Page 15 - Nato

NATO begins biggest ever air exercise amid fears of flight delays

Some 10,000 soldiers and 250 aircraft, including 70 from Germany and more than 100 from the US, take part in the maneouver until June 23

Biden to host Nato's Stoltenberg as competition to replace him heats up

President Joe Biden is welcoming outgoing NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg to the White House for talks on Monday as the competition to find his successor to lead the military alliance heats up. Stoltenberg, who has led the NATO since 2014 and has had his tenure extended three times, said earlier this year he would move on when his current time expires at the end of September. The jockeying to replace him is intensifying as leaders of the 31-member military alliance are set to meet next month for their annual summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. Last week, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made the case for U.K. Defense Minister Ben Wallace directly to Biden. The U.S. president also met with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, another potential contender. Asked about the NATO job at a news conference with Sunak by his side, Biden called Wallace very qualified but noted that the conversation among NATO leaders to find a consensus pick to replace Stoltenberg was ongoing. Biden's

Sweden to join NATO soon, says Biden despite objections by Turkey, Hungary

US President Joe Biden has said he is certain that Sweden will join NATO "as soon as possible," in spite of Turkey and Hungary continuing to obstruct the Scandinavian nation's entry into the alliance

NATO presses Turkey to drop objections to Sweden's membership as meet nears

NATO on Thursday ramped up pressure on its member Turkiye to drop its objections to Sweden's membership as the military organisation seeks to deal with the issue by the time US President Joe Biden and his counterparts meet next month. Fearing that they might be targeted after Russia invaded Ukraine last year, Sweden and Finland abandoned their traditional positions of military nonalignment to seek protection under NATO's security umbrella. Finland became NATO's 31st member country in April. NATO must agree unanimously for countries to join. Turkiye's government accuses Sweden of being too lenient on terrorist organisations and security threats, including militant Kurdish groups and people associated with a 2016 coup attempt. Hungary has also delayed its approval, but the reasons why have not been made publicly clear. It's time for Sweden to join now, Norwegian Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt told reporters in Oslo, where she was hosting a meeting with her counterparts to prepar

Russia's upper house supports denunciation of armed forces treaty with NATO

The upper house of the parliament of Russia announced on social media that its senators approved a bill on the denunciation of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE)

US aircraft carrier 'USS General Ford' arrives in NATO-member Norway

A US aircraft carrier arrived on Wednesday in Oslo with the Norwegian armed forces saying it gives them a unique opportunity to further develop cooperation and work more closely with our most important ally, the United States. The nuclear-powered ship USS General Ford entered the Oslo fjord escorted by a rapid dinghy-type boat with armed people on board. The Norwegian armed forces has said any boats must stay a half-kilometre (half-mile) away from the aircraft carrier and a no-fly zone was created over the area where the aircraft carrier was. Described as the largest aircraft carrier in the world, the vessel's first foreign call was broadcast live on Norwegian public television. Onlooker, some using binoculars, were seen on land watching as the large aircraft carrier glided deeper and deeper into the fjord and eventually reach the city of Oslo. The vessel will stay in the Norwegian capital until Tuesday. After that, it will take part in drills with the Norwegian armed forces. In

NATO's 'reckless' expansion harms talks on European security: Russian FM

"The situation in the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe is "deplorable" and "continues to worsen due to the unwillingness of NATO members to moderate their ambitions," he added

NATO mulls security guarantees for Ukraine but wary of igniting a war

NATO leaders are discussing ways to ensure that Ukraine does not come under attack from Russia again once the war is over, but they are concerned about doing anything that might drag the organization into a wider conflict, the head of the military alliance said on Monday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is seeking security guarantees from the 31-nation alliance to ward off any future attack from Ukraine's neighbour. Some countries are weighing what could be done to avoid a repeat of the war. Russia already annexed the Crimean Peninsula in 2014. There are consultations that are going on, ahead of a summit involving US President Joe Biden and his counterparts in Lithuania on July 11-12, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said during an interview with his predecessor, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, at a conference in Copenhagen. Stoltenberg declined to provide details about those talks. NATO allies benefit from a collective security guarantee so called Article 5 of the ...

