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☆ NATO Secretary General: incidents with balloons over U.S. form part of pattern
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Recent incidents regarding balloons shot down by the United States, which suspects they are surveillance balloons from China, form part of a pattern which highlights the need for NATO to be vigilant, said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. "What we saw over the United States is part of a pattern where China and also Russia are increasing surveillance activities on NATO allies," Stoltenberg told reporters on Monday. It was the fourth flying object to be shot down over North America by a U.S. missile in a little more than a week. China's foreign ministry said it had no information on the latest three flying objects shot down by the United States. Reporting by Bart Meijer, Benoit Van Overstraeten, Andrew Gray, Sabine Siebold and Charlotte Van Campenhout; Editing by Sudip Kar-GuptaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ New Russian offensive underway in Ukraine, says NATO
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Pavel Polityuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Ukrainian defenders, who have already held out for months, were braced for new ground attacks, Ukrainian military officials said on Monday. The Russian assault on Bakhmut has been spearheaded by mercenaries of the Wagner group, who have made small but steady gains. The Ukrainian military reported Russian shelling all along the frontline and said 16 settlements had been bombarded near Bakhmut. The Ukrainian governors of Luhansk and Donetsk have recently said that a predicted Russian offensive had begun. Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, in what it calls a "special military operation" to "denazify" the country and protect Russian speakers.

☆ NATO's Stoltenberg will not seek another extension of his term, spokesperson says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, Feb 12 (Reuters) - NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg will end his term as planned in October, a spokesperson for the alliance said, after a newspaper reported a further extension was in the works. "The mandate of Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has been extended three times, and he has served for a total of almost nine years," NATO spokesperson Oana Lungescu said late on Saturday. "The Secretary-General's term comes to an end in October of this year and he has no intention to seek another extension of his mandate." Stoltenberg, an economist by training and a former leader of Norway's Labour Party, had his NATO term extended last year. Welt said alliance members wanted to give Stoltenberg the opportunity to chair the organisation's 75th anniversary summit in Washington in April 2024.

☆ NATO to extend Stoltenberg's term to April 2024, Welt am Sonntag reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, Feb 12 (Reuters) - NATO will extend again the term of Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Welt am Sonntag reported on Sunday, citing unidentified diplomatic sources, as the alliance seeks to maintain stability during the war in Ukraine. Members will extend Stoltenberg's term until April 2024 due to his "outstanding achievements" and to guarantee the military alliance's stability during the ongoing war in Ukraine, the newspaper said. Stoltenberg, an economist by training and a former leader of Norway's Labour Party, had his original NATO term extended last year. He was prime minister of Norway from 2000-01 and 2005-13 before becoming NATO chief the following year. Welt said alliance members want to give Stoltenberg the opportunity to chair the organisation's 75th anniversary summit in Washington in April 2024.

☆ Blinken says U.S. shared information on Chinese balloon with dozens of countries
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, Feb 8 (Reuters) - U.S Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday the United States has shared information it has obtained about China's spy balloon with dozens of countries around the world. Blinken said the United States was gaining more information "almost by the hour" on the balloon, which the United States shot down on Saturday, as salvage work progressed, and relevant findings would be shared with the U.S. Congress and U.S. allies and partners around the world. Stoltenberg said the flight of the Chinese balloon confirmed a pattern of Chinese behavior and the need to be aware of the constant risk of Chinese intelligence activity. When asked If Chinese leader Xi Jinping was aware of the balloon flights, Blinken said:"As to who's responsible for that, China is. Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk, Rami Ayyub and David Brunnstrom; editing by Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Spy balloon confirms 'pattern of Chinese behavior' that poses threat to NATO members, Stoltenberg says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Amanda Macias | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg delivers remarks to the news media as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken hosts Stoltenberg at the State Department in Washington, U.S., June 1, 2022. WASHINGTON – The Chinese spy balloon that drifted across the United States last week presents security challenges for NATO's 30-member alliance as well as other countries around the globe, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday. "We need to be aware of the constant risk of Chinese intelligence and step up what we do to protect ourselves and react in a prudent and responsible way," he said, adding that European countries have seen an increase in Chinese intelligence activities. Stoltenberg's remarks come as the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard complete a recovery operation of the downed spy balloon roughly six miles off the coast of South Carolina. On Saturday, Biden gave the order to take the 200-foot-tall spy balloon out of the sky.

