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☆ In Europe, Xi looks to counter claims it’s aiding Russia in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | Xiaofei Xu | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

“China is neither the creator of the crisis, nor a party to it or a participant. The trip will also see Xi visit Serbia and Hungary, with the leader’s visit to Belgrade coinciding with the 25th anniversary of NATO’s bombing of the Chinese embassy in the city that killed three. Beijing has defended its trade with Russia as part of normal bilateral ties; it also says it does not provide weapons to parties in conflict. It has not been accused of sending lethal weapons to Russia, but rather goods with military use. Beijing supports efforts recognized by both Russia and Ukraine, with “equal and just discussions of all possible peace plans at the conference,” he said.

Persons: Xi Jinping, ” Xi, Emmanuel Macron, Ursula von der, “, ramped, Macron, Xi “, he’s, ”, ” Macron, presser, Xi, Vladimir Putin, von der Leyen, Putin Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, French, European, NATO, Biden, Kyiv Locations: Hong Kong, Ukraine, China, Europe, Moscow, “ China, Paris, Washington, Beijing, Russian, Serbia, Hungary, Belgrade, Serbian, Balkans, Russia, France, “, Israel, Switzerland

☆ China’s Xi is visiting Europe for the first time in five years – his goodwill tour will be an uphill struggle
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-04 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Major breakthroughs with China’s toughest critics will be hard to come by unless Xi is ready to make surprise concessions. And the trip could instead serve to underscore divisions – not only between Europe and China – but those within Europe that could play to China’s favor, analysts say. Chinese President Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron visit a garden in Guangdong during Macron's state visit to China last April. Putin has said he plans to visit China this month, according to Russian state media. Xi may also look to highlight Chinese investments in both Belgrade and Budapest in a message to the rest of Europe.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Andrea Bocelli, –, Xi, China –, ”, Noah Barkin, Hungary –, Ursula von der Leyen, Emmanuel Macron, Von der Leyen, Olaf Scholz, Chong Ja Ian, “, Chong, Jacques Witt, China’s, Macron, Russia …, Wang Yiwei, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Aleksandar Vučić, Viktor Orban – Organizations: CNN, European Union, Ukraine, German Marshall Fund of, EU, “, National University of Singapore, Getty, Beijing’s Renmin University, NATO, Reuters, EV Locations: China, Italy, France, Germany, United Kingdom, Russia, “ China, Europe, Berlin, United States, Serbia, Hungary, Beijing, Paris, “ France, North America, Guangdong, Ukraine, Switzerland, Barkin, “, Belgrade, Budapest, Balkans, Balkan

☆ Trump’s bombardment of dishonesty: Fact-checking 32 of his false claims to Time
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-04 | by ( Daniel Dale | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +43 min

