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☆ NATO says Russia is carrying out 'malign activities' like sabotage on its member states and will address them
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

NATO is accusing Russia of "malign activities" in its member states, including Germany and the UK. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementThe North Atlantic Treaty Organization on Thursday singled out Russia in a statement condemning "recent malign activities" in its member states. The treaty organization said these individuals' actions were part of an "intensifying campaign of activities" carried out by Russia. Amid the heightened tensions, NATO members have increasingly highlighted what they say are Russian clandestine activities in their own governments and institutions.

Persons: —, Emmanuel Macron Organizations: NATO, North Atlantic Council, Service, Atlantic Treaty Organization, North Atlantic, Moscow, Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Business Locations: Russia, Germany, Czechia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Moscow, Ukraine, —, Kyiv, Russian, London, China

☆ Russia may not start an all-out war with NATO, but already has plans to destroy it from within
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Late last year, Poland's national security agency estimated that Russia could attack NATO within three years. AdvertisementBut whether Putin really does intend to attack NATO and what an attack might look like remains unclear. In March, Putin denied having any plans to attack NATO members, describing such claims as "complete nonsense." "So, his ambition in growing is not going to be that he will attack NATO and NATO countries next year. A covert war is already underwayRussia, some point out, is already engaged in a war with NATO, albeit covertly.

Persons: —, Donald Tusk, Tusk, Putin, Emmanuel Macron, NATO Putin, Philip Ingram, Ingram, Ruth Deyermond, Bryden Spurling, Robert Dover, Spurling, that's, SERGEY BOBOK, Russia's Organizations: Service, Poland's, Business, Bild, NATO, Germany isn't, Ukraine, King's College London, RAND Corporation, University of Hull, European NATO, RAND, Ukrainian Territorial Defence Forces Locations: Europe, Russia, Ukraine, Eastern Europe, Baltic, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Germany, Washington, Russian, NATO, European, Kharkiv, Soviet Union

☆ Federal prosecutors are examining financial transactions at Block, owner of Cash App and Square
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Gretchen Morgenson | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +13 min

Cash App, introduced in 2013, allows users to send and receive money instantaneously among themselves and to buy stocks and Bitcoin. As of December, Cash App had 56 million active transacting accounts and $248 billion in inflows during the previous four quarters, the company said. (Merchants are considered customers at Square, while users are considered customers at Cash App.) Cash App is not a bank, but it uses external banking partners to conduct various services. On March 29, Sutton Bank settled a consent order with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. that echoed the whistleblowers' allegations.

Persons: Jack Dorsey, Block, Venezuela —, Edward Siedle, Prosecutors, Cash, OFAC, Lawrence Summers, Sharon Rothstein, Summers, Rothstein, Lord Paul Deighton, Goldman Sachs, Deighton, Dorsey, Banks, Sutton, James Booker Organizations: Twitter, Southern, of, NBC, NBC News, Securities and Exchange Commission, Block, Foreign Assets Control, U.S . Treasury, Cash, OFAC, Goldman, Financial Market, Bank of Lithuania, Payments Lithuania UAB, PayPal, Consumer Finance Protection Bureau, Sutton Bank, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp, FDIC Locations: of New York, Cuba, Iran, Russia, Venezuela, Ohio, Sutton

☆ NATO Puts on a Show of Force in the Shadow of Russia’s War
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Helene Cooper | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

About 90,000 NATO troops have been training in Europe this spring for the Great Power war that most hope will never come: a clash between Russia and the West with potentially catastrophic consequences. In Estonia, paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division out of Fort Liberty, N.C., jumped out of planes alongside soldiers from Colchester Garrison in Essex, Britain, for “forcible entry” operations. In Lithuania, German soldiers arrived as a brigade stationed outside Germany on a permanent basis for the first time since World War II. And on the A4 autobahn in eastern Germany, a U.S. Army captain and his Macedonian counterpart rushed toward the Suwalki Gap — the place many war planners predict will be the flashpoint for a NATO war with Russia — hoping the overheated radiator on their Stryker armored combat vehicle wouldn’t kill the engine.

