DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Moscow derides peace summit; Ukraine says using Western weapons to strike Russia could be a game changer
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-04 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Russia has poured scorn on Ukraine's attempts to invite its former Soviet allies to a forthcoming peace summit in Switzerland, saying the invitation had been rejected by its neighbors. "Kyiv and its Western handlers actively sought to attract representatives from the countries of the global South and East. Russia jealously guards its influence over the CIS, which includes Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Meanwhile, Western countries have tried to strengthen their relations with several member countries of CIS, much to Russia's disdain. Russia is sensitive over what it sees as Western encroachment on its own backyard, particularly as the CIS' membership has dwindled in recent years.

Persons: Ilham Aliyev, Serdar Berdimuhamedow, Vladimir Putin, Emomali Rahmon, Alexander Lukashenko, Mikhail Galuzin, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Galuzin, — Holly Ellyatt Organizations: Commonwealth of Independent States, Tass, CIS, Commonwealth, CNBC, Russian, Georgia Locations: Turkmenistan, Russian, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Soviet, Switzerland, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, CIS, Baltic States, Soviet Union, Moldova, Ukraine, Kyiv

☆ A Ukrainian commander said new troops are trained so badly they have to learn basic skills on the front lines like shooting a gun
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-03 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The 93rd Mechanized Brigade has seen some of the heaviest fighting in the war, including the battles for Bakhmut, Kharkiv, and Adviivka. One newly arrived soldier, identified by call sign Val of the 93rd Mechanized Brigade, told the outlet he was assigned to the front line with a day's notice. AdvertisementAnother soldier from the 42nd Mechanized Brigade in Kharkiv told the outlet that "everything is learned on the spot." As for new recruits, Ukraine's training centers are barely equipped to provide soldiers with basic training, per the Post. AdvertisementThe UK hosts trainings for Ukrainian troops under its Operation Interflex program.

Persons: —, Schmidt, Mechanized Brigade Kholodny Yar, ANATOLII STEPANOV, Val, France —, HENRY NICHOLLS Organizations: Service, Washington Post, Business, Kyiv, 93rd Mechanized Brigade, Bakhmut, Mechanized Brigade, Getty, 42nd Mechanized Brigade, Ukraine's Ministry of Defense, Ukraine, Atlantic Treaty Organization, Kremlin, NATO, for Locations: Ukraine, Kharkiv, Ukrainian, Bakhmut, Donetsk, AFP, Chasiv Yar, Kyiv, Baltic States, France, Russia, Washington

☆ The Kremlin is accused of waging a 'shadow war' against the West with incidents of Russian sabotage on the rise
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-31 | by ( Daniel Kochis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

If true, the loss of a Polish shopping center by means of Russian arson would be shocking on its own. As NATO advances toward the July summit, it's become clear that more comprehensive discussions on addressing the Russian sabotage campaign must take place. Some of the earliest identified acts of Russian sabotage occurred in 2014 at ammunition depots in the Czech Republic killing two and causing $42.5 million in damage. Bulgaria has played a crucial role in supplying ammunition and shells to Ukrainian forces, especially in the early stages of the war. Matthias Merz/picture alliance via Getty ImagesWeapons and training facilities aiding Ukrainian forces are frequent targets.

Persons: —, Donald Tusk, MAXIM SHEMETOV, Kaja Kallas, it's, Hannah Beier, Ozempic, Abrams, Matthias Merz, Russia, John MacDougall, Daniel Kochis Organizations: Service, Business, Reuters Estonia's, West, NATO, Scranton Army, BAE Systems, Denmark's Novo Nordisk, BAE, US Army, Getty Images, Energy, NATO Pipeline System, Deutsche Bahn, Investigators, DB, Getty, Kremlin, Ukraine, Center, Hudson Institute, United Locations: Polish, Poland, Wroclaw, Lithuania, Russia, Moscow, Russian, Estonia, Czech Republic, Vrbětice, Bulgaria, Scranton, Pennsylvania, United Kingdom, Ukrainian, Ukraine, Norwegian, Baltic, Bellheim, Germany, Czech, Europe, Berlin, France, Washington, Eurasia, United States, NATO

☆ Why the Swedish and Finnish Air Forces are a powerful add to NATO
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Finland's F/A-18 Hornets — which used to be the US Navy's standard fighter — are already compatible with NATO air forces. This puts several squadrons of stealth fighters on Russia's northern border, with the potential to penetrate and suppress Russian air defenses, and hit vital targets. "Both Finland's and Sweden's proximity allows NATO air forces to stage closer to the Baltics. Similarly, Sweden's Gotland island — located almost midway in the Baltic, about 60 miles from the Swedish mainland and 80 miles from the Baltic States — provides NATO with an advanced outpost. Their air forces are vital for this Nordic push, and will become very useful to further deter and defend the increasingly contested arctic space with Russia."