We’re paying for close to 100% of NATO.”Facts First: Trump’s claim is false. They don’t pay their bills.”Facts First: Trump’s claim is false. (It rose to about $314 billion in 2020, Trump’s last full year in office.) Facts First: Trump’s claim is false. Facts First: Trump’s claim that “nobody died other than Ashli” is false.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, “, William Barr, Bill Barr, Barr, Bill, I’m, ”, it’s, Biden, Joe Biden, Tamar Hermann, Hermann, Bill Clinton, “ Trump, ” Trump, …, National Guard Trump, I’ve, George Floyd, Tim Walz, Walz, Paul —, –, Erwan, George Washington, “ don’t, they’re, Stoltenberg, Trump’s, Lagadec, Marc Lipsitch, Barack Obama, European Union won’t, Cortellessa, “ Moody’s, Moody’s, Mark Zandi, Zandi, ’ ” Zandi, Joe Biden’s, rioter Ashli Babbitt, Brian Sicknick, Sicknick, Trump’s ‘, patriotically, ‘, patriotically ’, ” Nancy Pelosi, Nancy Pelosi, “ Nancy Pelosi, Pelosi, Christopher Miller, Miller, Eric Cortellessa, Alvin Bragg’s, Bragg, Matthew Colangelo, Colangelo, Alvin Bragg, ” Cortellessa, Hillary Clinton, —, Roe, Wade, Kimberly Mutcherson, “ Donald Trump’s, Maya Manian, Mary Ziegler, Davis, Ziegler, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Roe should’ve, ’, Crime Biden, don’t, “ Biden, he’s, James Biden, Jeff Asher, Asher, It’s, ” “, ” Asher Organizations: Washington CNN, Time, Trump, NATO, Capitol, Trump’s, Trade Center, didn’t, World Trade Center, Department, ISIS, CNN, Democratic, White House, White, South Korea Trump, Pentagon’s Defense Manpower Data, Biden Administration, Congressional Research Service, Israel, Israeli Democracy Institute, National Guard, Minnesota Democratic Gov, Minnesota National Guard, Guard, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs, Transatlantic, for Disease Control, World Bank, Washington Post, Harvard, Harvard’s, National, Trump -, of Health, Human Services, Strategic, Biden, U.S . International Trade Commission, European, Benz, Volkswagen, BMW, European Union, US, European Automobile Manufacturers ’ Association, Bloomberg Economics, US Capitol Police, Capitol Police, “, Republican, Democratic Rep, National Guardsmen, District of Columbia National Guard, Army, Capitol Police Board, Senate, Justice Department, Pulitzer Foundation, Pulitzer, New York Times, Electoral, Democrat, ” Rutgers Law, American University, university’s Health, University of California, ”, Customs, Border Protection, Crime, Manchurian, Republicans, FBI Locations: “, New York City, Saudi, Florida, al Qaeda, New York, Texas, Mexico, South Korea, Trump , South Korea, South, Korea, Israel, Washington, Trump , Minneapolis, Minneapolis, Trump, Minnesota, St, United States, Germany, Brussels, Belgium, Harvard University, China, EU, DC, Trump’s, ”, York, Manhattan, York’s, Russia, That’s

☆ Trump meets with foreign leaders looking to boost their relationships with GOP leader ahead of election
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Alayna Treene | Steve Contorno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

In recent weeks, Trump, seizing the role of both an erstwhile diplomat and ascending opposition party leader, has extended welcomes to a series of foreign leaders at his homes in Florida and New York. It’s not unusual for foreign leaders to meet with the leader of the party that doesn’t control the White House – especially one with a serious chance of becoming commander in chief. Biden and his top envoys have also met and spoken with opposition leaders, something that has been a longstanding practice for US officials. Last week, Trump met with Poland’s Duda at Trump Tower, where the two discussed NATO spending over dinner. Trump, both while president and during his 2024 campaign, has called on NATO countries to spend more on defense.

Persons: Donald Trump, hasn’t, Trump, Andrzej Duda, David Cameron, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Taro Aso, It’s, Sen, Barack Obama, Mitt Romney, Biden, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Antony Blinken, Keir Starmer, Joe Biden, “ They’re, he’s, “, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, ” Biden, ”, Kim Jong Un, ” Trump, Brian Hughes, Viktor Orban, Putin, Javier Milei, Orban, Viktor Orbán, Orbán, Aso, Fumio Kishida, Kishida, Lindsey Graham, Salman, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Poland’s Duda, Duda, meanwhile, Cameron, Karen Pierce, Cameron’s, Pierce didn’t, Queen Elizabeth II Organizations: CNN, Air Force, British, Saudi Crown, Middle East, Republican, UK Labour Party, US State Department, Biden, Trump, NATO, Conservative Political, Japanese, White, Liberal Democratic Party, Saudi, New York Times, South Carolina Republican, Hamas, The New York Times, Trump Tower, Republicans, Democrats, UK Locations: House, huddling, Florida, New York, Lago, Manhattan, Japan, China, North Korea, Berlin, United Kingdom, Israel, Poland, Belarus, Munich, Europe, America, Ukraine, Korean, United States, Palm, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, American, Russia, British, Washington

☆ Live Updates: Biden Speaks About Aid Package for Ukraine and Israel
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Zolan Kanno-Youngs | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +7 min

Artillery ammunition has been in short supply for the Ukrainian military for more than a year. Now that the Senate has approved a nearly $61 billion aid package to Ukraine, and with President Biden poised to sign it, desperately needed American weapons could be arriving on the battlefield within days. The Senate has approved a nearly $61 billion aid package to Ukraine. The Pentagon has prepared what a U.S. official said on Tuesday was a $1 billion military aid package to be rushed to Ukraine once Mr. Biden signs the funding bill. Jens Stoltenberg, NATO’s secretary general, said on Tuesday that the American aid package would allow for “advanced air-defense systems” to Ukraine but did not specify which kind.

