NATO

NATO allies agree to 5 percent defense spending goal

NATO members agreed on Sunday to a big increase in their defence spending target to 5% of gross domestic product, as demanded by U.S. President Donald Trump, but Spain said…

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Russia could be ready to attack Nato within five years, says secretary general

Russia could be ready to attack Nato within five years and leaders of the western alliance are expected to agree to increase military spending to 5% of GDP this month…

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NATO allies cannot rely on America for their defense, warns US defense chief

NATO allies cannot rely on the United States to defend them and need to step up themselves, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said. "The United States is proud to be…

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Top NATO official calls on business leaders to prepare for ‘wartime scenario’

A top NATO military official urged businesses to be prepared for a wartime scenario and adjust their production and distribution lines accordingly, in order to be less vulnerable to blackmail…

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NATO finds gaping holes in Europe’s defences

The war in Ukraine and the looming U.S. presidential election dominated a NATO summit in Washington this month but, away from the public stage, the alliance's military planners have been…

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NATO picks Netherlands’ Mark Rutte as next boss

NATO on Wednesday selected Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as NATO's next boss, as the war in Ukraine rages on its doorstep and uncertainty hangs over the United States' future…

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Mark Rutte set to be Nato chief as rival drops out

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte is poised to become the next NATO secretary general after Romanian President Klaus Iohannis withdrew his candidacy last week. Rutte and Iohannis had been competing…

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NATO chief says Russia, North Korea pact shows mutual support by authoritarian powers

Russia's new defensive pact with North Korea shows increasing alignment among authoritarian powers and underscores the importance of democracies presenting a united front, the head of NATO said. Russian President…

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Dutch PM Rutte to succeed Stoltenberg as NATO chief

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, a staunch ally of Kyiv and a critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, will succeed Jens Stoltenberg as NATO chief, Dutch national broadcaster NOS reported…

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NATO targets AI, robots and space tech in $1.1 billion fund

A consortium of NATO allies has confirmed the first tranche of companies awarded funding as part of the group’s one billion euro ($1.1 billion) innovation fund. The alliance unveiled the…

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NATO in talks to put nuclear weapons on standby

NATO is in talks to deploy more nuclear weapons, taking them out of storage and placing them on standby, in the face of a growing threat from Russia and China,…

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Finnish president says Mark Rutte likely to become next NATO chief

Outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte will likely become NATO's next secretary general, Finnish President Alexander Stubb told a press conference on Thursday.

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NATO adapting its nuclear arsenal to security threats

In a rare reference to the Western nuclear arsenal, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg highlighted the alliance's efforts to adapt its capabilities to current security threats, taking note of Russia latest…

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NATO chief says 18 countries meet 2% military spending target

Eighteen out of 31 NATO countries will hit the target of 2% in defence spending of their gross domestic product in 2024, NATO's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday.…

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NATO’s Stoltenberg expects Hungary to ratify Sweden membership at end of Feb

BRUSSELS, Jan 26 (Reuters) - NATO boss Jens Stoltenberg said on Friday he expected Hungary's parliament to ratify Sweden's accession as soon as it reconvenes at the end of February,…

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NATO air forces scrambled over 300 times in 2023 due to Russian military aircraft

BRUSSELS, Dec 29 (Reuters) - NATO air forces were scrambled more than 300 times in response to Russian military aircraft in 2023, the treaty organisation said on Friday. "The vast…

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NATO urges members to get their logistics homework done

By Sabine Siebold BRUSSELS, Nov 23 (Reuters) - NATO has warned its members that too much red tape is hindering troop movements across Europe, a problem that could cause major…

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NATO extends boss Stoltenberg’s term by a year

BRUSSELS, July 4 (Reuters) - NATO on Tuesday extended Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg’s contract by another year, opting to stick with an experienced leader rather than try to agree on a successor…

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NATO races to design long-term package for Ukraine but differences remain

NATO members are racing to complete a plan to provide long-term support to Ukraine, but are wrestling with how best to assure the country's security until it can join the military…

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NATO struggles in the shadows to find new leader

By Andrew Gray Stoltenberg due to step down later this year Big post in Western response to war in Ukraine Britain's defence minister Wallace wants the job Danish PM Frederiksen…

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NATO needs bigger presence in Black Sea, Romania’s president says

