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BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — A two-day summit in Romania began on Wednesday that brings together 12 European Union member states situated between the Baltic, Black and Adriatic Seas, as the grouping of mostly formerly communist countries aim to boost ties and connectivity amid Russia’s war in Ukraine. The Three Seas Initiative, which is being held in the capital, Bucharest, brings together high-ranking officials from EU countries as well as representatives from partner countries and aims to improve interconnectivity in the transportation, energy, and the digital fields. Romanian Foreign Minister Luminita Odobescu tweeted Wednesday that she had “excellent discussions” with the U.S. assistant secretary of state for energy resources, Geoffrey Pyatt, about joint projects that aim to bolster regional energy security. On the sidelines of the event, Moldovan President Maia Sandu met Wednesday with Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu. ___Stephen McGrath reported from Sighisoara, Romania.

Persons: Klaus Iohannis, isn’t, Luminita Odobescu, Geoffrey Pyatt, Odobescu, Iohannis, Maia Sandu, Marcel Ciolacu, Sandu, “, John Kerry, ___ Stephen McGrath Organizations: Union, Seas Initiative, U.S, EU, Romanian Locations: BUCHAREST, Romania, Black, Adriatic, Ukraine, Bucharest, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Austria, Estonia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, Romanian, Moldova, Greece, Moldovan, Sighisoara

REUTERS/Andreea Campeanu/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 6 (Reuters) - Parts of what could be a Russian drone fell on Romanian territory, Romania's Defence Minister Angel Tilvar said on Wednesday, two days after Ukraine said Russian drones had detonated on the NATO member's land. Romanian officials had earlier denied reports of drones falling on Romanian territory and said Russian attacks in neighbouring Ukraine did not cause a direct threat. On Wednesday, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said confirmation of the discovered parts belonging to a Russian drone would be a serious violation. "If it is confirmed that the components (found) belong to a Russian drone, such a situation would be inadmissible and a serious violation of Romania's sovereignty and territorial integrity," he said. Tilvar reiterated there was no direct threat and told Agerpres it was possible the drone did not explode upon impact but rather it simply fell or pieces landed on Romanian territory.

Persons: Andreea, Angel Tilvar, Klaus Iohannis, Tilvar, Iohannis, Agerpres, Alan Charlish, Luiza Ilie, Jason Hovet, Alexandra Hudson, Angus MacSwan Organizations: REUTERS, Romania's, NATO, CNN, Wednesday, Three Seas Initiative, Thomson Locations: Izmail, Plauru, Romania, Russian, Ukraine, Moscow, Ukraine's, Bucharest, Romania's, Poland, Ukrainian

[1/3] The port of Izmail seen from Plauru, Romania, September 5, 2023. The attack rattled windows in the Romanian border village of Plauru across the river and Popescu's trailer shook. Romania strongly denied it had been hit, but the attacks on Ukraine’s river ports, just hundreds of metres from the Romanian border, have increased security risks for NATO which has a collective defence commitment. "We have total control over our national space..."But, yes, we are concerned, because these attacks are taking place very close to the Romanian border. Since then, Russia has attacked Ukraine’s river ports Izmail and Reni repeatedly.

Persons: Andreea, beekeeper Gabi Popescu, Popescu, Klaus Iohannis, Reni, Daniela Tanase, Andreea Campeanu, Luiza Ilie, Nick Macfie Organizations: REUTERS, Russia, NATO, United, Thomson Locations: Plauru, Romania, Romanian, Ukrainian, Izmail, Ukraine, Russian, Poland, Russia, United Nations, Turkey

☆ In pictures: Record rainfall causes flooding in Spain
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Ukraine said on Monday Russian drones had detonated on the territory of NATO member Romania during an overnight air strike on a Ukrainian port across the Danube River, but Bucharest denied its territory had been hit.

Organizations: NATO Locations: Ukraine, Romania, Bucharest

☆ Romania denies Russian drones detonated on Romanian territory
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BUCHAREST, Sept 4 (Reuters) - Romania's Defence Ministry denied reports on Monday that Russian drones fell and detonated on Romanian territory in an overnight attack on Ukrainian port infrastructure on the Danube river, a spokesperson said. The spokesperson said the ministry would release a statement later on Monday. Earlier, Ukraine's foreign ministry said the drones had detonated on Romanian territory, which borders Ukraine. Reporting by Luiza Ilie; Editing by Andrew CawthorneOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Luiza Ilie, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: Romania's Defence Ministry, Thomson Locations: BUCHAREST, Ukraine

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Ukraine dismisses defense minister as its armed forces break through Russian defensive line
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Sea secerity motorboat is seen at Izmail river port on Danube river, in Odesa region, Ukraine, July 21, 2022. Ukraine said on Monday Russian drones fell and detonated on the territory of NATO member Romania during an overnight attack on Ukrainian port infrastructure on the Danube River, but Bucharest categorically denied the report. Reuters could not independently verify either account of what could represent a dramatic turn in Russia's 18-month-old war in Ukraine. The Romanian Defence Ministry issued a statement in which it said it "categorically" denied the Ukrainian assertion. A Ukrainian industry source told Reuters that two Russian drones had fallen on the Romanian side.

