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That initiative follows a visit to Japan by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in January when he said the lessons China was learning from Ukraine could influence its decisions. NATO documents have begun to reflect concern about China, East Asia and the Indo-Pacific, but Japan needs to deepen its awareness of those issues, a Japanese official involved in discussions about NATO ties said. Diplomats from two European NATO countries who spoke to Reuters said unease in the alliance about a Tokyo office went beyond France. Another Japanese official involved in preparations for Kishida's NATO visit said the idea of a NATO office in Japan had nothing to do with China, but that is how it became framed, and each NATO country has its own relations with China. Under Yoon, South Korea has set up a liaison office with NATO in Brussels and has embraced a call for unity among like-minded countries.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, ”, Michito Tsuruoka, Kishida, Jens Stoltenberg, Emmanuel Macron's, Yoon Suk Yeol, Yoon, Anthony Albanese, We’ll, Albanese, Sakura Murakami, Tim Kelly, John Irish, Josh Smith, Praveen Menon Organizations: NATO, Atlantic Treaty Organization, Keio University, NATO's, Diplomats, Reuters, Japanese, SYDNEY South, Australian, Asia Pacific, Ukraine, Sky News, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Lithuania, Ukraine, Asia, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, U.S, Europe, Russia, NATO, East Asia, China, Taiwan, North Korea, Lithuania's, Vilnius, Tokyo, France, Brussels, Danish, SEOUL, Poland, Paris, Seoul, Sydney

☆ Opinion: Whatever happened to Mutually Assured Destruction?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( David A. Andelman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

On June 14, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko announced that his country had taken delivery of the first of a collection of tactical nuclear weapons from Russia. Belarus has both a nuclear arsenal and a president who for decades has quietly played the role of Putin’s lap dog. And indeed, in a press conference Thursday in Minsk, he did claim to being in lockstep with Putin — adding that the nuclear weapons were for defensive purposes only. In the same press conference, Lukashenko nodded to the fact that those nuclear weapons were under Russia’s control. “In the early ’60s American officials worried that the Soviet Union would launch a less-than-all-out attack, reasoning that the US would not respond in a way that might trigger Armageddon,” he said.

Persons: David A, David Andelman, Bill Clinton, Boris Yeltsin, Ukraine’s Leonid Kuchma, Alexander Lukashenko, Putin, Lukashenko nodded, “, Joe Biden, Jens Stoltenberg, Kaja Kallas, Stoltenberg, nukes, Izumi Nakamitsu, Donald Trump, Biden, Vladimir Putin, Antony Blinken, crouch, ” Michael Mandelbaum, ”, Mandelbaum, – Vladimir Putin, hewing Organizations: CNN, French Legion of, The New York Times, CBS News, Soviet Union, Warsaw, David Andelman CNN, NATO, Belarus, Ukraine, Security Council, Nuclear Forces, Treaty, Twitter, Facebook, Johns Hopkins School, International, American Foreign, Power, MAD Locations: Russia, Europe, Soviet, Ukraine, Soviet Union, Crimea, Belarus, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Minsk, lockstep, Vilnius, Lithuania, Brussels, Moscow, Russian

☆ What would happen if Ukraine joined NATO?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Following are the steps that Ukraine has taken on its way to NATO membership, a possible compromise over the next steps - and Russia's view of the developments. AN UNMAPPED PATHIn 2008, NATO agreed at a Bucharest summit that Ukraine - which was part of the Moscow-ruled Soviet Union until its 1991 demise - could eventually join the alliance. Moscow then illegally annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and backed separatist proxies in eastern Ukraine. It is cited as one of the main reasons why Ukraine cannot join NATO while in conflict with Russia, as this might immediately draw the alliance into an active war. Moscow has said it would cause problems for many years to come if Ukraine joined NATO and has warned of an unspecified response to ensure its security.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Jens Stoltenberg, Stoltenberg, Ukraine's, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Sabine Siebold, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: NATO, Russia, Kyiv, Atlantic Treaty Organization, Soviet Union, West, NATO's, Kremlin, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Ukraine, Moscow, Washington, London, Russia, Vilnius, United States, Germany, Russian, Russia's, Bucharest, Soviet, Crimea, Kyiv, NATO, Europe, Finland, Sweden, Britain, NATO's Washington Treaty