Persons: Biden, Yehor Cherniev, Volodymyr Zelensky, Zelensky, Mr, —, Doug Mills, ATACMS, Lynsey Addario, Jens Stoltenberg, Stoltenberg, Mark Warner, ” Mr, Brendan Hoffman, Oksana Markarova, Markarova, “, Ms Organizations: Artillery, House Republicans, Ukrainian, Tactical Missile Systems, New York Times Artillery, NATO, Pentagon, U.S, Reuters, Artillery Rocket Systems, The New York Times, Patriot, “, Air Force, Democrat, Senate Intelligence, NBC, ., The New York Times Weapons, Ukrainska Pravda Locations: Donetsk, Ukraine, Russian, Russia, United, Kherson, United States, Germany, ”, American, Virginia, Kyiv, Ukraine’s, Europe

The exact number of US troops in the country is not clear but one US official said there are fewer than 100 troops there. But the official said Chad’s threat to terminate the SOFA agreement blindsided US officials. The move comes at a critical time for US interests in Africa, as American officials have warned that Russian influence is expanding across the continent. While in the country, Langley met with Chadian military leaders including Gen. Abakar Abdelkerim Daoud, Chad’s Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, according to an AFRICOM press release at the time. Langley said in the release that AFRICOM “remains dedicated to building enduring partnerships with Chad and other African nations.”

Persons: Chad’s, Michael Langley, ” “, ” Langley, Langley, ”, AFRICOM’s, Michael Woods, Abakar Abdelkerim Daoud Organizations: CNN, Forces Agreement, Operations Task Force, US Special Operations Forces, Marine Corps, US Africa Command, Senate Armed Services Committee, Russian Federation, House Armed, Committee, Central, Chadian, Staff, Armed Forces Locations: Chad, Russia, N’Djamena, Niger, Africa, Russian, Libya, Maghreb, Morocco, ”, China, Chad’s

☆ European diplomats in DC scramble to gain access to Trump allies for insights
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Kylie Atwood | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

“We are not that nervous because we know that with Trump it is all about relationships,” said one veteran European diplomat who has been in DC since the Trump administration. “The logic of doing it at Heritage was not lost on us,” said Victoria Coates, a deputy national security advisor to former President Trump who is now a vice president at the think tank. The comments sent European diplomats into over-drive, eager to understand exactly what Trump meant. “If they are worried about how President Trump is going to react to them, they hold it in their hands to do something about it,” Coates said. But European diplomats are not only worried about NATO.

Persons: Donald Trump, jostle, Trump, of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe, Mike Pompeo, Robert O’Brien, Keith Kellogg, Mike Pence’s, Hillary Clinton, they’ve, ”, –, David Cameron, Antony Blinken, Cameron, Jens Stoltenberg, Jim Lo Scalzo, Stoltenberg’s, Victoria Coates, Stoltenberg, ” Coates, nodded, James Carafano, “, it’s, “ He’s, Mike Johnson, Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelensky Organizations: CNN, White, NATO, Ukraine, Trump, of National Intelligence, National, European Union, Republican, Russian Central Bank, EU, British, Heritage Foundation, Heritage, GOP, Putin Locations: Washington, Russia, European, Europe, Ukraine, Brussels, West, Russian, South Florida, Brexit, ”, Washington ,, “

☆ Without More Aid, Ukraine Could Lose the War, U.S. General Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Eric Schmitt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The top American military commander in Europe warned on Wednesday that Ukraine could lose the war with Russia if the United States did not send more ammunition to Ukrainian forces, and fast. General Cavoli, who is also NATO’s top military commander, said Ukraine’s allies had provided much of the equipment and arms that Kyiv needed to combat the larger Russian military, including all donated fuel and 90 percent of its tanks. But the United States gives Ukraine most of the two critical munitions that are in shortest supply: artillery shells and air-defense interceptors. “If we do not continue to support Ukraine, Ukraine will run out of artillery shells and will run out of air defense interceptors in fairly short order,” General Cavoli said. “Based on my experience in 37-plus years in the U.S. military, if one side can shoot and the other side can’t shoot back, the side that can’t shoot back loses.”