Persons: Russia — Organizations: NATO, Great, 82nd Airborne, Colchester Garrison, U.S . Army, Macedonian Locations: Europe, Russia, Estonia, Fort Liberty, N.C, Essex, Britain, Lithuania, Germany

☆ Thousands of planes have run into issues with jammed GPS signals while flying over Eastern Europe, and some people are blaming Russia
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

About 46,000 flights reported navigation problems flying over the Baltics during an eight-month period, The Sun reported. AdvertisementThousands of planes may have run into issues with jammed GPS signals, according to a report by British tabloid The Sun which suggests that Russia may be to blame. AdvertisementBoth The Sun and The Guardian reported that Russia is suspected of being involved in GPS jamming attacks. The frequency of instances of navigation problems rocketed from fewer than 50 a week last year to more than 350 a week last month, The Sun reported. But the CAA told The Independent that jamming and spoofing near conflict zones were often by-products of military activity, not deliberate actions.

Persons: —, Grant Shapps, Rishi Sunak, There's, Luc Tytgat, Glenn Bradley Organizations: Sun, Service, British, The Sun, European Union Aviation Safety Agency, Guardian, Wizz Air, Royal Air Force, CAA, Independent, UK Civil Aviation Authority, Ryanair Locations: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Türkiye, Cyprus, Russia, GPSJAM.org, Sun, Baltic, Kaliningrad, Russian, Baltics, Eastern Europe, Ukraine

☆ Here's what 12 European Central Bank members said about interest rates this week
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

The ECB opted to hold rates steady in April and next meets to vote on monetary policy on June 6. Christine Lagarde, president of the ECBThe ECB's figurehead delivered a firm message that reflected her statements in recent press conferences: markets should expect an interest rate cut soon, barring major surprises. watch nowGabriel Makhlouf, governor of the Central Bank of IrelandMakhlouf said the most recent data sets had shifted his view on rates. "We don't follow the Fed... and now the ECB will be the central bank to be followed," Šimkus said. One could have cut rates way back in March or even April," he continued, adding that he hoped a majority of Governing Council members would back a June cut.

Persons: Kirill Kudryavtsev, Christine Lagarde, Lagarde, CNBC's Sara Eisen, Galhau, Villeroy, Karen Tso, Joachim Nagel, Germany's, Nagel, Robert Holzmann, Mario Centeno, Centeno, Gabriel Makhlouf, Central Bank of Ireland Makhlouf, we've, Makhlouf, Pierre Wunsch, Wunsch, Boris Vujčić, Jerome Powell, Vujčić, Gediminas Šimkus, Bank of Lithuania Šimkus, Šimkus, Edward Scicluna, Central Bank of Malta Scicluna, Kazāks, Bank of Latvia Kazāks, Olli Rehn, Rehn Organizations: Afp, Getty, International, European Central Bank, CNBC, ECB, Bank of France, Council, Austrian Central Bank One, Bank of Portugal, Central Bank of Ireland, National Bank of, Croatian National Bank, Federal, U.S, Bank of Lithuania, Central Bank of, Governing, Bank of Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, New York, ECB's, National Bank of Belgium, U.S, Europe, Central Bank of Malta, Bank of Latvia, Bank of Finland

☆ Fearing for Ukraine if Trump Returns, Some in Europe Try Outreach Now
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Andrew Higgins | Tomas Dapkus | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

As many in Europe worry about the possibility of a second presidency for Donald J. Trump that they fear could bring an end to U.S. support for Ukraine, some of Russia’s most fervent foes are taking a different tack: making nice with the Trump camp. Also attending were members of pro-Trump groups like the Heritage Foundation, an influential conservative group skeptical about helping Ukraine. Leading the participants from Ukraine was Oleksandr Merezhko, the chairman of the Ukrainian Parliament’s foreign affairs committee and an ally of President Volodymyr Zelensky. Reaching out to the Trump camp, he said, was simply a recognition of Ukraine’s perilous vulnerability to the shifting sands of American politics. “When we are fighting for our survival, we can’t afford to antagonize either Biden or Trump,” Mr. Merezhko said.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Oleksandr Merezhko, Volodymyr Zelensky, ” Mr, Merezhko, ” Organizations: Trump, Heritage Foundation, Biden Locations: Europe, Ukraine, Lithuania, Baltic, Russia, Ukrainian

☆ ECB policymaker says he's expecting 'about three' interest rate cuts this year
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailECB policymaker says he's expecting 'about three' interest rate cuts this yearGediminas Šimkus , governor of the Bank of Lithuania and ECB policymaker, joins Karen Tso from the IMF Spring Meetings to discuss the rate cuts he expects this year.

