meeting of the defense ministers of Germany, Britain, Italy, Poland and France will be held in early 2025.

Earlier, on November 24, the German defense minister pointed to Russia's superiority over the EU in the production of shells. According to him, the Russian defense industrial complex (DIC) produces as many shells in three months as all European Union (EU) countries do in a year.

On the same day, Pistorius pointed to the increasing scale of the Ukrainian conflict. He noted that the conflict continues to expand and has already lost its status as a regional conflict. Pistorius also noted the build-up of Russia's military capabilities.

Prior to that, on November 22, Alice Weidel, co-chair of the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AdG) party, called Ukraine's use of Storm Shadow missiles on Russia irresponsible. According to her, this leads to further escalation, while it is necessary to seek a diplomatic balance and mutual understanding.

The special operation to protect Donbass, which Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on February 24, 2022, continues. The decision was taken against the backdrop of the aggravated situation in the region.