NATO

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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Russia may not stop with Ukraine – NATO looks to its weakest link

Hours after Russian missiles first struck Ukrainian cities on Feb. 24, German naval commander Terje Schmitt-Eliassen received notice to sail five warships under his command to the former Soviet Republic…

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Biden to travel to Europe

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) - U.S. President Joseph Biden will travel to Poland on Friday to discuss the international response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine that has sparked a "humanitarian and human rights crisis,"…

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Slovakia starts deploying Patriot air defence system

The Patriot air defence system has started arriving in Slovakia from NATO partner countries and the deployment will continue in the coming days, Slovakia's defence minister said on Sunday. The…

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U.S. to provide Stryker army company to NATO battlegroup in Bulgaria

SOFIA (Reuters) -The United States has agreed to provide a Stryker mechanized infantry company for Bulgaria’s battlegroup under NATO’s drive to bolster its eastern flank after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,…

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Poland to propose Ukraine peacekeeping mission at NATO summit, says PM

WARSAW, March 18 (Reuters) - Poland will formally submit a proposal for a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine at the next NATO summit, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Friday. Poland's ruling party…

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UPDATED: UK to deploy Sky Sabre missile defence system in Poland, says minister

WARSAW, March 17 (Reuters) - Britain will deploy its Sky Sabre missile system in Poland, its defence minister said on Thursday during a visit to Warsaw, as NATO moves to beef up…

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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 launches defence exercise in Norway

Some 30,000 troops, 200 aircraft and 50 vessels from 27 nations will take part in the Cold Response 2022 exercise in Norway on March 14, the largest exercise involving NATO…

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NATO chief says next days in Ukraine to bring ‘even greater distress’

NATO expects the fighting and the humanitarian emergency in Ukraine to further intensify some two weeks after the start of the Russian invasion on February 24. "We see with horror the rising…

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Poland’s Duda says NATO will have to think seriously if Putin uses chemical weapons

LONDON, March 13 (Reuters) - Poland's President Andrzej Duda said in an interview on Sunday that the use of chemical weapons in Ukraine by Russia would be a game changer and NATO…

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Ukraine war: Poland’s failed deal to supply MiG-29s shows Nato’s fear of escalation

by Professor Christoph Bluth - The Ukraine war has become to some extent a proxy conflict between Nato and Russia. The American president, Joe Biden – supported by other Nato…

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U.S. closes door on combat aircraft for Ukraine, citing ‘high risk’

WASHINGTON, March 9 (Reuters) - The United States closed the door on supplying combat aircraft to Ukraine, saying the intelligence community assessed it would be a "high risk" move that could increase…

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Applying to join NATO would destabilize security situation, Swedish PM says

A Swedish application to join NATO would destabilize the current security situation in Europe, Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said on Tuesday. "If Sweden were to choose to send in…

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Majority of Swedes in favour of joining NATO -poll

STOCKHOLM, (Reuters) - A majority of Swedes are in favour of joining NATO, a poll showed , with Russia's invasion of Ukraine spurring a rapid shift in attitudes in a country long…

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Biden, Niinisto forge deeper ties as Finnish support for NATO grows

WASHINGTON/HELSINKI, March 4 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden agreed to deepen security ties with his Finnish counterpart Sauli Niinisto on Friday, but stopped short of making any formal guarantees to the…

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Finns warm to NATO in alarmed reaction to Russian invasion of Ukraine

Russia's invasion of Ukraine is causing a rapidly growing number of Finns to support membership of NATO, suggesting the country's delicate balancing act between the Kremlin and the U.S.-led military…

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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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Ukraine talking to allies over how to boost air defences, says minister

Ukraine is in talks with allies on how to support its air defences, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Tuesday when asked about whether NATO should set up a…

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Photo story: German corvette leaves to reinforce Standing NATO Maritime Group 1

The corvette F262 Erfurt of the German Navy (Bundesmarine) leaves the port of Wilhelmshaven, northern Germany, 26 February 2022. The type K130 corvette (Braunschweig class) deploys to join the Standing…

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NATO allies to provide more weapons to Ukraine, Stoltenberg says

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Friday the alliance was deploying parts of its combat-ready response force and would continue to send weapons to Ukraine, including air defences, while saying that Russia…

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