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☆ Germany Hits 2% NATO Target for First Time Since 1992, Reports Dpa
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

The German government is allocating the equivalent of $73.41 billion for defence spending in the current year, dpa reported. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had this week stated that Germany would meet the NATO target, but the government has not divulged precise figures so far. NATO defence ministers are due to meet in Brussels on Thursday. A separate meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, hosted by the United States, takes place on Wednesday. Scholz's government has spotlighted its rising defence spending at an uncertain time for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Persons: Olaf Scholz, Donald Trump, Boris Pistorius, Trump, Pistorius, Trump's, Alex Ratz, Matthias Williams, Miranda Murray, Ros Russell Organizations: BERLIN, NATO, dpa, Ukraine Defence Contact, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Former, WELT, German, America Locations: Germany, Ukraine, Brussels, United States

U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin speaks to the media during a NATO Defence Ministers' meeting at the Alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium October 12, 2023. REUTERS/Johanna Geron/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Oct 31 (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Tuesday that Russia would be successful in Ukraine unless the United States kept up its support for Kyiv. "I can guarantee that without our support (Russian President Vladimir) Putin will be successful," Austin said during the hearing. Congress has already approved $113 billion for Ukraine since Russia invaded in February 2022. Democrats solidly back Biden's strategy of combining Ukraine aid with support for Israel, as do many Republicans in both the Senate and House of Representatives.

Persons: Lloyd Austin, Johanna Geron, Antony Blinken, Joe Biden's, Vladimir, Putin, Austin, Biden, Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart, Chizu Nomiyama, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Defence, NATO Defence Ministers, REUTERS, Rights, . Defense, Kyiv, Israel, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Russia, Ukraine, United States, Austin, Israel, U.S, Bakhmut

☆ U.S. ready to send more military aid to Israel, says Austin
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin speaks to the media during a NATO Defence Ministers' meeting at the Alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium October 12, 2023. REUTERS/Johanna Geron/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsJERUSALEM, Oct 13 (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Friday that the Pentagon was ready to deploy more military aid to Israel as Israeli forces prepare for a likely invasion of Gaza in response to a devastating attack by militant group Hamas. Austin said that munitions, air defence capabilities and other equipment and resources were "rapidly flowing" to Washington's closest Middle Eastern ally. Israel has vowed to crush Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist movement that rules Gaza. Israel launched its heaviest ever bombardment of the Gaza Strip after Hamas carried out an unprecedented and shock cross-border attack into southern Israel on Oct. 7.

Persons: Lloyd Austin, Johanna Geron, Austin, Israel, Yoav Gallant, Ari Rabinovitch, Dan Williams, Henriette Chacar, John Davison, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Defence, NATO Defence Ministers, REUTERS, Rights, . Defense, Pentagon, Hamas, U.S . Department of Defense, Israel, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Israel, Gaza, Washington's, Palestinian, Tel Aviv, United States, Ukraine

Summary LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:"Civilians of Gaza City, evacuate south for your own safety...and distance yourself from Hamas terrorists who are using you as human shields," Israeli military says. The Israeli military said it would operate "significantly" in Gaza City in coming days and civilians should only return when advised. "Civilians of Gaza City, evacuate south for your own safety and the safety of your families and distance yourself from Hamas terrorists who are using you as human shields," the military said. "Hamas terrorists are hiding in Gaza City inside tunnels underneath houses and inside buildings populated with innocent Gazan civilians." [1/16]Palestinians flee their homes amid Israeli strikes, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Gaza City, October 13, 2023.

