Ukraine could replace some US capabilities within NATO, envoy says
Photo: Alyona Getmanchuk, Head of the Mission of Ukraine to NATO (flickr.com photos boellstiftung)
In the long term, Ukraine may not only strengthen NATO's defense capabilities but also replace some of those currently provided by the United States, says Alyona Getmanchuk, Head of the Mission of Ukraine to NATO.
She says the Alliance's recognition of Ukraine as a security contributor in its declaration indicates that NATO countries see the potential of Ukraine's capabilities to strengthen the organization.
"Within NATO today, we hear a great deal about how we could not only strengthen certain defense capabilities of the Alliance but also, in the long term, even replace some of them," Getmanchuk says.
She notes that the issue takes on particular significance amid discussions about the so-called NATO 3.0—a more European Alliance.
The US is specifying which capabilities it will continue to provide for Europe's defense under the NATO Force Model, and which it will not.
"We can not only strengthen NATO's European capabilities but also, in the long term, replace some of the American ones," emphasizes the head of the Ukrainian mission.
Alyona Getmanchuk, head of the Ukrainian Mission to NATO, discussed how Ukraine's role in the Alliance is changing, what support NATO is providing to Kyiv through the supply of interceptors for the Patriot system, and why Western military headquarters are drawing on Ukraine's combat experience.
