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☆ Lithuania is the world's happiest place for under 30s, but it's also Europe's suicide capital
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-19 | by ( Joshua Nelken-Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Read previewDomantas Katelė, an official in Lithuania's Ministry of Social Security and Labour, is widely known as his country's "Gen Z" minister. AdvertisementThe World Happiness Report backs up his claim, ranking Lithuania as the happiest place in the world for those under 30 earlier this year. AdvertisementIt seems paradoxical: How can a country be great for young people while also being Europe's suicide capital? Užupis, a small district alongside the Vilnia River, is popular with Vilnius' young, bohemian crowd. AdvertisementDomantas Katelė is often referred to as the "Gen Z" minister.

Persons: —, Z, it's, Joshua Nelken, Zers, Adriana Doroškevičiūtė, Richard Bogu, It's, Bogu, Antanas Grižas Organizations: Service, Lithuania's Ministry of Social Security, Labour, Business, Union, Lithuania, European Union, Data, BI, Soviet Bloc Locations: Lithuania, Vilnius, Soviet Union, Europe, Old, Užupis, Soviet

☆ Vilnius is cheap, safe, and fun — no wonder it's the world's happiness capital for Gen Z
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-18 | by ( Joshua Nelken-Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Joshua Nelken-Zitser/Business InsiderThe city's 90-or-so lakes, ideal for kayaking, and some of the largest forests in the country are also nearby. Joshua Nelken-Zitser/Business InsiderAccording to an affordability index by the personal finance website Finasvalp, Vilnius is the fourth most affordable capital in Europe. Joshua Nelken-Zitser/Business InsiderShe also said she appreciates how inexpensive and convenient it is to travel from Vilnius. Joshua Nelken-Zitser/Business InsiderOutside a food hall beside the Baltasis Tiltas, or White Bridge, 22-year-old Goda Ponomariovaitė looks for a place to sit. Joshua Nelken-Zitser/Business InsiderAccording to Ponomariovaitė, Vilnius has plenty of free or affordable hangout spots.

Persons: —, Valdas Benkuskas, Angel Villalba, Ignas, Kazlauskas, Ignas Kazlauskas, Joshua Nelken, Pranculis, Elizabeth Avgusta, Adriana Doroškevičiūtė, Avgusta, Doroškevičiūtė, It's, Ponomariovaitė Organizations: Service, Business, Getty, Gallup, US, Eurostat, Finasvalp, Michelin Locations: Lithuania, Vilnius, Baltic, Small, Lithuania's, Denver, London, Newcastle, Ukraine, Belarus, Berlin, Europe, Indonesia, LA's Venice, Ponomariovaitė, Amsterdam

☆ Von der Leyen names European Commission's new top team
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen attends a press conference, on the day of a European Union leaders summit, in Brussels, Belgium March 22, 2024. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday named Spain's ecological transition minister Teresa Ribera as the bloc's next antitrust commissioner while Estonia's Kaja Kallas will be in charge of foreign policy. All commissioners will report to German conservative von der Leyen, who this summer was handed a second term as EU chief executive by member states after her political camp won the most votes in EU elections. A second Trump presidency could sharply alter Western unity on supporting Ukraine against Russia's invasion and up-end EU trade relations with the world's biggest economy. There was some drama on Monday on the next Commission's line-up, when France picked Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne as its new candidate after the incumbent, Thierry Breton, abruptly quit with tough words for von der Leyen.

Persons: Ursula von der Leyen, Teresa Ribera, Estonia's Kaja, Andrius, Stephane Sejourne, Slovakia's Maros Sefcovic, Ribera, Denmark's, Margrethe Vestager, der Leyen, Trump, Thierry Breton, von der Leyen Organizations: European Union, EU, French, Big Tech, U.S, Ukraine Locations: Brussels, Belgium, China, France

☆ Large supplies of military gear Britain sent to Ukraine were 'due to be scrapped or replaced' anyway, report says
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-11 | by ( Mikhaila Friel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewThe UK donated military equipment to Ukraine that was so old it would have been thrown away, according to a new report from the National Audit Office (NAO) published on Wednesday. For example, in March 2022, the UK donated 17,010 pairs of unused army boots that were "nearing the end of their usable life," the report said. It comes against a backdrop of criticism over Western-supplied military equipment to Ukraine. Related storiesUkraine has been receiving military aid from its allies throughout Russia's full-scale invasion, which started in February 2022 . In July, the global military alliance NATO pledged to continue supporting Ukraine with the NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine, or NSATU, a new initiative to coordinate the supply of military aid and training.