Persons: Yoav Gallant, Gilad Erdan, Israel, Cross, Fabrizio Carboni, Antony Blinken, Mohammed Salem, Blinken, Jordan's King Abdullah, Mahmoud Abbas, Hassan Nassrallah, Lloyd Austin, Austin, Benjamin Netanyahu, Mount Herzl, Khan Younis, Ibrahim Hamdan, Henriette Chacar, Dedi, Maayan Lubell, Emily Rose, Michelle Nichols, Emma Farge, Jeff Mason, Humeyra Pamuk, Steve Gorman, Dan Whitcomb, Michael Martina, Michael Perry, Michael Georgy, Philippa Fletcher, Howard Goller, Diane Craft, Nick Macfie Organizations: Hamas, United Nations, Shifa, International Committee, Food Programme, ICRC, U.S, NATO, REUTERS, Palestinian Authority, West Bank, United Arab, U.S . Defense, Washington, United, Police, FBI, Mount, Thomson Locations: Gaza City, Gaza, JERUSALEM, TEL AVIV, Israel, Japan, United States, Palestinian, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Iran, Lebanon, Turkey, UAE, Turkish, U.S, Paris, Amsterdam, London, New York, Los Angeles, Jerusalem, Gazans, Geneva, Washington, Tel Aviv

Gaza authorities said more than 1,400 Palestinians, mainly civilians, including children, have already been killed and more than 6,000 wounded. The images of the dead infants were included in the video played to NATO. Hamas has denied its militants harmed civilians, accusing Israel and the West of spreading false reports to incite violence against Palestinians. U.S. President Joseph Biden had suggested on Wednesday that he had seen images of children beheaded by militants. Foreign reporters shown sites targeted by Hamas, witnessed ruins of burnt-out houses and streets scattered with dead residents and militants.

Persons: Ronen, Netanyahu, Antony Blinken, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Blinken, Yoav Gallant, Jens Stoltenberg, Israel, Saleh Al, Arouri, Joseph Biden, Gallant, Lloyd Austin, Washington, Andy Gray, Crispian Balmer, Edmund Blair Organizations: Nova Festival, REUTERS, Israel, U.S, NATO, Hamas, Israeli, Brussels, Reuters, ISIS, Islamic, Gaza, U.S . Defense, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel's, Israel, JERUSALEM, TEL AVIV, BRUSSELS, Palestinian, Tel Aviv, Islamic State, Jerusalem, United States, Brussels

☆ U.S. supports Finland, Estonia as it probes Baltic Sea pipe burst, says Blinken
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The picture provided by The Finnish Border Guard shows Finnish Border Guard's offshore patrol vessel Turva guarding on October 11, 2023 at sea near the place where damaged Balticconnector gas pipeline is pinpointed at the Gulf of Finland. Lehtikuva/FINNISH BORDER GUARD via REUTERS/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 12 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday the United States would support Finland and Estonia as they probe damage to a gas pipeline and a telecommunications cable under the Baltic Sea. Location of damaged gas pipeEarlier on Thursday, Finnish intelligence said it could not rule out the possibility of a "state actor" being involved in damaging the infrastructure. "Involvement of a state actor in this job cannot be ruled out," Finnish Security Intelligence Service Director Antti Pelttari told reporters. A chief investigator also said that it currently looked like the damage was caused by "mechanical force", not an explosion.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Blinken, Finland's Gasgrid, Antti Pelttari, Elviira, Niklas Pollard, Gwladys, Terje Solsvik, Mark Potter, Deborah Kyvrikosaios Organizations: Finnish Border Guard, GUARD, REUTERS, NATO, NATO Allies, Security Intelligence, Thomson Locations: of Finland, States, Finland, Estonia, Baltic, Brussels, NATO Allies Finland

