DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Oil and food prices are rising, and so are wages. Inflation isn’t beaten yet
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Oil and food prices have jumped in recent weeks, and wages are still growing strongly in some of the world’s biggest economies. The UN global Food Price Index rose in July, notching only the second monthly increase in a year of steady declines. Oil supply cutsGlobal oil prices have shot up in recent weeks. The International Energy Agency has forecast that global oil demand will rise to a record 102 million barrels this year. Rising oil prices have spurred a jump in US gasoline prices, which hit an average of $3.82 a gallon Tuesday.

Persons: ” Randall Kroszner, “, Price, Chris Ratcliffe, Richard Bronze, ”, —, unraveled, ” Kroszner, — “, Michelle Bowman Organizations: London CNN, US Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, US Federal Reserve System, University of Chicago Booth School of Business, CNN, UN, Bloomberg, Getty, West Texas Intermediate, International Energy Agency, OPEC, Agriculture Organization, United Nations, Capital Economics, “ Labor, Bank Locations: Ukraine, United States, United Kingdom, Brent, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Moscow

The attack is the closest Moscow has come to hitting the military alliance’s territory since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year. The port strike came amid two drone attacks in central Moscow on Monday morning that Russian officials blamed on Ukrainian forces. At least two nonresidential buildings were hit about 4 a.m. local time, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin of Moscow said on the Telegram messaging app. He added that there had been no “serious damage or casualties.”Ukrainian and Romanian officials denounced the port strike, with President Klaus Iohannis of Romania condemning the attack on Ukrainian infrastructure close to his country’s borders. He said on Twitter that the “recent escalation poses serious risks to the security in the Black Sea,” as well as affecting Ukrainian grain shipments and global food security.

Persons: Sergei Sobyanin, Klaus Iohannis Organizations: Monday, NATO, Twitter Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Romanian, Ukrainian, United States, Reni, Romania, Moscow, ”

☆ What Zelensky wanted from NATO – and what he got
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —At last year’s NATO summit in Madrid, the alliance formally invited Sweden and Finland to join its ranks. But NATO membership is far more significant than military hardware, and it may be some time before Kyiv’s final wish is granted. “This means that a window of opportunity is being left to bargain Ukraine’s membership in NATO in negotiations with Russia. However, the ultimate goal of NATO membership looks likely to elude Zelensky for some time. Wallace reminded reporters Wednesday that before the summit the question of Ukraine’s NATO membership was still an “if.” Now, it’s a “when.”

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, Zelensky, Vladimir Putin, Zaporizhzhia –, Putin’s, ” Zelensky, Pavel Golovkin, Joe Biden, CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, Biden, ” “ We’re, We’re, ”, Ben Wallace, Wallace, ” Biden, Andrew Caballero, Reynolds, Dmytro Kuleba, “, Jens Stoltenberg Organizations: CNN, NATO, Kyiv, Ukraine, Sweden’s, AP, Sunday, UK, Getty, Foreign, Twitter Locations: Madrid, Sweden, Finland, Vilnius, Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Vilnius ’, Lithuania’s, United States, Russia, NATO, Zelensky, AFP, Kyiv, Vilnius –, Germany, France

Helsinki, Finland CNN —More than 500 days after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, the war loomed over President Joe Biden’s weeklong, three-stop trip to Europe. Drama over Ukraine’s membershipUkraine was the top agenda item for NATO leaders in Vilnius, and the discussion of a pathway for the war-torn country to join the alliance prompted division among leaders. After meeting with Zelensky for more than an hour, Biden told reporters that he was able to reassure his Ukrainian counterpart. The former president raised the prospect of withdrawing from the alliance multiple times in 2018, The New York Times reported. I don’t think NATO’s ever been stronger,” Biden said during his meeting with Finland’s President Sauli Niinistö

Persons: Finland CNN —, Joe Biden’s weeklong, reasserting, Biden, Jens Stoltenberg, Ulf Kristersson, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Monday, Erdoğan, ”, Volodymyr Zelensky, Zelensky, Donald Trump’s, Trump’s, –, ” Biden, Trump, Rishi Sunak, King Charles III, Putin, “, Stoltenberg, Wang Wenbin, Biden “, “ I’ve, Sauli Niinistö Organizations: Finland CNN, Russia, NATO, Zelensky, Vilnius University, Nordic, Senate, The New York Times, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Ministry, Microsoft, House, Lithuania, State, Government Locations: Helsinki, Finland, Russia, Ukraine, Europe, Washington, Turkey, Sweden, Ankara, Vilnius, London, Finnish, China, Beijing, Asia, Indonesia, Hiroshima