Ukraine implements 18% of NATO standards: Defence Minister Reznikov

Ukraine does not need to implement 100% of the standards to become a member of the organization, he noted

Nato allies sent 1,550 combat vehicles, 230 tanks to Ukraine during war

NATO allies and partner countries have delivered more than 98% of the combat vehicles promised to Ukraine during Russia's invasion and war, the military alliance's chief said Thursday, giving Kyiv a bigger punch as it contemplates launching a counteroffensive. Along with more than 1,550 armoured vehicles, 230 tanks and other equipment, Ukraine's allies have sent vast amounts of ammunition and also trained and equipped more than nine new Ukrainian brigades, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said. More than 30,000 troops are estimated to make up the new brigades. Some NATO partner countries, such as Sweden and Australia, have also provided armoured vehicles. "This will put Ukraine in a strong position to continue to retake occupied territory, Stoltenberg told reporters in Brussels. His comments came a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he and Chinese leader Xi Jinping held a long and meaningful phone call in their first known contact since Russia's full-scal

Nato allies send 1,500 combat vehicles, 230 tanks to Ukraine amid war

NATO countries have delivered more than 98 per cent of the combat vehicles promised to Ukraine amid its war with Russia, the military alliance's chief said on Thursday, giving Kyiv a bigger punch as it appears poised to launch a counteroffensive. Along with more than 1,550 armoured vehicles, 230 tanks and other equipment, member nations have sent Ukraine vast amounts of ammunition and also trained and equipped more than nine new Ukrainian brigades, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said. More than 30,000 troops are estimated to make up the new brigades. "This will put Ukraine in a strong position to continue to retake occupied territory, Stoltenberg told reporters in Brussels. His comments came a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he and Chinese leader Xi Jinping had a long and meaningful phone call in their first known contact since Russia's full-scale invasion more than a year ago. Though Zelenskyy wsaid he was encouraged by Wednesday's call and Western

Russia's Lavrov warns that EU is becoming militarised now, like NATO

Russia's top diplomat warned Tuesday that the European Union is becoming militarised at a record rate and aggressive in its goal of containing Russia. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told a news conference he has no doubts that there is now very little difference between the EU and NATO. Lavrov said they recently signed a declaration, which he said essentially states that the 31-member NATO military alliance will ensure the security of the 27-member EU political and economic organisation. He was apparently referring to a Jan. 19 EU-NATO declaration on their strategic partnership which calls Russia's Feb. 24, 2022, invasion of Ukraine the gravest threat to Euro-Atlantic security in decades. It calls the present moment a key juncture for Euro-Atlantic security and stability and urges closer EU-NATO cooperation to confront evolving security threats, saying this will contribute to strengthening security in Europe and beyond. And it encourages the fullest possible involvement of NATO ...

Ukraine's 'rightful place' is in the alliance, says NATO chief Stoltenberg

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg defiantly declared on Thursday that Ukraine's rightful place is in the military alliance and pledged more support for the country on his first visit to Kyiv since Russia's invasion just over a year ago. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged Stoltenberg, who has been instrumental in marshalling support from NATO members, to push for even more from them, including warplanes, artillery and armoured equipment. The Kremlin has given various justifications for going to war, but repeated on Thursday that preventing Ukraine from joining NATO is still a key goal of its invasion, arguing that Kyiv's membership in the alliance would pose an existential threat to Russia. NATO leaders said in 2008 that Ukraine would join the alliance one day, and Stoltenberg has repeated that promise throughout the war, though the organisation has established no pathway or timetable for membership. Let me be clear, Ukraine's rightful place is in the Euro-Atlantic family," ...