Israel's military chief, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, said lessons would be drawn from the security failures around Gaza that enabled the attack. The U.S. military is placing no conditions on its security assistance to Israel, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said, adding Washington expected Israel's military to "do the right things" in prosecuting its war against Hamas. Scores of Israeli and foreign hostages were taken back to Gaza; Israel said it had identified 97 of them. [1/4]Israeli soldiers hold an Israeli flag while in a tank near Israel's border with the Gaza Strip, in southern Israel, October 12, 2023. "This war is harsh beyond imagining," said Hamdan, who has worked through repeated wars since becoming a rescuer in 2007.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Blinken, King Abdullah, Mahmoud Abbas, America's, General Herzi Halevi, Lloyd Austin, Austin, Benjamin Netanyahu, East Jerusalem's, Kan, Ronen, Israel, Cross, Fabrizio Carboni, Los Angeles, Kathy Hochul, Mount Herzl, Khan Younis, Ibrahim Hamdan, Hamdan, Henriette Chacar, Dedi, Maayan Lubell, Emily Rose, Nidal, Emma Farge, Jeff Mason, Humeyra Pamuk, Steve Gorman, Dan Whitcomb, Michael Martina, Howard Goller, Diane Craft Organizations: Israel U.S, West Bank Security, Hamas, U.S, NATO, Palestinian, Palestinian Authority, West Bank, United Arab, U.S . Defense, Washington, Public, REUTERS, International Committee, United Nations, Food Programme, ICRC, New, FBI, Mount, Thomson Locations: East Jerusalem, Europe JERUSALEM, GAZA, TEL AVIV, Gaza, Israel, Jordan, U.S, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Iran, East, East Jerusalem's Al, Aqsa, Washington, Europe, Paris, Amsterdam, London, New York, Los, Jerusalem, Geneva, Tel Aviv, Los Angeles

☆ Israel Releases Images of Slain Children to Rally Support After Hamas Attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

Gaza authorities said more than 1,400 Palestinians, mainly civilians, including children, have already been killed and more than 6,000 wounded. In quotes published by Hamas, deputy Hamas chief, Saleh Al-Arouri, said: "The plan was to target the army's Gaza team and fight occupation soldiers only." U.S. President Joseph Biden had suggested on Wednesday that he had seen images of children beheaded by militants. But medics, international human rights organisations and journalists have documented that militants killed women, children and the elderly as well as young men and soldiers in their rampage. Foreign reporters shown sites targeted by Hamas, witnessed ruins of burnt-out houses and streets scattered with dead residents and militants.

Persons: John Davison, Humeyra Pamuk, Sabine Siebold, Antony Blinken, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Blinken, Netanyahu, General Herzi Halevi, Yoav Gallant, Jens Stoltenberg, Saleh Al, Joseph Biden, Gallant, Lloyd Austin, Washington, Andy Gray, Crispian Balmer, Edmund Blair Organizations: U.S, NATO, Hamas, Palestinian, Israeli, Brussels, Reuters, ISIS, Islamic, Gaza, U.S . Defense Locations: Sabine Siebold JERUSALEM, TEL AVIV, BRUSSELS, Palestinian, Gaza, Tel Aviv, Israel, Islamic State, Jerusalem, United States, Brussels

☆ Ukraine's Zelenskiy is paying a visit to Belgium
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Marine Strauss | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Secretary General of NATO Jens Stoltenberg walk on the day of a NATO Defence Ministers' meeting at the Alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium October 11, 2023. REUTERS/Johanna Geron Acquire Licensing RightsBRUSSELS, Oct 10 (Reuters) - Ukraine's Zelenskiy is in Belgium this Wednesday, Belgian media reported, where a meeting of NATO defence ministers is taking place. After Spain, Belgium will hold the European Union's rotating presidency for six months starting Jan 1 2024. Zelenskiy came to Brussels after a visit to Romania, where he called for steps to ensure Russia does not turn the Black Sea into a "dead zone" for shipping after Moscow quit a deal allowing safe Ukrainian grain exports. Reporting by Marine Strauss, Andrew Gray; Editing by Benoit Van OverstraetenOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, NATO Jens Stoltenberg, Johanna Geron, Rustem Umerov, Yoav Gallant, Jens Stoltenberg, Lloyd Austin, Charles Q, Brown, Zelenskiy, Marine Strauss, Andrew Gray, Benoit Van Overstraeten Organizations: NATO, NATO Defence Ministers, REUTERS, Rights, Ukrainian, Kyiv, Israeli, Contact, Diplomats, Lloyd Austin and Air Force, U.S, U.S . Congress, Moscow, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Rights BRUSSELS, Belgian, Ukraine, Vilnius, Finland, Estonia, Israel, Spain, Washington, Kyiv, Romania, Russia