Persons: Oleg Nikolenko, Nikolenko, — Organizations: NATO, Reuters, Facebook, Romanian Defence Ministry Locations: Odesa region, Ukraine, Romania, Bucharest, Moscow, Ukraine's, Izmail, Ukrainian, Odesa, Romanian, Russia

Moscow has conducted long-range air strikes on targets in Ukraine since the start of its invasion last year. The Romanian Defence Ministry said Romania was not hit. "The ministry of defence categorically denies information from the public space regarding a so-called overnight situation during which Russian drones would have fallen in Romania's national territory," it said. "We heard the drones, the booms and the air defence systems across the river," she told Reuters by telephone. Ukraine has reported suspected Russian weapons flying over or crashing into neighbours, including NATO members, several times during the war.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Tayyip Erdogan, Oleg Nikolenko, Nikolenko, Daniela Tanase, Oksana Savchuk, Erdogan, Putin, Andriy Yermak, Yermak, Pavel Polityuk, Olena Harmash, Tom Balmforth, Luiza Ilie, Timothy Heritage, Peter Graff Organizations: Russia, NATO, Reuters, Facebook, Romanian Defence Ministry, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Romania, Bucharest, KYIV, BUCHAREST, Moscow, Ukraine's, Izmail, Romanian, Plauru, Russia, Poland, Ukrainian, Russia's Black, Sochi, Turkey, Kyiv

☆ One person dead, 46 injured after explosions at Romanian gas station
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] Flames rise after an explosion at a LPG station in Crevedia, near Bucharest, Romania, August 26, 2023. Inquam Photos/Octav Ganea via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsBUCHAREST, Aug 26 (Reuters) - One person died and 46 were hospitalized after two explosions at a liquefied petroleum gas station in the Romanian town of Crevedia, near the capital Bucharest on Saturday. A second explosion took place at the LPG station on Saturday evening injuring 26 firefighters, Deputy Interior Minister Raed Arafat who is in charge of the emergency response unit told reporters. Of the 46 injured, eight were intubated after suffering severe burns, the government said. Reporting by Marek Strzelecki and Luiza Ilie; editing by Christina Fincher and Daniel WallisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ganea, Raed Arafat, Marcel Ciolacu, Arafat, Marek Strzelecki, Luiza Ilie, Christina Fincher, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Flames, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Thomson Locations: Crevedia, Bucharest, Romania, Rights BUCHAREST, Romanian, Italy, Belgium

☆ As Russia Threatens Ships in the Black Sea, a Romanian Route Provides a Lifeline
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Andrew Higgins | More About Andrew Higgins | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Mr. Grindeanu said Romania “is not trying to make money” out of Ukraine’s pain. “We invested a lot of money in Galati,” the minister said in an interview in Bucharest. “But they don’t use it. A move to Romanian ports would mean that Ukraine would forfeit considerable loading fees and other revenue. With entry to the Sulina channel so congested, Ukraine has sought to open a second route to the north by dredging the Bystroye Canal, a Ukrainian waterway connected to another branch of the Danube.

Persons: Grindeanu, Romania “, Oleksandr Kubrakov, ” Organizations: Ukraine — Locations: Romania, Galati, Ukraine, Ukraine — Romania, ”, Bucharest, Romanian, Ukrainian

☆ Romania deploys ship, chopper to find stray Black Sea mines
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BUCHAREST, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Romania's navy said it deployed a ship and a helicopter on Monday to scout for stray mines on the country's Black Sea coast, after a pier in the seaside resort of Costinesti was lighly damaged in an explosion. Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, and mines have since then been laid in the Black Sea by the combatants. Romanian, Bulgarian and Turkish military diving teams have been defusing those that have drifted into their waters. The sea is crucial for shipments of grain, oil and oil products and is shared by Bulgaria, Romania, Georgia and Turkey, as well as Ukraine and Russia. Romania's navy said its divers were still investigating whether the explosion at the pier, which claimed no victims, was caused by a mine.

