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☆ Retired general, ex-PM lead the field in Czech presidential election
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Jan Lopatka | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/4] Presidential candidate and former Chairman of the NATO Military Committee and Czech Army General Petr Pavel arrives at a rock club to meet his supporters, ahead of a direct presidential election that will start on January 13, in Prague, Czech Republic, January 9, 2023. Retired General Petr Pavel, 61, running as an independent, led two out of four final polls. Former prime minister Andrej Babis, 68, a billionaire heading the biggest opposition party in parliament was ahead in the other two. While there are eight candidates, only Pavel, Babis and economics professor Danuse Nerudova, 44, have a chance of making it to the second round, polls show. There pollsters give Pavel and edge, expecting him to gather more votes from other candidates than Babis.

☆ Macron says new security architecture should give guarantees for Russia
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PARIS, Dec 3 (Reuters) - The West should consider how to address Russia's need for security guarantees if President Vladimir Putin agrees to negotiations about ending the war in Ukraine, French President Emmanuel Macron said in remarks broadcast on Saturday. In an interview with French TV station TF1 recorded during his state visit to the United States last week, Macron said Europe needs to prepare its future security architecture. "This means that one of the essential points we must address - as President Putin has always said - is the fear that NATO comes right up to its doors, and the deployment of weapons that could threaten Russia," Macron said. Ukraine says negotiations are possible only if Russia stops attacking and pulls out its troops. The United States said at the time that the Russian demands were "non-starters".

Over recent years, NATO allies and Russia have scaled up military exercises in the region; Chinese and Russian warships conducted a joint exercise in the Bering Sea in September. Four Arctic experts say it would take the West at least 10 years to catch up with Russia's military in the region, if it chose to do so. "NATO is increasing its presence in the Arctic with more modern capabilities," NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg told Reuters. Now NATO and Arctic allies are changing their stance. Sweden and Finland have begun investing in surveillance and deterrence capabilities and military hardware including jets so their air forces can fight alongside Arctic NATO allies.

☆ NATO is pouring concrete to support new 'battlegroups' in 4 countries amid rising tensions with Russia
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Constantine Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

NATO now has some 40,000 troops under its direct command in Eastern Europe — 30,000 of them in those eight battlegroups. More than a tripwireUS soldiers at a base in Latvia to support NATO's battlegroup there on February 25. Hungary had refused to accept NATO troops, with its foreign minister saying before Russia attacked Ukraine that Hungary's military could defend the country. Following Russia's invasion, Hungary was persuaded to host a few hundred NATO troops in a battlegroup that it would lead. Accommodating and integrating an influx of NATO troops is not easy, even for countries that are eager to counter Russia.

☆ NATO to kick off nuclear drills involving B-52 bombers on Monday
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The nuclear drills - which do not involve live bombs - are taking place amid heightened tensions after Russia repeatedly threatened nuclear strikes in Ukraine following major military setbacks on the battlefield there. "Steadfast Noon" is likely to coincide with Moscow's own annual nuclear drills, dubbed "Grom", which are normally conducted in late October and in which Russia tests its nuclear-capable bombers, submarines and missiles. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterNATO said the Western drills were not prompted by the latest tensions with Russia. "This exercise helps ensure that the alliance's nuclear deterrent remains safe, secure and effective," said NATO spokesperson Oana Lungescu. On Tuesday, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg made clear that the alliance would proceed with its drills despite the tense international situation.

Advanced air defence systems are designed to protect entire cities from air attacks. Russian air raids on Monday killed 19 people in Ukraine, wounded more than 100 and knocked out power supplies across the country. On Tuesday, Ukraine received the first of four IRIS-T SLM air defence systems Germany promised to supply, a German defence ministry source said. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterNATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, speaking ahead of a two-day meeting of the alliance's defence ministers on Oct 12-13 in Brussels, urged allies to provide additional air defence systems. Discussions of the more than 50 countries will focus on providing additional air defence systems to Ukraine, said the U.S. ambassador to NATO, Julianne Smith.

☆ With Russia lurking on NATO's southern flank, Italy is working on new jets and new carriers to keep an eye on things
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Benjamin Brimelow | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Protecting NATO's southern flankAn Italian soldier stands guard at NATO's Joint Force Command in Naples in March 2011. MARIO LAPORTA/AFP via Getty ImagesWhile often overshadowed by Europe's other major military powers, Italy is an important part of NATO's defense posture. Russian navy ship Veliky Ustyug at Russia's base in Tartus, Syria in September 2019. US Navy/MCS3 Crayton AgnewItaly's air force and navy both operate the F-35B, the short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing version of the F-35. Italian navy and air force F-35s have already operated together aboard Cavour.

BRUSSELS, Oct 11 (Reuters) - NATO told Moscow on Tuesday it would meet attacks on allies' critical infrastructure with a "united and determined response" and was also monitoring Russia's nuclear forces closely as the country was "losing on the battlefield" in Ukraine. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that while the defence alliance had not seen any changes in Russia's nuclear posture, it was vigilant and would proceed with a nuclear preparedness exercise of its own next week. "Now is the right time to be firm and to be clear that NATO is there to protect and defend all allies... It would send a very wrong signal if we suddenly now cancelled a routine, long-time-planned exercise because of the war in Ukraine," Stoltenberg said. "We will further increase protection of critical infrastructure in light of the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines," he said.

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