Persons: —, NAO, Gareth Davies Organizations: Service, National Audit, UK's Ministry of Defence, Business, MoD, Financial Times, Politico, Russia, NATO, Assistance, Training, Ministry of Defence Locations: Ukraine, Germany, Russia's, Netherlands, Canada, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Estonia, Lithuania, New Zealand, Romania, Kosovo, Australia, Ukrainian

☆ Raygun: Viral Olympian ranked No. 1 breaker in the world by sport’s governing body
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-10 | by ( Samuel Joseph | Sam Joseph | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Australian breaker Rachael Gunn, the Olympian widely known as B-Girl Raygun who went viral after her performance at the Paris Games, is now ranked the No. The 37-year-old claimed the top spot in the latest women’s rankings released by the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) – the governing body of breaking and other dancesports. However, she won the gold medal at the 2023 WDSF Oceania Championships, securing her 1,000 ranking points and vaulting her up to No. “In alignment with the Olympic Qualification System, ranking events were intentionally not held between 31 December 2023 and the Olympic Games Paris 2024. From our perspective, that was nothing really shocking.”Raygun became one of the stories of the Paris Games after her performances at La Concorde Urban Park.

Persons: Rachael Gunn, Raygun, Japan’s Ami, Lithuania’s, WDSF, Robin, Ezra Shaw, Adele, Rachel Dratch, Jimmy Fallon, ” Raygun, –, ”, Martin Gilian, Frank Franklin, “, that’s, “ It’s Organizations: CNN, Paris Games, World DanceSport, Oceania, Oceania Championships, Olympic, Games, Olympic Games, Olympics, Getty, Twitter, Concorde Urban Locations: United States, France, Lithuania, Japan, Paris, Shanghai, Budapest, Australia, Munich, Los Angeles

☆ Ukraine started this year on the brink of disaster. A lot has changed since.
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-09 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Getting F-16s and long-awaited weaponsDelays in getting Western equipment have long been a source of frustration for Ukraine. Western allies lifted some restrictions in May, allowing Ukraine to strike Russian troops building up at its borders. AdvertisementTaking the war inside RussiaThe biggest change this year is that Ukraine altered the dynamics of the conflict by launching a surprise attack on Russia's Kursk region. In just two weeks, starting on August 6, Ukraine claims its forces took more territory in Kursk than Russia had since the beginning of 2024. Ukraine is "losing territory and may suffer a breakthrough," Benjamin Friedman, policy director at the Defense Priorities think tank, told BI.

Persons: —, Abishur Prakash, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Zelenskyy, Volodymyr Zelenskyi, Vitalii, Mark Temnycky, it's, Gabrielius Landsbergis, Ukraine wouldn't, Mark Cancian, year's, Putin, Joe Biden, Benjamin Friedman, Michael Kofman, Rob Lee, Prakash Organizations: Service, Russia, Republican, Business, Inc, Reuters, Army Tactical Missile Systems, Getty, Council's Eurasia, Times, Institute for, American Enterprise, Air Assault Brigade, REUTERS, US Marine Corps, Center for Strategic, International Studies, CNN, Defense, Carnegie Endowment, International Peace, Foreign Policy Research Institute, Foreign, Kyiv Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Russian, Kursk, Toronto, Kharkiv, London, Russia's Kursk, Malaya Loknya, Kursk Region, REUTERS Russia, Kyiv

☆ One of Ukraine's main goals in invading Russia appears to be working
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-14 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Ukraine's invasion of the province of Kursk last week took Russia by surprise. Analysts told Business Insider that one of Ukraine's core aims in the operation is to divert Russian troops from the front line in Ukraine. Related storiesIt said that Russia could be diverting troops from units in Donetsk intended to relieve or reinforce front-line units. BI has been unable to confirm reports of the redeployments, and it is unknown exactly how many Russian troops may have been diverted to fight Ukraine's Kursk incursion. AdvertisementFor months, Ukraine's forces have been losing ground to Russia in a grinding war of attrition.