Persons: Luiza Ilie, John Stonestreet Organizations: European Union, NATO, Thomson Locations: BUCHAREST, Costinesti, Russia, Ukraine, Bulgarian, Bulgaria, Romania, Georgia, Turkey, Mangalia, U.S

☆ Romania cancels 1.2 bln euro warships deal with France's Naval Group
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BUCHAREST, Aug 9 (Reuters) - Romania's defence ministry said late on Tuesday it has cancelled a long-delayed deal to buy four warships from French firm Naval Group after the company and a junior partner failed to meet a deadline to sign a contract. Defence firm Naval Group won the contract to build four Gowind navy corvettes for Romania and renovate two existing frigates for 1.2 billion euros ($1.32 billion) in 2019 in partnership with Romanian company Santierul Naval Constanta. But the deal was held up, first by legal challenges and then by the two companies failing to reach an understanding concerning rising costs. The country, a NATO state since 2004 and EU member since 2007, has ramped up its defence spending to 2.5% of GDP this year in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. ($1 = 0.9110 euros)Reporting by Luiza Ilie; Editing by Andrew HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Luiza Ilie, Andrew Heavens Organizations: Naval Group, Defence, Santierul, NATO battlegroup, Thomson Locations: BUCHAREST, Romania, Romanian, Santierul Naval Constanta, NATO, Ukraine, France

☆ Romanian court releases influencer Andrew Tate from house arrest pending trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Andrew Tate, escorted by bodyguards, leaves the Bucharest Tribunal in Bucharest, Romania, June 21, 2023. Inquam Photos/Octav Ganea via REUTERS/File PhotoBUCHAREST, Aug 4 (Reuters) - A Bucharest court ruled on Friday to release internet personality Andrew Tate from house arrest where he is awaiting trial on charges of human trafficking, placing him under judicial control, a lighter restrictive measure. Under the new measure, the four suspects can leave the house, but not the capital Bucharest and the surrounding Ilfov county. The Tate brothers, who have dual U.S. and British citizenship, have been under house arrest since April pending an investigation into abuse against seven women, whom prosecutors say were lured through false claims of relationships. Tate, a self-described misogynist, has gained millions of fans by promoting an ultra-masculine lifestyle that critics say denigrates women.

Persons: Andrew Tate, Ganea, We've, Tate, Tristan, Luiza Ilie, Sharon Singleton, Mark Porter Organizations: REUTERS, Bucharest, Tate, Thomson Locations: Bucharest, Romania, BUCHAREST, Romanian, Ilfov

CNN —Controversial internet influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan have been released from house arrest in Romania ahead of their trial on charges of human trafficking and rape, Bucharest’s Court of Appeals announced on Friday. The Tate brothers and two Romanian female accomplices were released from house arrest and put under judicial control for a period of 60 days from August 4 to October 2, according to a court statement. The suspects were under house arrest pending a criminal investigation for abuses committed against seven women, accusations they have denied. Prosecutors have said the Tate brothers recruited their victims by seducing them and falsely claiming to want a relationship or marriage. Andrew Tate (right) and his brother Tristan (left), pictured in Bucharest on August 1, 2023, were released from house arrest on Friday.

Persons: Andrew Tate, Tristan, Tate, Andreea Alexandru, Jayne Butler, “ Organizations: CNN, Appeals, Prosecutors, American, Wales Locations: Romania, Romanian, Bucharest, British, England, Ilfov

☆ Romania bids to clear Danube logjam after Ukraine attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Romanian authorities managing the waterway still expect a "peak" in traffic in August, despite the attack, an official said. Before Russia pulled out of the safe passage corridor, the Danube ports accounted for around a quarter of Ukraine's grain exports. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said Russia's attacks on Ukraine's civilian infrastructure on the Danube amounted to war crimes. "We will clear around 30 ships in two days, at least 12 today, if not 14, and the rest tomorrow." Industry sources have told Reuters war risk cover for Ukraine's ports that were part of the previous grain deal had already been suspended.