☆ NATO chief urges closer ties with Japan to defend democracy
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

General Jens Stoltenberg (left) shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (right) on Jan. 31, 2023 in Tokyo, Japan. Stoltenberg visits Japan to strengthen bilateral ties between the country and the E.U. Calling it a "critical moment for NATO and for Japan," Stoltenberg, who is visiting Tokyo, said China and Russia are "leading an authoritarian pushback against international rules-based order." "China is not our adversary, but we must understand the scale of the challenge and work together to address it." Kishida said he and Stoltenberg agreed to advance ties in areas such as cyberspace, space, disinformation, and critical and emerging technology.

☆ NATO chief stresses importance of Indo-Pacific partners amid security tensions
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Sakura Murakami | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, Feb 1 (Reuters) - NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday stressed the importance of NATO's working closely with partners in the Indo-Pacific, saying Europe could not ignore what happens in East Asia because the global security is interconnected. "The war in Ukraine demonstrates how security is interconnected. It demonstrates that what happens in Europe has a consequence for East Asia, and what happens in East Asia matters to Europe," he said, adding that "the idea China doesn't matter for NATO doesn't work." Before his stop in Japan, Stoltenberg visited South Korea and urged Seoul to increase military support to Ukraine, giving similar warnings about rising tensions with China. Russia, which calls its invasion of Ukraine a "special operation", has repeatedly cast NATO's expansion as a threat to its security.

☆ Russia's top prosecutor criticizes mass mobilization, telling Putin to his face that more than 9,000 were illegally sent to fight in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russia's prosecutor general told Putin more than 9,000 mobilized troops were called up illegally. In a face-to-face meeting, he said their health was why many shouldn't have been sent to fight in Ukraine. In September, Russia announced a partial mobilization of 300,000 troops, which it said was completed in October. Putin said in December that 150,000 of those troops had been sent to serve in Ukraine, with the rest still in training in Russia. Widespread issues related to Russia's mass mobilization have long been reported, including a lack of training and equipment.

☆ NATO to strengthen partnership with Japan, says Secretary-General Stoltenberg
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Jan 31 (Reuters) - NATO will continue to strengthen its partnership with Japan amid the ongoing Ukraine war, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Tuesday during a visit to Japan, where he will meet with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. His trip, which included a stop in South Korea, is aimed at bolstering ties with Western allies in Asia in the face of the war in Ukraine and rising competition with China. Speaking in Seoul on Monday, Stoltenberg urged South Korea to increase its military support to Ukraine, citing other countries that have changed their policy of not providing weapons to countries in conflict following Russia's invasion. Russia calls the invasion, launched on Feb. 24, a "special operation" to ward off threats to its own security. Reporting by Sakura Murakami and John Geddie; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Gerry DoyleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ NATO chief warns that Putin winning in Ukraine would signal to China it can achieve its goals through 'brute force'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg warned that a Russian victory in Ukraine could have global consequences. If Putin wins, it would show countries like China that "brute force" works, he said. "If President Putin wins in Ukraine, this would send a message that authoritarian regimes can achieve their goals through brute force. And spreading disinformation about NATO and the war in Ukraine," he said. And Putin and Xi pledged in late December to deepen cooperation between their two countries.

☆ NATO Chief Presses South Korea to Provide Arms to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Dasl Yoon | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

After his meeting Monday with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol promised continued support to Ukraine, without saying whether that might include arms. SEOUL—NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg urged South Korea to provide military support to Ukraine, saying the country is in urgent need of ammunition. South Korea has sent materials such as gas masks, bulletproof vests and medical supplies to Ukraine, but has declined to provide lethal weapons, citing a law that prevents it from arming countries engaged in conflicts.

☆ Russia's war on Ukraine latest: Moscow's forces make incremental gains in east
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

* Ukraine's general staff said Russia had carried out air strikes and three missile strikes in the past 24 hours, one of them on Kharkiv in northeast Ukraine. It is also continuing offensive operations in the areas of Bakhmut, Avdiivka and elsewhere in eastern Ukraine, it said. * Ukraine said it had repelled assaults on Vuhledar and Blahodatne, a village just north of Bakhmut. * Russia has moved additional forces and equipment to the Kursk region on the border with Ukraine to protect the frontier and ensure security, regional governor Roman Starovoit said. QUOTES"The more defence support our heroes at the front receive from the world, the sooner Russia's aggression will end and the more reliable security guarantees will be for Ukraine and all our partners after the war," President Zelenskiy said.