Persons: —, Dmytro Lykhoviy, Lykhoviy, Ukraine's, Volodymyr Zelesnkyy Organizations: Service, Business, POLITICO, BI Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Kursk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Ukraine's, Ukrainian, US, Russian, Donetsk, Kharkiv Oblast, Kursk Oblast, Baltic, Kaliningrad, Ukraine's Kursk

☆ Breaking community rallies around Australian Olympian whose kangaroo hop failed to impress judges
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-12 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Mithil-Aggarwal.Jpg | Mithil Aggarwal | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Videos of her breaking went viral, drawing online ridicule and speculation as to whether the whole thing was a hoax. But Gunn was uncowed, re-enacting the kangaroo hop as she celebrated with fellow Australian Olympians ahead of the closing ceremony on Sunday. She also wore a green-and-yellow Australian Olympic tracksuit rather than the streetwear favored by her rivals. Amid the criticism, Gunn’s performance has also drawn an outpouring of support from the international breaking community and others who lauded her originality, including the Australian prime minister. The World DanceSport Federation, the international governing body for breaking, said it had offered her mental health support.

Persons: Rachael Gunn, Gunn, “, ” Gunn, ”, Elsa, Anthony Albanese, ” Martin Gilian, Gilian, Raygun, Adele, Anna Meares, Australia’s, Sergey Nifontov, Claire Warden, Snoop Dogg, “ Don’t Organizations: Olympics, ”, Associated Press, Paris Games, Paris Olympics, Federation, AP, Loughborough University, NBC Olympics Locations: Australian, Paris, United States, France, Lithuania, Munich, Britain, Brisbane, Australia

☆ Raygun: Australian breaker praised for her ‘courage’ and ‘character’ after viral performances at the Paris Olympics
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-12 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Rachael Gunn arrived in Paris as a competitive breaker excited to make her Olympic debut. Recently, that took her all the way to the Paris Olympics, where 32 athletes – known as B-boys and B-girls – were competing at the Games for the first time. Raygun competes against Logistx at the Paris Olympics. “All my moves are original,” Raygun said after competing in Paris. Raygun said that all of her breaking moves are original.

Persons: Rachael Gunn, Gunn –, Raygun, –, USA’s Logistx, France’s, Lithuania’s Nicka, Adele, Harry Langer, ” Raygun, “, ”, Martin Gilian, Sergey Nifontov, ” Gunn, Ezra Shaw, ” Anna Meares Organizations: CNN, Paris Olympics, Games, Concorde, Twitter, Sydney’s Macquarie University, Logistx, Oceania, Olympics, DanceSport, Getty, Olympic, International Olympic Committee Locations: Paris, Sydney, Australia, Munich, New York City, Los Angeles

☆ Australian Olympian 'Raygun' went viral for her breakdancing moves. Now, she's defending them.
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-12 | by ( Palmer Haasch | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Gunn's time on the Olympic stage, however, was short-lived. The article examined how institutionalization in the Olympic games would impact the Australian breaking scene. Her now-husband, Samuel Free, introduced her to breaking in 2008 while they were at university, Gunn told The Sydney Morning Herald. Rachael "Raygun" Gunn competing at the 2024 Olympics in Paris. Advertisement(Raygun's full performances — and the rest of the 2024 Olympic events — are available to replay on Peacock.)

Persons: —, Rachael Gunn, France's Syssy, Lithuania's, Raygun didn't, i've, A5aqxIbV3H — David Mack, Gunn, Lucas Marie, Samuel Free, Women's, Rachael, Raygun, Ezra Shaw, RayGun, Breakdancing, ove, achael,, aris O lympics. Organizations: Service, Olympics —, Department of Media, Communications, Creative Arts, Macquarie University, Business, Olympic, Weekly, Sydney Morning Herald, Australian Breaking Association, aris O Locations: Sydney, Australia, United States, Paris, breakdancing

☆ I'm a scientist who moved to Lithuania from the US. I am less stressed and my work-life balance is so much better that I don't consider moving back any time soon.
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-10 | by ( Jessica Orwig | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Read previewThis as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Stephen Knox Jones Jr., a 37-year-old scientist who lives in Vilnius, Lithuania. Here, people recognize the value of having time away from work for well-being — and now I don't feel guilty anymore when I take time off. Jones Jr. thinks the quality of his research is better because he's less stressed and has more head space to dedicate to his work. That's why I think the quality of my research is better in Lithuania than it might be in the US. Jones Jr.'s quality of research is important to him because of his strong desire to contribute to humanity's advancement.