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 will not get Turkey's nod for NATO bid unless it stops sheltering 'terrorists' -Erdogan
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ANKARA, July 3 (Reuters) - Turkey will not lift its opposition to Sweden joining NATO unless it stops harbouring groups Ankara considers to be terrorists, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday. Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership last year, ditching long-held policies of military non-alignment after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Applications for membership must be approved by all NATO members, but Turkey and Hungary have yet to clear Sweden's bid. Turkey expects Sweden to stop harbouring members of both groups, Erdogan said in a speech after a cabinet meeting. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg last month said that Sweden and Turkey would convene a high level meeting in Brussels on the possible accession of Sweden to NATO before the alliance's summit in Vilnius this month.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, Jens Stoltenberg, Eid, Huseyin Hayatsever, Ezgi, William Maclean Organizations: NATO, Kurdistan Workers ' Party, Thomson Locations: ANKARA, Turkey, Sweden, Ankara, Finland, Ukraine, Hungary, Kurdistan, Stockholm, Madrid, Brussels, Vilnius

☆ Angered by counteroffensive complaints, Ukraine's top general says the expected mission is 'not feasible at all' with just the weapons his army has now
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

But Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Kyiv's top general, doesn't want to hear complaints that it's moving too slow. The pace is grinding in some sectors of the front, but Kyiv's top general says he doesn't want to hear complaints it's going too slow. Kyiv's military is currently undergoing several offensive maneuvers along the front lines in the eastern and southern regions and has made small — but, at times, costly — territorial gains in the process. Armed with the right missiles, these aircraft could help support Ukraine's air defenses and inflict damage on Russian positions at range. "So we just need to continue to support Ukraine and ensure that Ukraine prevails as a sovereign independent nation in Europe."

Persons: Valerii, —, it's, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Zaluzhnyi, Sasha Maslov, Ukraine doesn't, Neskucne, Ercin Erturk, Biden, Pat Ryder, Mark Milley, there's, GENYA SAVILOV, wishlist, Jens Stoltenberg, We'll, Stoltenberg Organizations: Washington Post, Service, Ukraine, Ukraine's Armed Forces, Ukrainian Air Assault Forces, Washington, Getty, NATO, Ukraine's, Pentagon, Russia, Ukrainian Army, Anadolu Agency, Getty Images, Army Tactical Missile, Artillery, Street, Pentagon Press, Air Force, Joint Chiefs, Staff Locations: Ukraine, Russian, British, Russia, Storojove, Donetsk, ATACMS, Ukrainian, Avdiivka, AFP, Denmark, Netherlands, Europe, Lithuania

☆ Analysis: Canada pressured by allies to up military spending
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Steve Scherer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The 2022 average spending for all of NATO was 2.58% of GDP. "We say nice things but do not invest," said the former defense official, and allies now say: "Show us the money." And you don’t get elected in Canada by promising to increase defense spending." The move is allies telling Canada: "We don't want to hear the words anymore. David Perry, President of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, also said it was time for Canada to step up.

Persons: Justin Trudeau, Jens Stoltenberg, Adam Scotti, I'd, Daniel Minden, Anita Anand, Roland Paris, Trudeau, don’t, Christyn, David Perry, Steve Scherer, Denny Thomas, Grant McCool Organizations: Canada's, NATO, Canadian Forces CF, Minister's, REUTERS, Canada, OTTAWA, Canadian, Atlantic Treaty Organization, Forces, University of Ottawa, Trudeau's Liberal, Lockheed Martin Corp, North American Aerospace Defense Command, NORAD, Washington Post, HIGH, Canadian Association of Defence, Security Industries, Canadian Global Affairs Institute, Thomson Locations: CFB Cold Lake, Cold Lake , Alberta, Canada, China, Russia, Ukraine, NATO, Lithuania, Pacific, Australia