NATO needs a bigger presence in the Black Sea, Romania's President Klaus Iohannis said on Monday (April 3) after meeting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. “The Black Sea is now, more…

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Sweden summons Russia’s ambassador over “legitimate target” statement

Sweden's foreign ministry said on Wednesday it will summon Russia's Stockholm ambassador to complain about an "attempt at interference" with the Swedish NATO application process.Sweden and Finland in 2022 both…

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Fresh from Kyiv, Biden rallies NATO allies in Poland

Fresh from an unannounced visit to Ukraine, President Joe Biden rallied NATO allies in Poland on Tuesday, proclaiming "unwavering" support for Kyiv and a commitment to bolstering the alliance's eastern…

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Boost in arms for Kyiv needed as Putin escalates war – NATO

Western countries need to boost ammunition supplies to Ukraine as Russia escalates its war effort before the first anniversary of the Feb. 24 invasion, NATO military alliance chief Jens Stoltenberg…

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NATO, Japan pledge to strengthen ties in face of ‘historic’ security threat

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg and Japanese premier Fumio Kishida pledged on Tuesday to strengthen ties, saying Russia's invasion of Ukraine and its growing military cooperation with China had created the…

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NATO’s Stoltenberg expects allies to lift defence spending target

BERLIN, Jan 25 (Reuters) - NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg expects the alliance's member states to raise their current spending target on defence of 2% of national output when they…

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NATO and EU pledge to expand cooperation

Spurred by the war in Ukraine, top NATO and EU officials pledged to expand cooperation between the two institutions in a joint declaration signed on Tuesday in Brussels. The 27-member European…

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NATO foreign ministers discuss more winter aid for Kyiv

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg will call on allies to pledge more winter aid for Kyiv at a meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday, after Ukraine's president told residents to brace for…

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NATO to go ahead with planned routine nuclear exercise -Stoltenberg

The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) will go ahead with its annual routine nuclear deterrent exercises as cancelling it now would send the wrong signal to Moscow, NATO head Jens…

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NATO peacekeepers increase presence in northern Kosovo

Peacekeepers in NATO's Kosovo Force (KFOR) have increased their presence in northern Kosovo to be able to react to security challenges, a NATO spokesperson told Reuters on Thursday (August 18). KFOR peacekeepers were seen…

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U.S. envoy sees ‘consequential shift’ in NATO, Asia ties amid China challenges

The recent attendance by four Asia Pacific leaders at the NATO summit reflects a "consequential shift" in the U.S. transatlantic security partnership which Washington seeks to expand to better counter…

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NATO to have over 300,000 troops at higher readiness- Stoltenberg

NATO will massively boost the number of troops on high readiness to over 300,000, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday, with allies set to adopt a new strategy describing Moscow as a direct…

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NATO chief says Sweden has taken “important steps” to meet Turkey’s demands

Sweden has taken important steps to meet Turkey's demands for approving Stockholm's NATO membership application, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday during a visit to Sweden. Sweden and Finland applied to join the…

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Turkey wants ‘concrete steps’ from Finland, Sweden for NATO bids

A chief adviser to Turkey's president told his U.S. counterpart that Turkey wanted "concrete steps" on the existence of what it calls "terrorist organisations" in Finland and Sweden before it…

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Turkey’s Erdogan to speak to Finland as NATO application row simmers

ISTANBUL, (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said he will speak to Finland on Saturday, while maintaining his opposition to Finnish and Swedish NATO membership bids over their history of hosting members of groups…

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Erdogan says Swedish, Finnish delegations should not bother coming to Turkey

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that Swedish and Finnish delegations should not bother coming to Ankara to convince it to approve their NATO bid. Sweden's government has formally…

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NATO chief says alliance will increase presence in Baltic sea if Sweden applies

NATO will increase it's presence around Sweden's borders and in the Baltic sea while a potential application to join the alliance is processed, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told Swedish public…

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Finland and Sweden could join NATO quickly, Stoltenberg says

Finland and Sweden will be able to join NATO quickly should they decide to ask for membership in the Western military alliance, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday (April…

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Lithuania wants NATO to expand Baltic battalions into brigades

Lithuania wants the NATO battalions in the Baltic countries to be expanded into brigades, the country's defence ministry said on Monday. A brigade consists of several battalions of troops. Lithuania…

