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☆ Can Keir Starmer give Britain the change it desperately wants?
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-23 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Barring a major shock, Labour leader Keir Starmer will be the person walking through the famous black door of 10 Downing Street in less than three weeks’ time. His parents were political, naming their eldest after the first Labour leader in parliament, Keir Hardie. “He’s the first Labour leader in a generation to talk about class and snobbery,” Tom Baldwin, author of “Keir Starmer: The Biography,” told CNN. Jeremy Corbyn, then the Labour leader, made Starmer his Brexit chief following the 2016 referendum. Starmer, left, and then-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn talk to the media at the EU Commission headquarters on March 21, 2019 in Brussels, Belgium.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Conservative Party –, –, Keir Starmer, Starmer, John Stillwell, Keir Hardie, “, ” Tom Baldwin, “ Keir Starmer, ”, …, ” Baldwin, Jeremy Corbyn, Corbyn, Osama bin Laden, Thierry Monasse, Boris Johnson, James Schneider, Dominic Grieve, ” Grieve, Grieve, ” Starmer, Stefan Rousseau Organizations: CNN, Conservative Party, Labour Party, Labour, Downing, Great, Great British Energy, European Union, Public Prosecutions, Crown, Service of, Wales –, University of Leeds, University of Oxford, NATO, EU, Conservative, Conservatives Locations: Britain, Great British, Service of England, London, Brussels, Belgium, Lancing, West Sussex

☆ Village on Ukraine's doorstep set to become NATO's biggest European airbase as Putin vows to go 'to the end' in the war
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-23 | by ( Cameron Manley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Nicolae Crețu, the commander of the air base, told the outlet that the expanded facility would require "maintenance hangars, fuel stores, ammunition, equipment, aviation technical materials, simulators, feeding facilities, accommodation." Advertisement"Our objective here in Romania is to enhance our integration into NATO Air Power by honing and deepening our cooperation with the Royal Air Force and the Romanian Air Force", he added. Romanian air force F-16 fighter planes. AdvertisementNevertheless, Putin this week reiterated his threats to the West, vowing to go "to the end" in the war with Ukraine. Defeat in Ukraine, Putin said, would mean "the end of the 1,000-year history of the Russian state.

Persons: —, Nicolae Crețu, Rami Lindström, Andreea Alexandru, Charlie Tagg, Dorin Popescu, Mihail Kogălniceanu, Andrey Klimov, Vladimir Putin, ALEXANDER NEMENOV, Putin Organizations: Service, NATO, Euro News Romania, Business, BBC, Finnish Air Force, Royal Air Force, NATO Air Power, Romanian Air Force, AP, Federation, Committee, Foreign Affairs, Getty Locations: Odesa, Ukraine, Europe, Romania, Romanian, Norway, Andreea Alexandru US, Bucharest, Russian, Russia, Finland, Sweden

☆ UK’s Nigel Farage sparks outrage from political opponents after saying West ‘provoked’ Ukraine war
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-22 | by ( Rosa Rahimi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Nigel Farage, a figurehead of the UK’s populist right, has sparked outrage from political opponents after saying the West “provoked” Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “We’ve provoked this war – of course it’s his fault – he’s used what we’ve done as an excuse,” he said. Farage – a former EU parliamentarian – claimed to be “the only person in British politics” to predict the invasion of Ukraine. “I am one of the few figures that have been consistent & honest about the war with Russia,” he wrote. He added that Farage has “shown that he would rather lick Vladimir Putin’s boot than stand up for the people of Ukraine.”

