Berlin rejects the term mission
Germany’s consideration for Moscow annoys NATO partners
This audio version was artificially generated. More info | Send feedback
A quibble or a substantive objection? NATO wants to launch a support project for Ukraine, but Germany insists that it should not be called a “mission.” This would raise fears in Russia that the alliance wants to deploy its own soldiers. But only Berlin sees it that way.
The German government is causing discontent within NATO because it does not want to see a new support project for Ukraine referred to as a mission. As the German Press Agency learned from diplomats, Berlin's arguments against the use of the word are seen by almost all other allies as unnecessary consideration for Russia and as incomprehensible. The English term “mission” means something like combat mission in German. On its overview page, the Bundeswehr explains the difference between foreign deployments and missions as follows:
Foreign missions such as the one in Mali, for example, serve to stabilize fragile states and are usually led by the UN or the EU. The Bundestag must give prior approval for the Bundeswehr to participate in such armed missions abroad. This does not apply to recognized missions: with them, the Bundeswehr demonstrates its readiness to defend the entire NATO alliance.
The German government is of the opinion that the name “NATO Mission Ukraine” (NMU) could be mistakenly understood as if the alliance wanted to send soldiers to Ukraine. It therefore fears that it could be used by Russia for propaganda against the alliance, it says.
Alone on the barricades
Proponents of the use of the term mission, however, argue that the Kremlin will condemn the NATO project as aggression and use it for disinformation campaigns. It is incomprehensible that Germany is the only country to take to the barricades because of this – especially since it says it fully supports the project in terms of content.
According to information from the German Press Agency, Berlin recently proposed calling the new project for Ukraine “PACT”. The letters would then stand for “Pledge Assistance Coordination and Training” and would express that NATO wants to coordinate military aid and training activities for the Ukrainian armed forces in the future. However, it is considered unlikely that there will be an agreement on this name due to the tough position of other states. A decision can only be made by mutual consent.
When asked by the German Press Agency, the Foreign Office did not want to comment on the dispute. A spokesman said that no information could be given about the content of confidential negotiations.
NATO to coordinate arms aid in future
The launch of the new project to support Ukraine should ideally be decided at the next alliance summit between Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the other heads of state and government of the NATO countries in Washington. The main aim is to transfer tasks to support Ukraine that have so far been handled by the USA to the alliance. The background to this is the scenario of a possible return of Donald Trump to the US presidency from January 2025. Statements by the Republican in the past had raised doubts as to whether the USA would continue to support Ukraine under his leadership in the defensive war against Russia as before.
In addition, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg wants to get the allies to guarantee Ukraine military aid worth at least 40 billion euros annually. This is also about showing Russian President Vladimir Putin that he will not win his war of aggression against Ukraine, Stoltenberg explained last week at a meeting with the foreign ministers of the 32 NATO countries in Prague. The amount of 40 billion euros would roughly correspond to the annual support the allies have provided since the start of the Russian invasion.