Persons: he's, Gediminas Šimkus, Karen Tso Organizations: ECB, Bank of Lithuania, ECB policymaker

☆ Front-line NATO countries will be staring down a 'battle-hardened Russia' able to more easily strike if Ukraine falls, war analyst warns
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Ella Sherman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

If Ukraine loses to Russia, NATO forces would face an emboldened Russian military, war experts say. AdvertisementIf Ukraine loses to Russia, NATO countries could consequently find themselves facing an emboldened, "battle-hardened" Russian army with a clearer path to war, an analyst argues. Able to overrun a defeated Ukraine, Russia would be threatening parts of the alliance that haven't faced a Russian threat since the fall of the Soviet Union. AdvertisementIn that dire scenario, "NATO troops, inexperienced in fighting modern mechanized war, would be staring down a battle-hardened Russian military, emboldened from its victory in Ukraine," Kagan wrote. Zelenskyy has repeatedly said that helping Ukraine fight Russia today keeps NATO from having to fight it later.

Persons: —, Fredrick W, Kagan, haven't, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Zelenskyy Organizations: NATO, Service, Soviet Union, Russia, PBS Locations: Ukraine, Russia, NATO, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Baltic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Soviet, Russian, Moscow, Kyiv

☆ Lithuanian discus thrower Mykolas Alekna breaks longest standing men’s track and field world record
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Martynas Ruseckas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Lithuanian discus thrower Mykolas Alekna broke a world record that had stood for four decades at the Oklahoma Throws Series World Invitational meeting in Ramona on Sunday. The Lithuanian’s throw of 74.35 meters surpassed Jurgen Schult’s effort in 1986, when the German threw 74.08m. Schult’s landmark effore had been the longest-standing record in track and field, according to Olympics.com. Virgilijus threw 69.89m in Athens 2004. The Lithuanian is a two-time world and Olympic champion.

Persons: Mykolas Alekna, Jurgen Schult’s, Alekna’s, “, ” Alekna, Ramona, Alekna, Virgilijus Organizations: CNN, Oklahoma, Sunday, World Athletics Locations: Lithuanian, Ramona, Lithuania, Athens

☆ Global airlines are governed by strict 'freedoms of the air' dating back 80 years. They've created some funky routes.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Global airlines are governed by nine "freedoms of the air," drafted 80 years ago in 1944. The fifth freedom can give airlines a competitive edge and help capitalize on demand. "Five Freedom Agreements"Qantas flies a Boeing 787 on its fifth freedom route between Sydney and New York. Seventh FreedomThe seventh freedom is similar to the fifth freedom but takes out the limitation of where the route must start or end. Ninth FreedomAdvertisementThis cabotage freedom allows an airline of one nation to fly between two points in a separate single country.

Persons: —, Vytautas Kielaitis, Taylor Rains, Toshi, Nicolas Economou Organizations: Service, International Civil Aviation Organization, United Nations, Chicago Convention, ICAO, Chicago, European Union, Singapore Airlines, Airbus, Qantas, Google Flights, United Airlines, FAA, Emirates, Latam Airlines, Atlantic . Emirates, luxe, Forbes, Air Senegal, Boeing, Ryanair, Getty, Nice Locations: New York, Singapore, Frankfurt, Germany, Emirates, JFK, Milan, Newark, Athens, Dubai, Australian, Sydney, Auckland , New Zealand, Cebu, Philippines, Tokyo, —, Mexico City, Barcelona, Santiago, Chile, Auckland, Amsterdam, Buenos Aires, Los Angeles, Australia, Dakar, Baltimore, Ireland, Rome, Vilnius, Lithuania, Paris

☆ Eastern Europeans buy up property in the West as Putin steps up ‘war on nerves’
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

But several realtors told CNN that their clients are now citing another reason: Russia’s war in Ukraine, and the fear that the conflict could spread. A record-breaking number of Poles bought property in Spain in 2023, topping the previous record set the year before, according to Polish outlet Bizblog. Lopez said a client last month bought a property because they wanted to avoid being conscripted into the Polish military. “The trigger, really, was the war in Ukraine.”But most buy just for peace of mind – a back-up plan, for those wealthy enough to afford one. “Obviously, we are in NATO, but I must say there’s a big amount of people who are really, really afraid,” she said.

