NATO

Ukrainian forces press towards Russian-held Izium in east

KYIV/BEZRUKY, Ukraine, (Reuters) - Ukrainian forces have launched a counteroffensive near the Russian-held town of Izium in eastern Ukraine, in what could prove a serious setback for Moscow's plans to capture the…

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Foreign ministers of Finland, Turkey, to meet over NATO tensions, Haavisto says

BERLIN, May 14 (Reuters) - The foreign ministers of Finland and Turkey will meet in Berlin later on Saturday to try and solve disagreements over Finland's and Sweden's plan to join NATO,…

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EXCLUSIVE-Turkey ‘not closing door’ to Sweden, Finland NATO entry, Erdogan advisor says

ISTANBUL, May 14 (Reuters) - Turkey has not shut the door to Sweden and Finland joining NATO but wants negotiations with the Nordic countries and a clampdown on what it sees as…

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Italy strongly backs Finland-Sweden bid to join NATO

(ANSA) - ROME, MAY 13 - Italy strongly backs Finland and Sweden's bid to join NATO after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said Friday. "We…

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Moscow will respond if NATO moves nuclear forces closer to Russia’s border – RIA

May 14 (Reuters) - Moscow will take adequate precautionary measures if NATO deploys nuclear forces and infrastructure closer to Russia's border, RIA news agency quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko as saying…

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Erdogan says Turkey not positive on Finland, Sweden joining NATO

ANKARA, May 13 (Reuters) - President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday it was not possible for NATO-member Turkey to support plans by Sweden and Finland to join the pact, saying the Nordic countries…

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Ukraine says it damaged another Russian ship, seeks evacuation of wounded Mariupol fighters

KHARKIV, Ukraine, May 13 (Reuters) - Ukraine said it had damaged a Russian navy logistics ship near Snake Island, a small but strategic outpost in the Black Sea, while relatives of Ukrainian…

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A look at Finland and Sweden’s path to NATO membership

HELSINKI/STOCKHOLM, May 12 (Reuters) - Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Finland and Sweden have been considering applying for membership of the NATO military alliance, which would mark a major policy shift for…

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Kremlin says Finland joining NATO is definite threat to Russia

LONDON, May 12 (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Thursday that Finland's move to join NATO was "definitely" a threat to Russia and that the expansion of the military bloc would not…

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Russia warns West over risk of conflict with NATO

LONDON, May 12 (Reuters) - One of President Vladimir Putin's closest allies warned the West on Thursday that the increasing military support given to Ukraine by the United States and its allies…

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Sweden plans to send NATO application next week

STOCKHOLM, May 12 (Reuters) - Sweden's government plans to submit an application to join NATO next week, following neighbour Finland in re-writing its post-World War Two security policy in the…

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Factbox: Probable steps in any Finnish, Swedish NATO bid

Finnish President Sauli Niinisto is expected on Thursday to say whether his country should join the NATO alliance, with Sweden following suit with its decision in the coming days. Russia's…

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UPDATED: Finland must apply for NATO membership without delay, Finnish President and PM say

HELSINKI, May 12 (Reuters) - Finland must apply to join the NATO military alliance "without delay", Finnish President Sauli Niinisto and Prime Minister Sanna Marin said on Thursday, a major policy shift…

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NATO to welcome Nordic members as Ukraine pushes back Russian forces

KYIV/BRUSSELS, May 12 (Reuters) - Finland is expected to announce on Thursday its intention to join NATO with Sweden likely to follow soon after, diplomats and officials said, as Russia's invasion of…

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UPDATED: Finnish PM says NATO decision will focus on safety of citizens

TOKYO, May 11 (Reuters) - Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said on Wednesday that if her nation takes the historic step of applying to join the NATO military alliance, it would be…

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U.S. offers assurances to Sweden, Finland over NATO application

The United States is confident it can address any security concerns Sweden and Finland may have about the period of time after they apply for NATO membership and before they…

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Sweden says it received U.S. security assurances if it hands in NATO application

Sweden has received assurances from the United States that it would receive support during the period a potential application to join NATO is processed by the 30 nations in the…

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Russia warns NATO: transport carrying weapons in Ukraine is a ‘target’

May 4 (Reuters) - Russia said on Wednesday it had fired two Kalibr cruise missiles at Ukrainian targets from a submarine in the Black Sea and reiterated a warning that it would…