Persons: Nigel Farage, ”, Farage –, Brexit –, Farage, Putin, Nick Robinson, “ We’ve, –, “, “ Putin, Rishi Sunak, ” James, Ben Wallace, John Healey, Vladimir Organizations: CNN, BBC, NATO, European Union, ”, Conservative, Labour Locations: Ukraine, Brexit, EU, Russia, ”

☆ Front-line NATO allies are facing an unconventional Russian threat short of war but still quite dangerous
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-22 | by ( Constantine Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

"There are hybrid threats. NATO has also cautioned against intensifying Russian hybrid warfare in the region and in the rest of Europe that could include "disinformation, sabotage, acts of violence, cyber and electronic interference, and other hybrid operations." The murky nature of hybrid warfare can make it hard to identify and address potential threats. Yet, the Baltic countries are prioritizing hybrid threats and fortifying their institutions in response. And last week, writing alongside his Polish and Czech colleagues, Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs expressed "deep concern" over Russian hybrid threats.

Persons: —, Denmark –, Margus Tsahkna, Maria Zakharova, Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi, Gitanas Nausėda, Yan Dobronosov, Dmitry Petrov, Gabrielius Landsbergis, Landsbergis, –, Vladimir Putin, Mikhail Svetlov, Edgars Rinkēvičs Organizations: Service, West, NATO, EU, Business, Estonian, Russian Foreign Ministry, Getty, Kremlin, Lithuanian, Destabilization, 76th Guards Air Assault Division, Alliance Locations: Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Russia, Ukraine, Denmark, Kyiv, Moscow, Baltics, Belarus, Soviet Union, Russian, crosshairs, Europe, Baltic, Finland, Narva, Tallinn, Vilnius, Poland, Pskov, Crimea, Tellingly, Czech, Latvian

☆ Russia open to security talks with U.S. — if Ukraine conflict also on the table, Kremlin says
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Russia is open to "comprehensive" security talks with the U.S., so long as they include the war in Ukraine, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Friday. "We are open to dialogue, but to a broad, comprehensive dialogue that covers all dimensions, including the dimension related to the conflict around Ukraine, the involvement of the United States in this conflict," Peskov said, according to a Google-translated report by Russian state news agency Tass. His comments came in response to the possibility of holding talks with Washington on nuclear risks apart from the Ukrainian conflict. Russia has so far been largely isolated from West-led diplomacy to resolve the conflict with Kyiv — and was most recently not invited to the Summit on Peace in Ukraine of June 15-16. Kyiv has solicited membership but cannot accede to the coalition while an active conflict wages on its territories.

Persons: Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Dmitry Medvedev, Medvedev, Barack Obama Organizations: U.S, Kremlin, CNBC, U.S . State Department, Kyiv —, Senior, NATO Locations: Russia, Ukraine, United States, Russian, Washington, West, Peace, Moscow, U.S

☆ Putin signs deals with Vietnam in bid to shore up ties in Asia to offset Moscow’s growing isolation
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Russia and Vietnam pledged on June 20, 2024 to deepen ties as President Vladimir Putin made a state visit aimed at bolstering his alliances to counter Moscow's growing isolation over the war in Ukraine. Putin and President To Lam agreed to further cooperate in education, science and technology, oil and gas exploration and clean energy. The two countries also agreed to work on a roadmap for a nuclear science and technology center in Vietnam. In Hanoi, Putin also met Vietnam’s most powerful politician, Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, according to the official Vietnam News Agency. Putin drove to Vietnam’s Presidential Palace on Thursday afternoon, where he was greeted by school children waving Russian and Vietnamese flags.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Lam, Gavriil Grigorov, Putin, ” Lam, “, Kim Jong, Nigel Gould, Davies, ”, Nguyen Khac Giang, Giang, Nguyen Phu Trong, Pham Minh Chinh, Putin’s, Ridzwan Rahmat, Janes, ” Rahmat, Prashanth, Wilson, Vladimir Lenin, Trong, Nhan Dan, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Gould, they’ve, he’s, Parameswaran Organizations: Sputnik, Hanoi Opera, Afp, Getty, North, International Institute for Strategic Studies, Singapore’s, Yusof, Institute, Communist Party General, Vietnam News Agency, Criminal, Kremlin, U.S, Embassy, Security, NATO, Asia, Communist Party’s, Vietnam’s Communist Party Locations: Russian, Hanoi, Russia, Vietnam, Ukraine, Moscow, Asia, Pacific, Eurasia, London, British, Belarus, China, North Korea, U.S, Hague, Korea, Singapore, Soviet Union, Soviet, trickier, Washington