☆ NATO Summit 2023: Ukraine's wait for membership -- and Zelensky's frustration -- loom over final day of summit, meeting with Biden
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Betsy Klein | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

We’re looking for a continued, united NATO,” Biden said in brief remarks alongside NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the summit site. Participants of the NATO Summit pose for an official photo in Vilnius, Lithuania, on July 11, 2023. NATO first welcomed Ukraine’s membership aspirations during a 2008 meeting in Bucharest, Romania, but little progress has been made and the timeline remains uncertain. Biden and NATO leaders have “unanimously agreed” to send a “substantial” new aid package to Ukraine, Sloat told reporters Wednesday — but she declined to provide additional details. Biden is also set to give a foreign policy speech that his aides have described as a “major address” later on Wednesday, reflecting on the strength and power of the NATO alliance.

Persons: Joe Biden, Volodymyr Zelensky, Zelensky, Biden, ”, ” Zelensky, Gitanas Nauseda, Olena Zelenska, Kacper Pempel, Jens Stoltenberg, That’s, Stoltenberg, ” Biden, Andrew Caballero, Reynolds, Amanda Sloat, Sloat, “, ” Sloat, Zelensky’s, Chris Skaluba, Biden’s, ’ Biden Organizations: Lithuania CNN, NATO, Alliance, Reuters, Wednesday, CNN, ” National Security Council, Ukraine ”, Transatlantic Security Initiative, Strategy, Security, Ukraine Locations: Vilnius, Lithuania, Ukraine, Ukrainian, NATO, Russia, United States, Kyiv, Washington, St, Michael’s, Hiroshima, Japan, Bakhmut, Bucharest, Romania, Eastern Europe, NATO’s

☆ What NATO Said About Ukraine: Highlights of the Alliance’s Communiqué
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Steven Erlanger | More About Steven Erlanger | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

After weeks of tense negotiations, NATO on Tuesday invited Ukraine to join the alliance at some unspecified point in the future, but only when allies agree that conditions are ripe and that Ukraine has met the qualifications to join. The wording essentially marked a victory for President Biden, who recently declared that “Ukraine isn’t ready for NATO membership.” Just hours before the communiqué was issued, Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine sharply criticized the “uncertainty” over Ukraine’s path to membership in the alliance. Alliance leaders struggled to agree on language about how to describe a timeline and conditions for what everyone agrees will be Ukraine’s eventual membership in NATO. The battle inside NATO was not over whether Ukraine would join, but how and under what conditions. Some countries wanted an immediate invitation after the war ends; other countries, like the United States, wanted to avoid any notion that entry would be automatic.

Persons: ”, Biden, Volodymyr Zelensky Organizations: NATO, Tuesday, Alliance Locations: Ukraine, Russia, United States

☆ Analysis: Biden got almost everything he wanted from the NATO summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

CNN —President Joe Biden got almost everything he wanted from the NATO summit. President Joe Biden speaks at Vilnius University in Vilnius, Lithuania, Wednesday, July 12, 2023, after attending the NATO Summit. On Wednesday for instance, Russia marked the NATO summit by launching airstrikes against Kyiv region. US President Joe Biden (R) attends a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Vilnius on July 12, 2023. That President Biden and NATO didn’t invite Ukraine to NATO because he’s afraid of Russia?” Kaleniuk asked.