Persons: Paul Cormarie, John Hoehn, Sweden's JAS, Finland's, Ian Valley, Hoehn, Cormarie, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, NATO, RAND, Corp, Modern, Institute, Business, Nordic, Gripen, UK's Royal Air Force, Finnish Air Force, US Army, —, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Ukraine, Finland, Sweden, West, Russia, Finnish, Swedish, France, Germany, Warsaw, Poland, Europe, Rovaniemi, US Army Sweden, Baltic States, Baltic, Norway, Norwegian, North, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Gotland, —, Pacific, United States, Taiwan, China, Forbes

☆ 'Drone wall' against Russia: Six NATO countries announce border defense plan
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-27 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Pilots of the "Sharp Kartuza" division of FPV kamikaze drones prepare drones for a combat flight on May 16, 2024 in the Kharkiv region, 8 km from the border with Russia. Six NATO countries neighboring Russia are joining forces to build a "drone wall" to protect their borders, Lithuania's interior minister announced on Friday. In an interview with Finnish television channel Yle, cited by the Financial Times, Finland's Interior Minister Mari Rantanen said that the drone wall plan would "improve in time." The interior ministers of the six countries taking part in the drone wall project met in the Latvian capital of Riga on May 23 and 24. "The phenomenon of instrumentalized migration on the EU's external borders is a common challenge for our countries.

Persons: Agne Bilotaite, Bilotaite, Mari Rantanen, Rantanen Organizations: NATO, Yle, Financial Times, Finland's, EU Locations: Kharkiv, Russia, Norway, Poland, Lithuanian, Baltic, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Latvian, Riga, Belarus, Africa

☆ 6 NATO countries are planning to build a 'drone wall' to defend themselves against Russia, reports say
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-27 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Six NATO countries are planning a "drone wall" to defend against Russia. Finland, Norway, Poland, and the Baltic states want to prevent smuggling and Russian provocations. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementSix NATO countries are joining forces to create a "drone wall" to defend themselves against Russia, AFP news agency reported. Over the weekend, ministers from Finland, Norway, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania convened to discuss a coordinated system to help defend against Russian provocations and smuggling attempts, per the Financial Times.

Persons: —, Agnė Bilotaitė Organizations: NATO, Service, Financial Times, Baltic News Service, Business Locations: Russia, Finland, Norway, Poland, Baltic, AFP, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania

☆ Russia-Ukraine war: Putin signals he’s open to peace talks, but Ukraine is right to be wary
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-25 | by ( Nick Paton Walsh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Eastern Ukraine CNN —Russian President Vladimir Putin’s signaling this week that he is open to peace talks should be viewed with vast, overshadowing caveats, and the weight of Ukraine’s - and the West’s - past experience of Russian diplomacy. Putin questioned the legitimacy of Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, who Moscow has repeatedly assailed, after Kyiv had to delay elections because of the very war Putin started. Zelensky has said he hopes China - Russia’s most potent ally but only partial supporter in the Ukraine war - will attend. Putin may be talking peace now to suggest to Beijing to not be involved in diplomacy about Russia without Russia present. Valentyn Ogirenko/ReutersUkraine’s Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, said Friday that Putin’s hints at peace talks were directly aimed at sabotaging the summit.

