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☆ West Sees Little Choice but to Keep Backing Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( Laurence Norman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Washington and its allies see little prospect of a negotiated end to the war in Ukraine soon given the high stakes for Moscow and Kyiv, and the fact that both sides believe they can win, Western diplomats say. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization and its members say they are determined to keep supplying economic and military assistance to Ukraine as it fights to roll back gains made by Russian forces, and to punish Moscow with sanctions for its attack on its smaller neighbor.

☆ Putin’s Nonnuclear War in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Daniel Henninger | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Nearly any conversation about Ukraine in recent months has become preoccupied with whether a desperate Vladimir Putin might use a tactical nuclear weapon. That possibility, however concerning, should not deter us from staying focused on the higher stakes Mr. Putin put in motion by invading Ukraine. Across the more than four decades of the Cold War—a struggle between the ideological opposites of Western freedom and Soviet communism—the great fear, other than nuclear war, was of a ground war between Russia and the U.S.-led forces of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Cold War military doctrine held that this war likely would start with a massive Russian tank invasion through Germany’s Fulda Gap.

☆ Iranian Drones in Ukraine Project Tehran’s Power Beyond Mideast, Testing U.S., Europe
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Dion Nissenbaum | Benoit Faucon | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Russia’s expanding use of Iranian drones in Ukraine poses an increasing threat for the U.S. and its European allies as Tehran attempts to project military power beyond the Middle East. In recent weeks, Ukrainian officials say, Russia has launched more than 300 Iranian drones that have targeted military units, power plants and civilian buildings in the capital, Kyiv. The Ukrainian military said it has shot down more than 70% of the drones, but Ukrainian officials are asking the U.S. and NATO allies for more help to counter the threat. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization has vowed to rush hundreds of drone jammers to Ukraine as part of a deepening effort to shore up Ukraine’s air defenses.

☆ 2 intensifying border wars show Putin is losing sway in his neighborhood while Russia struggles in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

In recent weeks, border disputes in the Caucasus and Central Asia have escalated into clashes. And the Russian troops that once kept the peace between those feuding neighbors? Kremlin Press Office/Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty ImagesRussia's complicated history with Central Asia goes back centuries. Russian leaders, including Vladimir Putin, inherited this colonialist mindset, seeing Central Asia (and Ukraine) as part of the Russia sphere. KAREN MINASYAN/AFP via Getty ImagesTo some extent, the deployment of Russian troops, or threat to do so, has tamped down conflicts.

☆ EXCLUSIVE In letter, Sweden lists 'concrete actions' on Turkey's concerns over NATO bid
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Jonathan Spicer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Yet Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan said as recently as Oct. 6 that its demands had not yet been met. In its letter to Turkey, Sweden said that "concrete action has been taken on all core elements of the trilateral agreement". Sweden's foreign ministry, Turkey's foreign ministry and the communications arm of Erdogan's office each did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the letter. The letter was meant to reassure Turkey of Sweden's efforts amid ongoing bilateral talks and to encourage ultimate approval of the NATO membership bid, the source added. In a sign that talks were progressing, Sweden's foreign minister said on Friday he expects the last two holdouts, Turkey and Hungary, to vote soon on its NATO applications.

NATO and Russia are moving ahead with major nuclear exercises amid spiraling tensions over the war in Ukraine and hints from Russian President Vladimir Putin that the territory Moscow claims to have annexed could be protected by nuclear arms. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization on Monday began its exercise, which is dubbed Steadfast Noon and includes B-52 bombers flying from their base in Minot, North Dakota.

☆ Some of Russia's closest allies abstained at the UN rather than support its claim to have annexed parts of Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

UN members voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to condemn Russia's annexation of Ukrainian regions. 143 nations voted in support, agreeing to condemn Russia's annexation, while 35 abstained. Experts say Russia's invasion of Ukraine has pushed them further from Russia. Russia tried to make Wednesday's vote a secret ballot, which would have obscured which nations voted with Russia. It did so after conducting referendums in the four regions — Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia — which Ukraine and Western nations dismissed as a sham.

☆ A Russian nuclear strike in Ukraine would 'almost certainly' trigger a military response from Kyiv's partners: senior NATO official
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A Russian nuclear attack would "almost certainly" trigger a military response from Kyiv's friends, a senior NATO official said. There would be "unprecedented consequences" should Putin turn to nuclear weapons, they said, per Reuters. There would be "unprecedented consequences" should Russian President Vladimir Putin turn to nuclear weapons, the unnamed NATO official said, according to Reuters. A Russian nuclear attack would "almost certainly be drawing a physical response from many allies, and potentially from NATO itself," the official warned. "I do not believe that a nuclear response is something that the United States and its allies should be placing on the table.

☆ NATO Aims to Better Align Arms Purchases in Response to Russian Hostility
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Daniel Michaels | Doug Cameron | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

BRUSSELS—NATO member states are working on ways to align their weapons purchases to better prepare for future conflicts, as they gear up for a major increase in military spending to replace the huge amounts of materiel sent to Ukraine and shore up their potential defenses against Russian aggression. By improving purchasing cooperation, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization also hopes to make a leap in how its members would together fight a future conflict, including buying weapons systems that are easily interchangeable, plentiful and are more effective on the battlefield.