Persons: Joe Biden, Volodymyr Zelensky, craves, “ It’s, ” Biden, Zelensky, Biden, “, ” Zelensky, Russia –, Putin, NATO’s, craven, Susan Walsh, –, Donald Trump, Mike Pence, Vladimir Putin, Jeff Flake, Fumio Kishida, barnstormed, ANDREW CABALLERO, REYNOLDS, Andrew Caballero, Reynolds, Jake Sullivan, Daria Kaleniuk, ” Kaleniuk, Sullivan, Dmitry Peskov, Ukraine –, William Burns, he’d, ” Organizations: CNN, NATO, Poignantly, Russia, Congress, Nordic, Biden, Vilnius University, Ukraine, Capitol, Republican, Japanese, GOP, ” Ukraine, AFP, Getty, “, NATO didn’t, Kremlin, CIA Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Soviet, Europe, Sweden, Finland, Kyiv, Lithuania, Vilnius, Western, Crimea, US, Ankara, Turkey, AFP, Ukrainian, NATO, Moscow, Russian

☆ Biden’s Reluctance to Let Ukraine Join NATO Tests Alliance’s Unity
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Andrew Restuccia | Vivian Salama | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/bidens-reluctance-to-letting-ukraine-join-nato-tests-alliances-unity-4c850273

Persons: Dow Jones Organizations: nato Locations: ukraine

NATO declared on Tuesday that Ukraine would be invited to join the alliance, but did not say how or when, disappointing its president but reflecting the resolve by President Biden and other leaders not to be drawn directly into Ukraine’s war with Russia. The wording means that Mr. Biden, who declared last week that “Ukraine isn’t ready for NATO membership,” and like-minded allies had prevailed over Poland and Baltic nations that wanted a formal invitation for Ukraine to join the alliance as soon as the war ends. NATO leaders released the document, a compromise product after weeks of argument, at a summit meeting in Vilnius, Lithuania. Hours earlier, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, apparently aware of what it would say, issued a blast at the NATO leadership. “It’s unprecedented and absurd when a time frame is not set, neither for the invitation nor for Ukraine’s membership,” he wrote on Twitter before landing in Vilnius.

Persons: Biden, Volodymyr Zelensky, “, ” Organizations: NATO, Russia, Twitter Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Poland, Baltic, Vilnius, Lithuania

☆ NAFO: The pro-Ukraine internet 'fellas' using Shiba Inu memes to fight Russian propaganda
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Jill Dougherty | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

“NAFO” stands for the North Atlantic Fellas Organization and is a decentralized online volunteer organization that is waging its own social media war against Russia and its invasion of Ukraine. Over the weekend, the group held its own summit in Lithuania’s capital, which was opened by the country’s foreign minister. A cartoon Shiba Inu, wearing the blue and yellow colors of Ukraine's flag, pops up behind Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas in a video she shared on Twitter. Some fellas are Ukrainian soldiers, who are fighting on the front lines and provide pictures from the battlefield, mocking the incompetence of the Russian military or praising Ukrainian bravery. After identifying Russian propaganda or pro-Russian sympathizers, fellas pile on their posts with memes, humor, wry logic, and dismissive comments.

Persons: Kaja Kallas, Kallas, Petras Malulas, NAFO, Kamil Dyszewski, Gabrielius Landsbergis, Keir Giles, Matt Moores, you’ve, Maria Zakharova, ’ ”, Defense Oleksii Reznikov, ”, Shiba, Shiba Inu, Ben Wallace, Adam Kinzinger Organizations: CNN, Estonian, Atlantic Fellas Organization, Twitter, Getty, Georgian Legion, Center for Strategic, International, Russian Foreign, Union, Ukraine’s, Defense, United Kingdom’s, Ukraine Locations: Vilnius, Lithuania, Estonian, Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania’s, AFP, Russian, Egypt

☆ Zelensky gets a NATO boost and rockstar's welcome in Vilnius
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

But while Ukraine’s NATO allies reaffirmed their support for Kyiv’s bid for membership, they remained vague about the timing. “Ukraine’s future is in NATO,” the leaders of the alliance declared in the summit’s final communique. This will change Ukraine’s membership path from a two-step process to a one-step process,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltengberg told reporters on Tuesday. The process can be a burdensome and lengthy and its removal could significantly streamline Ukraine’s membership bid once it is formally invited to apply. It seems there is no readiness neither to invite Ukraine to NATO nor to make it a member of the Alliance,” Zelensky said.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, –, Zelensky, ”, Jens Stoltengberg, Stoltenberg, ” Biden, Susan Walsh, “, Joe Biden, “ We’re, We’re, Ben Wallace, Wallace, General, Biden, ” Zelensky, Odd Anderson, Gitanas Nauseda, – Zelensky, Ukraine “, Lenin Organizations: CNN, NATO, AP NATO, United Nations, OSCE, CNN Sunday, Alliance, Getty, Lithuanian, Lukiskes, “ Locations: Vilnius, Ukraine, Russia, ” Ukraine, “, Crimea, Kyiv, NATO, Vilnius –, Lithuania, Soviet Union, Bakhmut, Russian, Ukrainian

