NATO

Albania, wary of Russia, reopens Soviet-era air base to NATO

KUCOVA, Albania, March 4 (Reuters) - NATO member Albania, which has no fighter jets of its own, opened a rebuilt Soviet-era air base to serve NATO aircraft on Monday amid…

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NATO allies rule out sending troops to Ukraine as Russia rebukes Macron

By Andreas Rinke and Guy Faulconbridge Macron raises option of sending Western troops to Ukraine Germany, UK, Poland, others say they have no such plans Kremlin says such a move…

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UPDATED: Hungary will approve Sweden’s NATO bid on Monday, PM Orban says

Sweden to join NATO after Hungary ratification due Monday NATO membership will end long military non-alignment NATO accession spurred by Russia's invasion of Ukraine Finland already joined NATO last year…

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Hungary buys Swedish fighter jets, prepares to approve NATO bid

By Krisztina Than and Johan Ahlander BUDAPEST/STOCKHOLM, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Hungary said on Friday it had signed a deal to buy four Saab JAS Gripen fighter jets from Sweden,…

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Romania president seeks to challenge Rutte for top NATO job

Romania notified allies that President Klaus Iohannis was considering challenging frontrunner Mark Rutte for the NATO top job. Iohannis' last-minute move comes as the biggest powers in the 31-strong alliance…

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UPDATED: USA and UK back Dutch PM Rutte to become next NATO Chief

BRUSSELS/LONDON, Feb 22 (Reuters) - The United States and Britain backed outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on Thursday to succeed Jens Stoltenberg as the next secretary general of NATO,…

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Olaf Scholz ‘categorically against’ Ursula von der Leyen becoming NATO chief

Olaf Scholz blocked Ursula von der Leyen from becoming the new head of NATO because he believed she would be too tough on Russia, German media reported. The German chancellor,…

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Stop whining about Trump, Dutch prime minister tells Europeans

By John Irish MUNICH, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, the frontrunner to be the next secretary-general of NATO, said on Saturday that Europe should stop…

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Germany’s Scholz says confident of NATO future security guarantees

BERLIN, Feb 16 (Reuters) - The NATO military alliance will continue to ensure its members security in the coming decades and everything must be done to keep it stable, German…

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Sweden must join NATO now, German defence minister says

BRUSSELS, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Sweden's planned joining of the NATO military alliance is overdue and needs to happen now, Germany's Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said on Thursday. "Any further…

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Republicans blast Trump over threat to abandon NATO allies

By Richard Cowan WASHINGTON, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Some of former President Donald Trump's fellow Republicans on Sunday lashed out at him for saying he would not want to protect…

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Finland joins NATO operations with fighter jets, mine clearing vessel

HELSINKI, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Finland will send up to eight fighter jets and a mine hunting navy vessel to take part in NATO's joint operations in 2024, the country's…

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Hungary under pressure to ratify Sweden’s NATO bid after EU deal

Hungary agreed on Thursday to EU aid package for Ukraine PM Orban said he "went to the wall" for Hungary Hungary is only NATO state yet to ratify Swedish accession…

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Turkey moving swiftly toward final step on Sweden’s NATO bid

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey is expected to send the final instrument of ratification for Sweden's NATO membership to Washington within days, now that President Tayyip Erdogan signed it off, in…

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No chance Putin will attack NATO says Lithuanian general

As fears grow among European officials about a potential Russian assault on NATO, the commander of Lithuania's armed forces is keeping cool. “This year, next year, the possibility or the…

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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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Turkey’s Edrogan signs off on Sweden’s NATO membership

Turkey's president finally approved Sweden's bid to join NATO on Thursday, ending months of delay and leaving only Hungary standing in the way of Stockholm's membership of the military alliance.…

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Hungary parliament speaker sees ‘no urgency’ in voting on Sweden’s NATO accession

BUDAPEST, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Hungary's parliamentary speaker said on Thursday there was no urgency in approving Sweden's NATO membership bid after ratification by Turkey left only Budapest holding up…

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NATO’s largest military exercise since Cold War kicks off

