Jens Stoltenberg appointed Patrick Turner as the senior representative of NATO in Ukraine

Outgoing NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg today appointed his former defense aide Patrick Turner as senior representative to lead the NATO Mission in Ukraine (NRU), according to the Alliance’s website.

Turner will assume that role in Kyiv in September 2024.

– Patrick Turner brings years of leadership and experience to the role. As a dedicated public servant, he has a good reputation for getting results. I am sure that he will excel in this important role as NATO continues to increase its support for Ukraine – said Stoltenberg.

As senior representative, Turner will lead the NRU and act as the focal point for NATO’s engagement with the Ukrainian authorities in Kiev.

He will also coordinate NATO efforts and provide the Alliance with assessments and advice on the situation in Ukraine. In addition to serving as NATO’s Assistant Secretary-General for Operations, he also served as Assistant Secretary-General for Defense Policy and Planning and held several senior positions in the United Kingdom civil service, a NATO statement said.

At the NATO summit in Washington, the allies agreed to establish Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (NSATU) to better coordinate the provision of military equipment and training to Ukraine.

The allies also announced long-term security assistance to Ukraine of at least 40 billion euros in the next year, as well as ensuring a sustainable level of security assistance to Ukraine.