Top NATO Commander Visits Ukraine; Eyes Ukrainian Troops as Red Team in Alliance Exercises

Admiral Pierre Vandier, NATO Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, led the first NATO military command visit to Ukraine since the February 2022 invasion. The delegation discussed integrating Ukrainian forces into NATO exercises as 'Red Team' adversary forces, reversing the traditional trainer-trainee relationship. NATO aims to learn from Ukrainian combat experience against Russian systems and tactics. A joint NATO-Ukraine center was also discussed, signaling deepening institutional integration despite Ukraine's non-member status.