NATO–Ukraine Council
NATO-Ukraine Council establishment in 2023

NATO-Ukraine Council
Conseil OTAN-Ukraine
Рада «Україна-НАТО»
Abbreviation
  • NUC
  • COU
  • РУН
PredecessorNATO-UKR commission
FormationJuly 12, 2023 (2023-07-12), 2 years ago
Founder NATO
Founded atVilnius, Lithuania
TypeJoint collaborative advisory board, consultative forum
Legal statusMultinational, active
PurposeUKR–NATO relations
HeadquartersNATO Headquarters
Location
Coordinates50°52′46″N 4°25′34″E / 50.87931°N 4.42611°E / 50.87931; 4.42611
Membership
33 countries
(2025)
Official languages
English/French/Ukrainian
Secretary General
Secretary General of NATO (ex officio)
Chair
Sub-structures
5 subcommittees, informal working groups
Main organ
Council meeting
WebsiteOfficial website
RemarksNUC subcommittees meet regularly
List of meetings, Brussels
(unless stated otherwise)
    • Summit, Vilnius, Lithuania
    • Ambassadors (crisis)[a]
    • Ambassadors
    • Military Representatives
    • Foreign Ministers
    • Ambassadors (crisis)
    • Foreign Ministers
    • 2024 NATO Summit, US-DC
    • Ambassadors (crisis)
    • Ambassadors
    • Ambassadors (crisis)
     
    • 12 Jul 2023
    • 26 Jul 2023[1]
    • 4 Oct 2023[2]
    • 16 Nov 2023[3]
    • 29 Nov 2023[4][5]
    • 10 Jan 2024[6]
    • 4 Apr 2024[7]
    • 11 Jul 2024[8]
    • 26 Nov 2024[9]
    • 29 Jan 2025[10]
    • 2 Sep 2025[11]
Notes
    1. ^ requested by Ukraine
    1. ^ "NATO-Ukraine Council addresses serious security situation in the Black Sea". 26 July 2023.
    2. ^ "NATO-Ukraine Council meets to take forward Vilnius Summit decisions". 4 October 2023.
    3. ^ "NATO-Ukraine Council meets, Allies pledge further air defences". 16 November 2023.
    4. ^ Polskaya, Kseniya (1 September 2025). "Совет НАТО-Украина: как прошла историческая встреча [NATO-Ukraine Council: How the Historic Meeting Has Been Held]" (in Russian). Retrieved 29 November 2023 – via DW.com.
    5. ^ "Statement by the NATO-Ukraine Council at the level of Foreign Ministers issued following its meeting held in Brussels on 29th November 2023" (Press release). 29 November 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2025.
    6. ^ "NATO-Ukraine Council meets, Allies pledge further air defences". 10 January 2024.
    7. ^ "Foreign Ministers mark NATO's 75th anniversary, meet with Ukraine, Indo-Pacific partners, European Union". 4 April 2024.
    8. ^ "Statement of the NATO-Ukraine Council". 11 July 2024.
    9. ^ "NATO-Ukraine Council meets following Russia's launch of intermediate-range ballistic missile". 26 November 2024.
    10. ^ "Continued support at forefront of NATO-Ukraine Council meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Stefanishyna". 29 January 2025.
    11. ^ "Emergency NATO-Ukraine Council meeting set for Brussels over recent Russian attacks – Sybiha". 1 September 2025. Retrieved 1 September 2025 – via Interfax Ukraine.

The NATO-Ukraine Council (abbr. NUC, Ukrainian: Рада "НАТО-Україна", romanized: Rada 'NATO-Ukraina', also known as Рада "Україна-НАТО", РУН) is a collaborative body established in July 2023 during the NATO summit in Vilnius, replacing NATO-Ukraine Commissions. It serves as a platform where NATO Allies and Ukraine engage as equal participants to advance political dialogue, enhance cooperation, and support Ukraine's aspirations for NATO membership. The NUC facilitates joint consultations, decision-making, and coordinated activities, including crisis consultations between NATO and Ukraine.[1]

Background

The NATO-Ukraine Council (NUC) was established at the 2023 NATO Summit in Vilnius, replacing the NATO-Ukraine Commission, which had been the primary body for developing NATO-Ukraine relations since 1997. The Commission, formed the same year by the NATO-Ukraine Charter on a Distinctive Partnership signed in Madrid,[2] was the primary decision-making body for NATO-Ukraine relations.[3] It directed cooperative activities and ensured the Charter’s implementation, assessing and planning future developments. In December 2008, NATO Foreign Ministers introduced the Annual National Programme[4] (ANP) to further support Ukraine’s reform efforts.[5]

The transition from the Commission to the Council in 2023 marks a significant strengthening of political ties and Ukraine's closer integration with NATO. Unlike the Commission, where Ukraine was a partner invited to meetings, the new Council format allows Ukraine to sit as an equal participant alongside all NATO member states. This change underscores NATO's commitment to treating Ukraine as a key ally and provides a more robust framework for joint consultations, decision-making, and crisis management. The NATO-Ukraine Council operates on a consensus basis, reflecting the collective will of all its members, including Ukraine. It is chaired by the NATO Secretary General and can be convened by any member, including Ukraine, for crisis consultations. This structure differs from the previous format where Ukraine's participation was by invitation from NATO.[6]

The establishment of the NATO-Ukraine Council is a pivotal step in reinforcing the NATO-Ukraine partnership, demonstrating an elevated level of cooperation and integration as Ukraine continues its journey towards NATO membership and greater alignment with Euro-Atlantic standards.[7][according to whom?]