WASHINGTON, Jan 24 (Reuters) - The U.S. Navy dock landing ship Gunston Hall left port on Wednesday to mark the first movement for the largest NATO exercise since the Cold…

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NATO’s Steadfast Defender exercises mark return to Cold War schemes, Russia says

Jan 21 (Reuters) - The scale of NATO's Steadfast Defender 2024 exercises mark an "irrevocable return" of the alliance to Cold War schemes, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told…

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NATO to hold biggest drills since Cold War with 90,000 troops

BRUSSELS, Jan 18 (Reuters) - NATO is launching its largest exercise since the Cold War, rehearsing how U.S. troops could reinforce European allies in countries bordering Russia and on the…

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UK commits 20,000 military personnel for NATO exercise in Europe

LONDON, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Britain will commit 20,000 military personnel to serve across Europe in a major NATO exercise in the first half of this year, as well as…

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NATO pledges further major military, economic aid to Ukraine

NATO allies in a meeting with Ukraine have made it clear they will continue to provide the country with major military, economic, and humanitarian aid in the face of Russia's…

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European NATO members strike deal to buy up to 1,000 Patriot missiles

BRUSSELS, Jan 3 (Reuters) - NATO on Wednesday said its procurement arm would support a group of member countries, including Germany, the Netherlands, Romania and Spain, with a contract to…

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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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Sweden edges closer to NATO after vote in Turkish parliamentary commission

By Huseyin Hayatsever The Turkish parliament's foreign affairs commission approved Sweden's NATO membership bid on Tuesday in a key step towards enlarging the Western bloc after 19 months of delays…

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US envoy slams Hungarian govt for ‘disregarding’ interests of NATO allies

BUDAPEST, (Reuters) - The U.S. envoy to Budapest sharply criticised the Hungarian government on Tuesday for "disregarding" the interests of its NATO allies and strengthening ties with Russia at a…

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Turkey freezes assets of 82 organisations, people for alleged ties to Kurdish militants

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey froze the local assets of 20 organisations and 62 individuals based in various European countries, Australia and Japan, citing alleged ties with Kurdish militant group PKK,…

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Kremlin says NATO’s desire for a ‘military Schengen’ zone in Europe ratchets up tensions

MOSCOW, Nov 24 (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Friday that NATO's desire to have a military analogue of the Schengen Zone in Europe to allow the alliance's armed forces…

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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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Turkey tells NATO that Sweden won’t join by next week’s meeting

By Jonathan Spicer and Sabine Siebold ANKARA/BRUSSELS, (Reuters) - Turkey has informed NATO that ratification of Sweden's membership bid will not be completed in time to allow the country's accession…

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Latvia’s Foreign Minister Karins eyes NATO top job

Latvian Foreign Minister Krisjanis Karins on Sunday declared his interest in becoming NATO’s next secretary-general, throwing his hat in the ring for the much contended race to succeed Jens Stoltenberg…

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Sweden’s NATO bid delayed in Turkish parliament

By Huseyin Hayatsever The Turkish parliament's foreign affairs commission delayed a vote on Sweden's NATO membership bid on Thursday in a further setback to the Nordic country's hopes of joining…

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NATO to replace AWACS surveillance jets with modified Boeing 737

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - NATO will replace its ageing fleet of AWACS surveillance planes, in service since the Cold War in the 1980s, with a militarised version of the Boeing 737…

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NATO allies condemn Russia’s withdrawal from CFE treaty, will suspend its operation

BRUSSELS, (Reuters) - NATO allies condemned a decision by Russia to withdraw from the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, a key post-Cold War agreement, and said they would…

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Erdogan says he will try to facilitate Sweden’s NATO bid ratification

ANKARA, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said he would try to facilitate the parliamentary ratification of Sweden's NATO membership as much as possible, but added that Stockhom…

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Turkey’s Erdogan submits Sweden’s NATO bid to parliament for ratification -presidency

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Monday submitted a bill approving Sweden's NATO membership bid to parliament for ratification, his office said, a move welcomed by Stockholm as it clears the…

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NATO boosts Baltic patrols

BRUSSELS, (Reuters) - NATO is stepping up patrols in the Baltic Sea following recent damage to undersea infrastructure in the region, the transatlantic military alliance said. "The increased measures include…