[1/4] Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Secretary General of NATO Jens Stoltenberg walk on the day of a NATO Defence Ministers' meeting at the Alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium October 11, 2023. On his first visit to NATO HQ since Russia's full-scale invasion in February last year, Zelenskiy said the coming cold months would be one of Ukraine's biggest challenges. Standing alongside Zelenskiy, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Russian President Vladimir Putin was "preparing once again to use winter as a weapon of war" by attacking energy infrastructure in Ukraine. "We need to prevent that, with more advanced and increased capabilities for air defence, we can make a big difference," Stoltenberg said. NATO defence ministers were to sit down with their Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umerov in the NATO-Ukraine Council, established at the alliance's Vilnius summit in July.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, NATO Jens Stoltenberg, Johanna Geron, Putin, Zelenskiy, Jens Stoltenberg, Vladimir Putin, Stoltenberg, Lloyd Austin, Charles Q, Brown, Alexander De Croo, Rustem, Yoav Gallant, Marine Strauss, Andrew Gray, Idrees Ali, Sabine Siebold, Benoit Van Overstraeten, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: NATO, NATO Defence Ministers, REUTERS, Ukraine Defense Contact, Zelenskiy, Diplomats, Lloyd Austin and Air Force, U.S, U.S . Congress, Belgian, Ukraine Council, Israeli, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, BRUSSELS, Ukraine, U.S, Washington, Kyiv, NATO, Vilnius, Finland, Estonia

The head of the Israeli military, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, said lessons would be drawn from the security failures around Gaza that enabled the attack. Scores of Israeli and foreign hostages were taken back to Gaza; Israel says it has identified 97 of them. Amid international calls for a ceasefire to allow in aid, Israeli Energy Minister Israel Katz said there would be no halt to the siege without freedom for Israeli hostages. The Israeli military said it does not comment on such reports. The Israeli military says it has responded with artillery fire to launches coming from Lebanese territory.

Persons: Abbas, Antony Blinken, Blinken, General Herzi Halevi, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Kan, Cross, Fabrizio Carboni, Israel Katz, Khan Younis, Abu Mustafa, Najib Mikati, Jordan, King Abdullah, Mahmoud Abbas, Fatah, Jerusalem's Mount Herzl, Ibrahim Hamdan, Hamdan, Henriette Chacar, Dedi, Maayan Lubell, Emily Rose, Nidal, Emma Farge, Jeff Mason, Peter Graff, Alexandra Hudson, Alex Richardson, Nick Macfie, Toby Chopra, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: U.S, NATO, Public, International Committee, United Nations, Food Programme, ICRC, Israeli Energy, Israel, United Nations Security, Palestinian Authority, West Bank, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Washington, Egypt, Israel, JERUSALEM, GAZA, TEL AVIV, Gaza, Syria, Damascus, Aleppo, Iran, Lebanese, Jerusalem's Mount, Jerusalem, Geneva

☆ Pentagon chief urges Israeli consensus, action on settler violence
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Yves Herman/File PhotoWASHINGTON, July 25 (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin called for political consensus in Israel on Tuesday in a call with his Israeli counterpart, in the latest sign of strain between the allies over an Israeli judicial overhaul triggering major protests. The protests may be affecting the Israeli military. "Austin underscored the United States' belief that broad consensus through political dialogue, especially in the coming weeks and months, are critical elements of a resilient democracy," a Pentagon readout of the call said. She also declined to elaborate on Austin's comments regarding settler violence in Israel. A Pentagon readout said Austin urged Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant "to address extremist settler violence against Palestinian civilians."