☆ Putin Shows He Can Antagonize the U.S. Far Afield From Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( Paul Sonne | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When the United States and its Western allies declared that Ukraine could strike Russian territory with their weapons, President Vladimir V. Putin began ratcheting up the threats. He triggered drills in Russia to practice the use of tactical nuclear weapons. He reminded unnamed NATO countries in Europe of their small territories and dense populations, implying they could be easily obliterated. “The Westerners supply weapons to Ukraine and say that ‘we don’t control anything here at all,’” he said Thursday, failing to acknowledge the limits Washington and its allies have placed on Ukraine. “We can also say that we delivered something to someone, and then we have no control over anything.

Persons: Vladimir V, Putin, Kim Jong, ’ ”, ” Locations: United States, Ukraine, Russia, Moscow, Europe, Russian, North Korea, Washington

☆ US signals that it has expanded policy to allow Ukraine to counterstrike into Russia
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( Haley Britzky | Natasha Bertrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The US appears to have expanded its agreement with Ukraine to strike over the border inside Russian territory wherever Russian forces are engaging in cross-border attacks into Ukraine, not just in the Kharkiv region as was previously determined. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told PBS News on Monday that the agreement with Ukraine to fire into Russia extends wherever Russian forces are attempting to invade. “It extends to anywhere that Russian forces are coming across the border from the Russian side to the Ukrainian side to try to take additional Ukrainian territory,” Sullivan said, adding that it’s “not about geography. The change marks a significant shift in the limited nature of the agreement between the US and Ukraine. “Russia opened a new front, they opened the front in the north in Kharkiv, where they’re attacking directly from Russian territory just over the border.

Persons: Jake Sullivan, ” Sullivan, Charlie Dietz, ” Dietz, Joe Biden, there’s, Jens Stoltenberg, Ukraine “, ” Stoltenberg, I’ll, ”, There’s, John Kirby Organizations: CNN, National, PBS, Pentagon, US Defense Department, NATO, National Security Locations: Ukraine, Kharkiv, Russia, Brussels, ”, Russian

☆ Dutch PM Mark Rutte set to be next NATO secretary-general after rival withdraws from race
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Netherland's Prime Minister Mark Rutte arrives to attend the European Political Community summit at the Palacio de Congreso in Granada, southern Spain on October 5, 2023. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Thursday rescinded his bid for the leadership of the NATO military alliance and threw his support behind the favorite contender for the post, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. The move effectively clears the path for outgoing Dutch PM Rutte to assume the top position of the 32-member U.S.-led NATO military coalition, when incumbent Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg finishes his mandate on Oct. 1 after 10 years in the job. Iohannis, 65, is ending his second five-year round at the helm of Romania, which will hold national elections in September. Two weeks ago, Budapest conceded not to block the NATO alliance's deepening military support for Ukraine, in exchange for nonparticipation.

Persons: Mark Rutte, Klaus Iohannis, Iohannis, Rutte, Jens Stoltenberg Organizations: Netherland's, Palacio, Congreso, NATO, Dutch, Supreme, of National Defense, CNBC, U.S, Ukraine Locations: Granada, Spain, Romanian, Romania's, Ukraine, Iohannis, Romania, Rutte, Hungary, Russia, Budapest

☆ Ukraine got the go-ahead to hit Russia with F-16s, but doing so could be a waste of a good jet
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Read previewNATO member Denmark has given Ukraine permission to use the F-16s it receives to hit military targets within Russia. AdvertisementThe exact number of F-16s Ukraine will get to begin with is unclear, but it's not expected to be many. But in Russia, Ukrainian aircraft can also expect to battle the Russian Air Force in addition to enemy air defenses. It would also bolster a capability that has been heavily strained by relentless Russian attacks, and that's air defense. But they said these fighter jets will be useful for Ukraine by replenishing lost aircraft, deterring Russian jets, and acting as defenses.