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Civilians evacuated from Mariupol, Pelosi meets Ukraine’s Zelenskiy

KYIV, Ukraine, May 2 (Reuters) - Around 100 civilians evacuated from the ruined Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol were due to arrive in a Ukrainian-held city on Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said,…

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NATO jets scramble in response to Russian aircraft over Baltic and Black Sea

RAMSTEIN, Germany - NATO fighter jets stationed around the Baltic and Black Seas have scrambled multiple times over the past four days to track and intercept Russian aircraft near Alliance…

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Finland, Sweden could deepen military cooperation if situation worsens

Sweden and Finland could deepen military cooperation if security in the Baltic Sea region worsens, for example during the process of a possible application to join NATO, Finland's foreign minister…

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NATO warns of possibility war may drag on ‘for months and years’

NATO is prepared for a possibility that the war in Ukraine will drag on and last for months and years. However, the alliance said it was ready to maintain its…

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Swedish PM rejects referendum on possible NATO membership

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Sweden’s government does not plan to hold a referendum if its parliament decides to proceed with an application for NATO membership, Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said on…

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Swiss OK agreement on classified information exchange with NATO

BERLIN, April 27 (Reuters) - Switzerland's government approved on Wednesday an agreement that forms the basis for exchanging sensitive information with NATO, it said. Such agreements make it possible, among other things,…

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Lithuania’s president calls for more NATO troops

VILNIUS, April 22 (Reuters) - NATO should increase its deployment of troops in Lithuania and elsewhere on Europe's eastern flank following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Lithuania's president told Germany's foreign…

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UPDATED: Scholz says top priority is avoiding NATO confrontation with Russia

BERLIN, April 22 (Reuters) - NATO must avoid a direct military confrontation with Russia that could lead to a third world war, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in an interview with Der…

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Canada would be supportive of Sweden and Finland joining NATO -PM Trudeau

Canada would support including Sweden and Finland in the NATO military alliance, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, after Russia's invasion of Ukraine has prompted both countries to consider joining. "Conversations…

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TASS cites foreign ministry as saying Russia and Belarus will respond to NATO forces on borders

April 21 (Reuters) - Russia and Belarus will respond to the strengthening of NATO forces on the borders of their countries, TASS news agency reported on Thursday, citing a Russian diplomat. "Together…

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Opinion poll shows growing majority of Swedes back joining NATO

STOCKHOLM, April 20 (Reuters) - A growing majority of Swedes are in favour of joining NATO, a poll showed on Wednesday, as policy-makers in both Sweden and Finland weigh…

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Russia calls increased NATO military activity in the Arctic worrying, warns of “unintended incidents”

April 17 (Reuters) - Russia is worried about increased activity of NATO forces in the Arctic and sees risks of "unintended incidents" occurring in the region, TASS news agency cited Russian ambassador-at-large Nikolai Korchunov as saying…

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UPDATED: Finland says needs to prepare for changes on Russia border

HELSINKI, April 13 (Reuters) - Finland should prepare for possible changes on its Russia border, although the military situation there currently remains calm, Defence Minister Atti Kaikkonen said on Wednesday. Russia's invasion…

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Bulgaria eases travel rules for NATO troops, neighbouring states

SOFIA (Reuters) - Bulgaria will allow NATO troops, as well as travellers from some neigbouring countries, to arrive in the Balkan country without showing any coronavirus-related documents as of 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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Czechs ship tanks, rocket launchers, artillery to Ukraine

The Czech Republic has delivered tanks, multiple rocket launchers, howitzers and infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine among military shipments that have reached hundreds of millions of dollars and will continue,…

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Sweden Democrats leader wants party to change on NATO membership if Finland applies to join alliance

STOCKHOLM, April 9 (Reuters) - The leader of Sweden's second-biggest opposition party will, should neighbour Finland apply to join NATO, suggest that his party change its stance towards favouring a…

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Prospect of Finland, Sweden joining NATO discussed at NATO meeting -U.S. official

BRUSSELS, (Reuters) - The prospect of Finland and Sweden joining NATO was part of the discussion between foreign ministers from the military alliance in Brussels this week, a senior U.S. State Department…

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Ukraine presses EU for full energy embargo on Russia