Persons: Klaus Iohannis, Florin Uzumtoma, Uzumtoma, Izmail, Denys Shmyhal, Shmyhal, Mykola Solsky, Luiza Ilie, Jonathan Saul, Pavel Polityuk, Peter Graff, Conor Humphries Organizations: United, Reuters, underwriters, Industry, Insurance, NATO, Thomson Locations: Romania, Ukraine, BUCHAREST, KYIV, Izmail, Ukrainian, Russia, United Nations, Turkey, Romanian, Constanta, Musura, Bucharest, London, Kyiv

☆ Exclusive: Romanian port can ship more Ukraine grain after collapse of Black Sea deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Luiza Ilie | Thomson Reuters | Bucharest-Based General News Reporter Covering A Wide Range Of Romanian Topics Elections | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

By comparison, Romanian port operators handled 8.6 million tonnes of Ukrainian grain in the whole of 2022. At its peak so far, Constanta handled 25 million tonnes of grain per year, which Panait said will be exceeded in 2023. "There is an accelerated course and everyone on it, the state, the port authority, port operators aim to boost operating and transit speeds, and the grain quantities," he said. Freight logistics group TTS (TTS.BX), which handles agricultural products, minerals and chemicals on the Danube river, completed the takeover of Constanta port solid bulk cargo operator Decirom S.A. earlier this month. It is one of five eastern EU countries that experienced an influx of Ukrainian grain as a result of Russia's invasion, leading the EU to approve temporary restrictions that meant grain could only transit through the countries.

Persons: Viorel Panait, Panait, TTS, Izmail, Luiza Ilie, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Monday, Constanta Port Authority, Reuters, Constanta Port Business Association, Freight, Decirom S.A, EU, Thomson Locations: BUCHAREST, Romania's Constanta, Russia, Constanta, Hungary, Serbia, Romanian, Romania, Ukraine, Reni, Ukrainian, Vadul Siret

☆ Vintage Zelenskiy gets less than he wanted from NATO but takes home real gains
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Tom Balmforth | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

That would mean the alliance itself would be at war, and leaders won't go that far. But by the end, after one-on-one meetings with U.S. President Joe Biden and other NATO leaders, Zelenskiy had softened his tone, describing the outcome as "good", though not "ideal". "It is very important: for the first time since independence, we have formed a security foundation for Ukraine on its way to NATO," Zelenskiy said, adding there had also been "a good reinforcement with weapons." On the summit's sidelines, Group of Seven countries unveiled an international framework to boost Ukraine's long-term security against Russia. A slew of other military packages were announced at bilateral meetings between Zelenskiy and NATO leaders.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Joe Biden, Neil Melvin, Biden, Putin, craven, Melvin, Mykhailo Podolyak, Olha Stefanishyna, Andriy Zagorodnyuk, Tom Balmforth, Sabine Siebold, Andrew Gray, Anna Dabrowska Organizations: NATO, Russia, Kyiv, U.S, Ukraine Council, London, Royal United Services Institute, Reuters, Eastern, Ukraine, Thomson Locations: Ukrainian, Vilnius, Ukraine, U.S, Russia, Kyiv, NATO, Zelenskiy, Moscow, United States, Germany, Bucharest, Reuters Ukraine

☆ NATO Summit 2023: Ukraine's wait for membership -- and Zelensky's frustration -- loom over final day of summit, meeting with Biden
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Betsy Klein | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

We’re looking for a continued, united NATO,” Biden said in brief remarks alongside NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the summit site. Participants of the NATO Summit pose for an official photo in Vilnius, Lithuania, on July 11, 2023. NATO first welcomed Ukraine’s membership aspirations during a 2008 meeting in Bucharest, Romania, but little progress has been made and the timeline remains uncertain. Biden and NATO leaders have “unanimously agreed” to send a “substantial” new aid package to Ukraine, Sloat told reporters Wednesday — but she declined to provide additional details. Biden is also set to give a foreign policy speech that his aides have described as a “major address” later on Wednesday, reflecting on the strength and power of the NATO alliance.

Persons: Joe Biden, Volodymyr Zelensky, Zelensky, Biden, ”, ” Zelensky, Gitanas Nauseda, Olena Zelenska, Kacper Pempel, Jens Stoltenberg, That’s, Stoltenberg, ” Biden, Andrew Caballero, Reynolds, Amanda Sloat, Sloat, “, ” Sloat, Zelensky’s, Chris Skaluba, Biden’s, ’ Biden Organizations: Lithuania CNN, NATO, Alliance, Reuters, Wednesday, CNN, ” National Security Council, Ukraine ”, Transatlantic Security Initiative, Strategy, Security, Ukraine Locations: Vilnius, Lithuania, Ukraine, Ukrainian, NATO, Russia, United States, Kyiv, Washington, St, Michael’s, Hiroshima, Japan, Bakhmut, Bucharest, Romania, Eastern Europe, NATO’s

☆ Ukraine's future in NATO is in a precarious position, and right now, neither Putin nor Zelenskyy is happy
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Ukraine's future in NATO is up in the air, leaving neither Putin nor Zelenskyy happy. Meanwhile, Zelenskyy has expressed frustration and disappointment over NATO's timeline for Ukraine's membership. "It's unprecedented and absurd when time frame is not set neither for the invitation nor for Ukraine's membership. "No Russian leader could stand idly by in the face of steps toward NATO membership for Ukraine. And although Zelenskyy softened his criticism of the alliance's membership plans by the end of the summit, the war is dragging on — and Ukraine's NATO future is murky.

