US Steps Back: NATO to Lead Military Aid Coordination for Ukraine

The United States is further reducing its direct management of military aid to Ukraine, with the Pentagon announcing it will hand over leadership of the Security Assistance Group for Ukraine (SAG-U), based in Germany. Coordination of the group, which is responsible for overseeing military support for Kyiv, will be transferred to a European nation or Canada. This decision is viewed as another signal of the U.S. scaling back its involvement in managing support for Ukraine and shifting responsibilities to its European allies.

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The handover to a European or Canadian officer would be another example of allies taking on more responsibility.

The transition process, expected to take up to a year, will see a European or Canadian officer take command of the Wiesbaden-based structure. Sources indicate that the group's operations will continue uninterrupted, with the U.S. European Command retaining involvement through an American deputy. An anonymous NATO official stated that the handover to a European or Canadian officer would be a further example of allies taking on more responsibility. The Pentagon described SAG-U as a temporary structure from its inception, designed to facilitate allies assuming a larger share of support for Ukraine while U.S. resources are aligned with the National Defense Strategy.

This decision aligns with a broader reorganization of the U.S. role within NATO. The Trump administration had previously reduced the number of American officers in Europe, withdrawn troop rotations, and urged European allies to increase their defense spending. Several NATO commands are slated to be led by European states, including the Joint Command Center in Norfolk by the United Kingdom, the Naples command by Italy, and the Joint Command in Brunssum (Netherlands) by Germany and Poland.

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SAG-U was designed from the outset as a temporary structure.

U.S. Lieutenant General Curtis Buzzard, who has led SAG-U since 2024, will conclude his term, with Lieutenant General Guillaume Beaurpere temporarily taking over coordination of the transfer. Reactions in Kyiv are mixed. One Ukrainian official suggested the move could mitigate risks associated with potential political shifts in Washington and simplify military logistics. However, concerns exist that full integration into NATO structures might slow down arms deliveries, and that European allies may not fully replicate U.S. capabilities in strategic transport, satellite reconnaissance, and target identification. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently urged allies in Brussels to take greater responsibility for their own security, stating NATO could no longer function as a "one-way street."

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Europe must take on a greater share of responsibility for its own security, stating NATO can no longer function as 'a one-way street.'