☆ Erdogan’s U-turn on Sweden could signal a warming of ties with the West.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Ben Hubbard | More About Ben Hubbard | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

ISTANBUL — Over the past year, the leaders of many NATO countries have viewed President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey as an in-house spoiler. While they were trying to isolate President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia for his invasion of Ukraine, Mr. Erdogan referred to Mr. Putin as “my friend.” While other leaders worked to enlarge the alliance, Mr. Erdogan held up the process by seeking concessions for Turkey. Then on Monday, suddenly, Mr. Erdogan flipped, dropping his objections to Sweden joining NATO and allowing the alliance’s summit to convene on Tuesday with a new sense of strength and unity. Mr. Erdogan’s about-face is consistent with his political style: He often doubles down on policies he expects to strengthen him, and then unapologetically throws them out once their worth has diminished, analysts said.

Persons: Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Vladimir V, Putin, Russia, Erdogan, Mr, ”, Erdogan’s Organizations: NATO Locations: ISTANBUL, Turkey, Ukraine, Sweden

☆ NATO Says It Will Invite Ukraine to Join, but Offers No Timeline
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Matthew Cullen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Since before Russia invaded Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky has been asking NATO for membership — an aspiration fixed in Ukraine’s Constitution since 2019. Today, at the alliance’s summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, all 31 NATO leaders agreed to offer an invitation. Zelensky called NATO’s lack of specifics “absurd,” but did soften his tone when he arrived at the summit. The main reason for denying Ukraine membership is because of the ongoing war with Russia. “NATO’s collective defense promise, the famous Article V, would mean that every NATO member is obligated to fight for Ukraine,” my colleague Steven Erlanger said.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, Zelensky, Vladimir Putin —, “, Steven Erlanger, ” Organizations: NATO, Ukraine Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Constitution, Vilnius, Lithuania

☆ Opinion: Sending cluster bombs to Ukraine is a very bad idea
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Opinion Michael Bociurkiw | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Michael Bociurkiw CNNOn Friday, after months of debate, US President Joe Biden announced that, as part of a new $800 million military aid package, the administration will be sending controversial cluster munitions to Ukraine. “No to cluster bombs and yes to the legitimate defense of Ukraine, which we understand should not be carried out with cluster bombs,” said Spain’s Defense Minister Margarita Robles. Discord among US allies over cluster munitions might have been avoided altogether, had western capitals moved more swiftly to provide Ukraine with lethal weaponry. To keep the Ukrainians from running out and being defeated, we must send them cluster munitions. Cluster munitions could bring Kyiv a temporary battlefield advantage.

Persons: Michael Bociurkiw, Joe Biden, “, ”, Margarita Robles, Biden, Volodymyr Zelensky, Emannuel Macron, Andre Luis Alves, ” Biden, William Taylor, Jake Sullivan, Vladimir Putin —, Erin Burnett, Zelensky Organizations: Atlantic Council, Organization for Security, Cooperation, CNN, Ukraine CNN —, Michael Bociurkiw CNN, Spain’s, NATO, Tactical Missile Systems, British Storm Shadow, Defense Department, Cluster Munitions, Human Rights Watch, United States Fund, UNICEF, “, Sunday, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Twitter Locations: Odesa, Europe, Kyiv, Ukraine, Canada, Spain, New Zealand, Germany, Margarita Robles . New Zealand, Lithuania, Vilnius, Russia, France, United States, Asia, Geneva, AVDIIVKA, UKRAINE, Avdiivka, Vladimir Putin — Ukraine, Odessa

☆ Analysis: President Joe Biden just secured a big win from his Europe trip
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —President Joe Biden has already secured a powerful deliverable from his Europe trip – one that will weaken Russia’s strategic position in another detrimental consequence of its invasion of Ukraine. Once Sweden finally joins NATO, it will bolster Biden’s reputation as a US leader who reinvigorated and expanded the bloc. Biden had said before leaving the US that Ukraine was not ready to join. Erdogan’s move was also a severe blow to Russian President Vladimir Putin. “This really isn’t about Sweden, this is about the United States and Turkey and Turkey’s role,” she told Jake Tapper.