Persons: Agnes Marciniak, She’s, “, ”, Kostrzewa, Volodomyr Zelensky, Ukraine “, Donald Trump, Donald Tusk, –, Maria Ruiz Lopez, Lopez, Wieslaw, John Keeble, Liivia Illak, she’s, ” Illak, Alexey Navalny, Putin, they’ve Organizations: CNN, realtors, United States, NATO, Getty Locations: Baltic, Ukraine, Russia, Europe, Spain, Warsaw, Poland, Andalucia, Malaga, Belarus, Estonia, Lithuania, Russian

☆ Nijole Sadunaite, Lithuanian Nun Who Opposed Soviet Rule, Dies at 85
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Sam Roberts | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Nijole Sadunaite, a fearless but forgiving Roman Catholic nun and anti-Soviet Lithuanian nationalist who was inspired by Pope John Paul II and publicly hailed by President Ronald Reagan, died on March 31 in Vilnius. Her death was confirmed by Sister Gerarda Elena Suliauskaite, laureate of the Freedom Prize of the Republic of Lithuania, which was also given to Sister Sadunaite in 2018 for her defense of democracy and human rights. In 1975, Sister Sadunaite (pronounced sah-DOO-nay-teh) was arrested by K.G.B. agents who had stormed an apartment where she was writing an underground newspaper, The Chronicle of the Catholic Church in Lithuania, which documented abuses against Christians in the Baltic state. “I had typed six pages when I was caught, so I effectively got one year for every page,” she told The Atlantic in 1994.

Persons: Nijole, Pope John Paul II, Ronald Reagan, Sister Gerarda Elena Suliauskaite, Sadunaite, “, ” Organizations: Catholic Church Locations: Soviet Lithuanian, Vilnius, Republic of Lithuania, Lithuania, Baltic

☆ An influencer is slammed for having a 'wasteful' and 'polluting' gender reveal party that saw a trio of airplanes leaving smoke-like trails in the sky
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Alexandra Bacon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A Lithuanian influencer has social media users riled up after posting a video of her gender reveal. AdvertisementLithuanian influencer Inga Stumbriene has faced backlash online after she shared videos of her and her husband's gender reveal party. Related stories"Thanks for killing the planet," one Instagram user commented on the influencer's post. "This gender reveal made me sad, it's just so wasteful," said another. Gender reveal parties have become more extravagant and, in some cases, more dangerous in recent years.

Persons: —, Inga Stumbriene, Rolandas, Stumbriene Organizations: Service Locations: Lithuania, Arizona

☆ Russia's military is 'almost completely reconstituted' as it goes into overdrive to shore up losses in Ukraine: US official
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Reports differ on how well Russia is faring in revitalizing its bleeding military after heavy losses in Ukraine. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. AdvertisementRussia has "almost completely" reformed its military capabilities after taking heavy losses in Ukraine, a top US official said on Wednesday. He said Moscow suffered initial setbacks during the Ukraine war but has "retooled and now poses a threat to Ukraine." Related storiesIn the wake of those losses, Russian leader Vladimir Putin has sent his nation's military-industrial complex into overdrive, focusing its economy on producing shells, weapons, and equipment.

Persons: Kurt Campbell, —, Campbell, Moscow, It's, Vladimir Putin, ILYA PITALEV, Boris Pistorius, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Mike Johnson, CNAS Organizations: Service, Center, New, NATO, Russian, SPUTNIK, Getty, German, Royal United Services Institute, Kyiv, US State Department, Business Locations: Russia, Ukraine, New American, Washington, Europe, China, Saint Petersburg, Lithuania, London, Moscow, Russian

A pile of flowers blanketed a small memorial in the center of the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius after the death of the Russian opposition leader Aleksei A. Navalny last month. The impromptu tribute at the memorial, an unassuming pyramid commemorating victims of Soviet repression, has highlighted Vilnius’s growing status as the center of Russian political opposition. In Vilnius, exiled Russian journalists have set up studios to broadcast news to millions of compatriots back home on YouTube. Russian activists have rented offices to catalog the Kremlin’s human rights abuses, and exiled Russian musicians have recorded new albums for the audience back home. The arrival of the Russian dissidents in Vilnius has added to a larger wave of Russian-speaking refugees and migrants from Belarus and Ukraine over the past four years.

Persons: Aleksei A, “ Putin, ”, Vladimir V, Putin Organizations: Lithuanian, YouTube Locations: Lithuanian, Vilnius, Russia, Ukraine, Russian, Belarus

☆ NATO’s next challenge: How to reverse years of underfunding defense
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

For over a decade, allies have chronically underspent on defense while the West’s adversaries modernized and bolstered their own military capabilities. Defense spending stayed low across the West not just because of budget pressures, but also because everyone – including the US – was frightened to provoke Russia. However, the nature of NATO allies’ support for Ukraine – much of it direct military support – has exposed the vulnerability that years of underfunding has caused the alliance. Fabian Bimmer/Pool/ReutersThis means that the challenge in front of NATO allies now is not just how can they meet the demand for weapons coming from Ukraine, but how do they reverse years of underfunding their own defenses? Some allies don’t trust that others will be quite so generous with defense spending if the Russia-Ukraine war were to end.