☆ Shocked by the speed of the Wagner revolt, Russia's neighbors want to beef up NATO's eastern flank
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Petras Malukas | Afp | Getty ImagesThe fallout of the Wagner Group's short-lived armed rebellion has raised the alarm among Europe's Baltic countries. Speaking alongside his counterparts from Latvia and Estonia on Tuesday, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said that the speed of the Wagner uprising underscored the strategic importance of strengthening NATO's eastern flank. Germany has offered to send around 4,000 troops to Lithuania on a permanent basis to bolster NATO's eastern flank. Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February last year had already fueled concerns about the regional security of the Baltic region. Regional security concernsLatvia Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics described the Wagner rebellion as an example of "one evil fighting another evil."

Persons: Griffin, Silvestras, Petras Malukas, Wagner, Vladimir Putin's, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Alexander Lukashenko, Prigozhin, Gabrielius Landsbergis, Landsbergis, Malukas, Catherine Colonna, Jens Stoltenberg, Russia's, Mario Bikarski, Federica Reccia, Edgars Rinkevics, Rinkevics, Wagner Group's, Vladimir Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Gavriil Grigorov Organizations: Afp, Getty, Belarusian, Lithuanian, NATO, French, European Union, Economist Intelligence Unit, CNBC, Latvia, AFP Locations: Lithuanian, Pabrade, Lithuania, Baltic, Moscow, Latvia, Estonia, Russia, Paris, Belarus, Estonian, Germany, Vilnius, Ukraine, Belarusian, Russian

☆ East Europe NATO allies say Wagner troops in Belarus spell trouble
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Anthony Deutsch | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

It requires a very, very tough answer of NATO," Polish President Andrzej Duda added. Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin arrived in Belarus on Tuesday under a deal negotiated by President Alexander Lukashenko that ended the mercenaries' mutiny in Russia on Saturday. "We have sent a clear message to Moscow and Minsk that NATO is there to protect every ally, every inch of NATO territory," Stoltenberg said. Poland's Duda said he hoped the threat posed by Wagner forces would be on the agenda at a summit of all 31 NATO members in Vilnius, Lithuania, July 11-12. Reporting by Bart Meijer and Anthony Deutsch; editing by Jonathan Oatis and David GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Jens Stoltenberg, Wagner, Gitanas Nauseda, Stoltenberg, Andrzej Duda, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Alexander Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin, Alexander De Croo, Mark Rutte, Klaus Iohannis, Jonas Gahr, Read, NATO's Stoltenberg, Poland's Duda, Bart Meijer, Anthony Deutsch, Jonathan Oatis, David Gregorio Our Organizations: HAGUE, NATO, Albania's, Edi Rama, Dutch, Thomson Locations: Russian, Belarus, The Hague, Russia, Belgian, Lithuanian, Norwegian, Moscow, Minsk, Ukraine, Vilnius, Lithuania

☆ Wagner Group shot down 6 Russian helicopters and a plane during its mini rebellion, Ukraine says, weakening Putin's air force at a time when it could prove critical
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Wagner forces destroyed six Russian helicopters and a plane amid its short rebellion, Ukraine says. It's too soon to see how the chaos between Wagner and the Russian military establishment will affect things on the ground, she said. In one year of defending against Russia, Ukraine had shot down about 30 of Russia's helicopters, Forbes reported in February. At that time, Russia had about 300 helicopters — around half of them attack helicopters — based near its western borders, The Kyiv Post reported. As the recent chaos unfolded in Russia, Ukraine said it had managed to push forward in its counteroffensive.

Persons: Wagner, —, Yevgeny Prigozhin's, Yurii, Ihnat, Prigozhin, Hanna Malyar, It's, Nazar, Forbes, Jens Stoltenberg, Putin Organizations: Service, Group, Kyiv Independent, Ukrainian Air Force, Ukraine, Kremlin, Associated Press, Agence France, Russia, Kyiv Post, Guardian, NATO Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Russian, Moscow, Belarus, Ukrainian, Bakhmut

☆ Germany ready for permanent brigade presence in NATO member Lithuania
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"Germany stands by its commitment as a NATO member, as Europe's biggest economy, to stand up for the protection of the eastern flank," Pistorius said during a visit to Vilnius on Monday, without giving a timeline. "Precondition (for the deployment) is that the necessary infrastructure is in place," he told reporters on a visit to Lithuania. Germany already leads NATO's multi-national battlegroup in Lithuania, a reinforced battalion of some 1,000 troops, meant to strengthen the alliance's eastern flank. Beyond this, a German brigade is on stand-by in Germany to rapidly reinforce troops in Lithuania if needed. Vilnius, however, has long demanded the permanent presence of a full German brigade.