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UPDATED: Finland can’t rule out ‘state actor’ involvement in pipeline damage

Oct 12 (Reuters) - Finland can't rule out the possibility that a "state actor" was involved in damaging a Baltic Sea gas pipeline and a parallel telecoms cable, the Finnish…

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NATO assures Zelenskiy of support even as world’s eyes turn to Mideast

By Andrew Gray and Idrees Ali Ukrainian leader at NATO HQ for first time since invasion Kyiv wants more air defence to fend off Russian attacks US announces new $200…

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Ukraine’s Zelenskiy urges NATO Parliamentary Assembly to be united

COPENHAGEN, Oct 9 (Reuters) - Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Monday told NATO's Parliamentary Assembly that now is not the time to withdraw from the international arena and called for…

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NATO chief warns Ukraine allies to prepare for ‘long war’

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warned that the war Russian President Vladimir Putin is waging on Ukraine won’t be over any time soon. “Most wars last longer than expected when they…

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Hungary parliament speaker flags possible further delay in Swedish NATO ratification

BUDAPEST, Sept 18 (Reuters) - It is "not sure" Hungary needs to approve the ratification of Sweden's NATO accession, the parliament speaker of the ruling Fidesz party told local television…

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Rising ammunition prices set back NATO efforts to boost security -official

By Gwladys Fouche and Sabine Siebold OSLO, (Reuters) - A top NATO military official warned that a drastic rise in ammunition prices means that allies' higher defence spending does not…

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Sweden’s NATO accession and Turkey’s bid to buy F-16 jets should be kept separate – Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said he urged U.S. President Joe Biden not to link the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey with Sweden’s NATO bid, during a pull-aside meeting on the…

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NATO does not see indication of intentional Russian attack on Romania

BRUSSELS, Sept 7 (Reuters) - NATO does not have any indication that drone debris found on Romanian territory was caused by an intentional attack launched by Moscow against Romania, the…

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Newest NATO member Finland to spend 2.3% of GDP on defence

NATO's newest member Finland plans to spend 2.3% of its gross domestic product (GDP) on defence next year, its defence ministry said on Monday. In July, NATO's 31 member-nations agreed…

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Sweden is joining Nato: what that means for the alliance and the war in Ukraine

In a surprise move, Turkey has ended its veto on Sweden joining Nato, thereby removing all the barriers to its membership of the military alliance. Hungary quickly followed suit and,…

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Biden arrives in Helsinki to welcome Russian neighbor Finland to NATO

HELSINKI, July 13 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday closes out a week focused on rallying NATO unity behind Ukraine with a day-long visit to new member and…

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Kremlin says Western security assurances for Ukraine would be a dangerous mistake

RMOSCOW, July 12 (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Wednesday that security assurances the West is considering for Ukraine would be a dangerous mistake that would impinge on Russia's own…

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Spurned a NATO invitation, Ukraine still reaps rewards at summit

VILNIUS, July 12 (Reuters) - NATO leaders at this week's summit in Vilnius said Ukraine should be able to join the military alliance at some point in the future but…

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G7 to offer Ukraine security ‘framework’, Zelenskiy asks NATO allies for more arms

Britain says G7 declaration 'will set out how allies will support Ukraine over the coming years to end the war and deter and respond to any future attack' White House…

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UPDATED: NATO’s Stoltenberg: Ukraine is now closer to NATO than ever before

VILNIUS, July 12 (Reuters) - Ukraine is now closer to NATO than ever before, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday during a joint press conference with Ukrainian President…

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NATO allies agree regional plans for defence against Russian attack -sources

NATO allies on Monday reached agreement on regional plans detailing how the alliance would respond to a Russian attack, overcoming a Turkish blockage one day before leaders meet for a…

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Australia PM’s Germany, NATO trip to focus on trade, security

SYDNEY, July 9 (Reuters) - Trade and security will be priorities for Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on a trip this week to meet German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and attend a NATO…

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Biden shows support for Sweden’s NATO bid in talks with PM

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden showed support for Sweden's entry into NATO in talks with Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on Wednesday as doubts linger that Turkey will lift its…

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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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