Page 17 - Nato

Will 'take into account' nuclear capability of US, NATO countries: Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview broadcast on Sunday that after Russia suspended its participation in the last arms control agreement with Washington, it would take into account the nuclear weapons capabilities not only of the United States but of other NATO countries such as France and Britain. Putin had said in a speech suspending Russia's role in the 2010 New START treaty earlier this week that France and Britain, not parties to the agreement, had joined the United States in targeting Russia with nuclear weapons. In an interview with Russian TV that was recorded on Wednesday and broadcast on Sunday, he said he took the action to "preserve our country, ensure security and strategic stability" and added: In today's conditions, when all the leading NATO countries have declared their main goal to inflict a strategic defeat on us, to make our people suffer ... how can we not take into account their nuclear capabilities? Moreover, they supply weapons to Ukraine wor

Russia cannot ignore NATO's nuclear capability: Putin on exiting New START

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview broadcast Sunday that Russia has no choice but to take into account NATO's nuclear capabilities, in remarks justifying Russia's recent suspension of its participation in the New START treaty. As he has done repeatedly during the Ukraine war, Putin claimed that Russia faces an existential threat because, in his view, NATO members are seeking the country's strategic defeat. He said on Russian state TV that the suspension of New START stemmed from the need to ensure security, strategic stability for Russia. When all the leading NATO countries have declared their main goal as inflicting a strategic defeat on us (...) how can we ignore their nuclear capabilities in these conditions? Putin said. Putin's overarching goal in invading Ukraine a year ago was to reduce what he perceived as threats to Russia's security, and at times he has used that as justification for threats to use nuclear weapons in the conflict. Putin declared Tuesday

Need to relook at UNSC, support greater role for India: Liz Truss

Former UK Prime Minister Liz Truss Friday stressed the need for a relook at the UN Security Council and supported a greater role for India in the world body. Speaking at ABP Network's Ideas of India Summit here, Truss also there was a need to fast-track Ukraine's NATO membership. We need to be on the front foot about freedom and democracy. Our adversaries like China and Russia are very good at promoting their economic model. They use misinformation and technology to communicate in all kinds of ways to the world, she said. They also use the power of economic coercion to try and influence the way people think, Truss said. She said India's voice is going to be incredibly important being the world's largest democracy. Truss said she is a great supporter of trading more with allies like India. When I was trade secretary, I kicked off the free trade negotiations with India, she said. I also want to see us work together with like-minded countries to create what I describe as an economic

NATO chief sees 'some signs' China could back Russia's war against Ukraine

NATO's chief has said that the military alliance has seen some signs that China may be planning to support Russia in its war in Ukraine, and strongly urged Beijing to desist from what would be a violation of international law. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also told The Associated Press in an interview on Wednesday that the alliance, while not a party to the war, will support Ukraine for as long as it takes. Asked whether NATO has any indication that China might be ready to provide arms or other support to Russia's war, Stoltenberg said: We have seen some signs that they may be planning for that and of course NATO allies, the United States, have been warning against it because this is something that should not happen. China should not support Russia's illegal war. Stoltenberg said potential Chinese assistance would amount to providing (direct) support to a blatant violation of international law, and of course (as) a member of the UN security council China should not in an

Biden in Poland: US, allies 'will never waver' in supporting Ukraine

President Joe Biden warned of 'hard and bitter days ahead" as Russia's invasion of Ukraine nears the one-year mark, but vowed that no matter what, the United States and allies "will not waver" in supporting the Ukrainians. A day after his surprise visit to Kyiv, Biden used a strongly worded address in neighboring Poland to praise allies in Europe for stepping up over the past year and to send a clear message to Russian President Vladimir Putin that "NATO will not be divided, and we will not tire. One year ago, the world was bracing for the fall of Kyiv, Biden said before a crowd of thousands outside Warsaw's Royal Castle. I can report: Kyiv stands strong. Kyiv stands proud. It stands tall and, most important, it stands free." With Russia and Ukraine each preparing spring offensives, Biden insisted there will be no backing down from what he's portrayed as a global struggle between democracy and autocracy though polling suggests American support for ongoing military assistance appear