Persons: —, Stephen Knox Jones Jr, It's, there's, that's, I've, Jones, it's, Stephen, Jessica Orwig Organizations: Service, Business, Molecular Biology Laboratories, Jobs Locations: Vilnius, Lithuania, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Texas, After Texas, Europe, jorwig@businessinsider.com

☆ A Head-Spinning Debut
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-10 | by ( Jonathan Abrams | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Breaking is a new sport at this year’s Summer Olympics — at least we’ll call it a sport for the sake of the Games. You probably know it as break dancing, the art form in which performers spin, pose, glide and dance across the floor with incredible athleticism and charisma. The event debuted yesterday in Paris with the women’s, or B-Girls’, competition. Ami Yuasa of Japan, known as B-Girl Ami, bested Lithuania’s Dominika Banevic, or B-Girl Nicka, to win breaking’s first gold medal. The dance spread nationally and globally through movies like “Beat Street” and pioneering crews providing demonstrations in countries like Japan and England.

Persons: Ami Yuasa, Ami, Lithuania’s Dominika, I’ll, Red Bull Organizations: Red Locations: Paris, Japan, New York, England, Europe

☆ Breaking explodes onto Paris' La Concorde, exciting spectators in its first Olympic showing
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-09 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Alex-Smith-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Alexander Smith | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

Lithuania's Dominika Banevič, known as Nicka, at La Concorde in Paris on Friday. Lithuania's Dominika Banevič known as Nicka, Japan's Ami Yuasa known as Ami, and China's Liu Qingyi known as 671 at La Concorde in Paris, on Friday. Odd Andersen / AFP - Getty ImagesUsually the Place de la Concorde is a busy traffic intersection. Team USA's Logan Edra, known as Logistx, competes in the breaking round-robin at the Olympics in Paris, on Friday. On Saturday, USA's B-Boys Victor and Jeffro will be among the athletes competing in the men's try of Olympic breaking, wrapping the sport's Paris showing.

Persons: Japan’s Ami, Lithuania's Nicka, Ami, Nicka, Dominika, Odd Andersen, Elsa, Getty, India —, Japan's Ami Yuasa, China's Liu Qingyi, La Madeleine, Malik, —, Sunny, Logistx, USA's Logan Edra, It’s, Ava Rodriguez, Rodriguez, Alison Palaia, Eric Quinlan, ”, Quinlan, “ We’ve, Palaia, “, USA's, Boys Victor, Jeffro, Alexander Smith, Rebecca Cohen Organizations: PARIS, La Concorde, AFP, Getty, Team USA, China's, Team United States, Nicka, Concorde, La, U.S, Los Angeles Games, Olympics, Boys Locations: Japanese, Lithuanian, Paris, Bronx, New York City, Netherlands, India, Carlota, Luxor, France, America, Norwalk, Conn, U.S, ”

Back then, breaking’s fundamental movements provided escapism and expression, competitive and spontaneous physical performance breathed to life by the dawning genre of hip-hop. But breaking — not “break dancing,” a term coined by media and disdained within the breaking community — no longer belongs solely to New York City. In Paris, Olympic breakers representing countries like Japan, Lithuania and Morocco will compete one-on-one in battles waged for a global television audience. Technology like VHS tapes, DVDs and video platforms like YouTube allowed breakers around the world to learn moves and iterate new ones. “That’s why I love it so much, because it’s never the same,” said Menno van Gorp, who will represent the Netherlands.