Persons: —, George Barros, Israel Aerospace Industries Barros, it's, Mark Cancian, Tim Robinson, Peter Layton, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Mette Frederiksen, Ritzau Scanpix, Mads Claus Rasmussen, there's, Michael Clark, Clark, Cancian, ISW, Layton, Robinson, DIMITAR DILKOFF, Noble, Chanceler Organizations: Service, Business, Ukraine, Analysts, Israeli Military Industries Systems, Israel Aerospace Industries, Marine, Center for Strategic, International Studies, UK's Royal Aeronautical Society, Griffith Asia Institute, Royal Australian Air Force, Denmark's, Skrydstrup Airbase, REUTERS, Politico, Republicans, Russian Air Force, Getty, Noble Eagle, US Air Force Locations: Denmark, Ukraine, Russia, Moscow, Russian, Israeli, Netherlands, Norway, Belgium, France, Skrydstrup, Vojens, Arizona, Romania, British, Crimea, Ukrainian, AFP

☆ Ukraine moved to top of list to receive US air defense capabilities
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( Kylie Atwood | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

A senior White House official described the action as a “rather extraordinary” policy adjustment at a critical moment for Ukraine. “If we didn’t do this for Ukraine, they would not have been able to maintain their critical air defense stockpile heading into the winter, period,” the official said. Ukraine is expected to get its first exports of the air defense capabilities this summer and the policy change will stay in place for 16 months, the official said. The White House official would not share the list of affected countries, other than to say that air defense exports to Taiwan would not be impacted. The move is being done in parallel with Biden administration efforts to get Ukraine more air defense systems as well, a second White House official said.

Persons: CNN —, Biden, Volodymyr Zelensky, Joe Biden, “, @POTUS, ” Zelensky, Zelensky, –, Donald Trump, Jake Sullivan, they’re, ” Biden, Daria Tarasova, Caitlin Danaher Organizations: CNN, White House, State Department, Pentagon, White, NATO, Republican, Ukraine, Congress, Russian Locations: Ukraine, Russia, United States, Taiwan, Kyiv, Italy

☆ Israel-Hamas war: Why Hezbollah is threatening Cyprus
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

While experts say war between Israel and Hezbollah remains unlikely, the very mention of Cyprus adds a new dimension to the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza. Stavros Ioannides/PIO/ReutersWhat has Cyprus’ role been in the Gaza war? Cyprus has been keen to dispel any suggestions that it is implicated in the Gaza war, noting its humanitarian efforts that helped bring some aid into Gaza. It would mean that an EU country is, for the first time, directly involved in an expanded Gaza war. “The US also does not want to find itself in another Middle East quagmire, especially with presidential elections looming.”

Persons: Hassan Nasrallah, ”, Nikos Christodoulides, ” Peter Stano, Abdallah Bou Habib, Constantinos Kombos, Lebanon’s, Israel, “, Eli Cohen, Stavros Ioannides, PIO, Christodoulides, Yiannis Kourtoglou, ” Mohammad Ali Shabani, Amwaj.media, ” Lina Khatib, ” Khatib, Biden Organizations: CNN, Lebanese, European Union, EU, United Nations, Lebanon’s, Cypriot, Israel, The, NATO, Israel Defense Forces, IDF, Reuters, Spanish, North Africa, Chatham House Locations: Cyprus, Israel, “ Cyprus, Iran, Lebanon, EU, Greece, Gaza, East, Europe, European, Delaware, Republic of Cyprus, Turkish, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Turkey, The Republic of Cyprus, Nicosia, Tel Aviv, Larnaca, ”, UAE, Russian, Syria, London, Haifa, “

☆ Mark Rutte, next NATO secretary general, after Romania drops long-held objection
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Mark Rutte, the outgoing prime minister of the Netherlands, is now set to become the next NATO secretary general. Rutte will inherit a NATO that is racing to bolster its own security while also supporting Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s invasion. Over time its position has evolved from not sending any tanks to allowing Ukraine to strike inside Russian territory with NATO weapons. Rutte must also oversee NATO’s radical upgrade in defense and security capabilities. NATO allies are aware that Trump has historically criticized NATO allies for not spending enough money on their own security and relying on America.

