NATO to create special envoy to Ukraine - media

This is reported by Foreign Policy, citing Western officials and aides to US congressmen.

According to the plan, which, if approved, will be presented at the upcoming NATO summit in Washington in July, a new position of "senior civilian representative" of NATO in Ukraine is envisaged, modelled on a similar position that NATO created in Afghanistan during its almost twenty-year presence in that country. 

The new ambassador will coordinate the Alliance's support for Ukraine, including military assistance to Kyiv from Western partners, the publication writes.

This position will also be a political signal to both Ukraine and Russia of NATO's commitment to fighting Russian aggression.

"We are looking for ways to institutionalise some of the bilateral support that is coming to Ukraine and transfer it to the NATO alliance to ensure that there is greater coherence in that assistance and to ensure that we are sharing the burden adequately across the Alliance in our collective support for Ukraine," said US Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith.

At the same time, some NATO officials privately see the envoy's role as part of a limited assistance package that does not meet Kyiv's main goal of formally joining the Alliance.

"This is part of the consolation prize that we are all trying to create," said one NATO official. "This is another example of what we are doing instead of what Ukraine really wants from us.''

According to a senior US State Department official, it has been confirmed that "a number of agreements on Ukraine are still being discussed, but it would be premature to predict any of the possible outcomes while discussions are ongoing".

• During the Alliance's annual summit in Washington this summer, NATO plans to offer Ukraine a security package that will serve as a bridge to membership.