Persons: Vladimir Putin’s, Putin, Moscow’s, Alexander Lukashenko, Volodymyr Zelensky, Viktor Yanukovich, Russian Yanukovich, Lukashenko, Tatyana Makeyeva, –, Zelensky, Valentyn Ogirenko, Dmytro Kuleba, “ Putin, Ukraine ”, MAGA, Dmitri Peskov, Donald Trump, ferociously Organizations: Eastern, Eastern Ukraine CNN —, Reuters, Belarus ’, Kremlin, Kyiv, European Union, NATO, Kharkiv, Reuters Ukraine’s Foreign, Ukraine, American, MAGA Republicans, Congress Locations: Eastern Ukraine, Moscow, Ukraine, Kharkiv, Russia, Istanbul, Kyiv, Donetsk, Belarus, Russian, Syria, Debaltseve, Switzerland, China, Beijing, Valentyn, West, Europe, United States, France, Baltic

☆ 48-year-old gymnast Oksana Chusovitina’s Olympic dream and history bid ended by injury
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-24 | by ( Samuel Joseph | Sam Joseph | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Uzbekistan gymnast Oksana Chusovitina had been aiming to compete at her ninth consecutive Olympic Games later this year, but the 48-year-old’s hopes of securing a spot in Paris have been dashed by injury. “Yesterday, while training on the podium of the Asian Championships, which is taking place in Tashkent and is a qualifying event for the Olympic Games in Paris, I was injured during the floor exercise. She won a gold medal in the team all-around competition that year and has competed in every Summer Games since then. However, even if she had qualified for Paris 2024, she would not have been a record holder for very long. The title currently belongs to Georgian shooter Nino Salukvadze, who has competed at every Summer Games since first appearing in Seoul in 1988, where she won a gold medal on debut.

Persons: Oksana Chusovitina, old’s, Chusovitina, Per, “, ”, I, William West, Chusovitina’s, –, Lobar Amrillaeva, Nino Salukvadze, Salukvadze Organizations: CNN, Olympic, Paris, Asian, Olympic Games, Getty, “ Unified, Games, Summer Games Locations: Uzbekistan, Paris, Instagram, Tashkent, Hangzhou, China, AFP, Barcelona, Baltic, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Soviet Union, Beijing, London, Georgian, Seoul

☆ Putin has 'both eyes' on a strategic island belonging to new NATO member Sweden, army commander says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewRussian President Vladimir Putin is targeting a strategic Swedish island that offers mastery over the Baltic Sea, the commander-in-chief of Sweden's army warned this week. Putin's goal is to gain control of the Baltic Sea," Micael Bydén told German news outlets, according to Politico's translation of his remarks. Sweden joined NATO in early March, and the alliance is now the dominant force in the Baltic Sea, thanks in large part to its control of Gotland. Advertisement"If Russia takes control and seals off the Baltic Sea, it would have an enormous impact on our lives — in Sweden and all other countries bordering the Baltic Sea," Bydén said. Swedish military officials watch a Swedish C-130H take off from a non-traditional runway on Gotland Island on October 23, 2021.

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Micael Bydén, Bydén, Patrik Orcutt, Ulf Kristersson Organizations: Service, Business, NATO, Nordic, Russia's Ministry of Defence, Moscow Times, US Army, Politico, Sweden's, Financial Times, Gotland Regiment, US Locations: Swedish, Baltic, Gotland, Putin's, Sweden, Russian, Kaliningrad, It's, Rhode, Russia, Bydén, Moscow, Lithuania, Finland, Latvia, Ukraine

☆ Paris 2024: What is an Individual Neutral Athlete at the Olympic Games?
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Samuel Joseph | Sam Joseph | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Russian athletes have competed under several different guises throughout the 128-year history of the Olympics, and they will be known by another new name at Paris 2024. Antonin Thuillier/AFP/Getty ImagesHere’s everything you need to know about the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes at the 2024 Olympics. “The sanctions against those responsible for the war, the Russian and Belarusian states and governments, remain in place for the Olympic Games Paris 2024,” the IOC said in a statement. “No flag, anthem, colors or any other identifications whatsoever of Russia or Belarus will be displayed at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 in any official venue or any official function,” the statement continues. Like all other athletes, AINs will need to meet anti-doping requirements to be considered for selection.