Persons: DJ Kool Herc, Flash, ”, Beta, Martha Cooper, it’s, Menno van Gorp, “ It’s, It’s, Bull’s Organizations: YouTube, Summer Games Locations: Bronx, New York City, Paris, Japan, Lithuania, Morocco, Miami, Jamaica, Queens, nooks, Netherlands

☆ Mykolas Alekna: Son of a two-time Olympic champion, the Lithuanian will aim to carry on his father’s legacy
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-04 | by ( Martynas Ruseckas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Lithuanian discus thrower Mykolas Alekna is poised to carry on the legacy of his father, Virgilijus, who holds an Olympic record in the same discipline. His 69.89-meter throw in Athens 2004 guaranteed the then-32-year-old a second Olympic gold medal, having also won in Sydney 2000. The world record followed in April 2024, when all his six throws – alongside his new all-time mark – were over the elite 70-meter mark. Deep-rooted traditionAlekna’s success in the discus throw is testament to Lithuania’s deep-rooted tradition in this field event – the Baltic state has been hugely successful with the discus in hand. Virgilijus Alekna’s victories on the global stage helped to popularize the sport, and now, finals of discus throw are among the most-watched Olympic events in Lithuania.

Persons: Bronny James, LeBron, Mykolas Alekna, Virgilijus, Jürgen, Alekna, you’ll, ” Virgilijus, Mykolas, –, Romas Ubartas, Ubartas, Martynas, Andrius Gudžius –, Lukas Weißhaidinger, Daniel Ståhl Organizations: CNN, Sydney, Sydney Games, University of California, Seoul Games, Soviet Union, Paris Games, League –, Lithuanian, European Athletics, Tokyo Games Locations: Paris, Lithuanian, Athens, Berkeley, Munich, Bavarian, Baltic, European, Soviet Union, Barcelona, Lithuania, Soviet, Rome, Slovenian, Sweden

☆ I moved to Lithuania from the US. Life feels more stable here, and I have a better work-life balance.
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-03 | by ( Ana Altchek | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Bernard Meyer moved abroad in 2009 when the stock market crashed and ended up in Vilnius, Lithuania. In Vilnius, Meyer has a great work-life balance and is able to disconnect in nature. Go to newsletter preferences Thanks for signing up! His job and identity have been verified by Business Insider. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Persons: Bernard Meyer, Meyer, —, It's Organizations: Service, Business Locations: Vilnius, Lithuania, Miami, Cape Town , South Africa, Mongolia

☆ Ukraine war: European nations turn to conscription as threat of wider war with Russia grows
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-21 | by ( Radina Gigova | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Several European nations have reintroduced or expanded compulsory military service amid Moscow’s mounting threat, part of a range of policies aimed at boosting defenses that are likely to be scaled up even further. Compulsory military service was reintroduced on January 1 this year, after being abolished in 2006. In the UK, the Conservatives floated the idea of military service in their ill-fated election campaign. In Lithuania, for instance, opinions about military service among students vary, said Paulius Vaitiekus, president of Lithuania’s National Students’ Union. However as an alliance we do not prescribe mandatory military service,” Dakhlallah said.

Persons: ”, Robert Hamilton, Vladimir Putin “, Wesley Clark, we’ve, Clark, “, Arturs Pīlācis, Ints Kalnins, Jonas Gahr Støre, Jens Bartnes, ” Bartnes, Max Henrik Arvidson, Boris Pistorius, Thomas Frey, Sean Monaghan, Paulius Vaitiekus, Vaitiekus, Monaghan, Hamilton, it’s, ” Radebo, Mikael Sjoberg, Russia’s, Farah Dakhlallah, Dakhlallah, ” Dakhlallah, ” Monaghan, Donald Trump –, ” Clark Organizations: CNN, Foreign Policy Research Institute, US Army, Allied, Europe, NATO, ” Latvian, Reuters, European Union, Conservatives, Federal, of Defense, Eurasia Program, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Lithuania’s, ’ Union, Finnish Defence Forces, Swedish Armed Forces, Marinette, Ministry of Defense, Bloomberg, Getty Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Kyiv, Europe, Eurasia, Kosovo, Scandinavia, Latvia, ”, Riga, Norway, Norwegian, Germany, B'chel, Lithuania, Ukrainian, NATO, Finland, Soviet Union, Sweden, NATO’s, Swedish, Gotland, Visby, Moscow, Crimea

☆ Nantucket wind turbine failure was ‘highly unusual and rare.’ But it wasn’t the first
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-20 | by ( Ella Nilsen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The massive offshore wind turbine blade that broke and spread fiberglass and foam debris across Nantucket beaches this week was one of several recent failures of blades made by GE Vernova – a top US wind turbine manufacturer. Several GE Vernova blades have broken on onshore and offshore turbines in Germany, Sweden, Lithuania and the United Kingdom in recent years. Broken wind turbines are “highly unusual and rare,” a GE Vernova representative told Nantucket residents and officials on Wednesday. WBZTown of Nantucket CurrentLast year, three GE Vernova blades broke at the Alfstedt-Ebersdorf onshore wind farm in Germany. The total number of broken turbine blades has been relatively low compared to the large number of blades manufactured each year.