Persons: Pistorius, NATO's, Jens Stoltenberg, Sabine Siebold, Matthias Williams, Frank Jack Daniel Our Organizations: NATO, NATO battlegroup, Thomson Locations: BERLIN, Germany, Lithuania, Ukraine, Vilnius, Berlin, Russia

☆ Putin's embattled defense minister Shoigu appeared in a video released after the Wagner mutiny that experts say is confusing and feels off
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russian defense chief Shoigu appeared in a video released after the Wagner Group's armed rebellion. Moscow published the video purportedly showing Shoigu in Ukraine, though its unclear when it was filmed. Some Russian milblogger channels have arrived at the same conclusion, that the video of Shoigu was older footage. Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of the notorious Wagner mercenary organization, has long criticized Moscow's military leadership over its handling of the war in Ukraine. Russia denied the allegations, but it didn't stop Prigozhin from openly encouraging his mercenaries to take up arms against the defense ministry in open rebellion.

Persons: Shoigu, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin's, —, Sergei Shoigu, General Yevgeny Nikiforov, Yevgeny Nikiforov's, Sergei Shoigu's, Jimmy Rushton, Mark Krutov, Yevgeny Nikiforov, I'm, Dara Massicot, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Valery Gerasimov, Russia's, Moscow's, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Don, Stringer, Vladimir Putin's, Putin, he's, Antony Blinken, Jens Stoltenberg Organizations: Service, Russian Defense, Wagner Group, Russian Ministry of Defence, Twitter, Radio Free, Radio Liberty's, Russian Ministry of Defense, RAND Corporation, Prigozhin Press Service, Prigozhin Press, Associated Press, Don REUTERS, Stringer Western, ABC News, NATO, Ukraine Locations: Moscow, Ukraine, Russian, Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty's Russia, Shoigu, Rostov, Don, Russia, Belarus, Ukrainian, Kyiv

☆ Wagner mutiny shows Moscow's 'big strategic mistake' in attacking Kyiv - NATO
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, June 26 (Reuters) - The aborted mutiny by Russia's Wagner mercenary group at the weekend demonstrates the weakness of the Russian leadership and the scale of the Kremlin's strategic mistake in waging war on Ukraine, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday. Their commander, Yevgeny Prigozhin, was to move to Belarus under the deal mediated by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, the Kremlin said. "It demonstrates the fragility the Russian regime but it is not for NATO to intervene in those issues, that's a Russian matter." Stoltenberg said NATO was monitoring the situation in Belarus and, again, condemned Moscow's announcement to deploy nuclear weapons there. He described the drills as a clear message that NATO was ready to defend every inch of allied territory.

Persons: Russia's Wagner, Jens Stoltenberg, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Alexander Lukashenko, Vladimir, Putin, Stoltenberg, that's, groping, Mikhail Mishustin, Putin's, Sabine Siebold, Bart Meijer, Alison Williams, Conor Humphries, Alex Richardson Organizations: NATO, Ukraine, NATO battlegroup, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Ukraine, Russia, Moscow, Russian, Rostov, Belarus, Crimea, Lithuania, NATO's