Persons: Ukraine –, Igor Kobzar, Antonin Thuillier, –, AINs, Star Pau Gasol, Nicole Hoevertsz, Ryu Seung, Robert Michael, Russia –, Mariya Lasitskene, ”, Daniil Medvedev, “, it’s, Russia ” Organizations: CNN, Olympics, Belarus –, International Olympic Committee, IOC, ATP, WTA, Russian Olympic, Getty, Games, Olympic Games, Star, Athletes ’ Commission, International, Russian Olympic Committee, Paris, Tokyo, Kyodo, ROC, “ Unified, ”, Soviet Union, Unified Locations: Ukraine, Belarus, Belarusian, Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Paris, France, Russia, AFP, Russian, AIN, Tokyo, Beijing, China, –, Moscow, Pyeongchang, South Korea, Barcelona, Soviet, Baltic, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia

☆ Ukraine can still beat Russia. It just comes down to enough Western aid.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-18 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

With 14 to 21 well-equipped brigades, Ukraine could eject Russian forces from all Ukrainian territory, according to an American expert. One is Ukraine amassing a sufficiently powerful ground combat force that can defeat the estimated 500,000 Russian troops in Ukraine. With Russian forces solidly dug in behind minefields and fortifications across eastern and southern Ukraine, that Baltic scenario bears similarities to the situation that Ukraine faces today. Given sufficient quantities of munitions, Ukraine could inflict enough losses to decisively attrit Russian forces that have already sustained an estimated 500,000 casualties. He started with a 2023 Estonian Ministry of Defense plan that laid out a roadmap for Ukraine to defeat Russia.

Persons: one's, Michael Bohnert, Bohnert, isn't, Chasiv, — Bohnert, they've, Andrei Belousov, Putin, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Business, RAND Corp, RAND, US Army, NATO, Russian, Anadolu, Getty, Estonian Ministry of Defense, Atlantic, Storm, Bohnert, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Ukraine, American, Russia, Russian, Baltic States, United States, U.S, Chasiv Yar, Estonian, Iraq, Afghanistan, Europe, America, China, Israel, Forbes

☆ NATO member Estonia is 'seriously' discussing sending troops to fill non-combat roles in Ukraine, security advisor says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewEstonia has been "seriously" discussing sending troops to Ukraine in roles positioned away from the front lines, per a national security official. Advertisement"Discussions are ongoing," Roll told Breaking Defense. Breaking Defense reported that Roll made these comments on Friday, just days after the country's defense chief, Gen. Martin Herem, told the outlet that Estonia had internally talked about sending troops to Ukraine. Related storiesEstonia is one of the geographically closest NATO members to Russia, with an eastern border shared with the Russian regions Pskov and Leningrad. AdvertisementThat's about 1.6% of its total GDP, more than any other nation that has supplied Ukraine with aid.

Persons: —, Madis, it's, Roll, Martin Herem, Herem, Emmanuel Macron, Ingrida Šimonytė Organizations: Service, Defense, Business, Atlantic Treaty Organization, Breaking Defense, NATO, Lithuanian, Financial Times, Kyiv, Kiel Institute Locations: Estonia, Ukraine, Russia, Pskov, Leningrad, Ukraine Tallinn, Baltic States, NATO, Kyiv, Europe, Finland

☆ A 24-year-old spent $140,000 buying and converting a Mercedes van. Take a look inside the luxury home on wheels.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Monica Humphries | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

So, she set out to do just that for her most recent van conversion. AdvertisementFor the next nine months, she designed and built a space that's just as much functional as it is artistic. By the end of the conversion, Minor said she spent $140,000 on the build. For example, Minor used liquid fiberglass — a material that's typically used on the exterior of automobiles — inside her van. "In which case, it just turns into a regular business that's complicated, that's restricted."

Persons: —, Abbe Minor, Minor, Autoevolution, Noovo, I've, I'm, she'd, Diego's, Minor's van, van isn't, Abbe Minor's van, she's Organizations: Service, Business, Minor, Overland Locations: San Diego, Pennsylvania, Washington

☆ A wargame simulated a 2nd Trump presidency. It concluded NATO would collapse.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

If Donald Trump wins a second term in the White House in November, NATO may fall apart, a recent wargame found. "What Donald Trump can do is just really hollow out what NATO does," Grimble told Business Insider. The UK has traditionally backed a transatlantic, America-Europe alliance rather than a purely European defense bloc. Yet in the game, it could neither persuade Trump to ease his demands, nor the European NATO members to spend more on defense. "Many NATO members — except for France mainly — thought post-Trump it could be salvageable," Grimble said.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Finley Grimble, Grimble, John Bolton, —, SACEUR, Jens Stoltenberg, NICHOLAS KAMM, hadn't, I'm, Florian Gaertner, Russia doesn't, God's, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, House, NATO, EU, US, Business, US National Security, Allied, Europe, Washington, Nato, Getty, European Union, Joint Expeditionary Force, Northern, —, European NATO, Trump, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Europe, Russia, NATO, Ukraine, China, American, United States, Finland, Romania, Poland, Baltic, France, Germany, French, America, Italy, Estonia, British, Turkey, Baltic States, Ukraine stalemated, Moscow, Russian, Kyiv . Europe, Beijing, Taiwan, Japan, Australia, South Korea, Iran, Saudi Arabia, European, Forbes

