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Moscow aims to disrupt Ukraine's ability to export grain to world markets with a sustained campaign of attacks targeting Ukrainian Danube ports, and has attacked the port of Izmail four times this week, Ukrainian officials say. Across from Izmail, pieces apparently from a drone were found near the Romanian village of Plauru, Romanian Defense Minister Angel Tilvar said Wednesday. “In the first phase (of the war) things were calmer, but now it has come to our territory,” she said. “We are worried because nobody can guarantee that (a drone) won’t fall on our side of the river,” he said. Beyond trying to calm us down, the authorities can’t do much about it.”___Stephen McGrath reported from Sighisoara, Romania.

Persons: Angel Tilvar, Tilvar, Daniela Tanase, “, Klaus Iohannis, Iohannis, Mircea Franc, he’s, ”, Jens Stoltenberg, ” Stoltenberg, ” ___ Stephen McGrath, Lorne Cook Organizations: Romanian, European Union, Associated Press, Romania's Defense Ministry, EU, NATO Locations: BUCHAREST, Romania, Ukraine, Russian, NATO, Moscow, Izmail, Romanian, Plauru, European, Bucharest, Chilia Veche, Ukraine's, Danube Delta, Russia, ”, Sighisoara, Brussels

☆ Ukraine is gaining ground in its counter offensive, NATO chief says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"The Ukrainians are gradually gaining ground...They have been able to breach the defensive lines of the Russian forces, and they are moving forward," Stoltenberg told lawmakers in remarks at the European Parliament. Since launching its offensive, Kyiv has struggled to break through entrenched Russian lines and has faced growing criticism in Western media of concentrating forces in the wrong places. "Hardly any time in history we have seen more mines on the battlefield than we are seeing in Ukraine today. Not perhaps as much as we hoped for but they are gaining ground gradually," said the NATO chief. "Some hundred meters per day, meaning that when the Ukrainians are gaining ground, the Russians are losing ground."

Persons: Jens Stoltenberg, Stoltenberg, Sabine Siebold, Marine Strauss, Benoit Van Overstraeten Organizations: NATO, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Ukraine, Russia, Russian, Moscow

☆ Ukraine's front-line forces aren't advancing as much as 'hoped' in the face of tough Russian defenses, but they're gaining ground, about 300 feet per day, NATO chief says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Jens Stoltenberg said Ukraine is "gradually" gaining a little over 300 feet of territory every day. Moscow also constructed a formidable array of defenses known as the "Surovikin Line," which has proven to be a headache for Ukrainian forces. The main part of the Surovikin Line consists of three layers of obstacles and fighting positions and is protected in the front by minefields. Ukrainian forces have managed to carve out a pocket of liberated territory south of Orikhiv, a city in the southern Zaporizhzhia region. "When the Ukrainians are gaining ground, the Russians are losing ground," Stoltenberg said.

Persons: Jens Stoltenberg, Dmytro Kuleba, Sergey Surovikin, it's, NATO's Stoltenberg, Stoltenberg Organizations: Service, NATO, Separate, Ukrainian Armed Forces, Russian Army, 3rd Assault Brigade, Ukrainian Armed Forces Press Service, REUTERS, Kyiv Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Kyiv, Russia, Moscow, Robotyne, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Russian, Orikhiv, Azov, Bakhmut, Donetsk Region

☆ Wallace confirms resignation as UK defence minister in letter to PM Sunak
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

British Secretary of State for Defence Ben Wallace walks on Downing Street on the day of the last cabinet meeting before the summer recess, in London, Britain, July 18, 2023. REUTERS/Anna Gordon/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Ben Wallace confirmed his resignation as defence minister on Thursday in a letter to Rishi Sunak, offering the government his continued support while warning the British prime minister not to see defence as a "discretionary spend". In his official resignation letter, Wallace renewed his appeal for the government not to turn to defence to make spending cuts. Sunak praised Wallace for his work, saying in a letter in response: "You have served our country in three of the most demanding posts in government: defence secretary, security minister and Northern Ireland minister." A former captain in the British army, Wallace, 53, was appointed as defence minister in 2019 by his friend and ally, former Prime Minister Boris Johnson after holding junior ministerial roles in earlier governments.

