"Jacket" in uniform

Last Wednesday's artillery salvo at Mons, where NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe is headquartered, was a farewell salute for Wesley Clark. Another American general, Joseph Ralston, became the new Supreme Allied Commander in Europe.

In bidding farewell to Clarke, NATO Secretary General George Robertson called him an "outstanding military leader" and noted his "significant contribution" to the alliance's success in Kosovo. The commander-in-chief was indeed one of the most ardent supporters of a military solution to the Kosovo problem: he insisted on increasingly large-scale bombings, demanded the build-up of NATO's Balkan group on the ground and in the air, including from the bloc's allies. Of course, he made enemies at European headquarters. Moreover, the results of the “small victorious war” in Yugoslavia did not live up to expectations. As a result, they decided to get rid of Wesley Clark.

His replacement, Air Force General Ralston, began his career as a pilot during the Vietnam War. More recently, however, the American military was ready to give up this career: Deputy Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Joseph Ralston was convicted of adultery a couple of years ago. Ralston's affair with a certain CIA employee became known to the American press.

However, “jacket” (as officers who came to serve from a civilian university are called in the US Army) Ralston made a brilliant breakthrough. The new position of general, which implies constant contacts with the leaders of European countries, opens up not military, but political prospects. In his speech upon taking office, the new NATO commander in Europe said that he would make every effort to maintain unity between the North Atlantic allies, and considers the development of relations with Russia and Ukraine to be one of the most important tasks of the alliance. However, Ralston decided to make his first visit after taking office to Kosovo.