NATO

NATO’s Stoltenberg hails Turkish move on Finland membership, sees Sweden joining soon

BRUSSELS, March 17 (Reuters) - NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Friday hailed Turkey's decision to move ahead with ratifying Finland's bid for membership of the military alliance and said he was confident…

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In show of unity, NATO and EU heads visit North Sea gas platform

TROLL A PLATFORM, North Sea, March 17 (Reuters) - The heads of NATO and the European Commission flew on Friday to a North Sea platform to discuss the security of…

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Turkey plans to ratify Finland’s NATO bid ahead of May polls

By Orhan Coskun ANKARA, March 15 (Reuters) - Turkey's parliament will "highly likely" ratify Finland's NATO accession bid before it closes in mid-April, two Turkish officials told Reuters on Wednesday,…

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Hungary PM says more talks needed on Finland, Sweden NATO bids

Hungary lawmakers to start NATO expansion debate next Weds Final vote on ratification due on week of March 6 -agenda Orban says Turkey's concerns over Sweden must he heard Lawmakers…

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Biden to meet eastern NATO allies in wake of Putin’s nuclear warning

By Nandita Bose and Alan Charlish WARSAW, Feb 22 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden will meet leaders of NATO's eastern flank on Wednesday to show support for their security…

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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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Blinken, in Turkey, urges speedy Nordics accession to NATO

Turkey has blocked Swedish, Finnish NATO bids Blinken says Sweden and Finland have taken needed steps Cavusoglu says Sweden needs to take more action By Humeyra Pamuk and Huseyin Hayatsever…

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Finland wants to join NATO at the same time as Sweden – PM Marin

MUNICH, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said on Saturday her country was aiming to join NATO at the same time as neighbouring Sweden. Finland has made this desire…

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NATO wants Italy to hit spending target as soon as next year, minister says

By Angelo Amante ROME, Feb 16 (Reuters) - NATO wants Italy to hit a target of spending 2% of gross domestic product (GDP) on defence as early as next year,…

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UPDATED: German defence minister backs raising NATO spending goal

BRUSSELS, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Germany's defence minister said he was in favour of raising NATO's military spending target, as allies gathered in Brussels on Wednesday for talks on whether…

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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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Russia says NATO should hold emergency summit over Nord Stream blasts

Feb 12 (Reuters) - NATO should hold an emergency meeting to discuss recent findings about September explosions at the Nord Stream gas pipelines, Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said late on…

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NATO’s Stoltenberg will not seek another extension of his term – spokesperson

BERLIN, Feb 12 (Reuters) - NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg will end his term as planned in October, a spokesperson for the alliance said, after a newspaper reported a further extension was in…

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Finland to discuss NATO ratification that may leave Sweden behind

HELSINKI, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Finnish parliamentary groups are expected to discuss on Friday when to ratify NATO's founding treaties, in a move that could lead the country to proceed…

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UPDATED: Turkey looks positively on Finland’s NATO bid but not on Sweden’s -Erdogan

ANKARA, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Turkey looks positively on Finland's application for NATO membership, but does not support Sweden's bid, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday. "Our position on Finland is…

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NATO chief stresses importance of Indo-Pacific partners amid security tensions

By Sakura Murakami TOKYO, Feb 1 (Reuters) - NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday stressed the importance of NATO's working closely with partners in the Indo-Pacific, saying Europe could not…

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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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Turkey’s Erdogan signals Finland’s NATO bid may be considered over Sweden

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan signalled on Sunday that Ankara may agree to Finland joining NATO ahead of Sweden, amid growing tensions with Stockholm. "We may deliver Finland…

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Explainer-Why is Turkey blocking Sweden and Finland NATO membership?