Persons: Defence Ben Wallace, Anna Gordon, Ben Wallace, Rishi Sunak, Wallace, Jens Stoltenberg, hollowing, Sunak, Boris Johnson, Johnson, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Muvija M, Elizabeth Piper, Kate Holton, Alex Richardson Organizations: State, Defence, REUTERS, NATO, Conservative Party, Ministry of Defence, Northern, Twitter, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Ukraine, Norwegian, Northern Ireland, Russia, Kyiv

☆ Ukraine tells critics of slow counteroffensive to 'shut up'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Tom Balmforth | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/2] Ukrainian servicemen put out burning grass near their positions, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near a front line, in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine August 31, 2023. Nearly three months since launching a much vaunted counteroffensive using hundreds of billions of dollars of Western military equipment, Ukraine has recaptured more than a dozen villages but has yet to penetrate Russia's main defences. "I would recommend all critics to shut up, come to Ukraine and try to liberate one square centimetre by themselves," he said at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Spain. DRONE ATTACKS WITHIN RUSSIAUkraine has also stepped up attacks using drones on targets deep within Russia itself and in Russian-controlled territory in Ukraine. While Ukraine rarely comments directly on specific attacks inside Russia, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy appeared to boast of the Pskov attack on Thursday.

Persons: Oleksandr Ratushniak, Dmitro Kuleba, Jens Stoltenberg, Hanna Maliar, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Utkin, Prigozhin, Peter Graff, Alex Richardson Organizations: REUTERS, NATO, Russia KYIV, New York Times, Washington Post, CNN, Ukrainian, Reuters, Russia, Kremlin, Nazi, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia region, Russia, Moscow, Ukrainian, Spain, Russian, Robotyne, Western Zaporizhzhia, Novopokropivka, Kyiv, Bakhmut, RUSSIA Ukraine, Bryansk, Crimea, Pskov, St Petersburg

☆ Grant Shapps replaces Ben Wallace as UK defence minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

British Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero Grant Shapps walks on Downing Street on the day of the last cabinet meeting before the summer recess, in London, Britain, July 18, 2023. REUTERS/Anna Gordon/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Aug 31 (Reuters) - The British government named ex-energy secretary Grant Shapps as the country's new defence minister on Thursday, replacing Ben Wallace who said he wanted to step down after four years in the role and would quit as a lawmaker at the next national election. Wallace, who had been touted as a potential successor to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, had taken a leading role in shaping Britain's response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year. The defence role will be Shapps' fifth government job over the last year, after serving in four different ministries - transport, interior affairs, business and then at energy and net zero. ($1 = 0.7872 pounds)Reporting by Muvija M, Editing by Kylie MacLellanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Grant Shapps, Anna Gordon, Ben Wallace, Wallace, Jens Stoltenberg, Britain, Muvija, Kylie MacLellan Organizations: State for Energy Security, REUTERS, NATO, Ukraine, Russia, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, British, Ukraine

☆ NATO official admits comments on Ukraine giving up territory to gain membership were a 'mistake'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Stian Jenssen (left), Director of the Private Office of the NATO Secretary General, talks to the NATO Deputy Secretary General, Mircea Geoana during the informal meeting of NATO Ministers of foreign affairs on May 15, 2022 in Berlin, Germany. NATO official Stian Jenssen on Wednesday said comments he made the previous day regarding Ukraine ceding land in order to gain membership in the military alliance were a "mistake." Jenssen said during a panel debate in Arendal, Norway, "I think that a solution could be for Ukraine to give up territory, and get NATO membership in return," Norwegian newspaper VG reported Tuesday. A NATO press officer directed CNBC to the new VG article when asked for a statement from Jenssen, who is director of the private office of NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. His words appeared to be criticized by Ukrainian presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak on social media, who called the concept of giving up territory for NATO membership "ridiculous."