Persons: Gen, Christopher G, General Cavoli, Ukraine’s, Cavoli, ” Organizations: Command, House Armed Services Committee, U.S . Locations: Europe, Ukraine, Russia, United States, U.S

☆ As Russia tests for weak spots, Ukraine is banking on enemy mistakes
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-06 | by ( Tim Lister | Victoria Butenko | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —It generated little attention: another Russian assault in eastern Ukraine, across barren, pock-marked fields, met by determined, nimble resistance. But these frequent mechanized ground attacks by the Russians are like sand-blasting – eroding Ukrainian defenses in multiple spots along the frontlines. Yusov told CNN that recruitment in Russia continues, for contract soldiers, prisoners and international mercenaries. The Ukrainians won’t acknowledge such attacks but Yusov told CNN cryptically that refineries are military targets and “damage there is quite natural. Matthew Schmidt told CNN: “Whatever NATO can get to Ukraine is enough to stabilize its position, not to change it meaningfully.

Persons: Kateryna Stepanenko, Russia’s, ”, Narciso Contreras, Andriy Yusov, Kurt Campbell, Yusov, Matthew Schmidt, Oleksandr Syrsky, Ukraine “, –, Nazar Volosyn, “, Roman Pilipey, Putin, Jens Stoltenberg, Trump, what’s, Dmytro Kuleba, ” Kuleba, Andriі Kovalenko, Petr Pavel, Stepanenko, ” Stepanenko Organizations: CNN, Institute for, Russian, Anadolu, Getty, “, Ukrainian Defense Intelligence, UK’s Defense Ministry, National Security Department, New Haven University, NATO, Ukrainian, Congress, National Security and Defense Council, European Union Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Tonenke, Donetsk, Washington, Karlivka, Russia, North Korea, Ukrainian, Chasiv Yar, Kyiv, AFP, Rostov, Czech, Europe

☆ NATO Wants to Show Support for Ukraine, but Only So Much
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Lara Jakes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When NATO’s leaders gather this summer to celebrate the 75th anniversary of their military alliance, the last thing they want to see is a resurgent Russian military marching across Ukraine because Europe was too weak to provide Kyiv with the support it needed. What Ukraine wants, ultimately, is a formal invitation to join NATO. NATO has no appetite for taking on a new member that, because of the alliance’s covenant of collective security, would draw it into the biggest land war in Europe since 1945. That has sent NATO searching for some middle ground, something short of membership but meaty enough to show that it is backing Ukraine “for the long haul,” as Jens Stoltenberg, the NATO secretary general, put it this week. What that will be has so far proven elusive, according to senior Western diplomats involved in the discussions.

Persons: Ukraine “, Jens Stoltenberg Organizations: NATO Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Europe, Washington, NATO

☆ NATO looking at options to shore up long-term support for Ukraine amid concerns about Trump winning November’s election
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( Kylie Atwood | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Stoltenberg said on Tuesday that the alliance needs to commit to providing more support for Ukraine and rely less on voluntary contributions. This move would mean that Trump winning the presidency would have less of an impact on the mechanics of getting necessary weapons support into the country from dozens of nations around the globe. Politico was first to report on NATO considering taking these steps. Another ongoing push is for NATO countries to independently establish their own commitments with Ukraine, explained one of the sources. This would mean that not all Ukraine support gets funneled through NATO – creating sources of funding that could not be disrupted by individual alliance members.

Persons: Jens Stoltenberg, ”, Donald Trump, Stoltenberg, CNN’s Louis Mian, Eve Brennan Organizations: CNN, NATO, Kyiv, Ukraine, Trump, Pentagon, Ukraine Contact Defense, Politico Locations: Ukraine, European, Russia, Brussels

☆ 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

☆ This US state is not covered by the NATO treaty. Some experts say that needs to change
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Because in a quirk of geography and history, Hawaii is not technically covered by the NATO pact. Mengshin Lin/AP“People tend to assume Hawaii is part of the US and therefore it’s covered by NATO,” he says. The exception is spelled out in the Washington Treaty, the document that established NATO in 1949, a decade before Hawaii became a state. It also says any island territories must be in the North Atlantic, north of the Tropic of Cancer. Hawaii, Guam, Taiwan and North KoreaSome experts say times have changed in the decades since the Washington Treaty was signed – and argue today’s political situation in the Indo-Pacific might require a rethink.