☆ Analysis: From 'brain death' to innovator, the Ukraine war has transformed NATO
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Even before the invasion, NATO officials noted a rise in non-conventional warfare aimed at Ukraine and other Western targets. “Russia claims that NATO promised never to expand to the east after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg (left) and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky meet in Kyiv, Ukraine, on April 20, 2023. Without engaging Russia, NATO has enabled Ukraine to try some of the things NATO would like to do but politically cannot do. But the alliance’s unity has been one of the least expected and most welcome aspects of the West’s response to the war in Ukraine.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Emmanuel Macron, ”, hasn’t, ” David van Weel, ” van Weel, Anatolii Stepanov, van Weel, Keir Giles, ” Giles, Peter Caddick, Adams, Jens Stoltenberg, Volodymyr Zelensky, DIANA, Emmanuel Dunand, Giles, “, ” Caddick, Macron Organizations: CNN, NATO, Kremlin, Emerging, Mechanized Brigade, Getty, NATO’s Brussels, Chatham, Presidential Press Service, Reuters, NATO Innovation Fund, Limited Partners, GPS, France's, White House Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Soviet Union, Bakhmut, Donetsk, AFP, London, China, Kyiv, Sweden, Paris, Macron, Europe

☆ Fact Check-No evidence photo of man in military fatigues and a Union Jack patch is a ‘NATO mercenary’
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A photo of four men in military fatigues, including one who has a British Union Jack patch on his arm, has been falsely claimed online to be proof that NATO mercenaries are fighting in Ukraine. It’s captioned: “A group of NATO mercenaries in British uniforms were captured yesterday in Zaporozhye region, Russia. It’s also not unusual for Ukrainian soldiers to be seen in British military gear. Reuters also reported in 2022 that Ukrainian fighters were purchasing British military surplus here. The photo dates to May 2022 and shows Ukrainian prisoners of war.

Persons: British Union Jack, It’s, fatigues, Jens Stoltenberg, Read Organizations: NATO, Twitter, Facebook, Reuters, RIA, Donetsk People’s, UN Locations: British Union, Ukraine, Zaporozhye region, Russia, ”, Donetsk, Donetsk People’s Republic

CNN —It appears increasingly likely that the 31 NATO members will be unable to coalesce around a candidate to be the alliance’s next secretary general and Jens Stoltenberg will be asked to remain in the job for an additional year, multiple sources told CNN. Biden and Stoltenberg met in the Oval Office last week, where the topic of his succession was expected to arise. White House officials have declined to say whether the president asked Stoltenberg to remain in job. “The current Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has been, in President Biden’s eyes, a remarkable leader,” Blinken said. “There are also some rather extraordinary people now who people were talking about as the next secretary general.

Persons: Jens Stoltenberg, Mette Frederiksen, Ben Wallace, Joe Biden, Stoltenberg, “, ”, Antony Blinken, Biden, I’ve, Blinken, ” “, General Jens Stoltenberg, Biden’s, ” Blinken Organizations: CNN, NATO, Danish, British, United Locations: Ukraine, United States, Norwegian, London

☆ Factbox: Who are the forces involved in Ukraine's counteroffensive?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Tom Balmforth | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Here's what we know about the new Ukrainian units. TWELVE BRIGADESNATO allies and partners helped Ukraine equip and train nine new armoured brigades for the counteroffensive, the military alliance's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg confirmed in April. By April, Ukrainian units had received more than 1,550 armoured vehicles, 230 tanks, other equipment and vast amounts of ammunition, Stoltenberg said. In mid-May, one Russian military blog noted a buildup of Ukrainian forces and equipment in southeastern Zaporizhzhia region and the neighbouring Dnipropetrovsk region, estimating Kyiv's troop numbers at 50,000-55,000. ARE ANY OF THESE UNITS FIGHTING YET?

Persons: Jens Stoltenberg, Stoltenberg, Ihor Klymenko, Kara Dag, Chervona, Valerii Markus, Jaeger, Tom Balmforth, Hugh Lawson Organizations: NATO, Steel, Hurricane, Reuters, Bradley, 35th Marine Brigade, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, U.S, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, Azov, Crimea, Russia, Ukrainian