Persons: Stian Jenssen, Mircea Geoana, Jenssen, Jens Stoltenberg, Mykhailo Podolyak Organizations: NATO, VG, CNBC Locations: Berlin, Germany, Ukraine, Arendal, Norway, Kyiv

☆ US to send Kyiv first $200 mln of arms freed by $6.2 bln 'accounting error'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Mike Stone | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Wolfgang... Read moreWASHINGTON, Aug 7 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden's administration will announce $200 million of new weapons aid for Ukraine as soon as Tuesday, U.S. officials told Reuters, as it begins to dole out $6.2 billion of funds discovered after a Pentagon accounting error over-valued billions of Ukraine aid, two U.S. officials said on Monday. Ukraine needs weaponry that can be shipped from U.S. stocks in a matter of days or weeks so it can keep up its fight to repel Russia's invasion - the accounting error worked to Kyiv's benefit because more equipment can be sent. Washington is currently working on a supplemental budget request to continue to aid Kyiv, the U.S. officials said. Tuesday's expected announcement of $200 million would be the first tranche of the $6.2 billion windfall of previously authorized Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), the officials said. Reporting by Mike Stone in Washington; Editing by David GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Boris Pistorius, Lloyd Austin, Jens Stoltenberg, Wolfgang, Read, Joe Biden's, Tuesday's, Lockheed Martin, Mike Stone, David Gregorio Our Organizations: German, NATO, Ramstein Air Base, REUTERS, Reuters, Pentagon, Lockheed, Lockheed Martin Corp, Patriot, RTX Corp, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, U.S, Ramstein, Miesenbach, Germany, WASHINGTON, Kyiv, Washington

☆ Ukraine has tested its allies' patience with its military strategy and demands
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

The phrase "whatever it takes" has become a mantra often repeated at public gatherings of allies assessing the war and the military needs of Ukraine. Most recently, tensions have emerged over Ukraine's military strategy and demands on NATO. And by threatening to boycott the summit, Zelenskyy had played a risky strategy, Shea noted, potentially setting the meeting up for failure. The key thing is to manage that [discrepancy] and prevent it doing lasting damage, and I think the Vilnius summit at least managed to prevent it doing lasting damage." Ukraine's military strategy — and the symbolic value it has put on fighting for every piece of Ukrainian territory — has sometimes collided with its allies' military perspective and pragmatism.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, Gitanas Nauseda, Pedro Sanchez, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Joe Biden, Giorgia Meloni, Jens Stoltenberg, —, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ben Wallace, Ludovic Marin, didn't, Zelenskyy, Washington, Biden, Jamie Shea, Shea, Beata Zawrzel, wasn't, they're Organizations: Spain's, Joe Biden Italy's, NATO, NATO Summit, Getty, Ukraine's, Kyiv, Britain's, AFP, Washington Post, CNBC, White, Ukraine, Emerging, LITEXPO Lithuanian, Center, Nurphoto, Bakhmut, Libkos Locations: Ukraine, Vilnius, Lithuania, Kyiv, Russia, U.S, Washington, London, United States, Soviet, Donetsk

☆ Zelenskiy wants NATO-Ukraine Council to meet over Black Sea grain issue
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 22 (Reuters) - Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday he had asked the head of NATO to convene a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council to discuss security in the Black Sea, particularly the operation of a corridor for Ukrainian grain exports. Russia said ships heading to Ukraine's Black Sea ports could be considered military targets. "In our cooperation, we have moved to a new, more advanced level, the NATO-Ukraine Council, and this mechanism can have an impact," Zelenskiy said. We can overcome the security crisis in the Black Sea." The United Nations' aid chief told the U.N. Security Council on Friday that a spike in grain prices since Russia quit the deal "potentially threatens hunger and worse for millions of people."

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Jens Stoltenberg, Jens, Ron Popeski, Nick Starkov, Paul Simao Organizations: NATO, Ukraine Council, United Nations, . Security, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Russia

☆ Berlin aims to have "best equipped" NATO army division in Europe in 2025
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Sabine Siebold | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Heiko BeckerBERLIN, July 17 (Reuters) - Germany is confident it will have the best equipped army division amongst European NATO allies in 2025, Army Chief Alfons Mais told Reuters, as countries are scrambling to gear up their troops in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. At the moment, Berlin does not have a single combat-ready division, a military unit comprising more than 20,000 troops. It aims to have the first of three divisions operational by 2025, with the second to follow in 2027. "It will be sufficient, in any case, to contribute the best equipped division of all European NATO partners in 2025. "But supporting Ukraine is more important right now than establishing a division, as NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has stressed," he underlined.