Persons: it’s, Indra Mukherjee, ” Mukherjee, Mukherjee, Julia Pschribülla, Pschribülla, Brooke Mohr Organizations: CNN, GE Vernova, GE, Nantucket, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, P, WBZ, Energy Locations: Germany, Sweden, Lithuania, United Kingdom, Avangrid, Copenhagen, Nantucket, Massachusetts, East Coast

☆ I live in Lithuania, the happiest place on earth for under 30s. As a very happy 28-year-old, here's what it's like.
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-17 | by ( Lauren Crosmedlicott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Read previewThis as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with a digital marketer Aivaras Vilutis, about being a 28-year-old living in Vilnius, Lithuania. I've lived here most of my adult life. Vilnius is an affordable location for young peopleWhile working in Vilnius, I've earned more than my parents did in their small town. I prefer Vilnius to other places I've lived as a young personI love my country. I don't think people in old age would classify Lithuania as one of the happiest places in the world.

Persons: —, Aivaras, I've, I'd, didn't, We're, I'm Organizations: Service, Business, NASA, Nord Security Locations: Vilnius, Lithuania, Lithuanian, neurophysics, America, Kaunas, Klaipėda, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Italy, it's, Soviet, Portugal

☆ Finland passes law to block migrants crossing from Russia
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-12 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Finland has accused neighboring Russia of weaponizing migration by encouraging scores of migrants from countries such as Syria and Somalia to cross the border, an assertion the Kremlin denies. Helsinki believes Moscow is promoting the crossings in retaliation for Finland joining NATO, which backs Ukraine against Russia’s invasion. Finnish border guards and migrants with bicycles are pictured at the international border crossing at Salla, Finnish Lapland on November 21, 2023. Orpo urged migrants who were considering coming to Europe through Russia not to embark on the journey. The access to the borders orchestrated by Russia will not lead to access to Finland or Europe.”Moscow has denied such an intention.

Persons: Reuters —, Petteri Orpo, ” Orpo, Jussi Nukari, Mari Rantanen, Finland’s, Orpo, “ Don’t, ”, ” Moscow Organizations: Reuters, Helsinki, NATO, Russia’s, Getty, Finnish Border Guard, ” Locations: Russia, Helsinki, Finland, Syria, Somalia, Moscow, Ukraine, EU, Salla, Finnish Lapland, AFP, Poland, Lithuania, Belarus, Europe, Russian

☆ NATO’s Pledges to Ukraine Fall Short for a Counteroffensive This Year
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-11 | by ( Lara Jakes | Eric Schmitt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Despite billions of dollars in additional weapons and security assistance that NATO announced this week, allied officials said Ukraine would not be ready to launch a dramatic counteroffensive or retake large swaths of territory from Russia until next year. Donations of missiles, combat vehicles, ammunition and air defenses from the United States and European countries will take weeks, if not months, to reach the front lines. Some of the newly committed weapons have not yet been bought or built. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said long-anticipated F-16s fighter jets would be delivered to Ukraine this summer. “This is a huge disappointment for me personally, because Ukrainians are expecting that those goods will come, this military equipment will reach Ukraine, but it’s not happening.”

Persons: Antony J, Blinken, “, Gitanas Nauseda, ” Organizations: NATO Locations: Ukraine, Russia, United States, Washington, Lithuania

For more than six months, Russia has been carrying out a sabotage campaign across Europe, largely by proxy. “We’re seeing sabotage, we’re seeing assassination plots, we’re seeing arson. Russia’s sabotage campaign has, at times, smacked of a shotgun approach carried out by amateurs. In London in March, several men were charged with working with Russian intelligence services to set fire to a Ukrainian-linked warehouse. And French authorities last month detained a Russian-Ukrainian man who was allegedly building bombs as part of a sabotage campaign orchestrated by Moscow.

