SEMAFOR journalists note that soon NATO will probably have to partially compensate for the reduction or lack of aid to Ukraine from the US in the event of Donald Trump's victory in the presidential elections.
How NATO can compensate Ukraine for the reduction of aid from the USA
In the material of the publication concerning Western officials, it is noted that negotiations are underway at the NATO headquarters regarding the fact that the Alliance will take over part of the obligations of the White House and the Pentagon to help Ukraine.
It is emphasised that the relevant negotiations be completed by July when the Alliance summit will be held in Washington.
The talks are driven in part by fears of Trump's return to the presidency. European officials well remember Trump's previous term, during which he repeatedly questioned the value of NATO. After Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Trump said if he were in office he would end the conflict within 24 hours, without offering details, but analysts suggest he would be more inclined to make concessions on Ukrainian territory than the US president Joe Biden, note the authors of the material.
What are they saying in the USA and the EU?
Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin, answering journalists' questions, said:
We are focused on ensuring the fulfillment of tasks related to Ukraine. We are focused on making sure we can provide Ukraine with the security assistance it needs to succeed today and in the near to medium term.
At the same time, according to one of the high-ranking European diplomats, NATO is concerned about the possible replacement of Lloyd Austin as the head of the Pentagon in the event of Donald Trump's election victory.
There were talks about how to coordinate a reliable structure to protect aid and donations to Ukraine from changing political winds, the interlocutor of the publication explains.
In one of the interviews, Finland's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Elina Valtonen, said that the allies need to organise the help they can provide Ukraine. In her opinion, NATO is "very well suited for this".
There are certain things that only we can do. But when it comes to organizing meetings at the highest level, there are certainly many examples of how the Europeans coped with this task, - emphasized the former acting senior director for Europe and Russia at the US National Security Council Eric Chiaramella.
According to him, efforts to strengthen NATO's role in supporting Ukraine will face difficulties because the Alliance includes countries such as Hungary, which constantly refrains from European participation in assisting Ukraine.
