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☆ The NATO military alliance has its own song, as well as a jingle specially recorded over 60 years ago
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

It has its own official "NATO Hymn," as well as a decades-old jingle called "The NATO Song." Among the more interesting tributes, however, was "The NATO Song." And "The NATO Song" is far from the only musical celebration of the alliance's existence. A separate NATO informational page refers to a piece called the "NATO hymn song sheet" and links to the lyrics and notes to something titled "NATO — Song." Like Helsinki, Stockholm would provide the military alliance with a meaningful firepower boost as it faces threats from Russia.

☆ Finland cleared its final hurdle to joining NATO, bringing a geopolitical nightmare for Putin close to reality
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The final holdout within NATO — Turkey — voted on Thursday to let Finland join the alliance. Finland's efforts to join NATO, motivated by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, had been delayed as Turkey held out on approving its membership. It joining NATO would more than double the length of the border between NATO countries and Russia, taking it from around 750 miles to around 1,600. Turkish lawmakers vote in favor of Finland's bid to join NATO late Thursday, March 30, 2023, at the parliament in Ankara, Turkey. Most NATO members quickly approved Finland and Sweden's requests to join, but Turkey delayed the process by months, declining to support either country.

☆ EU's von der Leyen is in the running to be new NATO head -The Sun
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 31 (Reuters) - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is in the running to be the new head of NATO, The Sun newspaper reported on Friday, citing a diplomatic source. A number of NATO member states have suggested von der Leyen would take over the alliance this October, the report said. The Sun report, citing UK sources, also said Britain would likely veto von der Leyen, who was the former German defense minister, citing her poor track record in charge of Germany's Armed Forces. German newspaper Welt am Sonntag has reported that Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Britain's Defence Secretary Ben Wallace were among the leading candidates to succeed Stoltenberg. Reporting by Maria Ponnezhath in Bengaluru Editing by Chris ReeseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

An indictment is the formal notification that a grand jury has brought charges against a defendant. A grand jury is convened in some criminal cases to decide whether prosecutors have enough evidence to bring a defendant to trial. "An indictment is a finding by a grand jury that there is reasonable cause to believe the target committed a crime," he said. When that's done, the grand jury will deliberate and then vote on which — if any — charges they will indict. In New York, where Trump was indicted, 16 out of an originally selected 23 grand jurors must be present for a voting quorum, according to the state grand juror's handbook.

☆ Factbox: Steps in Finnish, Swedish path to NATO membership
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Hungary's parliament approved a bill this week to allow Finland to join NATO after Erdogan declared Turkey was ready to approve that bid. Turkey's parliament is expected to follow through on Erdogan's commitment with a vote this week, clearing the way for Finland to join NATO within weeks. Here are the key steps in Finland's and Sweden's path towards NATO membership so far:FINLAND AND SWEDEN SUBMIT MEMBERSHIP REQUESTThe applications, letters signed by the countries' foreign ministers, were formally handed in by Finland's and Sweden's NATO ambassadors on May 18, 2022. FINLAND FORGES AHEADAll NATO countries must ratify a would-be member's application before it can join the alliance. But NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said getting Sweden's application over the line is a top priority.

☆ Turkish parliament ratifies Finland's NATO accession as Sweden kept waiting
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The Turkish parliament was the last among the 30 members of the alliance to ratify Finland's membership after Hungary's legislature approved a similar bill earlier this week. Finland and Sweden asked to join NATO last year in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "NATO membership will strengthen Finland's security and improve stability and security in the Baltic Sea region and Northern Europe," the Finnish government said in a statement following the Turkish parliament vote. Twe Turkish parliament's ratification of Finland's NATO membership is set to be approved by President Tayyip Erdogan and then published in the country's Official Gazette. When Finland's instrument of accession document reaches the U.S. State Department, the Nordic country will formally become a NATO member.