Nato chief Stoltenberg visits Kyiv for first time since Russian invasion

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg is visiting Ukraine for the first time since Russia launched its full-scale invasion more than a year ago, an alliance official said on Thursday. The NATO secretary-general is in Ukraine. We will release more information as soon as possible, said an alliance official, who asked not to be identified in line with NATO procedures. Pictures of Stoltenberg apparently paying tribute to fallen Ukrainian soldiers in Kyiv's St Michael's Square were published by local media. Apart from the important symbolism of the visit, the exact purpose of Stoltenberg's trip wasn't immediately clear. NATO has no official presence in Ukraine. As an organisation of 31 countries, it only provides nonlethal support generators, medical equipment, tents, military uniforms and other supplies to the government in Kyiv. Stoltenberg has been the strong voice of the alliance throughout the war and has been instrumental in garnering and coordinating support by the 31 member

NATO chief Stoltenberg visits Kyiv for 1st time since Russian invasion

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is visiting Ukraine for the first time since last year's invasion by Russia, an alliance official said on Thursday. The NATO Secretary General is in Ukraine. We will release more information as soon as possible, said an alliance official, who asked not to be identified in line with NATO procedures. Stoltenberg had been to Kyiv before the war, but this is his first visit during the hostilities and underscores the longstanding commitments of the alliance in defence of Ukraine's independence.

US approves F-16 fighter jets upgrade after Turkey eases stand on NATO

The US agreed Monday to sell Turkey $259 million in software it has long sought to upgrade its fleet of US F-16 fighter jets. State Department approval of the sale comes about two weeks after Turkey dropped its objections to Finland joining NATO. Turkey continues to withhold its approval for Sweden to join the military alliance. NATO requires unanimous approval to admit new members. Turkey also still wants to buy 40 new F-16s from the US, but some in Congress oppose the sale until Turkey approves NATO membership for both Nordic countries. Turkey fell out of grace with the US on high-tech military aircraft purchases after it decided in 2017 to acquire Russian air-defence missiles. Turkey was kicked out of a US programme to develop the next-generation F-35 fighter plane and Turkish defence officials were sanctioned. The US said the Russian missiles posed a threat to the F-35 and strongly objected to their use within the NATO alliance. Turkey sees the F-16s as an interim option to bui

NATO member Finland breaks ground on Russia border fence near Imatra

The construction of barbed-wired fence along Finland's long border with Russia - primarily meant to curb illegal migration - has broken ground near the southeastern town of Imatra less than two weeks after the Nordic country joined NATO as the 31st member of the military alliance. The Finnish Border Guard on Friday showcased the building of the initial three kilometer (1.8 mile) stretch of the fence to be erected in Pelkola near a crossing point off Imatra, a quiet lakeside town of some 25,000 people. Finland's 1,340 kilometer (832 mile) border with Russia is the longest of any European Union member. Construction of the border fence is an initiative by the border guard that was approved by Prime Minister Sanna Marin's government amid wide political support last year. The main purpose of the three-meter (10-foot) high steel fence with a barbed-wire extension on top is to prevent illegal immigration from Russia and give reaction time to authorities, Finnish border officials say. In .

Finnish president: Joining NATO won't solve all our problems

Finland's President Sauli Niinist on Thursday warned that the country's new status as a NATO member doesn't solve every problem, and said Helsinki should not let down its guard on security issues. We still bear the main responsibility for our own security. Wherever we detect any gaps or vulnerabilities, they must be fixed, Niinist said, in a speech to lawmakers as they gathered for the first time since the April 2 elections. He added that Finland, which shares a 1,340 kilometer (832 mile) border with Russia, has been focused on regional security in the past year, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. We must not let this level of alertness drop in the future, either, the president said as he formally opened the 200-member Eduskunta legislature. We should better understand how organically the dangers and tensions we are witnessing here are linked with the increasing geopolitical pressures." Finland's main conservative party came first in this month's elections, after a tight three-

Finland unlikely to get NATO battle group given its defence capabilities

NATO has established 8 multinational battle groups in Poland and the Baltic nations, and more recently in Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Romania, to serve as a "tripwire" in case of Russian attack

Finland becomes NATO member as Russia warns of 'counter-measures'

In Russia's opinion, the expansion of NATO infringes on its security and national interests