NATO countries on Thursday approved a plan for a security assistance and training mission for Ukraine, alliance sources told dpa.
The mission, called NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (NSATU), would see military aid provided to Ukraine under official NATO structures for the first time. Until now, NATO countries have coordinated this aid through an informal, United States-led group called the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG).
The shift of responsibility is one element of a broader proposal - still under discussion - for NATO allies to make a long-term commitment to support Ukraine. That proposal will be discussed further at a NATO leaders' summit in Washington in July.
Thursday's agreement does not include any specific financial commitments, but establishes that joint aid will at least be coordinated by NATO proper.
At a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Prague last month, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg he wanted allies to "commit to a multi-year financial pledge for Ukraine" of €40 billion ($43 billion) per year. The point, he said, was to show Russia "that it cannot wait us out."
NATO defence ministers are meeting in Brussels on Thursday and Friday to discuss their support for Ukraine. The defence ministers met as the UDCG met first on Thursday, followed by NATO proper later in the day, joined by Ukrainian defence minister Rustem Umerov.
In a press conference after the UDCG meeting, US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin said air defence was "Ukraine's top priority."
He hailed efforts by NATO countries to bolster Ukrainian air defence - such as a Dutch initiative to assemble a Patriot air defence system and Sweden's provision of early warning and control aircraft. Italy is also providing surface-to-air missiles, he said.
Austin added that Ukraine and the US will sign a bilateral security treaty on Thursday.
Germany is providing three Patriot systems to Ukraine. However, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius ruled out the possibility of his country providing any more, as he arrived at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Thursday.
"There is no space for providing even more than those three systems," Pistorius told reporters. He said the three systems make up a quarter of Germany's stock. "Now, it's on other partners to provide systems," Pistorius said.
Shortly before, Canadian Defence Minister Bill Blair announced that his country will supply Ukraine with rockets, small arms ammunition and remote-controlled weapon mounts for vehicles - though it has no Patriots to give, he said.
"Canada will provide Ukraine with 2,300 Canadian Rocket Vehicle 7s or CRV rocket motors," Blair said. He added, "Canada will send an additional number of rounds of small arms ammunition, as well as 29 Nanuk remote systems," which are remote-controlled weapon mounts for military vehicles.
He added, "this week, Canada is beginning the shipments of a new fleet of 50 armoured vehicles to Ukraine. The first four vehicles are departing Canada this week, and they will be delivered to the Ukrainian armed forces in the coming weeks."