☆ Putin's calling the 'unprecedented sabotage' of the Nord Stream pipeline an 'act of international terrorism'
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-30 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russia's President Putin likens the Nord Stream pipelines' damage to "international terrorism." Leaks to the key Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines transporting natural-gas from Russia to Europe were first detected on Monday in the Danish region of the Baltic Sea. The finger-pointing continues, with Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov saying the damage to Nord Stream appeared to be due to state-sponsored terrorism, Reuters reported on Thursday. She was referring to Biden's statement on February 7 that the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline would be halted if Russia invades Ukraine. The Nord Stream 2 has never started commercial operations because Germany shelved the project in February, days before Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24.

☆ NATO Formally Blames Sabotage for Nord Stream Pipeline Damage
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( Drew Hinshaw | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

NATO said that a series of leaks on the Nord Stream pipelines between Russia and Europe were the result of acts of sabotage that would be met with a collective response from the military alliance. The statement, from the North Atlantic Council, the decision making body of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, didn’t provide details or evidence. But it marks the first time the alliance has formally warned of a military response following the now four documented leaks in the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 pipelines.

☆ There are now four leaks in the Nord Stream pipelines running from Russia to Europe, as NATO calls the damage 'acts of sabotage'
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Sweden said it had found a fourth leak on the Nord Stream pipelines this week. NATO said the damage was due to "deliberate, reckless, and irresponsible acts of sabotage". The Swedish coast guard told the Svenska Dagbladet newspaper a fourth leak had been discovered on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline that connects between Russia and Europe. The initial leak was detected on Monday in the Nord Stream 2 pipeline as a drop in pressure was observed in both Nord Stream 1 and 2. Several weeks ago, the CIA told Germany that the Nord Stream pipelines could be attacked, Germany's Der Spiegel newspaper reported.

☆ Ukraine’s Internet Army of ‘NAFO Fellas’ Fights Russian Trolls and Rewards Donors With Dogs
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Daniel Michaels | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Ukraine has received more than 1 million tons of military equipment from NATO countries, including tanks, howitzers and ammunition. It has also received tons of support from NAFO in the form of sarcasm, ridicule and fundraising. NAFO—the North Atlantic Fella Organization—has no relationship with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, other than playing on its name. It is an ad hoc collection of cybernauts, amateur artists and donors. They post on social media to back Ukraine and channel contributions to causes that buy equipment for soldiers, like the Georgian Legion of volunteers, or support humanitarian-aid campaigns like the Saint Javelin website.

☆ Greek PM tells Turkish people 'we are not enemies'
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Greece Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis addresses the 77th United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York City, New York, U.S., September 23, 2022. This is the language of an aggressor," Mitsotakis said, during his address to the United Nations General Assembly. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register"From the UN I would like to address ... the Turkish people directly: Greece poses no threat to your country. Greece complained to NATO and the United Nations this month over what it called "inflammatory" statements by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan. read moreGreece says Turkey is challenging the Greek sovereignty of the islands and is exploiting the migration issue.

☆ Vladimir Putin’s Nuclear Threats Work, but Using the Weapons Probably Wouldn’t
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Stephen Fidler | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

With the possible exception of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, no global leader throws around nuclear threats more freely than Russian President Vladimir Putin. The world heard more of the same this week. The reason he issues such threats is that they work. Fears of Russian escalation have limited the involvement of the U.S. and its allies in the war in Ukraine. While supplying Kyiv with arms that have been critical in turning the tide of the war, Western governments have ruled out steps, including the imposition of a no-fly zone, that would lead to a direct confrontation between forces of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and Russia.

☆ A small war in Central Asia is a big problem for Joe Biden's narrative about taking on Russia and China
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Chris Mccallion | Defense Priorities | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan is only one part of a broader geopolitical contest, however. Resul Rehimov/Anadolu Agency via Getty ImagesWhile Armenia and Azerbaijan both have warm relations with Russia, Armenia has a security agreement with Russia as part of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), an alliance of six post-Soviet states in Central Asia. More recently, Erdogan has acted as a diplomatic broker in the Ukraine war and has bucked Western sanctions by purchasing Russian military hardware. KAREN MINASYAN/AFP via Getty ImagesIt is probable that the timing of the most recent flare-up between Armenia and Azerbaijan was not coincidental. Azerbaijan was likely emboldened to launch the recent attack on Armenia by the successful Ukrainian counteroffensive around Kharkiv and Russia's generally poor performance during the Ukraine war.

☆ South Korean, Japanese leaders meet, agree on need to improve ties
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida addresses the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. Headquarters in New York City, U.S., September 20, 2022. REUTERS/Eduardo MunozUNITED NATIONS, Sept 21 (Reuters) - South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida held the first one-on-one talks between their countries' leaders since 2019 on Wednesday and agreed on the need to improve relations by resolving issues of dispute. The meeting took place in New York on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly. Japan's Foreign Ministry Press Secretary Hikariko Ono said the two leaders "shared the need to bring back the sound bilateral relationship with the resolution of various issues." Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by David Brunnstrom and Chris Gallagher; editing by Grant McCool and Richard PullinOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ The US pledged to 'defend every inch of NATO territory' after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. So which countries does that include?
▼ + stars: | 2022-02-25 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

The US and NATO pledged to protect "every inch of NATO territory" amid Russia's assault on Ukraine. "Our forces are not going to Europe to fight in Ukraine, but to defend our NATO allies." But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has appealed directly to NATO members in the year since Russia's invasion — a plea, he said, that was initially met with silence. Allowing Ukraine to join NATO at the current moment would require all NATO members to come to Ukraine's immediate defense, prompting near-global war against Russia. Here is a full list of NATO members and the year they joined the organization:

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