Persons: Defence Lloyd Austin, Yves Herman, Lloyd Austin, Austin, Sabrina Singh, Yoav Gallant, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Defence, NATO Defence Ministers, REUTERS, WASHINGTON, . Defense, Pentagon, Israeli, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Israel, U.S, Israeli, United States

☆ US, Japan, S.Korea hold rare military meeting as N.Korea launches missile
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Idrees Ali | Thomson Reuters | National Security Correspondent Focusing On The Pentagon In Washington D.C. Reports On U.S. Military Activity | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Washington has been pressing the uneasy neighbors to work more closely to better counter rising threats from China and North Korea. He said the North Korean ballistic missile had been launched towards the Sea of Japan. U.N. Security Council resolutions ban North Korea's use of ballistic missile technology, including for satellite launches. North Korea's Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of leader Kim Jong Un, said on Tuesday a U.S. military spy plane had entered North Korea's Exclusive Economic Zone eight times. A senior U.S. defense official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said it appeared that North Korea's threats were largely bluster.

Persons: Mark A, Milley, Yves Herman, SMITH, Dave Butler, Mark Milley, Camp, Korea's Kim Yo Jong, Kim Jong Un, Idrees Ali, Jacqueline Wong, Robert Birsel Organizations: Joint Chiefs, NATO Defence Ministers, REUTERS, United, South, Reuters, North, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Hawaii, United States, North Korea, Washington, China, Seoul, Tokyo, Korea, Japan, Camp Smith, U.S, South Korea

But one diplomat said Turkey had blocked approval over the wording of geographical locations, including with regard to Cyprus. There was still an opportunity to find a solution before the NATO summit in mid-July in Vilnius, the diplomat added. Turkey's diplomatic mission to NATO said it would be wrong to comment on a secret NATO document, adding only that "the usual process of consultations and evaluation among allies is continuing". The so-called regional plans comprise thousands of pages of secret military plans that will detail how the alliance would respond to a Russian attack. "While regional plans were not formally endorsed today, we anticipate these plans will be part of a series of deliverables for the Vilnius Summit in July," a senior U.S. official told Reuters.

Persons: Jens Stoltenberg, Sabine Siebold, Andrew Gray, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Angus MacSwan Organizations: NATO, Vilnius Summit, Reuters, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Turkey, Ukraine, Brussels, Cyprus, Vilnius, NATO, Afghanistan, Iraq, Soviet Russia, Moscow, U.S

[1/4] U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark A. Milley holds a news conference on the day of a NATO Defence Ministers' meeting at the Alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium June 15, 2023. Milley was speaking after a meeting of the U.S.-led Contact Group of some 50 countries that give military aid to Ukraine. Austin noted the group had already given Patriot, IRIS-T and NASAMS air defence systems that had protected Ukraine from Russian missile attacks. "I ask that the members of this Contact Group continue to dig deep to provide Ukraine with the air defence assets and munitions that it so urgently needs to protect its citizens," Austin said in opening remarks. Later in the day, NATO defence ministers met separately with Reznikov to discuss their support for Kyiv.

Persons: Mark A, Milley, Yves Herman BRUSSELS, Kyiv's, It's, Mark Milley, Lloyd Austin, Austin, We'll, Oleksii Reznikov, Reznikov, Phil Stewart, Benoit Van Overstraeten, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: Joint Chiefs, NATO Defence Ministers, REUTERS, U.S, Ukraine, Russian, Joint Chiefs of Staff, NATO, Group, U.S . Defense, IRIS, Washington, Kyiv, Ukrainian Defence, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Ukraine, U.S, Russian, Kyiv

☆ NATO pushes for common standards to tackle shortfalls in artillery munitions
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Sabine Siebold | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

But the lack of common standards among the various manufacturers has hampered the flow of munitions supplies. It will take place on the sidelines of a NATO defence ministers' meeting in Brussels on Thursday and Friday. Demand for 155mm artillery rounds has soared in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. "If national governments could bring themselves to throw national standards over board and agree on common NATO standards – in particular with regard to munitions – this would be a landslide change," the defence source said. Before that many NATO countries had already run down their stocks as governments considered wars of attrition with big artillery battles a thing of the past.

