Washington, June 9 (FN Agency) NATO is considering establishing a new permanent envoy based in Kyiv who will be coordinating the alliance’s support for Ukraine, including military assistance flows from Western countries, Foreign Policy magazine reported, citing Western and US officials familiar with the matter. The post of a NATO “senior civilian representative” in Kiev is inspired by a similar post established during NATO’s operation in Afghanistan, the magazine reported on Friday, adding that the decision might be adopted during the NATO Summit in Washington in July. The new post is also seen as a political message to Russia and Ukraine, symbolising NATO’s commitment to Kiev amid the ongoing military conflict between Moscow and Kyiv and the latter’s Euro-Atlantic integration bids, the magazine added.
The move comes following recent decisions by the United States and some of its allies to allow Ukraine to use US- or Europe-supplied weapons to strike targets across the internationally recognised borders of Russia for counter-fire purposes. Western countries have also been discussing sending troops or military instructors to Ukraine. Western countries have been providing massive military and financial aid to Kiev since the start of Russia’s military operation in Ukraine in February 2022. The Kremlin has consistently warned against continued arms deliveries to Kiev, saying it will lead to an escalation of the conflict.