Persons: Vladimir Putin’s, Putin, Volodymyr Zelensky, Murat Kula, ”, ” John Herbst, Antony Blinken, Ulf Kristersson, Andrew Caballero, Reynolds, underfunding, It’s, Herbst, NATO’s, –, Jens Stoltenberg, Olaf Scholz, Fabian Bimmer, Stoltenberg, ” Stoltenberg, Peter Ricketts, Douglas Lute, “ Organizations: CNN, NATO, Turkish, Anadolu Agency, Pentagon, “, Swedish, US State Department, Getty, Ukraine, Rheinmetall, Trump Locations: Soviet, Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq, Ukraine, United States, British, Vilnius, Russia, Kyiv, Europe, Germany, AFP, North Korea, Iran, Washington, Unterluess, Baltic, Brussels, Finland, Sweden, NATO

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Belarus starts military drills near EU borders; Russia targets energy infrastructure in drone strikes
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-02 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) and Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko (R) enter the hall during the plenary session of the Supreme Council of Russia and Belarus, at the Konstantin Palace on January 29, 2024, in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Belarus began military drills on Tuesday in regions along its border with Ukraine, together with European Union nations Lithuania and Poland, the Russian ally's defense ministry said. Russia and Ukraine meanwhile continued to exchange drone strikes in recent days, with Russia on Monday night targeting energy facilities in raids on the Dnipropetrovsk and Kirovograd regions, Ukraine's Operational Command "South" said on Facebook. The head of Ukraine's national grid company said on Monday that while Russian drone attacks have significantly damaged the Ukrainian power system, a total collapse is unlikely. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held talks on Monday with military and government officials over Kyiv's drone production plans and a project to build an "integrated electronic warfare control system" to protect Ukrainian troops from Russian drone attacks.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Alexander Lukashenko, Konstantin, Volodymyr Zelenskyy Organizations: Supreme, of, European Union, Command, Facebook Locations: of Russia, Belarus, Saint Petersburg, Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania, Poland, Russian, Gomel, Grodno, Dnipropetrovsk, Kirovograd

☆ Russia 'will likely lose' its war in Ukraine if the US can keep from falling prey to Moscow's information game, conflict analysts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-02 | by ( Ella Sherman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The US must resist Russian disinformation tactics and help Ukraine, leading war watchers argue. Experts suggest persistent support for Ukraine and stopping Russia from shaping perception. ISW emphasized that Russia is benefitting from Western countries that continuously withhold crucial weapons from Ukraine that can significantly incapacitate it. Lithuania has been helping Ukraine to repair its Leopard 2 tanks after they were damaged in the war against Russia. "Russia cannot defeat Ukraine or the West — and will likely lose — if the West mobilizes its resources to resist the Kremlin," the analysts wrote.

Persons: —, ISW, Germany's, Olaf Scholz, Scholz, Abrams, Alexander Welscher Organizations: Service, Ukraine, Archer Artillery, Getty, Press, Russia, Kremlin Locations: Ukraine, Russia, West, Washington, Russian, Europe, Donetsk Oblast, Roman, Lithuania, United States

☆ American sniper in Ukraine says he couldn't care less about expensive weapons like tanks. 'Give me artillery' and ammo, he says.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Ukraine needs artillery and ammunition rather than tanks, a US veteran there said. AdvertisementAn American veteran fighting in Ukraine said soldiers are desperate for artillery and ammunition. "With the West, you see so much stuff about, 'Oh yeah, they're donating these vehicles, these vehicles, these vehicles.' The European Commission earlier this month announced $540 million to fast-track arms manufacturing, including artillery ammunition. That means Ukraine's soldiers often have to plan for survival, rather than long-term success.

