Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan later demanded action after protesters insulted the Quran, Islam's holy book, while enjoying Swedish laws on freedom of expression. In an apparent but unstated sweetener, the United States jeopardized the sale of F-16 warplanes to Turkey, which has previously faced the wrath of US sanctions on large military purchases from […]
Finland successfully joined in April 2023. Sweden's candidacy stalled due to a strong pressure from Turkey, which demanded that Stockholm, known for its generous asylum policies, crack down on Kurdish militants campaigning against Ankara. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan later demanded action after protesters insulted the Quran, Islam's holy book, while enjoying Swedish laws on […]
He said, “There are countries that are ready to send their troops to Ukraine, there are countries that say never – Slovakia is among them – and there are countries that say this proposal should be considered.” Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, who is set to join NATO, poured cold water on the idea, saying […]
France said Europe needed another “life insurance” policy besides NATO to ensure the continent’s security. Diplomats from several NATO countries say keeping the United States on board is fundamental to deterring the threat from Russia. But they are also optimistic about how genuine Trump’s threats are, arguing that the coalition has emerged from his first […]
Trump, speaking during a political rally in South Carolina and recalling a meeting with NATO leaders, asked, “Okay sir, if we don’t pay,” referring to the president of “a big country.” And we’re like ‘Russia has attacked – will you protect us?’ “I said: ‘You didn’t pay? You’re a criminal?’ He said, ‘Yes, let’s say […]
Zelensky later announced that he had received assurances from Washington that military aid to Ukraine would remain “continuous and uninterrupted”. “It was made clear that the United States will continue to provide Ukraine with the sustained and uninterrupted support it needs to defend itself,” he said in his daily address. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin […]
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Monday urged Moscow to return to the agreement, insisting that “Russia has no legal and political grounds for withdrawing from the agreement.” Monday’s talks took place against the backdrop of Ukraine’s recent retaliatory offensive against the Kremlin’s invading forces. In the latest development, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on […]
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said Thursday that NATO allies and partners have provided Ukraine with 1,550 armored vehicles and 230 tank units to help build and take back territory from Russian forces. The deliveries “represent more than 98 percent of combat vehicles delivered to Ukraine” since the start of the war in February last year, […]
Stoltenberg began his unannounced visit at a turning point in Russia’s nearly 14-month-old invasion that has killed thousands, displaced millions, destroyed cities and devastated the Ukrainian economy. After facing a Russian winter and spring offensive that has made only small advances in the east, Ukraine is now hoping to retake land to its south and […]
France’s Macron pressures China’s Xi to pressure Putin to end the war in Ukraine. Xi has called Putin a “dear friend”, their nations have declared a “no-limits” partnership, and Beijing has refrained from criticizing Russia’s invasion. “The Russian aggression in Ukraine has dealt a blow to (international) stability,” Macron told Xi before meeting with the […]
Finland in NATO: strategic change with limited material gain
But last week, Turkey’s parliament voted to clear Finland’s last hurdle. Completing ratification in less than a year is still the fastest membership process in the alliance’s recent history. Tuesday’s highly choreographed formalities remained at NATO headquarters. The Foreign Minister of Finland will hand over the formal Instrument of Accession to US Secretary of State […]
After completing the ratification process, both Turkey and Hungary are required to send their ratification documents to the US government in Washington, which is NATO’s depository under the alliance’s founding treaty. Stoltenberg will formally invite Finland to join NATO. The Finnish government said that as a final step, Finland would deliver an “instrument of accession” […]
Ukrainian military analyst and journalist, Andrey Tsaplyenko, interviewed on Ukrainian NV radio, said that Russian forces were trying to repeat at Avdievka what happened at Bakhmut. “The city is under constant, daily shelling. They understand that they cannot easily capture it and are instead starting to destroy Avdivka as much as possible,” Tsaplienko said. Reuters […]
Experts said Russia’s move was significant because until now it had prided itself on not deploying nuclear weapons outside its borders, unlike the US. This may be the first time since the mid-1990s that he has done so. The US, also a nuclear superpower, played down concerns about Russia’s planned nuclear deployment. Rep. Michael McCaul, […]