The head of the NATO representation in Ukraine, Patrick Turner, arrived on an official visit to kyiv, the press service of the country’s Defense Ministry reports citing Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.
“I am pleased to welcome Patrick Turner to kyiv on his first official visit in his capacity as Head of the NATO Mission in Ukraine,” he said.
Umerov stressed the importance of close interaction with representatives of the alliance on Ukraine’s path to NATO. During the meeting, the status of the agreements reached after the NATO summit in Washington was discussed. Umerov also proposed holding the next meeting of the Ukraine-NATO Council at the level of defense ministers in kyiv.
Turner, in turn, emphasized the progress in the reform of the Ukrainian armed forces, noting that the Ukrainian army has undergone obvious major changes.
The NATO office in Ukraine has existed since 2016. It combines the NATO Information and Documentation Center and the NATO Liaison Office, established in the 1990s.
Turner was appointed head of NATO’s Ukraine office in mid-July 2024. Previously, he was Under Secretary General for Defense Policy and Planning.
Turner will act as coordinator of NATO’s interaction with the Ukrainian authorities, coordinate the alliance’s efforts to provide assistance to kyiv and provide assessments and recommendations on the situation in Ukraine, RBC clarifies.