Persons: Boris Pistorius, Heiko Becker BERLIN, Alfons Mais, Mais, Jens Stoltenberg, Olaf Scholz, Sabine Siebold, Emma, Victoria Farr, David Evans Organizations: German, Bundeswehr, REUTERS, NATO, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Hammelburg, Germany, Ukraine, Berlin, Dutch, Iraq, Afghanistan, Kyiv

☆ UK Defense Minister Wallace to step down as lawmaker at next election
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

British defense minister Ben Wallace will not stand as a member of parliament (MP) in the next UK national election, and will leave government when Prime Minister Rishi Sunak carries out his next cabinet reshuffle, he told The Sunday Times newspaper. He has been defense secretary for four years, helping lead Britain's response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The newspaper said Wallace told Sunak his plans on June 16 but had hoped to make the announcement over the summer before leaks forced his hand. In the interview, Wallace said his greatest concern was the danger of military conflict with Russia, accidental or otherwise. Whether it is a cold or a warm conflict, I think we'll be in a difficult position," he said.

Persons: Ben Wallace, Rishi Sunak, Wallace, I'm, Sunak, Jens Stoltenberg, Putin, He's, he's Organizations: Sunday Times, Conservative, Preston North, Sunak, NATO Locations: Wyre, England, Ukraine, Britain, Russia

☆ UK defence minister Wallace to step down as lawmaker at next election
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Summary Wallace has been defence minister for four yearsHelped lead UK response to Russia's invasion of UkraineWallace warns Britain faces more conflict this decadeLONDON, July 15 (Reuters) - British defence minister Ben Wallace will not stand as a member of parliament (MP) in the next UK national election, and will leave government when Prime Minister Rishi Sunak carries out his next cabinet reshuffle, he told The Sunday Times newspaper. He has been defence secretary for four years, helping lead Britain's response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The newspaper said Wallace told Sunak his plans on June 16 but had hoped to make the announcement over the summer before leaks forced his hand. In the interview, Wallace said his greatest concern was the danger of military conflict with Russia, accidental or otherwise. Whether it is a cold or a warm conflict, I think we’ll be in a difficult position," he said.

Persons: Wallace, Ukraine Wallace, Ben Wallace, Rishi Sunak, I'm, Sunak, Jens Stoltenberg, Putin, ” Wallace, “ He’s, he’s, James Davey, David Holmes, Christina Fincher Organizations: Sunday Times, Conservative, Preston North, Sunak, NATO, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Wyre, England, Britain, Russia

☆ Fact Check-Handelsblatt cover of cartoon Volodymyr Zelenskiy reaching toward NATO door is fake
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A fabricated German newspaper cover featuring a cartoon of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy reaching toward a door that is out of his reach and marked with a NATO emblem is circulating online. The door is attached to a stick which, in turn, is attached to a band around Zelenskiy’s head, making the door out of reach. Sebastian Matthes, editor-in-chief of Handelsblatt, told Reuters that the image shows a fake cover. The front cover circulating online cannot be seen when conducting a search via the newspaper’s social media channels (www.facebook.com/handelsblatt), (twitter.com/handelsblatt/), (here). The fabricated cover began circulating as Zelenskiy attended a NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, this week (here).

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Jens Stoltenberg, “, Sebastian Matthes, Handelsblatt, Zelenskiy, Read Organizations: NATO, Reuters Locations: Vilnius, Lithuania

☆ A newly surfaced image of Prigozhin hints at where the Wagner boss may have finally ended up after his failed mutiny
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

But a new photo of the mercenary boss offers a hint that he may be at a military camp in Belarus. A Skyfi satellite image of the training base at Tsel outside Asipovichy in Belarus where Wagner forces are training Belarusian troops. But the new image of Prigozhin suggests that he may be at the same military camp where his Wagner mercenaries are training Belarusian soldiers. The windows in the photo appear to match those on tents at the military camp being used by Wagner and Belarusian soldiers. Although the rebellion left questions about where Wagner fighters would end up, US officials have since said that they aren't fighting in Ukraine anymore.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Jens Stoltenberg, Adam Berry, ALEXANDER NEMENOV, Belta, Wagner's, Alexander Lukashenko, — Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin, Prigozin, —, Prigozhin, It's Organizations: Service, Wagner Group, Belarussian, NATO, Belarusian Defence Ministry, Getty, PMC Wagner, Kremlin, Twitter, Ukrainian, Pentagon, Bakhmut, Russian Armed Forces Locations: Belarus, Minsk, Wall, Silicon, Belarusian, Moscow, Tsel, Asipovichy district, Asipovichy, Asipovichy District, Mogilev Region, AFP, Russian, St . Petersburg, Ukraine