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) -Swedish and Finnish hopes of quickly joining NATO have run into an obstacle in the form of objections by Turkey, which holds veto powers over accession to the…

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Sweden tells citizens to avoid crowds in Turkey after Koran burning

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Sweden's foreign ministry on Saturday warned Swedes in Turkey to avoid crowds and demonstrations following protests there over the burning of the Koran by a far-right politician…

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Finland says timeout needed in talks with Turkey over NATO bid

Finland's foreign minister said on Tuesday a timeout of a few weeks is needed in the talks between Finland, Sweden and Turkey on the two Nordic nations' plans to join…

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Protests in Stockholm, including Koran-burning, draw condemnation from Turkey

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Protests in Stockholm on Saturday against Turkey and Sweden's bid to join NATO, including the burning of a copy of the Koran, sharply heightened tensions with Turkey…

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Eleven NATO countries pledge new military aid for Ukraine

TAPA MILITARY BASE, Estonia, (Reuters) - A group of 11 NATO countries, including Britain and Poland, pledged a raft of new military aid to support Ukraine's war with Russia on…

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NATO deploys surveillance planes to Romania, to monitor Russian activity

BUCHAREST (Reuters) - A NATO surveillance plane arrived in Romania to bolster the military alliance's eastern flank and help monitor Russian military activity. The plane, the first to be deployed,…

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NATO hints at more heavy weapons for Ukraine

NATO’s secretary general said Ukraine could expect more deliveries of heavy weapons from western countries soon. The recent pledges for heavy warfare equipment are important – and I expect more…

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Ukraine defence minister: We are a de facto member of NATO alliance

Ukraine has become a de facto member of the NATO alliance, the Ukrainian defence minister says, as Western countries, once concerned that military assistance could be seen as an escalation…

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Russia says EU is becoming a vassal of NATO

Russia said on Wednesday that the European Union was becoming a vassal of NATO, citing the signing of a joint declaration in which the two organisations pledged to deepen their…

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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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Swedish PM says cannot meet all Turkey’s demands for NATO membership support

STOCKHOLM, Jan 8 (Reuters) - Sweden is confident that Turkey will approve its application to join the NATO military alliance, but cannot fulfill all the demands Ankara has made as…

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NATO’s Stoltenberg calls for more weapons for Ukraine – DPA

BERLIN (Reuters) - NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called on NATO member states to supply more weapons to Ukraine, according to an interview published on Friday. "I call on allies…

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Neo-Nazi Russian militia appeals for intelligence on Nato member states

A neo-Nazi paramilitary group linked to the Kremlin has asked its members to submit intelligence on border and military activity in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, raising concerns over whether far-right…

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Serbia to ask NATO to deploy Serb military, police in Kosovo – Vucic

BELGRADE (Reuters) -Serbia will ask NATO peacekeepers to let it deploy Serbian military and police in Kosovo, although it believes there is no chance of the request being approved, President…

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NATO’s Stoltenberg cautions against economic dependency on China

BERLIN, Dec 1 (Reuters) - NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday he still believes in the benefits of free trade but warned of the security consequences that come with engaging…

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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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Cyber as important as missile defences – ex-NATO general

By Sabine Siebold BERLIN (Reuters) - A cyber attack on the German ports of Bremerhaven or Hamburg would severely impede NATO efforts to send military reinforcements to allies, retired U.S.…

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UPDATED: NATO will not back down but continue supporting Ukraine – Stoltenberg

BRUSSELS, Nov 25 (Reuters) - NATO will not let down in its support of Ukraine and also ramp up non-lethal aid for the country, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Friday.…

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EXPLAINER: NATO’s Articles 4 and 5: How the Ukraine conflict could trigger its defense obligations

By Matt Spetalnick WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A deadly explosion occurred in NATO member Poland's territory near its border with Ukraine on Tuesday, and the United States and its allies said…

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NATO’s Stoltenberg warns against underestimating of Russia

It is up to Ukraine to decide what terms are acceptable for negotiations to bring an end to the war Russia is waging against the country, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said…

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Sweden to spurn nuclear weapons as NATO member, foreign minister says