[1/3] NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg shakes hands with South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin during their meeting at the Foreign Ministry in Seoul, South Korea January 29, 2023. Kim Min-Hee/Pool via ReutersSEOUL, Jan 30 (Reuters) - NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg urged South Korea on Monday to increase military support to Ukraine, citing other countries that have changed their policy of not providing weapons to countries in conflict after Russia's invasion. Speaking at the Chey Institute for Advanced Studies in Seoul, he thanked South Korea for its non-lethal aid to Ukraine, but urged it to do more, adding there is an "urgent need" for ammunition. "I urge the Republic of Korea to continue and to step up on the specific issue of military support," he said. Last year South Korea opened its first diplomatic mission to NATO, vowing to deepen cooperation on non-proliferation, cyber defence, counter-terrorism, disaster response and other security areas.

☆ Russia's war in Ukraine backfired by uniting NATO, even as cracks emerged over nearly a year of fighting
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Jake Epstein | John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

When Putin invaded Ukraine, he miscalculated the response from Western countries. NATO has been largely united in its response to Russia's war, consistently providing Kyiv with military aid. Russian President Vladimir Putin has effectively succeeded in remaking the Western bloc, Araud said, adding that "the Western alliance is back." After the Soviet Union collapsed, both Finland and Sweden became NATO partner countries but stopped short of pursuing full membership. Even under the intense pressure of war, the alliance is "holding the way that they have in the past," he said.

☆ NATO's Stoltenberg arrives in S.Korea to deepen alliance's ties in Asia
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( Josh Smith | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

In Seoul, Stoltenberg is due to meet with Foreign Minister Park Jin, Minister of National Defence Lee Jong-Sup, and other senior officials, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization said in a statement. Yoon and Kishida became the first leaders from their countries to attend a NATO summit, joining alliance leaders as observers last year. Following the summit, South Korea opened its first diplomatic mission to NATO, vowing to deepen cooperation on non-proliferation, cyber defence, counter-terrorism, disaster response and other security areas. Chinese state media had warned against South Korea and Japan attending the NATO summit and criticised the alliance's broadening partnerships in Asia. North Korea has said NATO involvement in the Asia-Pacific region would import the conflict raging in Europe.

☆ 'We will get F-16s': Ukraine aims for NATO's fighter jets after winning battle for Western tanks
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Kenzo Tribouillard | Afp | Getty ImagesThe dust has barely settled on the decision by the U.S. and Germany to supply battle tanks to Ukraine, but talk has already turned to the possible use of other firepower, namely, fighter jets. Kyiv appears confident that, as with Western tanks, it will eventually be given F-16s too. The U.S. has been tight-lipped about giving Ukraine F-16s, or allowing other countries to re-export their own U.S.-made fighter jets to Ukraine (National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said he had no announcement to make on the issue Wednesday). How helpful fighter jets would be to Ukraine is a matter for debate, and depends on the aircraft, its weaponry and flying conditions, experts note. Germany arrived at its decision to send tanks after months of pressure and deliberation, making any question over fighter jets a very distant prospect, according to Carsten Nickel, deputy director of research at analysis firm Teneo.

☆ Ukraine war live updates: After tanks, fighter jets? Ukraine pushes NATO for more firepower; Russia lashes out at West
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

The dust has barely settled after the U.S. and Germany's momentous decision Wednesday to supply battle tanks to Ukraine, but talk has already turned to the possible supply of other firepower, namely, fighter jets. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed his gratitude to Kyiv's allies Wednesday regarding the sending of tanks but said he had asked NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg for more assistance. "We have to unlock the supply of long-range missiles to Ukraine, it is important for us to expand our cooperation in artillery, we have to achieve the supply of aircraft to Ukraine. And this is a task," he said in his nightly address. Ukraine has made no secret of the fact that it would like to receive fighter jets, such as the U.S.' F-16 fighter jets, from its allies to help it fight Russia.