Persons: “, ”, David Santoro, Mengshin Lin, ” Santoro, –, China’s, Xi Jinping, —, Joe Biden, John Hemmings, ” Hemmings, Hemmings, Forum’s Santoro, Amy Picard, Luis Simon, Simon, ” Simon Organizations: CNN, NATO, Hawaii, Pacific Command, Atlantic Treaty Organization, Aloha, Pacific Forum, Sailors, USS Arizona Memorial, USS, 82nd, Treaty Organization, Washington Treaty, Tropic, Cancer, US State Department, United, Argentine, South Atlantic, Communist Party, Taiwan Relations, White, Center, New, New American Security, Foreign, USS Arizona . US Navy, Interim, Andersen Air Force Base, Korean, . Air Force, 23rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, Force, . Air Force ‘ Coalition, Research Centre, Security, Brussels School, Governance, NATO Command, Union Locations: Sweden, United States, Hawaii, Pearl, Honolulu, USS Arizona, Pearl Harbor, Honolulu , Hawaii, California , Colorado, Alaska, North America, Washington, Europe, Argentina, Falkland, British, South, Guam, Taiwan, North Korea, New American, China, Beijing, Oahu, USS West Virginia, USS Tennessee, France, Nazi Germany, Japan, Italy, Korean, Soviet Union, Belgium, Ukraine

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

☆ Analysis: Europe is trying to fill a US-shaped hole in funding for Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-23 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Can Europe fill the gap left by the United States in Ukraine? Over the course of the war, European thinking has evolved. Should EU money be spent outside the bloc? So, can Europe fill the funding void in Ukraine left by Washington DC? Yes, Europe can fill the gap left by the US - and in some respects is trying to do just that.

Persons: Donald Trump, Alexander De Croo, Volodymyr Zelensky, Serhii, it’s, –, Vladimir Putin, Jens Stoltenberg Organizations: CNN, European Union, Ukraine, Belgian, Radio Free, Radio Liberty, Reuters, NATO, Diplomats, EU, Ukraine’s, Washington DC Locations: United States, Ukraine, European, Europe, Russia, Kyiv, Kiel, Radio Free Europe, EU, Moscow, Brussels, Russian, Zaporizhzhia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Czech, Eastern, Western Europe, Athens, Rome

☆ US wants to reopen embassy in Libya
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The United States wants to reopen an embassy in Libya - a decade after suspending operations there – as Russia maintains an influential foothold in the country. A State Department official said Monday that the US is in “active negotiations for an interim facility that would provide appropriate security and staffing support” in the capital city of Tripoli. The move to reopen a US diplomatic compound in Libya comes as Moscow holds significant influence in the country. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three other Americans were killed in that attack. The US continues to advise citizens not to travel to Libya “due to crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, and armed conflict.”CNN’s Haley Britzky contributed reporting.

Persons: Michael Langley, Antony Blinken, J, Christopher Stevens, ” CNN’s Haley Britzky Organizations: CNN, Facility, State Department, Russian Federation, ”, Corps, US Africa Command, Diplomatic Security Locations: United States, Libya, Russia, Malta, Tripoli, ”, Moscow, Russian, Maghreb, Morocco, Pacific, Eastern Caribbean, Libyan, Benghazi

☆ Ego, Putin or Jets? Reasons for Orban’s Stance on Sweden Perplex Many.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Andrew Higgins | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

It took 19 months of broken promises and belligerent rhetoric for Hungary to finally ratify Sweden’s entry into NATO. Why all the foot-dragging, many observers wondered, when Hungary was going to approve the Nordic country’s membership of the military alliance anyway? That question has perplexed even members of Hungary’s governing party, Fidesz, according to Peter Ungar, an opposition legislator. He said he had been approached by one Fidesz lawmaker, in the run-up to Monday’s vote in Parliament to accept NATO’s expansion, and asked: “‘What the hell is going on with Sweden?’”That a member of Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s governing party would seek an explanation from a rival politician is a measure of how puzzled even allies of the Hungarian leader, never mind his opponents, became over their country delaying NATO’s expansion.