Post-establishment developments

The inaugural meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council happened on 12 July 2023 at the NATO's 2023 Vilnius Summit. The Council met at the level of Heads of State and Government, including the participation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.[8]

On 10 January 2024, NATO called meeting of the new Ukraine Council on the request of Ukraine amidst massive Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilians and infrastructure. This followed Allies to further pledge additional air defence systems to Ukraine.[9][10]

On 4 April, another meeting of the Council took place in Brussels with the participation of Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, and was focused on long-term support for Kyiv.[11]

Other notable meetings, at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, included:

First NUC in Military Representatives Format
  • Date: 16 November 2023
  • Level: Military Representatives (Chiefs of Defence format)

This first formal NUC meeting in military representatives format marked a step in deepening military-to-military cooperation, allowing Ukraine to participate as an equal with Allied chiefs of defence and contributing to planning, capability development, training exercises, and the practical implementation of joint military assistance programs.

First Ministerial Session
  • Date: 29 November 2023
  • Level: Foreign Ministers

This was the NUC’s first ministerial-level meeting, with wide media coverage as a milestone in Ukraine-NATO relations. The agenda centered on advancing Ukraine’s reforms, the roadmap to full NATO interoperability, munitions and armament needs, and the mechanisms for scaling up Allied support. The event symbolized Ukraine’s equal seat at the strategic NATO table.[12]

Extraordinary Meeting
Russian IRBM (Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile) Attack
  • Date: 26 November 2024
  • Level: Senior military officials

In an extraordinary session responding to Russia’s attempt to escalate with an experimental IRBM strike on Dnipro, Ukrainian senior military officials briefed Allies, who reaffirmed that such escalations would not deter continued Allied support.[13] The NUC’s procedural innovation - Ukraine’s right to directly request sessions (as demonstrated on 10 January 2024 and 2 September 2025) - marks a new model for Allied crisis management.

President Volodymyr Zelensky met the Chair of the NATO Military Committee, Giuseppe Cavo Dragone on his first foreign visit in this position specifically to Ukraine. Kyiv, 8 February 2025.

Sub-structures

The NATO-Ukraine Council meets in various formats, including in five main sub-committees:[14]

  • The Political Affairs Committee – NUC(PAC) – consults on political and security-related subjects.
  • The Defence and Security Sector Committee – NUC(DSSC) – oversees the practical implementation of NATO’s Comprehensive Assistance Package for Ukraine, with a focus on the defence and security sector.
  • The Strategic Communications Committee – NUC(SCC) – supports Ukraine’s efforts in this area and helps coordinate NATO’s strategic communications approach to and with Ukraine.
  • The Innovation and Hybrid Committee – NUC(IHC) – oversees cooperation on innovation, hybrid threats, cyber defence, energy security and environmental security.
  • The Military Representatives Working Group – NUC(MR-WG) – exchanges views and discusses the practical implementation of NATO-Ukraine military cooperation, with a focus on the capability development and interoperability of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Ukraine updates: NATO to boost Black Sea surveillance". Deutsche Welle (DW). 26 July 2023.
  2. ^ "Charter on Distinctive Partnership between NATO and Ukraine signed on this day". Ukrinform. 9 July 2018.
  3. ^ European Pravda (11 July 2023). "Vilnius summit participants agree to establish Ukraine-NATO Council". Ukrainska Pravda.
  4. ^ Khimiak, Anton (2 November 2023). "Will the next Annual National Programme bring Ukraine closer to NATO membership?". Ukraine Crisis Media Center.
  5. ^ "Ukraine updates: NATO to boost Black Sea surveillance". 26 July 2023.
  6. ^ John E. Herbst (20 July 2023). "After Vilnius: What's next on Ukraine's path to NATO?".
  7. ^ Sean Monaghan; Sissy Martinez; Otto Svendsen; Carlota García Encina; Mathieu Droin (13 July 2023). "What Happened at NATO's Vilnius Summit?". www.csis.org. Center for Strategic and International Studies.
  8. ^ "NATO-Ukraine Council Meets Wednesday, Zelenskyy says". Reuters. 23 July 2023.
  9. ^ "NATO-Ukraine Council meets, Allies pledge further air defences". www.nato.int. NATO. 10 January 2024.
  10. ^ "NATO Calls Meeting Of New Ukraine Council Amid Massive Russian Attacks". RadioFreeEurope RadioLiberty. 4 January 2024.
  11. ^ Pavliuk, Oleh (4 April 2024). "NATO secretary general reveals agenda for NATO-Ukraine Council meeting with Ukrainian foreign minister". Ukrainska Pravda.
  12. ^ Polskaya, Kseniya (1 September 2025). "Совет НАТО-Украина: как прошла историческая встреча [NATO-Ukraine Council: How the Historic Meeting Has Been Held]" (in Russian). Retrieved 29 November 2023 – via DW.com.
  13. ^ "NATO-Ukraine Council meets following Russia's launch of intermediate-range ballistic missile".
  14. ^ "NATO-Ukraine Council". www.nato.int. NATO.
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