Persons: Armin Papperger, Olaf Scholz, Boris Pistorius, Fabian Bimmer, “, ”, Adrienne Watson, “ Russia’s, Oliver Hoffman, ” Hoffman, Donald Tusk, Papperger, Dariusz Borowicz, Agencja Wyborcza.pl, Reuters “, ” CNN’s Zachary Cohen Organizations: CNN, Kyiv, Rheinmetall, NATO, National Security, NATO Allies, Embassy, intel, US, Reuters, Ukraine Locations: Ukraine, Europe, Kyiv, Germany, Berlin, Russia, West, Moscow, Papperger, Unterluess, United States, Washington, Russian, Polish, Lithuania, Poland, Ukrainian, London, Warsaw

☆ NATO is taking greater control of Western efforts to back Ukraine's fight as US politics raise questions about its reliability
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-11 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Read previewNATO is moving forward with a new initiative that will see it take greater control over Western efforts to arm and train Ukraine's military. The move comes as the alliance aims to solidify the long-term support for Kyiv as it battles the Russian invasion. Growing concern about the potential change in US leadership has hung over the highly consequential NATO summit in Washington this week. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Joe Biden at the 2024 NATO summit. "There are 32 countries in the alliance," the NATO official who spoke on the condition of anonymity said Thursday.

Persons: —, Donald Trump —, Donald Trump, NICHOLAS KAMM, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Joe Biden, Susan Walsh, Trump, Ivo Daalder, Laurynas Organizations: Service, Kyiv, NATO, Ukraine —, Business, Wednesday, Assistance, Training, White, Getty, Ukraine Defense Contact, AP, Ukraine, Russian, Trump, Wall Street, Kiel Institute, Politico, Republican, Democratic Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Washington, Germany, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Kyiv, Russia, Europe, NATO

☆ Front-line NATO allies say the West needs to give Ukraine the 'technological superiority' it needs to beat Russia
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-10 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewThe West should send Ukraine the kind of weapons it needs to inflict a lasting, strategic defeat on Russia, NATO countries on the front lines of the military alliance said Tuesday. With this threat in mind, the Baltic nations have long pushed for increased defense spending among NATO member states. "The goal must be [the] strategic defeat of Russia in Ukraine," said Latvian Defense Minister Andris Sprūds. The Baltic states say enabling Ukraine to win will require a massive political buy-in and support from the West. "We have to say clearly: 'Yes, we will help Ukraine to win this war.'"

Persons: —, Hanno Pevkur, Pevkur, Serhii, Laurynas, Kasčiūnas, Andris Sprūds, Joe Biden, Jens Stoltenberg, Andrew Mellon, Kevin Dietsch Organizations: Service, Lithuania —, Kyiv, Business, Estonian, POLITICO, NATO, Artillery, System, Getty, Russian, Moscow, Chamber of Commerce, Latvian Defense, Andrew Locations: Ukraine, Russia, NATO, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Baltic, Moscow, Washington ,, West, Europe, AFP, Kyiv, Washington , DC

☆ Russia rebuilt its war machine 'faster than we expected' and is now cranking out artillery shells at a breakneck pace, NATO defense official says
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-09 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewRussia has successfully rebuilt its "war-stage" economy much faster than expected, and it is now cranking out far more artillery ammunition than it was prior to the beginning of the Ukraine war, a NATO defense chief said Tuesday. Before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Moscow was producing up to 400,000 152mm rounds per year. But that figure has since swelled to 2 million rounds annually, according to Laurynas Kasčiūnas, Lithuania's minister of national defense. Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via APDespite international efforts to inflict economic pain on Russia over its war, through actions like sanctions, Kasčiūnas said Moscow's "war-stage economy" has recovered "faster than we expected." Dmytro Smolienko / Ukrinform/Future Publishing via Getty ImagesKasčiūnas delivered his remarks alongside Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur and Latvian Defense Minister Andris Sprūds.

Persons: —, Laurynas, Kasčiūnas, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Dmytro Smolienko, Hanno Pevkur, Andris Sprūds Organizations: Service, NATO, Business, POLITICO, Russian Defense Ministry Press Service, —, Publishing, Getty, Estonian Defense, Latvian Defense Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Soviet, Washington ,, Europe, Zaporizhzhia Region, Baltic

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