Persons: Peter Ungar, Viktor Orban’s Organizations: NATO, Nordic, Fidesz Locations: Hungary, Sweden

☆ Why Zelensky’s plea will fall on many deaf Republican ears
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

CNN —There is a simple reason why many Republicans will snub Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s desperate plea for billions of dollars in arms and ammunition. He told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins in an interview in Kyiv Sunday that Republicans such as Trump ally Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance – who have been speaking out against more Ukraine aid – do not comprehend the stakes of the conflict. How Trump transformed the GOPThe Ukraine war funding showdown highlights how America’s domestic politics are already reverberating around the globe. The splits in the GOP over Ukraine were exposed last week when 26 Senate Republicans voted against the bill containing Israel and Ukraine aid while 22 backed it.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky’s, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, It’s, Zelensky, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, Ohio Sen, J.D, Vance –, –, ” Zelensky, Trump, Mitch McConnell, Vladimir Putin, Putin –, III, Biden –, Putin, Alexey Navalny, Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, George H.W, Bush, Matt Gaetz, ” Trump, Mike Johnson –, Biden, Johnson, ” Jake Sullivan, CNN’s Dana, •, • There’s, Vance, ” Vance, ’ ”, ” Zelensky –, CNN’s Collins, Avdiivka –, he’s Organizations: CNN, America, Republican, Kyiv Sunday, Trump, Ohio, GOP, NATO, Party, Trump Republicans, Conservative Political, Florida, Ukraine, White, Ukraine –, Munich, Conference, Republicans Locations: Europe, Russia, United States, Ukraine, Kyiv, Soviet, Washington, America, Mexico, “ State, South Carolina, European, China, Taiwan, Avdiivka, Israel, There’s

☆ Russia’s invasion of Ukraine sparked a defense boom. It’s likely to outlast the war
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-24 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

“While some Ukraine-related orders are starting to come through, restocking and the impact of ongoing defense spending increases will be evident further down the line,” he noted. ‘Era of insecurity’Continued US military support for Ukraine on the scale of the past two years is looking increasingly unlikely. But the pressure on Western governments to beef up their military coffers will outlast the Ukraine war, analysts say, and it started to rise even before Moscow sent its troops marching toward Kyiv two years ago. The febrile global environment has helped lift the shares of Renk, a newly-listed German maker of military tank gearboxes, including those donated by Berlin to Ukraine. And this appeal is unlikely to fade soon, given growing defense spending by governments.

Persons: Lockheed Martin, That’s, Jens Stoltenberg, ” Trevor Taylor, Russia wouldn’t, Micael Johansson, Johansson, “, Charles Woodburn, ”, House Republicans —, Donald Trump, Moscow, Oli Scarff, Trump, Joe Biden, Houthi, It’s, Susanne Wiegand, Myles Walton, Sweden’s, … Organizations: London CNN, Russia, Kyiv, BAE Systems, Thales, Rheinmetall, Lockheed, Northrop Grumman, Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO, Royal United Services Institute, CNN, Saab, Ukraine, House Republicans, Republican, Kiel Institute, European Union, Getty, International Institute, Strategic, Renk, Reuters, New, Wolfe Research, Sweden’s Saab Locations: Ukraine, Moscow, United States, Canada, Russia, London, Europe, Swedish, Poland, Kyiv, Congress, German, European, Newcastle, Tyne, England, AFP, Beijing, Taiwan, China, Israel, Red, Berlin, Frankfurt, Gaza, New York

☆ US divisions over Putin’s Russia present grave global implications
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

CNN —US politics is now split by a fault line over Russia that could have far graver global implications even than condemning Ukraine to defeat after President Vladimir Putin’s invasion. Trump has also not repudiated his recent comment that he’d invite Russia to invade NATO nations that fell short of non-binding targets on defense spending. Aside from the mysterious hold that Putin appears to exert over Trump, the ex-president’s hostility towards Ukraine is easily explainable. Opposing aid to Ukraine is also an almost perfect issue for the ex-president and his allies in the GOP primary. These pressures weigh on Republican lawmakers as they cast increasingly tough votes on Ukraine aid.

