Page 19 - Nato

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

US will send 31 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, says President Joe Biden

President Joe Biden has announced that the US will send 31 state-of-the-art Abrams battle tanks to Ukraine to help its troops push back Russian forces that remain entrenched in the country's east for almost a year since Moscow's invasion. President Biden's announcement on Wednesday came after he held talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on aiding Ukraine. Today, I'm announcing that the United States will be sending 31 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, the equivalent of one Ukrainian battalion. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin has recommended this step because it will enhance Ukraine's capacity to defend its territory and achieve its strategic objectives, Biden said. The Abrams tanks are the most capable tanks in the world, Biden said, adding that they are also extremely complex to operate and maintain. The US will also provide training programme to maintain and operate these tanks, as well as eight M88 recovery vehic

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Sweden braces for anti-Turkey demonstrations amid NATO accession bid

Sweden is bracing for demonstrations Saturday that could complicate its efforts to persuade Turkey to approve its NATO accession, which has already drawn Turkey's ire

Bill introduced in US to terminate Pak's designation as major non-NATO ally

A US lawmaker has introduced a legislation in the US House of Representatives that seeks to terminate Pakistan's designation as a major non-NATO ally

NATO plans to deploy surveillance planes to Romania to eye Russian activity

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February, NATO has bolstered its presence on Europe's eastern flank, including by sending additional battlegroups to Romania, Bulgaria, and Slovakia

Finnish MPs can decide on NATO membership by simple majority: Committee

There has been debate in Finland on whether Parliament could complete the legislative process while ratification in Hungary and Turkey is still under way

EU, NATO set up joint task force to protect critical infrastructure

The European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) have agreed to set up a task force to better protect critical infrastructure and increase resilience

Ukraine war: Zelenskyy hails US military aid as cease-fire said to falter

Ukraine's president is praising the United States for including tank-killing armoured vehicles in its latest multibillion-dollar package of military aid, saying they are exactly what is needed for Ukrainian troops locked in combat against Russian forces. Officials, meanwhile, said it was unclear whether Moscow was abiding by a unilateral 36-hour cease-fire for Orthodox Christmas that Ukraine has denounced as a ploy. The latest multi-billion dollar package of U.S. military assistance announced Friday by the White House was the biggest to date for Kyiv. For the first time, it included Bradley armoured vehicles known as tank-killers because of the anti-tank missiles they fire. In his nightly televised address on Friday, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called it a very powerful package. For the first time, we will get Bradley armoured vehicles this is exactly what is needed. New guns and rounds, including high-precision ones, new rockets, new drones. It is timely and strong, h

US to send $3.75 billion in military aid to Ukraine, its NATO neighbours

The White House announced on Friday a new USD 3.75 billion military assistance package to help Ukraine and its neighbours on NATO's eastern flank as Russia's invasion of Ukraine grinds on. The latest tranche of assistance will include for the first time Bradley armoured vehicles for Ukraine. The armored carrier is used to transport troops to combat and is known as a tank-killer because of the anti-tank missile it can fire. The biggest US assistance package to date for Kyiv includes a USD 2.85 billion drawdown from the Pentagon's stocks that will be sent directly to Ukraine and USD 225 million in foreign military financing to build the long-term capacity and support modernisation of Ukraine's military, according to the White House. It also includes USD 682 million in foreign military financing for European allies to help backfill donations of military equipment they've made to Ukraine. The war is at a critical point and we must do everything we can to help the Ukrainians resist Russ

On New Year's, Vladimir Putin slams West for hypocrisy, aggression

President Vladimir Putin used his New Year's address to the nation to accuse Western countries of aggression and trying to use the conflict in Ukraine to undermine Moscow. Putin made the video address, shown on state television on Saturday in each of Russia's 11 time zones, from a military headquarters with soldiers in the background, a sharp departure from his previous practice of recording the message against the backdrop of the snowy Kremlin. "It was a year of difficult, necessary decisions, the most important steps toward gaining full sovereignty of Russia and powerful consolidation of our society, he said, echoing his repeated contention that Moscow had no choice but to send troops into Ukraine because it threatened Russia's security. The West lied about peace, but was preparing for aggression, and today it admits it openly, no longer embarrassed. And they cynically use Ukraine and its people to weaken and split Russia, Putin said. "We have never allowed anyone and will not al