BRUSSELS, April 7 (Reuters) - Ukraine on Thursday reiterated a demand that the EU impose a full oil and gas embargo on Russia and called for weapons deliveries to be speeded up,…

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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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Czech Republic sends tanks, infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine

The Czech Republic has sent T-72 tanks and BVP-1 infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine, a Czech defence source told Reuters, confirming a local media report. Public broadcaster Czech Television initially…

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Neutral Sweden, Finland join NATO drills as countries consider membership

The sound of gunfire echoed around the Norwegian fjords as a row of Swedish and Finnish soldiers, positioned prone behind banks of snow, trained rifles and missile launchers on nearby…

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Italy defers NATO defence spending goal to 2028 in coalition compromise

Italy will only hit the NATO goal of spending 2% of GDP on defence in 2028, Prime Minister Mario Draghi announced, confirming it will miss an original target of 2024…

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Denmark would support potential Finnish NATO bid

COPENHAGEN, March 30 (Reuters) - Denmark would fully support Finnish NATO membership if the country were to apply, its prime minister said on Wednesday. "If or when Finland would choose to seek…

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NATO must fill military gaps to be ready for conflicts, commander says

NATO countries must make up for post-Cold War cuts to military equipment to give the alliance the capacity to respond swiftly to a conflict, the commander of NATO's quick reaction…

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Biden says he is not sure that Russia has changed strategy in Ukraine

WARSAW, March 26 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden spoke with top Ukrainian government officials in Warsaw on Saturday during his visit to Poland to show support for the NATO alliance's eastern…

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US now planning for possible Russian strikes on NATO territory

En route to Poland on Air Force One, US national security adviser Jake Sullivan held a briefing with reporters. Asked whether Russia would attempt to bomb convoys carrying supplies to…

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In Poland, Biden visits U.S. troops on NATO eastern flank

ZESZOW, Poland, March 25 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday got a firsthand look at international efforts to help some of the millions of Ukrainian war refugees in Poland, and…

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West unites behind Ukraine entering second month of Russian assault

BRUSSELS, March 24 (Reuters) - NATO offered Kyiv new military assistance and assigned more troops to its eastern flank on Thursday as London and Washington imposed fresh sanctions on Moscow in a…

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UPDATED: NATO says concerned Russia may be preparing pretext for chemical attack

BRUSSELS, March 24 (Reuters) - Russia may be trying to create a pretext for the use of chemical weapons in Ukraine by accusing the United States and its allies of preparing such…

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Belgium to inject another billion euros into its army – L’Echo

BRUSSELS, March 24 (Reuters) - Belgium agreed on Thursday to inject an extra billion euros into its defence forces, on top of 10 billion euros ($10.98 billion) already agreed, Belgian newspaper l'Echo…

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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: Unprecedented trio of NATO, G7 and EU summits in one day

BRUSSELS, March 24 (Reuters) - Western nations will warn Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday that his country will pay "ruinous" costs for invading Ukraine, during an unprecedented one-day trio of NATO,…

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Russian death toll could be as high as 15,000 – NATO

Between 7,000 and 15,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in four weeks of war in Ukraine, NATO estimates. By way of comparison, Russia lost about 15,000 troops over 10 years…

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Russian diplomat: If NATO threatens us we have the right to press the nuclear button

The Russian deputy ambassador to the UN says Russia retains the right to use nuclear weapons if the country is "provoked" by NATO. Dmitry Polyanskiy, one of Russia's top diplomats…

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On invasion milestone, Ukraine urges solidarity as Western leaders gather

LVIV/KHARKIV, Ukraine/ BRUSSELS, March 24 (Reuters) - Ukraine's leader called for solidarity on Thursday, a month since Russia's invasion began, warning he would see who sells out at summits in Europe where…

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NATO Arctic drill takes on new significance after Russia invasion of Ukraine

EVENES, Norway, March 23 (Reuters) - The scenario for the NATO military exercise in the Arctic circle has been similar for years now: Norway is attacked by a fictional country, triggering the…

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UPDATED: Biden cites a “real threat” of Russians using chemical weapons in Ukraine

WASHINGTON, March 23 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden said on Wednesday that Russia's potential use of chemical weapons against Ukraine was a real threat. “I think it’s a real threat,” Biden…

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