☆ Analysis: NATO's crucial summit in Vilnius nearly came off the rails and gave Russia a PR victory
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been pushing for a clear path to join NATO for some time. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty ImagesWestern officials and diplomats, however, hoped that the issue would not be the focus of this week’s summit. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, second left, and Lithuania's President Gitanas Nauseda, second right, address the public during an event on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, Tuesday, July 11, 2023. All of which created room for speculation about NATO’s unity, and allowed its adversaries to call the summit a failure. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (C) poses for an official family photo with the participants of the NATO Summit in Vilnius on July 11, 2023.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, Joe Biden, Andrew Caballero, Reynolds, Zelensky, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Gitanas Nauseda, Pavel Golovkin, Ben Wallace, ”, ” Brett Bruen, Obama, “, Jens Stoltenberg, Odd Andersen, There’s, David van Weel, – Organizations: CNN, NATO, Ukraine, Getty, Ukraine's, British, USA, ”, NATO “ Locations: Lithuanian, Vilnius, Sweden, Turkey, Brussels, Ukraine, AFP, Russia, Lithuania, Russian, America, Vilnius –, Washington

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

☆ 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

☆ China lashes back at NATO criticism, warns it will protect its rights
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"The PRC's malicious hybrid and cyber operations and its confrontational rhetoric and disinformation target Allies and harm Alliance security." NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters at the summit that while China was not a NATO "adversary", it was increasingly challenging the rules-based international order with its "coercive behaviour." "Any act that jeopardises China's legitimate rights and interests will be met with a resolute response," it said. In the communique, NATO also said China sought to control key technological and industrial sectors, critical infrastructure, and strategic materials and supply chains, and that Beijing also used its economic leverage to create strategic dependencies and enhance its influence. Reporting by Liz Lee and Ryan Woo; Editing by Tom Hogue and Michael PerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Jens Stoltenberg, Fumio Kishida, Yoon Suk Yeol, Kishida, Liz Lee, Ryan Woo, Tom Hogue, Michael Perry Organizations: NATO, Alliance, South, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Beijing, China, Asia, Pacific, Lithuanian, Vilnius, People's Republic of China, NATO, Ukraine, Taiwan, East Asia, Japan, Tokyo

☆ 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

☆ Opinion: As NATO shows unity, Putin has himself to thank
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Opinion Frida Ghitis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

One was taking control of Ukraine, which he claimed has no right to exist; the other was weakening NATO. Russia’s unprovoked invasion of its neighbor strengthened Ukrainians’ sense of nationhood and led to the expansion of NATO on Russia’s border. Putin can still take some solace in the intense disagreements inside NATO prior to the summit over whether or not Ukraine should be granted membership. There’s a strong case to be made that if Ukraine joins while Russia’s invasion continues, NATO allies could be required to enter the war. The argument that Ukraine should not be allowed into NATO because it would provoke Putin holds little sway.

Persons: Frida Ghitis, Vladimir Putin, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Putin, Jens Stoltenberg, Ukraine “, Volodymyr Zelensky’s, “ We’re, Joe Biden, ”, Zelensky, CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, Biden, That’s, outlast Putin, “ Putin, Erdogan’s, Erdogan, Turkey’s, Yevgeny Prigozhin Organizations: CNN, Washington Post, Politics, NATO, Frida Ghitis CNN, Nordic, European, Kremlin, Kyiv, US, Zelensky, Twitter, Azov Locations: Vilnius, Lithuania, Turkish, Sweden, Ukraine, Finland, Russia, Russia’s, Ukrainian, Russian, Kyiv, Moscow, Central Europe, Kremlin, Istanbul, Turkey, Mariupol

☆ Secretive and highly paid submariners are behind some of Russia's most worrying undersea operations
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Constantine Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Known as GUGI, the directorate is responsible for conducting sabotage and surveillance against critical maritime infrastructure, including undersea cables and energy pipelines. NATO's intelligence chief warned this year that Russia could attempt to sabotage undersea cables in retaliation for Western support of Ukraine. Yantar, the special-purpose survey ship, was spotted lingering near undersea cables west of Ireland in 2021. "We know that Russia has the capacity to map but also potentially to conduct actions against critical infrastructure," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters on June 16. "That's also the reason why we have, for many years, addressed the vulnerability of critical undersea infrastructure."