☆ Russia bid to 'weaponize energy' on Blinken agenda at NATO meet
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Simon Lewis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, March 30 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will push back on Russia's attempts to "weaponize energy" and rally support for a Ukrainian counteroffensive when he meets NATO foreign ministers in Brussels next week, an official said on Thursday. A meeting of the U.S.-EU Energy Council will focus on joint efforts to "blunt Russia's attempts to weaponize energy ... (and) bolstering energy supplies for the coming winters," Dereck Hogan, the State Department's principal deputy assistant secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs, told reporters. NATO has sent large amounts of weapons and other aid to Ukraine since Russia invaded, which has also spurred moves to expand the alliance. The top U.S. diplomat will meet with European Union High Representative and Vice President Josep Borrell, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dymtro Kuleba in Belgium on Tuesday and Wednesday, the State Department said. Reporting by Simon Lewis, Doina Chiacu and Daphne Psaledakis; editing by Grant McCoolOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Hungary parliament backs Finland's NATO accession, Swedish bid pending
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Krisztina Than | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjen attend the voting of the ratification of Finland's NATO membership in Budapest, Hungary, March 27, 2023. Although Finland's bid has now been approved, the Swedish bill is still stranded in the Hungarian parliament. The bill on Finland's NATO accession was passed with 182 in favour and six votes against, after Fidesz said last week it would back the motion. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said last week that Turkey's parliament would also start ratifying Finland's accession. Prime Minister Viktor Orban's chief political aide said on Twitter on Sunday the government backed Sweden's NATO membership and "now it's up to the parliament to make a decision."

☆ 300,000 new troops couldn't get Russia's big offensive to work, and sending more to the front probably won't help, war experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russia mobilized hundreds of thousands of troops to fight in Ukraine and fuel a spring offensive. But these new soldiers have been unable to turn Russia's advances into a major success, war experts say. Ukraine now appears positioned for its own push, according to the Institute for the Study of War. Meanwhile, Russian forces sent to fight in Ukraine have taken a beating. Western intelligence and US officials estimate Russia has likely suffered up t0 200,000 casualties in Ukraine.

[1/3] Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan and Finland's President Sauli Niinisto shake hands during their meeting in Ankara, Turkey March 17, 2023. The parliaments of all 30 NATO members must ratify newcomers. "We have decided to initiate the ratification of Finland's accession process to NATO in our parliament," Erdogan told reporters after meeting with Niinisto, adding he hoped parliament would endorse the bid before May 14 elections. Amid simmering tensions with Sweden, Erdogan signalled in January that Turkey could endorse Helsinki ahead of Stockholm. Washington and other NATO members had hoped the two Nordic countries would join the alliance at a NATO summit set for July 11 in Vilnius.

☆ In show of unity, NATO and EU heads visit North Sea gas platform
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Nora Buli | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Norway Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and Equinor CEO Anders Opedal visit the Troll A gas platform in the North Sea, Norway March 17, 2023. Ole Berg-Rusten /NTB/via REUTERSTROLL A PLATFORM, North Sea, March 17 (Reuters) - The heads of NATO and the European Commission flew on Friday to a North Sea platform to discuss the security of supplies and infrastructure, a visit underlining Norway's importance for gas shipments since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The Troll A platform extracts gas from Norway's biggest gas field. After a drop in Russian flows, the Nordic country last year became the largest gas supplier to the EU. The field accounts for one third of daily Norwegian gas exports to Europe.

☆ Equinor sees "a lot of interest" in long-term gas deals, CEO says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Nora Buli | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Companies Equinor ASA FollowBERGEN, Norway, March 17 (Reuters) - Equinor (EQNR.OL) has seen significant interest among gas buyers in Europe for entering into long-term supply contracts lasting between three and 10 years, the Norwegian company's CEO told Reuters on Friday. "Long-term contracts for us means three to 10 years and we see that there is a lot of interest for long-term contracts at the moment," Equinor CEO Anders Opedal told Reuters. The visit underlines the importance of the relationship between the European Union and non-EU Norway when it comes to energy, Opedal said. "It shows how important it is that we focus both on security of supply and the security on the installations," he said. Troll alone supplies 11% of all gas consumed in the EU, according to Equinor.