☆ Putin warns NATO over being drawn into Ukraine war, says Russia has more nukes
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( Zahid Mahmood | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned there is a “serious danger” of NATO being drawn further into the Ukraine war if members of the alliance continue to supply military weaponry to Kyiv. “NATO, of course, is being drawn into the war in Ukraine, what are we talking here,” Putin said at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on Friday. While Ukraine is not a member of NATO, some NATO members have been supplying Kyiv with tanks, armored vehicles and other weaponry – prompting threats of retaliation from Russia. During his speech to the forum, Putin also suggested Russia’s large number of nuclear weapons would “guarantee” its security – noting that Russia had more such weapons than NATO countries. “Nuclear weapons are created to guarantee our security in the broader sense and the existence of the Russian state,” Putin said.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, ” Putin, American Bradley, Jens Stoltenberg, Putin, we’ll, “, ” Organizations: CNN, NATO, St ., Economic, Atlantic Treaty Organization, British Challenger, Leopards, Arms Control Association, Foreign Ministry Locations: Ukraine, St, St . Petersburg, Soviet Union, Russia, American, Britain, France, Russian, United States

☆ In a warning to the West, Putin says Russian tactical nukes are being put in Belarus to stop a 'strategic defeat'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Putin made a fresh set of nuclear threats this week after confirming Russian warheads were moved to Belarus. The Russian president said the escalatory step was meant to serve as a warning to the West. US and Western officials quickly brushed off Putin's most recent batch of nuclear threats. The Russian president compared the move to the deployment of US nuclear weapons in various European countries over the years. Putin said this week that the transfer of the weapons to Belarus would be done by the end of summer.

Persons: Putin, —, Vladimir Putin, Antony Blinken, Jens Stoltenberg, Stoltenberg, –, Aleksandr Lukashenko Organizations: ., Service, NATO, St ., Economic, BBC News, Reuters Locations: Belarus, Ukraine, St . Petersburg, Russia, Moscow, Soviet Union, St, Japan

But one diplomat said Turkey had blocked approval over the wording of geographical locations, including with regard to Cyprus. There was still an opportunity to find a solution before the NATO summit in mid-July in Vilnius, the diplomat added. Turkey's diplomatic mission to NATO said it would be wrong to comment on a secret NATO document, adding only that "the usual process of consultations and evaluation among allies is continuing". The so-called regional plans comprise thousands of pages of secret military plans that will detail how the alliance would respond to a Russian attack. "While regional plans were not formally endorsed today, we anticipate these plans will be part of a series of deliverables for the Vilnius Summit in July," a senior U.S. official told Reuters.

Persons: Jens Stoltenberg, Sabine Siebold, Andrew Gray, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Angus MacSwan Organizations: NATO, Vilnius Summit, Reuters, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Turkey, Ukraine, Brussels, Cyprus, Vilnius, NATO, Afghanistan, Iraq, Soviet Russia, Moscow, U.S

☆ Ticketmaster parent Live Nation, others agree to show 'junk fees' after Biden pressure
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Emma Kinery | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON — Several large companies, including Ticketmaster parent Live Nation , are vowing to end surprise "junk fees" following a pressure campaign from the Biden administration. "Junk fees" are extra costs tacked on at the end of purchases, often for concert tickets, resorts and rentals. President Joe Biden has made ending the practice a priority and invited representatives from Live Nation, Airbnb , SeatGeek and others to meet with him Thursday. Both Live Nation and SeatGeek agreed in advance of the meeting to commit to show all fees up front for ticket purchases, the White House said. "It is also just a first step towards addressing junk fees in the economy."

Persons: Joe Biden, Jens Stoltenberg, Biden, SeatGeek, Lael Brainard Organizations: NATO, White, WASHINGTON, Ticketmaster, Live, xBk, Economic Locations: Washington ,, SeatGeek, . Iowa

