Pentagon plans to set up new command to arm Ukraine – media
The Pentagon plans to create a new command that will coordinate the equipment and training of the Ukrainian military, the European Truth ezine said on Friday with reference to the New York Times.
It is about streamlining the system of training and assistance, which was created "on the fly" after the Russian invasion in February. According to several military and administration officials, the system will be subordinated to a single new command, which will be based in Germany and headed by a high-ranking American general.
Senior U.S. officials said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his top aides are reviewing the plan and are likely to make a final decision in the coming weeks. The White House and the Pentagon approve of this approach.
The new command signals the expectations of the United States that the threat from the Russian Federation to Ukraine and its neighbors will persist for many years, current and former senior American officials said.
“This recognizes the reality of the important mission of security assistance to out Ukrainian partners. This will also create a formal security structure that our allies and partners can adhere to in terms of getting their equipment and training in the hands of the Ukrainians,” said Admiral James G. Stavridis, a former supreme allied commander for Europe.
The new command, which will report to General Christopher Cavoli, will implement the decisions taken by the Contact Group on Defense of Ukraine, a coalition of 40 countries that the U.S. Department of Defense created after the Russian invasion in order to meet the needs and requests of Ukraine. About 300 people will be involved in the mission, it will be located in Wiesbaden (Germany), the headquarters of the U.S. Army in Europe. A significant part of the training of Ukrainian soldiers on American weapons systems is already taking place there or nearby.
The ezine notes that the changes, which aim to give a formal structure to what has been improvised since the beginning of the war, roughly simulate the U.S. efforts to prepare and provide assistance in Iraq and Afghanistan over the past two decades.