☆ How weapons from Western allies are strengthening Ukraine's defence
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +15 min

In the months after, artillery ammunition came, then Western artillery and vehicles. Ground-Launched Small Diameter BombAdd a description of the graphic for screen readers. Add a description of the graphic for screen readers. Although it uses a NATO-standard calibre for its main gun--120mm--the Challenger 2's barrel is rifled, unlike the smoothbore weapons used in other Western tanks. Air defense Ukraine's civilian infrastructure, including power plants and residential buildings, have come under increasing attack from Russian missiles and one-way drones, often launched from outside Ukraine's territory.

SEOUL, March 8 (Reuters) - South Korea's government approved export licenses for Poland last year to provide Ukraine with Krab howitzers, which are built with South Korean components, a defence acquisition official in Seoul told Reuters on Wednesday. The comments are the first confirmation that South Korea officially acquiesced to at least indirectly providing weapons components to Ukraine for its war against Russia. Seoul officials have previously declined to comment on the Krabs, fuelling speculation over whether South Korea had formally agreed or was simply looking the other way. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said at the time that South Korea, a U.S. ally, had not provided any weapons. Kim said Poland would need further South Korean permission to provide any of those new weapons to Ukraine.

"Beijing will have to make its own decisions about how it proceeds, whether it provides military assistance - but if it goes down that road it will come at real costs to China," Sullivan told CNN's "State of the Union" program. The United States and its NATO allies in recent days have been scrambling to dissuade China from such a move, making public comments on their belief that China is considering providing lethal equipment to Russia. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday said China has been providing nonlethal assistance to Russia through its companies. The United States has been by far the largest supplier of military assistance to help Ukraine repel better-equipped Russian forces. Russia and China signed a "no limits" partnership in February 2022 shortly before Russian forces invaded Ukraine.

"Beijing will have to make its own decisions about how it proceeds, whether it provides military assistance - but if it goes down that road it will come at real costs to China," Sullivan told CNN's "State of the Union" program. The United States and its NATO allies in recent days have been scrambling to dissuade China from such a move, making public comments on their belief that China is considering providing lethal equipment to Russia. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday said China has been providing nonlethal assistance to Russia through its companies. Putin has alluded to a Xi visit but the timing has not been confirmed by Russia or China. Russia and China signed a "no limits" partnership in February 2022 shortly before Russian forces invaded Ukraine.

☆ After a year of war, Ukraine's military is facing a new test of its resolve, holding the line until key weapons arrive
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Military experts told Insider that Russia is pushing forward with an offensive in eastern Ukraine. Putin has a small window to attack before Kyiv receives advanced Western armor, but Ukraine will need to hold out. The challenge for Kyiv's forces will be absorbing assaults by Russia's numerically larger force long enough for more advanced Western tanks and artillery to arrive that could drive the Russians back. The Russians have that same problem, and Ukraine is trying to attack Russia's logistics system to degrade its ammunition stockpiles. Just as the Russians have been trying to exhaust Ukrainian forces, the Ukrainians have been delivering heavy losses to the Russians.

☆ NATO and EU react reservedly to Chinese ceasefire proposal for Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg attends a news conference during a NATO defence ministers' meeting at the Alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium February 15, 2023. REUTERS/Johanna Geron/File PhotoTALLINN, Feb 24 (Reuters) - NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Friday reacted reservedly to a Chinese proposal for a ceasefire in Ukraine, saying Beijing did not have a lot of credibility as a mediator. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said China had not shared a peace plan but some principles. "So we will look at the principles, of course, but we will look at them against the backdrop that China has taken sides," she added. Reporting by Bart Meijer and Reuters TV, writing by Sabine SieboldOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ U.S. unveils $2 billion in aid for Ukraine, sanctions and tariff hikes on Russia a year after invasion
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Emma Kinery | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON – The United States authorized $2 billion in aid to Ukraine on the one-year anniversary of Russia's invasion Friday, and ramped up sanctions and tariffs on Moscow as it tries to bolster Kyiv's war effort. President Joe Biden met virtually with leaders of the G-7 and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday morning to mark the occasion, one year after the group first met to discuss aid. The Biden administration also announced it would sanction more than 200 individuals and entities tied to the Russian war effort, including by targeting the country's metals and mining sector. Biden has been adamant about showing the U.S.'s support for Ukraine as the war drags on into its second year. Earlier this month, Ukraine's prosecutor general, Andriy Kostin, said that regional authorities have logged more than 65,000 Russian war crimes since Moscow invaded Ukraine nearly a year ago.