Persons: Caesar, Jens Stoltenberg, KMW, Leonardo, Northrop, Abrams, Armin Papperger, Sabine Siebold, Gwladys Fouche, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Separate Artillery Brigade, REUTERS, NATO, BAE Systems, Turkish, Dynamics, Leopard, Lockheed, Northrop Grumman, British Storm Shadow, Rheinmetall, RND, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Avdiivka, Donetsk region, BRUSSELS, Kyiv, NATO, Brussels, Kongsberg, Vilnius, Oslo

☆ Stoltenberg says Swedish NATO deal can be reached after more talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( Burcu Karakas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ISTANBUL, June 4 (Reuters) - An agreement on Sweden joining NATO could be reached in time for a summit of the alliance next month in Lithuania, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Sunday after meeting Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan. He also said officials from Turkey, Sweden and Finland would meet later this month for talks to try to overcome objections from Turkey and Hungary that have delayed Sweden's NATO membership bid. Stoltenberg's talks in Istanbul with Erdogan took place a week after Erdogan extended his two-decade rule in an election. Stoltenberg told Reuters in an interview it was important to use the remaining time before the NATO summit in Vilnius in July to get a deal. In its objections to Swedish membership, Turkey has said Stockholm harbours members of militant groups it considers to be terrorists.

Persons: Jens Stoltenberg, Tayyip Erdogan, Stoltenberg's, Erdogan, Stoltenberg, Huseyin Hayatsever, Andrew Gray, Sabine Siebold, Hugh Lawson, Barbara Lewis Organizations: NATO, Reuters, Atlantic Treaty Organization, Kurdistan Workers ' Party, Thomson Locations: ISTANBUL, Sweden, Lithuania, Turkey, Finland, Hungary, Istanbul, Russia, Ukraine, Vilnius, Stockholm, Ankara, Brussels

☆ US urges NATO vigilance for signs Russia could use nuclear weapon in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Johanna GeronWASHINGTON, April 18 (Reuters) - The U.S. and its NATO allies must remain alert for signs Russian President Vladimir Putin could use a tactical nuclear weapon in a "managed" escalation of his war in Ukraine, the second-highest U.S. diplomat said on Tuesday. Putin's March 25 announcement that Russia is preparing to station tactical nuclear weapons in neighboring Belarus "is his effort to use this threat in a managed way," Sherman said. Tactical nuclear weapons are designed for battlefield gains or for use against limited military targets. Putin denies having any intention of employing nuclear weapons in Ukraine, where his forces for months have been bogged down in fierce fighting that has been costly for both sides. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who joined Sherman in opening the conference, called Putin's plan to place tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus part of a years-long pattern of "dangerous, irresponsible nuclear rhetoric" that intensified with "the brutalization of Ukraine."

☆ Factbox: Steps in Finnish, Swedish path to NATO membership
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Hungary's parliament approved a bill this week to allow Finland to join NATO after Erdogan declared Turkey was ready to approve that bid. Turkey's parliament is expected to follow through on Erdogan's commitment with a vote this week, clearing the way for Finland to join NATO within weeks. Here are the key steps in Finland's and Sweden's path towards NATO membership so far:FINLAND AND SWEDEN SUBMIT MEMBERSHIP REQUESTThe applications, letters signed by the countries' foreign ministers, were formally handed in by Finland's and Sweden's NATO ambassadors on May 18, 2022. FINLAND FORGES AHEADAll NATO countries must ratify a would-be member's application before it can join the alliance. But NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said getting Sweden's application over the line is a top priority.