Persons: Joe Biden, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Finland –, Ukraine –, George H.W, George H.W . Bush, Biden, Erdogan’s, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Erdogan –, –, Russia’s, Erdogan, Jens Stoltenberg, ” Stoltenberg, Jake Sullivan, Ulf Kristersson, “, ” Sullivan, Chuck Schumer, ”, Stoltenberg, Sen, Bob Menendez, Menendez, National Intelligence Beth Sanner, Jake Tapper, Volodymyr Zelensky Organizations: CNN, NATO, European Union, Kremlin, West, East, NATO “, Swedish, New, New York Democrat, America, EU, Kurdistan Workers ’ Party, Senate Foreign Relations, The New, The New Jersey Democrat, “, National Intelligence Locations: Europe, Ukraine, Lithuania, Sweden, Turkey, Finland, George H.W ., Germany, Russia, United States, Washington, Syria, Madrid, Vilnius, ”, New York, Ankara, Eurasia, Turkish, Stockholm, Greece, The, The New Jersey, “ Turkey, Mariupol

☆ Erdogan Says E.U. Must ‘Clear the Way’ for Turkey Before It Will Support Sweden’s NATO Bid
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Ben Hubbard | More About Ben Hubbard | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

ISTANBUL — President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey said on Monday that the European Union should open the way for Turkey to join the bloc before Turkey allows Sweden to join NATO, adding a surprising new condition that could further stall the military alliance’s efforts to expand. Mr. Erdogan’s latest demand came a day before the opening of NATO’s two-day annual summit, where leaders, including President Biden, had hoped to secure unanimous approval from member states to allow Sweden to become the 32nd member. That outcome now appears increasingly unlikely, with Mr. Erdogan posing the main obstacle to Sweden’s membership. “First, clear the way for Turkey in the European Union, then we will clear the way for Sweden as we did for Finland,” Mr. Erdogan told reporters before traveling to the NATO summit.

Persons: Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Biden, Erdogan, ” Mr Organizations: European Union, NATO Locations: ISTANBUL, Turkey, European, Sweden, Finland

☆ Analysis: Why Ukraine's plea for NATO membership is such a profound dilemma for the West
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

The president said that the alliance needed to lay out a “rational path” for Ukraine’s membership but that it was still short of some requirements for joining, including over democratization. NATO membership would also boost Ukraine’s bid to cement a democracy that was vulnerable before the war and fulfill the desire of many of its people to join the West. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, and Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat, last week introduced a resolution calling for a roadmap to Ukraine’s NATO membership as soon as it is practicable. “Guaranteeing Ukraine’s security would erode US security by increasingly the risk, obviously, of war with Russia,” he said. Even if Biden were to amend his position on accelerating NATO membership for Ukraine, he cannot ensure a successor would honor treaty obligations.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, ” Biden, CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, Volodymyr Zelensky, Vladimir Putin, ”, –, Putin, stiffen, Lindsey Graham, Richard Blumenthal, “, We’re, Michael McCaul, Ben Friedman, ” Friedman, Donald Trump, Zelensky Organizations: CNN, NATO, Ukrainian, ABC News, Kremlin, Warsaw, South Carolina Republican, Connecticut Democrat, Ukraine, GOP Rep, House Foreign Affairs Committee, Texas Republican, Defense, American, Soviet, Russia Locations: Europe, Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, Lithuania, Eastern Europe, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Baltic, Latvia, Estonia, Soviet Union, Bucharest, Sens, Connecticut, Russian, United Kingdom, “ State, Western Europe, Israel, Taiwan, United States, Eastern

☆ NATO: Comments from Biden and Erdogan threaten to overshadow summit -- and help Putin
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

On Monday morning, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters that Sweden’s membership of NATO should be linked to Turkey’s membership of the European Union. And the Turkish president, officials are aware, is very good at using any leverage he has to extract things he wants from his Western allies. Erdogan, European officials have repeatedly said, knew that he had Brussels over a barrel as he could effectively “flood” Europe with refugees at will. It is therefore a headache, but not a huge shock, that Erdogan is using a key international summit to play his best hand. NATO, remarkably, has remained united for most of the war and has gone beyond what most expected was possible.