☆ The UK could need an Israeli-style Iron Dome air defense system, says former US national security advisor
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewFormer US National Security Advisor General HR McMaster has said the UK must prepare for possible future conflicts by building an Israeli-style Iron Dome air defense system. Indeed, the UK is considering developing its own Iron Dome air defense system amid growing tensions with Russia and its allies. The Israeli modelMissiles launched from the Iron Dome defense system attempt to intercept a rocket fired from Gaza strip. Related storiesIsrael's short-range Iron Dome is a mobile all-weather air defense system that has been in service since 2011. Aside from internal discussions on an Iron Dome, the UK is in talks to join Europe's aerial defense system.

Persons: —, McMaster, Adm, Sir Tony Radakin, Michael Clarke, Clarke, MAHMUD HAMS, Rishi Sunak, Israel, Aleksey Zhuravlyov, Putin, Vladimir Solovyov, I've, T6GN35UGtG — Anton Gerashchenko Organizations: Service, US National Security, McMaster, LBC, Business, Britain's Armed Forces, Iron, Getty, UK, Newsweek, Design, Sky, UK Ministry of Defense, NATO Locations: United Kingdom, United States, Israel, Russia, Europe, China, Iran, North Korea, Gaza, AFP, London, Ukraine, British, Russian, Baltic

☆ Russia may not start an all-out war with NATO, but already has plans to destroy it from within
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Late last year, Poland's national security agency estimated that Russia could attack NATO within three years. AdvertisementBut whether Putin really does intend to attack NATO and what an attack might look like remains unclear. In March, Putin denied having any plans to attack NATO members, describing such claims as "complete nonsense." "So, his ambition in growing is not going to be that he will attack NATO and NATO countries next year. A covert war is already underwayRussia, some point out, is already engaged in a war with NATO, albeit covertly.

Persons: —, Donald Tusk, Tusk, Putin, Emmanuel Macron, NATO Putin, Philip Ingram, Ingram, Ruth Deyermond, Bryden Spurling, Robert Dover, Spurling, that's, SERGEY BOBOK, Russia's Organizations: Service, Poland's, Business, Bild, NATO, Germany isn't, Ukraine, King's College London, RAND Corporation, University of Hull, European NATO, RAND, Ukrainian Territorial Defence Forces Locations: Europe, Russia, Ukraine, Eastern Europe, Baltic, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Germany, Washington, Russian, NATO, European, Kharkiv, Soviet Union

☆ Thousands of planes have run into issues with jammed GPS signals while flying over Eastern Europe, and some people are blaming Russia
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

About 46,000 flights reported navigation problems flying over the Baltics during an eight-month period, The Sun reported. AdvertisementThousands of planes may have run into issues with jammed GPS signals, according to a report by British tabloid The Sun which suggests that Russia may be to blame. AdvertisementBoth The Sun and The Guardian reported that Russia is suspected of being involved in GPS jamming attacks. The frequency of instances of navigation problems rocketed from fewer than 50 a week last year to more than 350 a week last month, The Sun reported. But the CAA told The Independent that jamming and spoofing near conflict zones were often by-products of military activity, not deliberate actions.

Persons: —, Grant Shapps, Rishi Sunak, There's, Luc Tytgat, Glenn Bradley Organizations: Sun, Service, British, The Sun, European Union Aviation Safety Agency, Guardian, Wizz Air, Royal Air Force, CAA, Independent, UK Civil Aviation Authority, Ryanair Locations: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Türkiye, Cyprus, Russia, GPSJAM.org, Sun, Baltic, Kaliningrad, Russian, Baltics, Eastern Europe, Ukraine

☆ Couple renovating their kitchen find treasure trove of 1,000 silver and gold coins from the 17th-century
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A UK couple found a trove of 17th-century coins during a home renovation. The collection includes Elizabeth I silver shillings and Charles I gold coins. Robert and Betty Fooks were renovating their farmhouse in southern England when they found a valuable collection of 17th-century coins concealed beneath their kitchen. The collection, which includes Elizabeth I silver shillings, Charles I gold unite coins, James I silver sixpence coins, and more, has an estimated value of £35,000, or $43,600. A hoard of 264 coins English gold coins from 1610-1727 was unearthed by an unnamed couple digging up their kitchen floor.