Persons: Mark Rutte, Klaus Iohannis, Iohannis, Jens Stoltenberg, Rutte, Donald Trump, Trump, Vladimir Putin Organizations: CNN, NATO, Kyiv Locations: Netherlands, Romania, Romanian, Moscow, Ukraine, Sochi, Crimea, United States, America, Sweden, Finland

☆ Why Hezbollah is threatening this tiny European country
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

An island in the Eastern Mediterranean located on a geopolitical fault line between the Middle East and southern Europe, Cyprus is geographically much closer to the conflicts in the Middle East than it is to European power centers. The island has previously been caught in the crossfire of regional conflicts, a reminder of its proximity to the volatile Middle East. It would mean that an EU country is, for the first time, directly involved in an expanded Gaza war. “It is normal for both Israel and Hezbollah to have military plans in place for handling a potential escalation. “The US also does not want to find itself in another Middle East quagmire, especially with presidential elections looming.”

Persons: Hassan Nasrallah, ”, Nikos Christodoulides, Israel, Constantinos Kombos, Eli Cohen, Stavros Ioannides, PIO, Christodoulides, “, Yiannis Kourtoglou, ” Mohammad Ali Shabani, Amwaj.media, ” Lina Khatib, ” Khatib, Biden Organizations: CNN, Lebanese, Union, Israel, The, NATO, Israel Defense Forces, IDF, Cypriot, Reuters, Spanish, European Union, North Africa, Chatham House Locations: Cyprus, Israel, “ Cyprus, Iran, Lebanon, Gaza, East, Europe, European, Delaware, Republic of Cyprus, Turkish, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Greece, Turkey, The Republic of Cyprus, Nicosia, Tel Aviv, Larnaca, ”, EU, UAE, Russian, Syria, London, Haifa, “

The eventual language issued by the alliance about Ukraine during July’s summit in Washington is critical. Vague commitment in 2008It was back in 2008 at a NATO summit in Budapest that Ukraine was first offered a vague commitment of an invitation to join in the future. “Of course we’d be for ‘irreversible,’” a third Eastern European official said. Generally, throughout the conflict, British officials, the closest US allies in NATO, have consistently hoped the White House would take a more aggressive stance. “When the text is on the table and the countries start to negotiate we can see the full picture,” the Eastern European official said.

Persons: Jens Stoltenberg, we’ll, Antony Blinken, Biden, Stoltenberg, Volodymyr Zelensky, Zelensky, “, ” Stoltenberg, ”, doesn’t, It’s “, Vladimir Putin, ” Putin, Putin, Jennifer Hansler Organizations: CNN, NATO, Central, “, US, Biden, European, ”, US State Department, NATO Alliance, Eastern, Eastern European Locations: United States, United Kingdom, Washington, Russia’s, Ukraine, July’s, Russia, Prague, Hungary, Central European, Kyiv, Lithuanian, Vilnius, Budapest, Russian, ”, Kharkiv, London