Asked on June 2 about Ukraine's aspirations to join NATO, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it "would be a potential problem for many, many years." Hanging over the deliberations is the question of whether alliance members can show unity by forging agreements ahead of the July 11-12 summit in the Lithuanian capital. But all agree on the need to further boost Ukraine's security between now and the day it joins NATO. Gabrielle Tarini, co-author of a new RAND Corporation report on Ukraine reconstruction, said that until Ukraine can join NATO the alliance needs to explore such measures. NATO will bolster a program of non-lethal aid for Ukraine's security forces to help them transition from Soviet-era to NATO standards, he said.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, NATO Julianne Smith, Smith, Dmitry Peskov, Vladimir Putin, Ukraine's, Putin, Jens Stoltenberg, Stoltenberg, Emmanuel Macron, Gabrielle Tarini, Jonathan Landay, Andrew Gray, Humeyra Pamuk, Andrea Shalal, John Irish, Don Durfee, Grant McCool Organizations: NATO, Russian, Atlantic Treaty Organization, Kyiv, Kremlin, Ukraine, U.S . National Security, Diplomats, RAND Corporation, Ukraine Council, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Vilnius, U.S, Germany, Russia, Europe, Lithuanian, Eastern, Poland, United States, Israel, Russian, Kyiv, Washington, Paris

☆ Turkey won't back Swedish NATO bid unless it stops anti-Turkish protests -Erdogan
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Erdogan made his comments before officials from Turkey, Sweden, Finland and NATO met on Wednesday in Ankara for talks to try to overcome Turkish objections that have delayed Sweden's NATO membership bid. In justifying its objections to Swedish membership, Turkey has accused Stockholm of harbouring members of Kurdish militant groups it considers to be terrorists. On the day he was having talks with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg earlier this month, a similar protest was held in Stockholm, Erdogan said. He added that he also told Stoltenberg Sweden should prevent such actions to secure Turkey's approval for its NATO membership. After meeting Erdogan, Stoltenberg said a deal on Sweden joining the alliance could be reached before the NATO summit in Vilnius next month.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, Jens Stoltenberg, Stoltenberg, Huseyin Hayatsever, Daren Butler, Nick Macfie, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: NATO, Wednesday, Atlantic Treaty Organization, Kurdistan Workers Party, European Union, Ece Toksabay, Thomson Locations: ANKARA, Sweden, Ankara, Turkey, Stockholm, Azerbaijan, Finland, Hungary, Madrid, extraditions, Stoltenberg Sweden, Vilnius

WASHINGTON, June 14 (Reuters) - The top Republican on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee said on Wednesday he was blocking a $735 million arms sale to Hungary because its government has refused to approve Sweden's bid to join NATO. "Hungary should take the actions necessary to allow Sweden into the alliance, and soon," he said. Under U.S. law, major arms deals are reviewed by the top Democrats and Republicans on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee. Sweden applied last year to join NATO as a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Objections from Turkey and Hungary have delayed the bid and Sweden now hopes to join by a NATO summit in Lithuania next month.

Persons: Jim Risch, Jens Stoltenberg, Joe Biden, Patricia Zengerle, Gergely Szakacs, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Republican, U.S . Senate Foreign Relations, NATO, U.S, Republicans, Senate Foreign Relations, Representatives Foreign, Committee, Washington Post, Hungarian Defense Ministry, White, Thomson Locations: Hungary, Sweden, Washington, U.S, Ukraine, Turkey, Lithuania, Budapest

Erdogan spoke as officials from Turkey, Sweden, Finland and NATO met on Wednesday in Ankara for talks to try to overcome Turkish objections holding up Sweden's NATO membership bid. The parties agreed to continue working on the "prospective concrete steps" for Sweden's NATO membership, the statement said. In justifying its objections to Swedish membership, Turkey has accused Stockholm of harbouring members of Kurdish militant groups it considers to be terrorists. While he was having talks with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg earlier this month, a similar protest was held in Stockholm, Erdogan said. He added that he also told Stoltenberg Sweden should prevent such actions to secure Turkey's approval for its NATO membership.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Umit, Erdogan, Oscar Stenstrom, Stenstrom, Jens Stoltenberg, Stoltenberg, Huseyin Hayatsever, Simon Johnson, Johan Ahlander, Niklas Pollard, Daren Butler, Nick Macfie, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: REUTERS, NATO, Wednesday, Turkish, Atlantic Treaty Organization, Kurdistan Workers Party, European Union, Ece Toksabay, Thomson Locations: Ankara, Turkey, ANKARA, Sweden, Stockholm, Azerbaijan, Finland, Madrid, Ukraine, Hungary, extraditions, Stoltenberg Sweden, Vilnius

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