Persons: Vladimir Putin’s, Donald Trump, Trump, Mike Johnson –, Johnson, Joe Biden, Biden, Volodymyr Zelensky, Russia’s, ” Biden, Zelensky, –, Alexey Navalny, Hungary’s Viktor Orban, Putin’s, Putin, Trump’s, Kevin McCarthy’s, hasn’t, Ohio Sen, JD Vance, Ukraine “, Vladimir Putin, ” Vance, Barack Obama, “, ”, Vance, Nikki Haley, Haley, Sen, Pete Ricketts, Ricketts, ’ ” Ricketts, ‘, ’ ”, It’s, Mitch McConnell Organizations: CNN, Donald Trump Republicans, NATO, Trump, GOP, Senate, Republican, Soviet, European Union, Russian, Republican Party, Republicans, Munich, Ohio, United, Chicago Council, Global Affairs, Trump Republicans, Ukraine Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Europe, Avdiivka, Russian, Kremlin, America, United States, Munich, China, “, Ohio, Crimea, East Asia, Beijing, Moscow, Iran, North Korea, we’re, ’ ” The Nebraska, Soviet Union

It's a tall order for Haley as South Carolina prepares to vote on Saturday. Trump's 2016 primary win helped cement his front-runner status, and he boasts support from all of the state's top elected leaders and all but one of its congressional Republicans. “We should make sure we tell our partners it’s in their best interest to hold their own weight," Haley said Sunday. She said "Trump did it by saying he was going to encourage Putin to invade our allies. But over the weekend, Haley also made an appeal to South Carolinians who typically vote in Democratic primaries, for Saturday's vote.

Persons: — Nikki Haley, Donald Trump, Haley, “, ” Haley, Russia “, it’s, Trump, Putin, ”, Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Haley “, “ What’s, ___ Meg Kinnard Organizations: COLUMBIA, South Carolina Republican, Trump, Trump's United Nations, NATO, Fox News, Associated Press, Democratic Locations: South Carolina, Columbia, Russia, America, Charleston, Iowa, New Hampshire

☆ Opinion: Alexey Navalny, one man who stood up to a dictatorship
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-18 | by ( Richard Galant | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +18 min

We’re looking back at the strongest, smartest opinion takes of the week from CNN and other outlets. “In his courageous and too short life,” wrote Russia scholar Daniel Treisman, “Navalny became a symbol of hope for the younger generations of his compatriots. “He never gave up on the prospect of what he called ‘the beautiful Russia of the future,’” Treisman noted. “For a ‘beautiful Russia of the future’ to emerge in coming years, Putin must lose the war he started. Navalny understood this.”“Navalny’s death represents the extinguishing of all hope for Russia’s turnaround,” wrote Sasha Vasilyuk.

Persons: Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Joseph Stalin “, “, ”, you’ve, Alexey Navalny, Vladimir Putin’s, Navalny, fearlessly, Putin, Daniel Treisman, “ Navalny, Navalny’s, ’ ” Treisman, Sasha Vasilyuk, Alexey Navalny’s, Peter Bergen, Andrei Sakharov, ” Putin, Bergen, Nick Anderson, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Trump, authoritarians, Bill Bramhall, James Mattis, ” Peter Bergen, Frida Ghitis, Fidel Castro’s playbook, Patrick Mahomes, Andy “, Amy Bass, New York Democrat Tom Suozzi, George Santos, ” Suozzi, CNN Suozzi didn’t, Biden, isn’t, Long, Max Burns, ” “, Alejandro Mayorkas, ” “ Suozzi, Burns, Robert Hur’s, Norm Eisen, Richard Painter, Joshua Kolb, Hur, ” Joel Pett, Lawrence C, Levy, Julian Zelizer, Dean Obeidallah, Mark Dent, Dent, Saw, Clay Jones, David Orentlicher, ” Orentlicher, Will Cooper, Fani, Willis, Nathan, Wade, ” “ Willis, Antony Blinken, Batniji, Blinken, Fatah, Hussein, Don’t, David Horsey, Agency Jill Filipovic, Lynda Gorov, Taylor Swift, Jim Parrott, Mark Zandi, Brigid Schulte, Yuliya, Kara Alaimo, Frankie de la, Jackie Robinson’s, Jon Stewart’s, Jon Stewart, Matt Wilson, Jon Stewart skewered Trump, Bill Carter, Stewart, ” “ Stewart Organizations: CNN, IK, Moscow Times, Kremlin, Twitter, Facebook, Soviet, Tribune, Agency, Republican, Senate, Agency Former US Defense, Trump, , Kansas City Chiefs, Chiefs, nab, New, New York Democrat, Democratic, GOP, Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church, Super Bowl, Kansas, West Bank Locations: Soviet, Germany, Ukraine, Russia, New York, Washington, Georgia, ,, York, Glen Cove, Joel Osteen’s, Houston, Kansas City, America, ”, Kansas, Gaza, San Francisco, Israel, Iran