☆ North Korea rolls out the red carpet for Putin as West fears nuclear implications
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-19 | by ( Dylan Butts | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Russia's President Vladimir Putin is greeted by North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un during a welcoming ceremony at an airport in Pyongyang, North Korea June 19, 2024. Gavriil Grigorov | Via ReutersRussian President Vladimir Putin was met with a grand reception in Pyongyang, North Korea on Wednesday amid concerns from Western officials about the two nuclear-armed countries' growing relationship. North Korean state TV showed the two leaders warmly embracing on a red carpet outside Pyongyang International Airport after Putin landed around 2:45 a.m. local time, kicking off his first visit there in 24 years. During their initial meeting, the Russian and North Korean leaders shared their "pent-up inmost thoughts" and agreed to further develop their nations' relations, state media KCNA reported. "We are, of course, also concerned about the potential support that Russia provides to North Korea when it comes to supporting their missile and nuclear programs," said Stoltenberg.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, North, Kim Jong Un, Gavriil, Putin, Kim Jong Un's, Jens Stoltenberg, Stoltenberg, Antony Blinken Organizations: Reuters, Pyongyang International Airport, NATO, U.S Locations: Pyongyang, North Korea, Russia, North, Eurasia, Ukraine, China, Iran, Antony Blinken .

☆ Analysis: What Putin got from his North Korea visit
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-19 | by ( Clare Sebastian | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Vladmir Putin’s first visit to North Korea in nearly a quarter of a century has been intensely scrutinized around the world. If this is a collective defense pact, does Russia’s nuclear deterrent now extend to North Korea’s and vice versa? “But definitely I would say this clause is very alarming.”Russia's President Vladimir Putin was given a rapturous welcome in Pyongyang. “The West admits terrible concern around Putin’s visit to North Korea” read the headline in Moskovsky Komsomolets, a national daily newspaper Tuesday. Russia also needs weapons to keep up its strategy of exhausting and destroying Ukraine into surrender.

Persons: Vladmir, Putin, Kim Il, ”, “, ” Putin, Korea’s, Kim, Jo Bee, yun, Vladimir Putin, Vladimir Smirnov, North Korea ”, Vladimir Solovyov, Kim Jong Organizations: CNN, International Criminal Court, Kremlin, Korea Institute for Defense, UN, Kim Jong UN Locations: North Korea, Russia, Ukraine, Pyongyang, China, United States, North, Moscow, Komsomolets

☆ China could soon have to choose between fueling the Ukraine war and its access to Europe's economy
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-18 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewNATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg this week warned China it faces a stark choice if it continues backing Russia's Ukraine invasion. "But the reality is that China's fueling the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II. In response, China has said it is not a party to the Ukraine war and that there should be no interference with trade between China and Russia. AdvertisementChina-Europe tensions increaseIt's not just China's support for Russia that appears to be focusing European minds on the potential threat it poses. Both have taken a critical stance towards Ukraine and appear keen to do more business with China, in defiance of EU policy.

Persons: —, Jens Stoltenberg, Xi, Stoltenberg, Emanuel Macron Organizations: Service, Publicly, Business, West, European Commission, US, European Union, Financial Locations: China, Ukraine, Europe, Beijing, Russia, Germany, Hungary, Serbia

☆ Putin arrives in North Korea for first visit in 24 years as anti-West alignment deepens
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-18 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | Anna Chernova | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Following his visit to North Korea, Putin is scheduled to travel to Hanoi in a display of Communist-governed Vietnam’s ties to Russia that is likely to rankle the United States. Putin’s trip to North Korea will have a “very eventful” agenda, his aide Yuri Ushakov said during a press conference Monday. One image was of a grandstand being constructed on the eastern side of Kim Il Sung Square, the site where all major parades in North Korea are held. Putin arrives in North Korea on Tuesday, June 18. But Russia’s apparent increasing reliance on North Korea and rising frictions with the West appear to have shifted that dynamic.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, Putin, Kim, Yuri Ushakov, Ushakov, Kim Il, John Kirby, Biden, wasn’t “, ’ Kim, ” Kim, ”, Volodymyr Zelensky, Putin’s, Defense Lloyd Austin, “, ” Putin, Kim Jong Il, Xi Jinping, Michael Mitsanas, Katharina Krebs, Mariya Knight, Yoonjung Seo, Betsy Klein, Paul P, Murphy Organizations: CNN, TASS, Putin, Planet Labs, Maxar Technologies, US, North Korean, North, South Korea’s, Chiefs of Staff, West, Ukrainian, Kyiv, NATO, Ukraine, Defense, Kremlin, United Nations Security, UN Locations: North Korea, Pyongyang, Ukraine, Korean, Korea, Hanoi, Russia, United States, Asia, Moscow, North, Zarubinreporter, South Korea, South, Russia’s, Eurasia, Italy, Kyiv, Russian, Vietnam, Beijing, China, Iran, South Africa, Brazil