Persons: Sidharth Kaushal, Kaushal, GUGI, OLGA MALTSEVA, Sutton, Andrey Luzik, Jens Stoltenberg, That's, Stoltenberg, Constantine Atlamazoglou Organizations: NATO, Service, Directorate, Russian Ministry of Defense, Submarine, Royal United Services Institute, Getty, Barents Observer, Russia Ministry of Defense, US Navy, Norwegian Coast Guard, OLE BERG, NATO Maritime Centre, Fletcher School of Law, LinkedIn, Twitter Locations: Wall, Silicon, Russia, GUGI, British, St . Petersburg, AFP, Belgorod, Moscow, Olenya, Baltic, Severomorsk, Europe, Ukraine, Ireland, GUGI's St, Petersburg

[1/3] Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg meet during a NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania July 12, 2023. REUTERS/Yves HermanTOKYO, July 12 (Reuters) - Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Wednesday he welcomed that Japan and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) had agreed on a new partnership programme, ahead of his attendance at the NATO Vilnius summit. At a joint announcement with NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg, Kishida said he looked forward to furthering cooperation in new areas including cyber-security, and hoped to deepen cooperation with NATO as it increases its engagement with the Indo-Pacific. The new partnership programme comes as NATO explores a deeper engagement with Asia while China increases its military presence. China has lashed out at a communique issued by NATO during its two-day summit in Lithuania's capital Vilnius claiming that China challenged the military alliance's interests, security, and values.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Jens Stoltenberg, Yves Herman TOKYO, Kishida, Stoltenberg, Sakura Murakami, Kentaro Sugiyama, Michael Perry Organizations: NATO, REUTERS, Japan's, Atlantic Treaty Organization, Thomson Locations: Vilnius, Lithuania, Japan, NATO Vilnius, Asia, China, North Korea, Europe, Lithuania's

"Today there are security guarantees for Ukraine on the way to NATO," he said. "The Ukraine delegation is bringing home a significant security victory for Ukraine." Speaking earlier alongside Zelenskiy, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Ukraine was closer to the alliance than ever before, and brushed aside new warnings from Russia about the consequences of supporting Ukraine. The security assurances for Ukraine had to be "credible", he said, in order to deter Russia from future attacks. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was "potentially very dangerous" for the West to give Ukraine security guarantees.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Joe Biden, we're, Biden, Zelenskiy, Jens Stoltenberg, Rishi Sunak, Yves Herman, Stoltenberg, Dmitry Peskov, Dmitry Medvedev, Vladimir Putin, John Irish, Steve Holland, Justyna Pawlak, Sabine Siebold, Andrew Gray, Max Hunder, Gabriela Baczynska, Matthias Williams, Alex Richardson, William Maclean Organizations: Ukraine Ukrainian, Ukraine, NATO, Kyiv, U.S, British, REUTERS, Zelenskiy, Twitter, Thomson Locations: United States, Ukraine, U.S, VILNIUS, Russia, Russian, Germany, Japan, France, Canada, Italy, Britain, Zelenskiy, Vilnius, Lithuania, Budapest, Moscow, Netherlands, NATO, Kyiv, Soviet Union, Washington, Berlin, Europe

☆ Video captures the disarming of Wagner in the aftermath of its mutiny, showing the Russian military now has its T-90 tanks and other heavy weapons
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Russia's defense ministry said it has disarmed the Wagner Group, which launched a failed mutiny a few weeks ago. A video shared by Moscow shows a vast collection of weapons, tanks, artillery pieces, and more. Russia's defense ministry published a video to Telegram on Wednesday that shows a massive collection of military equipment Moscow claims to have received from Wagner Group units. Wheeled vehicles arrive on their own," Russia's defense ministry said. A Pentagon spokesperson told reporters in late June that the US had, at the time, observed "elements" of the Wagner Group in the Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine.

Persons: Wagner, Russia's, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Stringer, Alexander Lukashenko, —, Vladimir Putin, Don, Putin, Jens Stoltenberg, meanwhile Organizations: Wagner Group, Service, Russian Armed Forces, Southern Military District, REUTERS, Kremlin, Belarusian, Don REUTERS, Pentagon, NATO, Wagner Locations: Moscow, Wall, Silicon, Russia, Ukraine, Rostov, Don, Prigozhin, Belarus, Minsk, Russian

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