☆ Hungary can ratify Sweden’s NATO bid as soon as Feb 26, Orban says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Catherine Nicholls | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Hungary can ratify Sweden’s NATO bid as soon as February 26 when the country’s parliament reconvenes, Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced on Saturday. “We are going in the direction that, at the start of parliament’s spring session, we can ratify Sweden’s accession to NATO.”According to the Hungarian government’s website, the parliament reconvenes for its spring session on February 26. Hungary is the last NATO member to approve Sweden’s accession to the military alliance. Last June, Orban’s party Fidesz told CNN that it expected Sweden to “allay its concerns” before the vote on Sweden’s accession to NATO. Finland joined NATO in April 2023 – doubling the alliance’s border with Russia – but Sweden’s bid was mired in challenges.

Persons: reconvenes, Viktor Orban, ” Orban, Orban’s, Orban, Jens Stoltenberg, “, Vladimir Putin, Katalin Organizations: CNN, NATO, Swedish, Fidesz, ”, Russia, European Union Locations: Hungary, Sweden, ” Sweden, Finland, Ukraine, Russia, Hungarian, Turkey

It does not participate in NATO’s nuclear planning group. Talk of a European nuclear umbrella has come from, among others, German members of the European Parliament. But Chancellor OIaf Scholz and other top security policy officials believe there is no alternative to NATO’s nuclear umbrella. NATO’s nuclear deterrence relies in part on U.S. warheads deployed in Europe using local infrastructure. NATO conducts a major nuclear exercise every year to ensure its readiness and to act as a deterrent to any would-be aggressor, primarily Russia.

Persons: Donald Trump, Jens Stoltenberg, that’s, ”, United Kingdom –, ” Stoltenberg, “, Emmanuel Macron, OIaf Scholz, Boris Pistorius, shouldn’t, who’s, Trump, Joe Biden, Stoltenberg, ” Pistorius, Robert Habeck, ___ Moulson, Sylvie Corbet Organizations: NATO, German, Republican, Welt, Washington, Associated Locations: BRUSSELS, United States, Europe, Ukraine, U.S, Brussels, North America, France, United Kingdom, Russia, European, Berlin

MUNICH (AP) — Long regarded as a celebration of the U.S.-led post-World War II international order, the Munich Security Conference this year will be more of a reflection of America’s political turmoil. And overshadowing it all will be Trump’s threat to not automatically come to the defense of European allies should they be attacked by Russia. That is a cornerstone of NATO’s founding treaty, which has taken on additional significance since Russia’s full-scale attack on Ukraine in 2022. Blinken, too, will be conveying that message in Munich, according to the top U.S. diplomat for Europe, James O’Brien. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz assailed Trump’s comments.

Persons: — Long, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, Antony Blinken, Alejandro Mayorkas, Adolf Hitler, Harris, Blinken, laud, Trump, Joe Biden, Biden, Jake Sullivan, ”, James O’Brien, O’Brien, “, Olaf Scholz, Trump’s, Jens Stoltenberg Organizations: Munich Security, Homeland, Republican, Nazi Party, laud American, Republicans, NATO, Democratic Locations: MUNICH, U.S, Munich, Russia, Ukraine, Gaza, Bavarian, Europe, Congress, United States, Finland, Sweden

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