[1/2] NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg attends a news conference on the day of NATO defence ministers' meeting at the Alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium February 15, 2023. REUTERS/Johanna GeronBRUSSELS, Feb 23 (Reuters) - NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday he saw progress in stalled talks with Turkey on Sweden's membership bid and aimed to have both Sweden and Finland join the alliance by the time of its July summit. Ankara accuses Stockholm of harbouring what Turkey considers members of terrorist groups, and has demanded their extradition as a step towards giving Sweden's NATO membership its green light. "So it's inconceivable that Finland or Sweden will face any military threats from Russia without NATO reacting." He has repeatedly cited the post-Soviet enlargement of the NATO alliance eastwards toward his borders as a reason for what he called Russia's "special military operation" in Ukraine.

☆ Explainer: What have Russia and China said about peace in Ukraine?
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Caleb Davis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Zelenskiy last year proposed his own 10-point peace plan, which calls on Russia to withdraw all its troops from Ukraine and to respect Ukraine's territorial integrity. Russia still controls nearly a fifth of Ukraine, despite losing swathes of land in major battlefield setbacks last year. Russia said on Wednesday that it welcomed China taking a more active role in efforts to resolve the conflict. Meeting Putin on Wednesday, Wang said China was willing to play a "constructive role" to end the Ukraine conflict. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said China had an obligation to use that influence to seek peace in Ukraine.

BRUSSELS, Feb 23 (Reuters) - NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday the alliance had seen signs China was considering supplying arms to Russia and warned Beijing against taking any such step. The announcement came days after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned China of consequences if it provided material support to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "We haven't seen any supplies of lethal aid from China to Russia, but we have seen signs that they are considering and may be planning for that," Stoltenberg told Reuters in an interview. There was no immediate comment from China, but its Foreign Ministry said earlier on Thursday any potential intelligence on arms transfer by China to Russia that the United States plans to release was just speculation. Stoltenberg said China was a member of the U.N. Security Council and that Russia's war against Ukraine violated the U.N. Charter.

☆ NATO is seeing signs China might help Russia wage its war, but the US has threatened 'serious consequences' if it does
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

NATO's chief said Wednesday that there are "some signs" China may send lethal aid to Russia. The US has repeatedly threatened "serious consequences" if China further involves itself in the war. Stoltenberg then called the potential of China sending lethal aid a "blatant violation of international law." "We reinforced there that, again, there will be consequences for China should this partnership with Russia further deepen," Singh said. Blinken also said that the US has seen China "provide non-lethal support to Russia for use in Ukraine."

☆ Biden, Putin display their alliances with Ukraine war backdrop
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Washington is concerned Beijing could provide material support for Moscow's war in Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24 last year and has become the biggest land conflict in Europe since World War Two. Not just for Ukraine, but for the freedom of democracies throughout Europe and around the world," Biden said. In two speeches last September Putin indicated that he would, if needed, use nuclear weapons to defend Russia. "We have heard implicit threats to use nuclear weapons. The so-called tactical use of nuclear weapons is utterly unacceptable.

Biden said the West was never plotting to attack Russia and the invasion was Putin's choice. "It is a big mistake," Biden said of Putin's decision before his session with eastern European allies known as the Bucharest Nine. We will defend literally every inch of NATO, every inch of NATO," he said. The Kremlin says it regards NATO, which could soon expand to include Sweden and Finland, as an existential threat to Russia. It said the leaders looked forward to further strengthening unity and collective defense at a NATO summit in Vilnius in July.

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