☆ Opinion: Putin’s North Korea visit comes at a crucial moment
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-18 | by ( Opinion Frida Ghitis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

She is a weekly opinion contributor to CNN, a contributing columnist to The Washington Post and senior columnist for World Politics Review. CNN —When Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives in North Korea on Tuesday, it will kick up yet another gust in the recent swirl of diplomatic activity surrounding Russia’s all-out war against Ukraine. The allies have good reason to believe Putin aims to outlast Western support. South Korean intelligence estimates that North Korea has delivered as many as 5 million artillery rounds, along with ballistic missiles and other ammunition. Putin, meanwhile, will visit one-party ruled Vietnam later this week, not exactly a military powerhouse, but at least one country that is not backing Ukraine.

Persons: Frida Ghitis, Read, Vladimir Putin, Moscow –, Ukraine’s, –, Putin, Donald Trump, Putin’s, Putin –, Trump, wouldn’t, he’d, Ursula von der Leyen, Olaf Scholz, Mark Rutte, ”, Volodomyr Zelensky, Hitler, Joe Biden, Biden, Zelensky Organizations: CNN, Washington Post, Politics, Ukraine, Frida Ghitis CNN, North, Kyiv, White, European, Dutch, Peace, Biden, Trump acolytes, Republican, Zelensky, NATO Locations: North Korea, Pyongyang, Moscow, Kyiv, Ukraine, Putin’s Russia, Iran, Russia, China, Europe, Cuba, Russian, Normandy, Western, Italy’s Puglia, Switzerland, Korea, Germany, Ukrainian, Puglia, “, Washington, Vietnam

☆ More than 20 of 32 NATO allies spending at least 2% of GDP on defense, Stoltenberg says
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-17 | by ( Kayla Tausche | Haley Britzky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg is visiting Washington and meeting with Biden ahead of the city’s hosting of the alliance’s annual summit, set to take place in July. “Just five years ago, there was still less than 10 allies that spent 2% of GDP on defense,” Stoltenberg said during remarks at The Wilson Center in Washington. “I can only now reveal that this year, more than 20 allies will spend at least 2% of GDP on defense.”“This is good for Europe,” he added. Several NATO member countries that either border Russia or are nearby have hiked their defense spending since 2022. Biden has heralded NATO as the “greatest defense alliance in the history of the world,” and the alliance has expanded by two member countries since he became president.

Persons: Joe Biden’s, Jens Stoltenberg, Biden, “, ” Stoltenberg, ”, Donald Trump, “ I’ve, they’re, we’re, ” Trump, Trump, – Organizations: Washington CNN, NATO, Wilson Center, America, Trump, CNN, White Locations: United States, Washington, Europe, Russia, Ukraine, Wales, Crimea, Finland, Sweden

☆ Record number of NATO allies expected to hit defense spending target amid war in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks after a meeting of NATO foreign ministers at the Czernin Palace, in Prague, Czech Republic, May 31, 2024. A record more than 20 NATO member nations are hitting the Western military alliance's defense spending target this year, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Monday, as Russia's war in Ukraine has raised the threat of expanding conflict in Europe. The estimated figure is a nearly fourfold increase from 2021 in the ranks of the 32 NATO members meeting the alliance's defense spending guideline. NATO members agreed last year to spend at least 2% of their gross domestic product on defense. But after Russia seized Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014, NATO members unanimously agreed to spend at least 2% of their GDP on defense within a decade.