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Sweden plans to declare nuclear weapons cannot be stationed on its territory when the country joins the NATO military alliance, following in the footsteps of its Nordic…

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New Swedish PM says open to nuclear weapons under NATO

Sweden’s new prime minister said he was open to allowing nuclear weapons on Swedish soil once the country becomes a Nato member, a turnaround from the previous government’s stance. Prime…

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Poland interested in joining NATO’s nuclear sharing program

Poland is interested in joining NATO’s nuclear sharing program, a Polish presidential aide has said. Last month, a White House official told public broadcaster Polish Radio that the United States…

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Swedish foreign minister says NATO accession top priority

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Accession to NATO is a top priority for Sweden's newly-appointed government, Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom said in Helsinki on Friday after a meeting with his Finnish counterpart,…

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NATO allies would act if Sweden, Finland come under pressure, Stoltenberg says

BRUSSELS, Oct 20 (Reuters) - NATO allies will act if Sweden or Finland come under pressure from Russia or another adversary before they become full members of the alliance, NATO…

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European weapons manufacturers scramble to adapt to wartime demand

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European arms manufacturers have urged the European Union to help coordinate weapons procurement as they scramble to boost production to meet soaring demand for the war in…

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France to strengthen NATO military presence in Romania

France will increase its military presence in Romania as part of NATO’s effort to strengthen its eastern flank in the context of continued Russian aggression in Ukraine. France already had…

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Upcoming Russian nuclear exercises a challenge for the West

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - With Russia expected to soon carry out large-scale drills of its nuclear forces as President Vladimir Putin threatens to use them, the United States and its allies…

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NATO to kick off nuclear drills involving B-52 bombers on Monday

BRUSSELS, Oct 14 (Reuters) - NATO said on Friday it would launch its annual nuclear exercise "Steadfast Noon" on Monday, with up to 60 aircraft taking part in training flights…

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U.S. says to defend “every inch” of NATO as nuclear planning group meets

BRUSSELS, Oct 13 (Reuters) - The United States reaffirmed its commitment to defend "every inch" of NATO territory ahead of talks among defense ministers from the alliance on Thursday that…

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Germany, 13 NATO allies aim to jointly procure air defence systems

BRUSSELS, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Germany and 13 NATO allies on Thursday signed a letter of intent for the joint procurement of air defence systems in the category of systems…

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UPDATED: Russian official warns of World War Three if Ukraine joins NATO

LONDON, Oct 13 (Reuters) - If Ukraine is admitted into the U.S.-led NATO military alliance, then the conflict in Ukraine would be guaranteed to escalate into World War Three, a…

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UPDATED: NATO, partners aim to boost Kyiv’s air defence after Russian strikes

BRUSSELS, Oct 12 (Reuters) - More than 50 countries gather on the sidelines of a NATO meeting in Brussels on Wednesday to discuss bolstering Ukraine's air defence, two days after…

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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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Erdogan says Turkey still negative on Sweden’s NATO bid

ANKARA, (Reuters) - President Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday that Turkey would continue opposing Sweden's NATO membership bid until its demands are met for a tougher Swedish stance against "terrorist…

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Baltic nations would welcome Ukraine’s accession to NATO

Foreign ministers from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania said they would welcome Ukraine's accession to NATO "as soon as possible" after the country formerly applied to join the alliance on Friday.…

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NATO chief calls Putin’s nuclear threat a ‘dangerous’ escalation

NEW YORK (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin's thinly veiled threat to use nuclear weapons after Russian setbacks in Ukraine was "dangerous and reckless rhetoric," NATO's secretary general said, adding that…

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NATO ready to send more troops to Kosovo

PRISTINA, (Reuters) - NATO is ready to ramp up troops in Kosovo if tensions among minority Serbs flare again as a deadline in a spat with the government over car…

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Swiss seek closer defence ties to EU, NATO; to stay neutral

Switzerland will seek closer defence and security ties to the European Union and NATO while preserving its traditional neutrality in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the government said.…

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