NATO Military Committee chairman visits Ukraine

In a long-planned visit, Stuart Peach, who heads the
NATO Military Committee, came to Kyiv and Lviv on April 6-7. NATO reports on
its website that Peach met with President Zelensky and armed forces
commander-in-chief of Ruslan Khomchak.

The chairman stated that “the Alliance commends
President Zelensky’s commitment to a peaceful resolution” to the conflict in
south-eastern Ukraine. He also pointed out Ukraine’s “continued support” of
NATO operations. In his meeting with Khomchak, he also spoke about the reform
of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and the need to continue in this direction.

The NATO release regarding the visit is available on
the NATO website in the Ukrainian language, as the organization added Ukrainian
support this week, alongside English, French, German, and Russian.

James Hydzik: While
Peach’s visit was planned long in advance, the timing, with western attention
to Russian movements near Ukraine and further abroad all under heightened
scrutiny, is important. France and Germany recently published a statement
asking for “both sides” to de-escalate in south-eastern Ukraine, so the
international institution’s recognition of Ukraine’s peacefulness is
appreciated.

As Ukraine’s NATO aspirations become a topic of
discussion again, the emphasis from NATO is not the resolution of the war, but
rather reform, including the military. Kohmchak’s statements are part of a
consistent message, and in parallel with the U.S. embassy’s statement on April
7 that reform of Ukraine’s security services is a “key step on its path toward
NATO.”