Persons: Jens Stoltenberg, Vladimir Putin's, Stoltenberg, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Putin Organizations: NATO, Wilson Center, White House, . Defense, Ukraine's Locations: Prague, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Europe, Washington, Sweden, Finland, Soviet Union, Russia, Ukraine's Crimean

☆ Emerging From Orban’s Shadow, a Former Ally Tries to Steal His Limelight
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-17 | by ( Andrew Higgins | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Railing against the right-wing government that until recently counted him as a trusted insider, Hungary’s most popular and improbable opposition leader stood on the back of a flatbed truck surrounded by cheering followers. “Step by step, brick by brick, we will take back our country,” shouted the opposition leader, Peter Magyar, reciting what, during a tour of towns and villages across Hungary, has been the crowd-pleasing mantra of the 43-year-old’s upstart political movement. Making the moment all the more provocative was the location that Mr. Magyar chose for the rally: just down the road from a house that Prime Minister Viktor Orban owns in Felcsut, the village where the leader grew up. Since taking power 14 years ago, Mr. Orban has won four general elections in a row, refashioning Hungary into an “illiberal democracy” often more in tune with China and Russia than with its nominal allies in NATO and the European Union. Now, for the first time in years, the country has been swept by a sense that change, though not imminent, is possible.

Persons: ”, Peter Magyar, Magyar, Viktor Orban, Orban Organizations: NATO, European Union Locations: Hungary, Felcsut, China, Russia

☆ Russia’s Putin to visit North Korea in rare trip as anti-West alignment deepens
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-17 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | Anna Chernova | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Following his visit to North Korea, Putin will travel to Hanoi Wednesday for another two-day trip, in a display of Communist-governed Vietnam’s ties to Russia that is likely to rankle the United States. Both countries have denied North Korean arms exports. The Kremlin has said that Russia hopes to build a partnership with North Korea “in all possible areas,” according to Russian state media. Putin’s move to bolster North Korean ties has also been a boon for Kim, who remains unbowed by years of international sanctions over his illegal nuclear weapons program. But Russia’s apparent increasing reliance on North Korea and rising frictions with the West appear to have shifted that dynamic.

Persons: CNN — Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, Putin, Kim, ” Kim, Volodymyr Zelensky, Putin’s, Defense Lloyd Austin, “, ”, ” Putin, Kim Jong Il, Xi Jinping Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, Putin, North Korean, Pyongyang –, North, North Korea “, Ukrainian, Kyiv, NATO, Ukraine, Defense, United Nations Security, UN Locations: North Korea, Russian, Ukraine, Pyongyang, Hanoi, Russia, United States, South Korea, Moscow, Korean, Russia’s, Italy, Kyiv, Beijing, China, Iran, South Africa, Brazil

☆ Ukraine's new drone boats are armed with heat-seeking missiles to scare off Russian aircraft, commander says
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-17 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewUkraine has armed its naval drones with heat-seeking missiles, giving the systems a major upgrade that will allow them to target Russian aircraft patrolling around the Black Sea. "Such developments are effective — Russians are very afraid of them," the commander of "Group 13," a special HUR unit dedicated to operating the naval drones, said in a recent interview. AdvertisementA Ukrainian Magura V5 drone is seen on water during an exhibition of military equipment and weapons at an undisclosed location on April 13, 2024. Moscow, largely unable to stop Ukraine's unrelenting naval drone attacks, has turned to combat aircraft to patrol the waters and protect its warships. Kyiv has relied on its fleet of naval drones, as well as long-range missiles, to inflict these losses.

Persons: —, HUR, Archer, Lloyd Austin Organizations: Service, Ukrainian, Directorate of Intelligence, Business, REUTERS, NATO, Sukhoi, MiG, Black, Grad, US Locations: Ukraine, Soviet, Moscow, Ukrainian, Kyiv

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