Persons: Jens Stoltenberg, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, ” Erdogan, Erdogan, Zelensky, Ozan, Putin, Christine Olsson, Joe Biden’s, “, ”, –, Biden – Organizations: CNN, NATO, European Union, West, Kurdistan Workers ’ Party, Kremlin, Kurdistan Workers ' Party, TT, Agency, AFP, Getty Locations: Lithuanian, Vilnius, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, Brussels, Ankara, Turkish, Syria, geopolitically, Europe, Kremlin

☆ NATO Tries to Remember What It Means to Fight a European War
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( Steven Erlanger | More About Steven Erlanger | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Late last month, a German convoy of 1,000 troops with tanks, drones and armored vehicles made its way some 750 miles to a Lithuanian military compound in Pabrade in three days, using trains, ferries, trucks and planes — all NATO practice for a possible incursion by foreign (read: Russian) troops. The huge military exercise, integrating German and Lithuanian troops, began with reconnaissance and turned into a noisy, dusty battle that, not surprisingly, NATO won. The NATO exercise was meant to convince Lithuania and other countries bordering Russia that the promise of rapid reinforcement and collective defense was a reality. It was also intended to demonstrate the alliance’s new commitment to countering a more dangerous Russia, which argues that its war in Ukraine is a necessary response to what it considers NATO’s effort to dismantle Moscow’s sphere of influence. As NATO leaders prepare to gather in nearby Vilnius, the Lithuanian capital, on Tuesday, the Baltic nations and the others on Europe’s eastern flank are feeling especially vulnerable.

Organizations: NATO, Leopard Locations: Lithuanian, Pabrade, Lithuania, Russia, Ukraine, Vilnius, Baltic

☆ Biden Says Ukraine Is Not Ready for NATO Membership
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( Katie Rogers | More About Katie Rogers | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

President Biden said in an interview that aired on Sunday that Ukraine was not ready for membership in NATO and that it was “premature” to begin the process to allow Ukraine to join the alliance in the middle of a war. In an interview with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, Mr. Biden said that he did not “think there is unanimity in NATO about whether or not to bring Ukraine into the NATO family now,” and that the process could take place only after a peace agreement with Russia was in place. “If the war is going on, then we’re all in war,” Mr. Biden said, referring to the alliance’s commitment to mutual defense. “We’re at war with Russia, if that were the case.” He added that there would be “other qualifications that need to be met, including democratization,” for Ukraine to be considered for membership. The president began a trip to Europe on Sunday that will include attending a NATO summit in Lithuania, where Russia’s war in Ukraine — and a decision last week by the United States to supply Kyiv with weapons that are banned by most of its allies — will be a main focus.

Persons: Biden, ”, CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, Mr, “ We’re Organizations: NATO Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Europe, Lithuania, United States

☆ What Biden needs to accomplish with his NATO trip
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( Betsy Klein | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

London CNN —President Joe Biden embarks on a weeklong trip to Europe on Sunday, and the stakes couldn’t be higher for the future of the NATO alliance. Biden makes a stop in London ahead of his attendance at the NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, followed by meetings with Nordic leaders in Helsinki, Finland. But Biden will be a key player in determining what specific, measurable criteria or timelines, if any, are offered to Ukraine for NATO membership during this summit. Sweden’s NATO membership is “within reach,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in a news briefing following a meeting of senior officials from Turkey, Sweden and Finland Thursday. And I’m really looking – anxiously looking forward for your membership,” Biden told Kristersson during a meeting in the Oval Office.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, month’s, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin’s, Vladimir Putin’s, ”, Chris Skaluba, Michael McCaul, Jake Sullivan, “, Volodymyr Zelensky, ” Zelensky, Zelensky, Sweden’s, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Jens Stoltenberg, Stoltenberg, Ulf Kristersson, ” Biden, Kristersson, –, it’s, Max Bergmann, Bergmann, China’s “, Sullivan, King Charles III, Jill Biden, Finnegan Biden, Rishi Sunak Organizations: London CNN, NATO, Nordic, Transatlantic Security Initiative, Strategy, Security, Foreign, US House Foreign, CNN, Wall Street, Turkish, White, Eurasia Program, Stuart Center, Center for Strategic, International Studies Locations: Europe, London, Vilnius, Lithuania, Helsinki, Finland, Ukraine, Russia, Belarusian, Bucharest, Romania, Eastern Europe, Sweden, Turkey, NATO’s, Madrid, Vilnius “, United Kingdom, Windsor, Norway, Iceland, Denmark, China