EU, NATO, Ukraine to ramp up arms production, procurement: Officials

NATO will help Ukraine develop a procurement system that is effective, transparent and accountable, the NATO Secretary General added

Turkey rejects links between Sweden, Finland NATO accession and F-16 deal

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday called for Sweden and Finland to be accepted into NATO as quickly as possible, although his Turkish counterpart dismissed the possibility of any link between their accession and Turkiye's request for F-16 fighter jets. Turkiye has delayed the Nordic countries admission to the trans-Atlantic defense alliance, citing concerns over terrorism. Meanwhile, members of the U.S. Congress have tied approval of the F-16 deal to Ankara retracting its opposition to the NATO enlargement. We're confident that NATO will formally welcome them in soon, Blinken told a joint news conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in Ankara. And when that happens, it will enhance the security of every NATO member, including the United States, including Turkiye." Cavusoglu repeated Turkiye's position that it would be willing to approve Finland joining NATO before Sweden. Turkiye has complained about what it sees as Stockholm's tolerance of support for

Finland's defence minister says his country could join NATO ahead of Sweden

Finland's defence minister said Saturday that his country will join NATO without waiting for Sweden if its Nordic neighbour's accession is held up by the Turkish government. Mikko Savola told The Associated Press on Saturday that Finland would prefer that the two countries join the alliance together, but it wouldn't hold up the process if Turkey decides to approve Finland, but not Sweden, as it has warned. No, no. Then we will join, Savola said in an interview on the sidelines of a security conference in Munich. Since they broke with decades of non-alignment in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year, Finland and Sweden have insisted they want to join NATO together. But Turkey's reluctance to accept Sweden unless it steps up pressure on Kurdish exile groups has made it more likely the two will have to join the alliance at different speeds. Sweden is our closest partner, Savola said. Almost every week our defence forces are practising together and so on. It's a very deep

NATO chief Stoltenberg eyes bigger defence budgets, hard spending target

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday urged the 30 member countries to commit to spending at least 2 per cent of their gross domestic product on defense by a set date, as Russia's war on Ukraine and other threats eat into military spending. NATO allies agreed in 2014, after Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula, to halt the spending cuts they had made after the Cold War and move toward spending 2 per cent of GDP on their defence budgets by 2024. That pledge expires next year, and NATO is working on a new target. What is obvious is that if it was right to commit to spend 2 per cent in 2014, it is even more right now because we live in a more dangerous world, Stoltenberg told reporters, after chairing a meeting of NATO defence ministers, where a first high-level discussion on the issue was held. There is a full-fledged war going on in in Ukraine, in Europe, and then we see the persistent threat of terrorism, and we see also the challenges that China is forcing to o

Ukraine seeks warplanes at NATO talks, allies fret over ammunition needs

Ukraine maintained its appeal for Western countries to provide it with fighter jets Tuesday, but the United States and its NATO allies and partners voiced more concern about Kyiv's needs for large amounts of ammunition as the war with Russia approached its one-year anniversary. Ahead of the meeting of the Ukraine contact group at NATO headquarters, Ukraine made its requirements clear. Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov, when asked what military aid his country is seeking now, showed reporters an image of a fighter jet. Questioned about where he hoped they might come from, Reznikov said only: From the sky. What NATO allies have on their mind, though, is how to keep up a steady supply of ammunition to Ukraine without depleting their own stockpiles. According to some estimates, Ukraine is firing up to 6,000-7,000 artillery shells each day, around a third of the daily amount that Russia is using. Moscow's forces have been pressing in the east of Ukraine while bolstering their defensive

NATO must not be part of Russia-Ukraine conflict, says German Chancellor

Despite providing military assistance to Ukraine, the NATO must not become a party to the country's conflict with Russia, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said

Russia-Ukraine war: US to send Kyiv longer-range bombs in latest turnaround

After months of agonizing, the U.S has agreed to send longer-range bombs to Ukraine as it prepares to launch a spring offensive to retake territory Russia captured last year, U.S. officials said Thursday, confirming that the new weapons will have roughly double the range of any other offensive weapon provided by America. The U.S. will provide ground-launched small diameter bombs as part of a $2.17 billion aid package it is expected to announce Friday, several U.S. officials said. The package also for the first time includes equipment to connect all the different air defense systems Western allies have rushed to the battlefield and integrate them into Kviv's own air defenses, to help them better defend against Russia's continued missile attacks. For months, U.S. officials have hesitated to send longer-range systems to Ukraine out of concern that they would be used to target inside Russia, escalating the conflict and drawing the U.S. deeper in. The longer-range bombs are the latest ...