Persons: Elizabeth, Charles I, —, Robert, Betty Fooks, they've, Dukes Auctioneers, James, Duke's Auctioneers, Judith, Holofernes, Caravaggio, Charles Platiau Organizations: Service, Guardian, British Museum, REUTERS Locations: England, West Dorset, people's, underfloors, Paris, France, Toulouse, Baltic, Italian, Italy

☆ Fearing for Ukraine if Trump Returns, Some in Europe Try Outreach Now
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Andrew Higgins | Tomas Dapkus | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

As many in Europe worry about the possibility of a second presidency for Donald J. Trump that they fear could bring an end to U.S. support for Ukraine, some of Russia’s most fervent foes are taking a different tack: making nice with the Trump camp. Also attending were members of pro-Trump groups like the Heritage Foundation, an influential conservative group skeptical about helping Ukraine. Leading the participants from Ukraine was Oleksandr Merezhko, the chairman of the Ukrainian Parliament’s foreign affairs committee and an ally of President Volodymyr Zelensky. Reaching out to the Trump camp, he said, was simply a recognition of Ukraine’s perilous vulnerability to the shifting sands of American politics. “When we are fighting for our survival, we can’t afford to antagonize either Biden or Trump,” Mr. Merezhko said.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Oleksandr Merezhko, Volodymyr Zelensky, ” Mr, Merezhko, ” Organizations: Trump, Heritage Foundation, Biden Locations: Europe, Ukraine, Lithuania, Baltic, Russia, Ukrainian

☆ Front-line NATO countries will be staring down a 'battle-hardened Russia' able to more easily strike if Ukraine falls, war analyst warns
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Ella Sherman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

If Ukraine loses to Russia, NATO forces would face an emboldened Russian military, war experts say. AdvertisementIf Ukraine loses to Russia, NATO countries could consequently find themselves facing an emboldened, "battle-hardened" Russian army with a clearer path to war, an analyst argues. Able to overrun a defeated Ukraine, Russia would be threatening parts of the alliance that haven't faced a Russian threat since the fall of the Soviet Union. AdvertisementIn that dire scenario, "NATO troops, inexperienced in fighting modern mechanized war, would be staring down a battle-hardened Russian military, emboldened from its victory in Ukraine," Kagan wrote. Zelenskyy has repeatedly said that helping Ukraine fight Russia today keeps NATO from having to fight it later.

Persons: —, Fredrick W, Kagan, haven't, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Zelenskyy Organizations: NATO, Service, Soviet Union, Russia, PBS Locations: Ukraine, Russia, NATO, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Baltic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Soviet, Russian, Moscow, Kyiv

☆ Eastern Europeans buy up property in the West as Putin steps up ‘war on nerves’
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

But several realtors told CNN that their clients are now citing another reason: Russia’s war in Ukraine, and the fear that the conflict could spread. A record-breaking number of Poles bought property in Spain in 2023, topping the previous record set the year before, according to Polish outlet Bizblog. Lopez said a client last month bought a property because they wanted to avoid being conscripted into the Polish military. “The trigger, really, was the war in Ukraine.”But most buy just for peace of mind – a back-up plan, for those wealthy enough to afford one. “Obviously, we are in NATO, but I must say there’s a big amount of people who are really, really afraid,” she said.