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NATO plans full-scale military presence at border, says Stoltenberg

NATO is working on plans for a full-scale military presence on its border in an effort to battle future Russian aggression, The Telegraph reported, citing NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. NATO was "in the midst of a…

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Finland, Sweden set to join NATO as soon as summer – reports

Russia has made a "massive strategic blunder" as Finland and Sweden look poised to join NATO as early as the summer, the British press has reported on Monday, citing officials. London-based The Times said…

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NATO chief says Finland, Sweden welcome to apply to join

NATO would quickly welcome Finland and Sweden into its ranks with open arms if they decided to apply, the military alliance’s top civilian official said Wednesday, as Russia’s war on…

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UPDATED: Stoltenberg to stay on as NATO chief until October 2023 as Russia wages war on Ukraine

BRUSSELS, March 24 (Reuters) - NATO allies on Thursday extended the term of Jens Stoltenberg at the helm of the Western military alliance by a year until Sept.30, 2023. "As we face…

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UPDATED: NATO vows more help for Ukraine, begins planning to adapt to ‘new reality’

BRUSSELS, March 16 (Reuters) - The United States and other NATO members said on Wednesday they would keep helping Ukraine fight off Russia's invasion, while also adapting the alliance's own security to…

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NATO wary as Ukraine calls for no-fly zone to hinder Russia

BRUSSELS, March 4 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday said NATO would defend "every inch" of members' territory but emphasized the alliance was defensive, as foreign ministers resisted…

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NATO mulls longer-term military posture in eastern Europe, Stoltenberg says

NATO is considering a longer-term military posture in eastern Europe to strengthen its defences, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday, as tensions remained high over Russia's military build-up near Ukraine.…

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Russia accuses West of hysteria as NATO sends reinforcements to eastern Europe

NATO said on Monday it was putting forces on standby and reinforcing eastern Europe with more ships and fighter jets, and could also send additional troops to its south-east flank,…

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UPDATED: US considering moving troops from Western Europe to Eastern Europe, NATO strengthens presence in eastern Europe

Jan 24 (Reuters) - The United States is considering transferring some troops stationed in Western Europe to Eastern Europe in the coming weeks, a NATO diplomat told Reuters, amid escalating…

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Kremlin says no ultimatums, but Russia needs concrete answers on security

MOSCOW, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Russia is not making ultimatums in its negotiations with the West but needs concrete answers regarding its security concerns, the Kremlin said on Wednesday as…

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NATO agrees master plan to deter growing Russian threat

NATO defence ministers agreed a new master plan to defend against any potential Russian attack on multiple fronts, reaffirming the alliance's core goal of deterring Moscow despite a growing focus…

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NATO to agree master plan to deter growing Russian threat, diplomats say

BRUSSELS, Oct 21 (Reuters) - NATO defence ministers are set to agree a new master plan on Thursday to defend against any potential Russian attack on multiple fronts, reasserting a…

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Russia shuts mission to NATO in spy row retaliation

Russia said on Monday it would halt the activities of its diplomatic mission to NATO after the Western military alliance expelled eight Russians saying they were spies. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also said staff…

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NATO calls on Russia to be transparent with military exercises

NATO's secretary general called on Russia on Friday to be open about its "Zapad-2021" military exercises and the troop numbers involved as alarm grows in Poland, the Baltics and Ukraine…

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After NATO, Biden turns to EU for renewal of transatlantic ties

U.S. President Joe Biden will intensify his post-Trump push to renew transatlantic relations on Tuesday, meeting with European Union leaders to cool trade tensions and join forces to beat COVID-19, uphold democracy and…

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UPDATED: At NATO, Biden says defence of Europe a “sacred obligation”

U.S. President Joe Biden told fellow NATO leaders on Monday the defence of Europe, Turkey and Canada was a "sacred obligation" for the United States, a marked shift from his…

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Decisions for NATO’s first summit with Biden

NATO leaders hold their first summit with U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday, aiming to repair transatlantic ties after his predecessor Donald Trump said the Western military alliance was "obsolete".…

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Diplomats say Turkey pushed NATO allies into softening outrage over Belarus plane

Turkey pushed NATO allies into watering down an official reaction to the forced landing by Belarus of a passenger plane and the detention of a dissident journalist on Sunday, two…

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