Persons: —, Jonathan Poquette, Poquette, Serhii Mykhalchuk, we've, it's, Kostya Organizations: Service, 59th Motorized Brigade, Getty, Ukraine, Artillery, Republicans, Guardian, European, Getty Images Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Russia, Ukrainian, Donetsk Oblast, Roman, Germany, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Avdiivka

☆ Western air bases that host Ukraine's F-16s are 'legitimate' targets for Russia, says Putin
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Putin said Western air bases hosting F-16 fighter jets will be "legitimate" targets. AdvertisementRussian President Vladimir Putin warned that Western air bases hosting F-16 fighter jets for Ukraine will be "legitimate" targets for the Kremlin's forces, according to The Associated Press. The AP noted that Western air bases may be used by Ukraine when it gets the jets, because they require high-standard runways and also protective hangars. Russia has a far superior air force to Ukraine, but Ukraine has been able to deny Russia from entering its air space through its use of air defense systems. But Ukraine is warning that its air defense munitions are running out, particularly with further aid from the US blocked by House Republicans.

Persons: Putin, —, Vladimir Putin, Lockheed Martin, it's, Joakim Paasikivi Organizations: Service, Associated Press, Lockheed, US Air Force's, AP, NATO, House Republicans, Air Locations: Swedish, Ukraine, Russian, Russia, Europe

CNN —Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has warned that Europe is in a “pre-war era” but still has a “long way to go” before its ready to confront the threat posed by Russia. We haven’t seen a situation like this since 1945,” Tusk said in an interview with German newspaper Die Welt published Friday. Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly denied that Russia intends to attack NATO countries. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and French President Emmanuel Macron in Berlin, Germany, March 15, 2024. Obviously, he feels the need to justify the increasingly violent attacks on civilian sites in Ukraine,” Tusk said.

Persons: Donald Tusk, ” Tusk, “, Vladimir Putin, Olaf Scholz, Emmanuel Macron, Odd Andersen, Tusk, –, ”, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, doesn’t, Putin, “ Putin Organizations: CNN, Polish, Welt, NATO, European Union, Getty, Law, Justice Party, Poland, Crocus City Hall, Dubrovka, Chechen Locations: Europe, Russia, “, ”, Ukraine, Russian, Sweden, Finland, Baltics, Estonia, Lithuania, Moldova, France, Germany, Poland, Polish, Berlin, Moscow, Crocus, Beslan

☆ Happiness is typically U-shaped throughout your life. The US has changed that.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | Tim Paradis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A recent global report found a decline in young people's happiness in North America. That's upending the idea that happiness in life follows a U shape. In North America, it now looks more like a J. Related storiesShe added that "younger adults in North America also reported lower levels of trust in the government, higher levels of concerns around corruption. AdvertisementThe idea of dual peaks in contentedness came from a 2010 article in The Economist called "The U-bend of life."

Persons: That's, —, Laura Aknin, Aknin, They're, Vivek Murthy, Christopher Wong Michaelson, Thomas Organizations: Service, Gallup, US, University of St, New York University Locations: North America, contentedness, Finland, Czechia, Lithuania, Slovenia

☆ As Trump blasts NATO allies for not paying for defense, these front-line countries are readying for war
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

But as Russia's bloody war in Ukraine enters its third year, and the threat to NATO countries, particularly those on Russia's borders, grows, the Baltic states are investing in their defense more than ever. Shawn CooverThe talk came just on the heels of Trump's most recent attack on NATO members who he deems aren't paying their 'fair share." Last week, the former president said that he would keep the US in NATO should European countries pay and "play fair." He said the US "was paying 90% of NATO," and that without the US, NATO "literally doesn't even exist." "We've reinstated conscription, so we're building up our armed forces," an unpopular move that Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs is pushing other NATO members to do, too.

Persons: —, Donald Trump, Margus Tsahkna, Vladimir Putin, Tsahkna, Shawn Coover, Trump, ALAIN JOCARD, Olaf Scholz, Emmanuel Macron, isn't, Macron, Krišjānis Kariņš, Kariņš, Thomas Wiegold, We've, Edgars Rinkēvičs, Rinkēvičs Organizations: Service, NATO, Business, Hudson Institute, Washington DC, Estonian, US Marine Corps, Staff, Getty, Latvian, Financial Times Locations: Ukraine, Baltic, Washington, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Russia, Russian, China, Europe, NATO, Poland, estonian, Rakvere, AFP, Baltics, France, Germany, Russia's, Greece, Belarus, Finland, Romania, Hungary

Washington Approves $228 Million in US Military Aid to the Three Baltic States, Estonia SaysEstonia's defense officials say the U.S. Congress has passed a bill that involves a total of $228 million in military and defense aid to Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania this year under the Baltic Security Initiative

Persons: Estonia's Organizations: Washington, Aid, . Congress, Baltic Security Locations: Baltic States, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania

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