☆ Factbox: Russia decries German tanks decision, Ukraine 'sincerely grateful'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Russia's foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the German decision confirmed what she said was a "pre-planned war" against Moscow. UKRAINEUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he was "sincerely grateful" to Germany and Chancellor Olaf Scholz for Berlin's "important and timely" decision to provide Kyiv with battle tanks. "The right decision by NATO Allies and friends to send main battle tanks to Ukraine. FRANCEThe French presidency welcomed Berlin's decision to send tanks to Ukraine and allow other states to do the same. NETHERLANDSThe Netherlands is prepared to deliver battle tanks to Ukraine if needed, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said.

☆ NATO's Stoltenberg expects allies to lift defence spending target
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, Jan 25 (Reuters) - NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg expects the alliance's member states to raise their current spending target on defence of 2% of national output when they meet for a summit in Vilnius in July, he told German newspaper Die Welt. "I assume that there will be a new target for defence spending when we meet for the NATO summit in Vilnius in July this year," Stoltenberg told Welt. "The two percent target was initially for a decade, so until 2024, so we have to update it now." Stoltenberg said he could not yet say what the member states would agree on. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February last year, many allies have increased their military spending.

☆ Finland’s top diplomat hints at joining NATO without Sweden
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Finland’s top diplomat appeared to suggest Tuesday that the country may have to consider joining NATO without Sweden after Turkey’s president cast serious doubt on the expansion of the military alliance. Haavisto later backpedaled, telling reporters in Parliament that his comment earlier Tuesday had been “imprecise” and that Finland’s ambition to join NATO jointly with Sweden remained unchanged. “But of course there have been raised concerns within NATO on how the (recent) incidents in Sweden will affect the schedule,” Haavisto said. Until now, Sweden and Finland have been committed to joining the alliance together, but Haavisto’s comment to YLE raised concerns that Finland was considering proceeding without its Nordic neighbor. “Sweden respects the agreement between Sweden, Finland and Turkey regarding our NATO membership.

Pressure has been building on German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's government to send its Leopard tanks to Ukraine and let other countries send the ones they own. Ukraine says heavily armoured Western battle tanks would give its ground troops more mobility and protection ahead of a new Russian offensive that Kyiv expects in the near future. Germany has previously said that no country had formally asked for permission to send their Leopard tanks. A German defence source told Reuters that Poland had submitted a request to let it supply up to 14 Leopard 2 A4 tanks to Ukraine. He expressed confidence that a decision on sending battle tanks would come soon.

☆ Ukraine war live updates: German tanks decision 'half a step' away, Kyiv says; Ukraine government reshuffle expected
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A decision on whether to supply Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine is in its final stages, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Monday, with only a last "half step" to be taken. "We have only half a step left to take in the matter of tanks," Kuleba said during a nationwide news telethon reported by news outlet Ukrinform Monday. "We have already received the British Challengers [tanks], which we were once told were impossible. I have no doubts that the Leopard tanks will reach us. Germany is under intense pressure to decide whether to give the greenlight for German-made tanks to be sent to Ukraine.

☆ Germany refuses to commit to sending tanks to Ukraine despite pressure from allies
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Germany has again refused to commit to allowing German-made tanks to be sent to Ukraine despite intense pressure. "We are looking into the matter, what the current status is regarding our Leopard tanks," he said in translated comments. He noted that the war had reached a "pivotal moment," however, and that allies "must provide heavier units to Ukraine. Germany was believed to be reluctant to send its own tanks unless the U.S. delivered its own Abrams vehicles. Washington has been noncommittal, saying that just the training to maintain and operate its tanks would require months.

"Germany will always be at the forefront when it comes to supporting Ukraine," Chancellor Olaf Scholz told the German parliament, to applause. "At a critical moment in Russia's war, these tanks can help Ukraine defend itself, win and stand as an independent nation," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said. [1/13] Germany delivers its first Leopard tanks to Slovakia as part of a deal after Slovakia donated fighting vehicles to Ukraine, in Bratislava, Slovakia, December 19, 2022. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said any U.S. tanks sent to Ukraine would "burn like all the rest". Ukraine defeated Russia's troops on the outskirts of Kyiv last year and later drove them out of swathes of occupied land.

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