For months, NATO leaders had hoped that when they convened for their annual summit next week, they could use the occasion to welcome Sweden as the alliance’s newest member. Now, that outcome appears all but impossible, as stalling by Hungary and continued objections by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey have drawn out the process, raising questions about when Sweden might be able to join and what sort of breakthrough would be necessary. All 31 member states must agree to admit new members, and the split over Sweden risks denting the alliance’s ability to project a united front against President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia as his forces seek to beat back a Ukrainian counteroffensive. NATO officials say the hope is to get all the alliance’s leaders to agree at the two-day summit set to begin on Tuesday in Vilnius, the Lithuanian capital, to let Sweden join. Then, the thinking goes, Mr. Erdogan and Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary can push the approval through their respective parliaments.

Persons: Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Vladimir V, Putin, Russia, Erdogan, Viktor Orban Organizations: NATO Locations: Sweden, Hungary, Turkey, Ukrainian, Vilnius, Lithuanian

☆ Biden Backed NATO Expansion, but It Won’t Be Easy
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Matthew Cullen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

President Biden welcomed Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson of Sweden at the White House today to emphasize America’s support for the Nordic nation’s swift acceptance into NATO. Sweden’s entry into NATO would be a significant blow to President Vladimir Putin of Russia, who has sought to halt the alliance’s expansion. But as the alliance prepares for a show of unity at a summit in Lithuania next week, the only major barrier is President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, a NATO ally. He has been able to block Sweden because acceptance requires unanimous consent. The U.S. has tried to placate the Turkish leader, including by supporting the sale of new F-16 fighter jets to Turkey, but Erdogan hasn’t budged.

Persons: Biden, Ulf Kristersson, Vladimir Putin of, Recep Tayyip Erdogan of, Erdogan hasn’t budged Organizations: NATO Locations: Sweden, Vladimir Putin of Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania, Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, NATO, Turkey, U.S, Stockholm

BRUSSELS, July 4 (Reuters) - NATO decided on Tuesday to extend Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg’s contract by a further year, opting to stick with an experienced leader as war rages on the alliance’s doorstep rather than try to agree on a successor. In a tweet, Stoltenberg said he was honoured by the decision to extend his term to October 1, 2024. "NATO member states have decided logically enough that the best secretary general currently on the market place is the one they already have. Others pressed the case for a first secretary general from eastern Europe. So NATO - and above all its predominant power, the United States - turned back to Stoltenberg.

Persons: Jens Stoltenberg’s, Stoltenberg, Jamie Shea, Donald Trump, Ben Wallace, Mette Frederiksen, Shea, Andrew Gray, Marine Strauss, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Peter Graff Organizations: NATO, Diplomats, House, British, Danish, European Union, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Norway, Ukraine, Russian, Europe, North America, Kyiv, Afghanistan, Balkans, Asia, United States, China, France, Vilnius, Lithuania

☆ Sweden Quran burning protest approved outside mosque
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Lindsay Isaac | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Swedish authorities approved a Quran-burning demonstration outside of a mosque in the center of Stockholm on Wednesday. The burning will coincide with the Muslim holiday of Eid-al-Adha, one of the most significant in the Islamic calendar. The decision to allow such an inflammatory protest may threaten Sweden’s chances of joining NATO, due to objections from Turkey. Earlier this year, Turkish-Swedish relations suffered a major blow following a rally outside Stockholm’s Turkish Embassy during which an anti-immigration politician set a copy of the Quran alight. The incident sparked anger in the Turkish capital, Ankara, where protesters took to the streets and burned the Swedish flag outside the Swedish embassy in response.

Persons: – Organizations: CNN, NATO, Stockholm’s, Anadolu Locations: Stockholm, Turkey, Sweden, Lithuanian, Vilnius, East, Europe, Turkish, Swedish, Stockholm’s Turkish, Ankara

Search resuls for: "Alliance’s"

25 mentions found