☆ NATO and EU react reservedly to Chinese ceasefire proposal for Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg attends a news conference during a NATO defence ministers' meeting at the Alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium February 15, 2023. REUTERS/Johanna Geron/File PhotoTALLINN, Feb 24 (Reuters) - NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Friday reacted reservedly to a Chinese proposal for a ceasefire in Ukraine, saying Beijing did not have a lot of credibility as a mediator. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said China had not shared a peace plan but some principles. "So we will look at the principles, of course, but we will look at them against the backdrop that China has taken sides," she added. Reporting by Bart Meijer and Reuters TV, writing by Sabine SieboldOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/2] NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg attends a news conference on the day of NATO defence ministers' meeting at the Alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium February 15, 2023. REUTERS/Johanna GeronBRUSSELS, Feb 23 (Reuters) - NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday he saw progress in stalled talks with Turkey on Sweden's membership bid and aimed to have both Sweden and Finland join the alliance by the time of its July summit. Ankara accuses Stockholm of harbouring what Turkey considers members of terrorist groups, and has demanded their extradition as a step towards giving Sweden's NATO membership its green light. "So it's inconceivable that Finland or Sweden will face any military threats from Russia without NATO reacting." He has repeatedly cited the post-Soviet enlargement of the NATO alliance eastwards toward his borders as a reason for what he called Russia's "special military operation" in Ukraine.

[1/6] A firefighter walks at a car park near an apartment block that was heavily damaged by a missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Pokrovsk, Donetsk region, Ukraine, February 15, 2023. "Even the more fortified second line of defence of the enemy could not hold the breakthrough of the Russian military." Later on Wednesday, Ukrainian deputy defence minister Hanna Malyar said Russian forces were mounting "round-the-clock" assaults on government positions, without specifying where. Near Bakhmut, Russian forces fired on more than 15 towns and villages, including the city itself, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said in its evening report. Russia calls the invasion a "special military operation" against security threats, saying NATO shows hostility to Russia daily and is growing more involved in the conflict.

☆ U.S. and NATO see Ukraine in urgent need of more arms
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Sabine Siebold | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/10] NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Ukraine's Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov attend a NATO defence ministers meeting at the Alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, February 14, 2023. "Ukraine has urgent requirements to help it meet this crucial moment in the course of the war," U.S. Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin said at a meeting of the so-called Ramstein group of allies of Ukraine. When it comes to artillery, we need ammunition, we need spare parts, we need maintenance, we need all the logistics to ensure that we are able to sustain these weapons systems." NATO defence ministers were also to discuss adapting a target for members to spend 2% of gross domestic product (GDP) on defence. Some nations see this as too low, given the Ukraine war, while others such as Germany are still far below the 2%.

☆ Zelenskiy urges speedy help from allies as Russia pounds Ukraine's east
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Pavel Polityuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Much of Russia's artillery fire was focused on Bakhmut, a bombed-out city in Donetsk province and a principal target for President Vladimir Putin. Zelenskiy said Russia was in a hurry to achieve as much as it could with its latest push before Ukraine and its allies could gather strength. Speed saves people's lives, speed brings back security, and I thank all our partners who realize that speed is important." Russian forces had made incremental progress in their assault on Bahkmut, White House spokesperson John Kirby said. Wagner head Yevgeny Prigozhin said Russian forces would not be able to capture the town anytime soon.

NATO has just completed an extraordinary survey of the remaining munition stocks, a NATO official told Reuters on condition of anonymity. "Those NATO (munitions targets) that we set, and each ally has a specific target, those were not being met for the most part (before the Ukraine war)," the official said. "I would be absolutely gobsmacked if the targets…were not increased," said the NATO official. After the Cold War, the production of ammunition had turned "quite artisanal", said the NATO official. "I don't necessarily think that within the next year our stockpile levels will increase massively," the NATO official said.

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