Persons: Agnes Marciniak, She’s, “, ”, Kostrzewa, Volodomyr Zelensky, Ukraine “, Donald Trump, Donald Tusk, –, Maria Ruiz Lopez, Lopez, Wieslaw, John Keeble, Liivia Illak, she’s, ” Illak, Alexey Navalny, Putin, they’ve Organizations: CNN, realtors, United States, NATO, Getty Locations: Baltic, Ukraine, Russia, Europe, Spain, Warsaw, Poland, Andalucia, Malaga, Belarus, Estonia, Lithuania, Russian

☆ Russia is finding gaps around the air defenses of Ukraine's best-protected city
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russian attacks have knocked out a major power plant near Kyiv. But it's running desperately short of air defense missiles. The Ukrainian air defense is working "at the edge of its capacity," Oleksiy Melnyk, co-director of international security programs at the Kyiv-based Razumkov Center think tank, told CNN after the Kyiv attack. AdvertisementUkraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on a tour of Baltic states Wednesday, said his country is "sorely lacking" modern air defense systems amid intensifying Russian attacks. AdvertisementBut more Russian missiles are now getting through, and Ukraine's second biggest city, Kharkiv, is facing increasingly intense Russian attacks, with its power supplies disabled for long stretches.

Persons: —, Andriy Hota, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Dmytro Kuleba Organizations: Service, BBC, CNN, Baltic, Patriots, Politico, US Patriot Locations: Kyiv, Russia, Ukraine, Russian, Ukrainian, Kharkiv

☆ Nijole Sadunaite, Lithuanian Nun Who Opposed Soviet Rule, Dies at 85
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Sam Roberts | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Nijole Sadunaite, a fearless but forgiving Roman Catholic nun and anti-Soviet Lithuanian nationalist who was inspired by Pope John Paul II and publicly hailed by President Ronald Reagan, died on March 31 in Vilnius. Her death was confirmed by Sister Gerarda Elena Suliauskaite, laureate of the Freedom Prize of the Republic of Lithuania, which was also given to Sister Sadunaite in 2018 for her defense of democracy and human rights. In 1975, Sister Sadunaite (pronounced sah-DOO-nay-teh) was arrested by K.G.B. agents who had stormed an apartment where she was writing an underground newspaper, The Chronicle of the Catholic Church in Lithuania, which documented abuses against Christians in the Baltic state. “I had typed six pages when I was caught, so I effectively got one year for every page,” she told The Atlantic in 1994.

Persons: Nijole, Pope John Paul II, Ronald Reagan, Sister Gerarda Elena Suliauskaite, Sadunaite, “, ” Organizations: Catholic Church Locations: Soviet Lithuanian, Vilnius, Republic of Lithuania, Lithuania, Baltic

☆ NATO helicopters are shooting down and eliminating enemy drones in a rarer kind of Red Sea battle
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-08 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Houthi attack drones have mostly been intercepted by US and allied warships in the Red Sea. Air-to-air combat has been much less common, but last month, a French helicopter shot down a drone. One recent interception, however, was credited to a French helicopter crew, which blasted a Houthi attack drone out of the sky in air-to-air combat. AdvertisementPilots are 'well-trained'And the US hasn't been the only naval force to destroy Houthi threats in the Red Sea with embarked helicopters. A Germany Navy Sea Lynx helicopter flies over the corvette Oldenburg in the Baltic Sea on June 05, 2023 near Rostock, Germany.

Persons: —, FRANCOIS NASCIMBENI, Brynn Tannehill, Hawk, Tannehill, Damon Coulter, Dwight D, Eisenhower, Sean Gallup, You've, you've Organizations: US, Red Sea, Service, Helicopters, Getty Images, US Navy, Navy, UH, US Army Black, US Navy Sikorsky, Helicopter Maritime, Naval Air Facility, Getty, aircraft, Command, Germany Navy Sea Lynx, German Bundeswehr Joint Forces Operations Command, BI, Lynx Locations: Red, French, France, Sissonne, AFP, Getty Images France, Iran, Yemen, Kanagawa, American, Hessen, Baltic, Rostock, Germany

☆ Denmark closes major shipping strait over faulty missile launcher
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Caitlin Danaher | Antonia Mortensen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Denmark has closed one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes over an activated but malfunctioning missile launcher on a Danish navy ship, the country’s military said Thursday. The Niels Juel ship is stationed in Denmark’s Great Belt strait, the main maritime gateway to the Baltic Sea. “Until the booster is disabled, there is a risk that the missile could launch and fly several kilometers away,” it said. The missile is not in the direction of the Great Belt Bridge. The air space in the area is also currently closed, the military said.

Persons: Niels Juel Organizations: CNN —, Naval Locations: CNN — Denmark, Danish, Baltic

Search resuls for: "Baltic"

25 mentions found