Russia planning offensive on Feb 24, says Ukraine's defence minister

The Defence Minister further said that Ukraine's commanders would seek to 'stabilise the front and prepare for a counter-offensive'

Sweden can't join NATO if Quran-burning is allowed: Turkey Prez Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reaffirmed Wednesday that Turkey won't allow Sweden to join the NATO military alliance as long as the Scandinavian country permits protests desecrating Islam's holy book to take place. Turkey, which had already been holding off approving Sweden and Finland's membership in the Western military alliance, has been infuriated by a series of separate demonstrations in Stockholm. In one case a solitary anti-Islam activist burned the Quran outside the Turkish Embassy, while in an unconnected protest an effigy of Erdogan was hanged. Even before that, Ankara had been pressing Sweden and Finland to crack down on exiled members of Kurdish and other groups it sees as terrorists, and to allow arms sales to Turkey. Turkey has indefinitely postponed a key meeting in Brussels that would have discussed the two Nordic countries' NATO entry. Sweden, don't even bother! As long as you allow my holy book, the Quran, to be burned and torn, and you do so together with

Nato chief calls for stronger ties with Japan to defend democracy

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, in Japan as part of his East Asia tour, said our security is closely interconnected and called for stronger ties with Japan as Russia's war on Ukraine raises global dangers and shows that democracies need stronger partnerships. Japan has been quick to join the US-led economic sanctions against Russia's war on Ukraine and provided humanitarian aid and non-combative defence equipment for the Ukrainians. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has sounded alarm that Russia's aggression in Europe could happen in Asia, where concerns are growing over already assertive China and its escalating tension near Taiwan. Japan also has significantly stepped up ties with NATO recently. The war in Ukraine also demonstrates that our security is closely interconnected, Stoltenberg said during his visit at the Iruma Air Base north of Tokyo, where he started his Japan visit Tuesday after arriving late Monday from South Korea. If President (Vladimir) Putin wins i

N Korea slams Nato chief's Seoul visit as 'prelude' to war in Asia-Pacific

North Korea on Monday denounced a visit to Seoul by Jens Stoltenberg, the NATO Secretary General, as a "prelude" to war, saying the move could bring a "new Cold War" to the Asia-Pacific region

May respond differently to Finland's Nato bid: Turkish President Erdogan

'We may respond differently to Finland if necessary. Sweden would be shocked when we respond differently to Finland. But Finland should not make the same mistake'

Former NATO general Petr Pavel becomes new President of Czech Republic

A former military general, Pavel got more than 58% of the vote, according to the Czech Statistics Office

Russia has shifted war focus to 'NATO and the West', says EU official

A senior EU official said Friday that Russia has taken its war against Ukraine to a a different stage by making indiscriminate attacks on civilians and non-military targets, while criticising Moscow for triggering recent moves by Germany and the United States to send advanced tanks to Ukraine. Stefano Sannino, Secretary General of the European Union's European External Action Service, defended German and US provisions of the military equipment to Ukraine, and criticised Russian President Vladimir Putin for waging a war on NATO and the West. Sannino, speaking at a news conference in Tokyo as part of an Asia-Pacific tour, said Putin had moved from a concept of special operation to a concept now of a war against NATO and the West. He said German and US tank provisions are meant to help Ukrainians defend themselves in the war, rather than making them attackers. I think that this latest development in terms of armed supply is just an evolution of the situation and of the way Russia star

Meaningless to hold meet with Sweden, Finland over NATO accession: Turkey

It is "meaningless" to hold a trilateral meeting with Sweden and Finland to discuss their NATO accession process after recent protests in Stockholm, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has said