Persons: Putin, Zelenskyy, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Vladimir Putin, Abrams, Serhii Mykhalchuk, William J, Burns, Putin's ramped Organizations: NATO, Service, Ukraine, Alliance, Storm, Soviet Union nations —, Russia Council, Soviet, Ukraine's, The New York Times, decapitate Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Lithuania, NATO, Kyiv, Russian, NATO's, Bucharest, Georgia, Crimea

News analysisPresident Biden and the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, with G7 leaders at the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Wednesday. Mr. Zelensky has never pushed for Ukrainian NATO membership while the war is raging, nor has anyone else. Mr. Zelensky has never pushed for Ukrainian NATO membership while the war is raging. “I think the win here for Ukraine is the sort of cultural acceptance that Ukraine belongs in NATO,” he said. Image French President Emmanuel Macron has moved from opposition to Ukrainian membership in NATO to strong support for it.

Persons: Biden, Volodymyr Zelensky, ”, Zelensky, Mauricio Lima, John Kornblum, Mr, Kornblum, “, Emmanuel Macron, Michal Baranowski, François Heisbourg, ” Ben Wallace, Macron, Ludovic Marin, Jens Stoltenberg, Russia —, Olaf Scholz, Germany, Doug Mills, Camille Grand, Heisbourg, Ukraine can’t, ” Lara Jakes Organizations: NATO, Lithuania — NATO, Kyiv, Ukraine, Central, Ukrainian NATO, Grad, The New York Times, Ukraine Council, German Marshall Fund, “, ”, Washington, Agence France, Russia, New York Times, Ukraine —, European Council, Foreign Relations Locations: Vilnius, Lithuania, VILNIUS, Turkey, Ukraine, NATO, Ukrainian, American, Germany, France, Warsaw, “ Ukraine, Bucharest, French, United States, Bratislava, Central Europe, Russia

☆ Putin went to war for 'less NATO,' military alliance chief says — and that's backfired
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg at the NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, on July 11, 2023. "[Putin] went to war because he wanted less NATO. He's getting more NATO," Stoltenberg told reporters on Tuesday at the start of the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. watch nowStoltenberg's comments come after Turkey on Monday agreed to back Sweden's accession bid into the NATO alliance, after withholding its endorsement for over a year. Stoltenberg has confirmed that Zelenskyy will be attending the NATO summit.

Persons: Jens Stoltenberg, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Stoltenberg, Ankara's, Volodymyr Zelenskyy Organizations: NATO, Bloomberg, Getty, Sweden's, He's, European Union, Kyiv, Alliance Locations: Vilnius, Lithuania, Ukraine, Turkey, Moscow, Stockholm, Helsinki, Finland, Bucharest, Georgia, U.S, Russia

☆ Analysis: Why Ukraine's plea for NATO membership is such a profound dilemma for the West
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

The president said that the alliance needed to lay out a “rational path” for Ukraine’s membership but that it was still short of some requirements for joining, including over democratization. NATO membership would also boost Ukraine’s bid to cement a democracy that was vulnerable before the war and fulfill the desire of many of its people to join the West. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, and Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat, last week introduced a resolution calling for a roadmap to Ukraine’s NATO membership as soon as it is practicable. “Guaranteeing Ukraine’s security would erode US security by increasingly the risk, obviously, of war with Russia,” he said. Even if Biden were to amend his position on accelerating NATO membership for Ukraine, he cannot ensure a successor would honor treaty obligations.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, ” Biden, CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, Volodymyr Zelensky, Vladimir Putin, ”, –, Putin, stiffen, Lindsey Graham, Richard Blumenthal, “, We’re, Michael McCaul, Ben Friedman, ” Friedman, Donald Trump, Zelensky Organizations: CNN, NATO, Ukrainian, ABC News, Kremlin, Warsaw, South Carolina Republican, Connecticut Democrat, Ukraine, GOP Rep, House Foreign Affairs Committee, Texas Republican, Defense, American, Soviet, Russia Locations: Europe, Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, Lithuania, Eastern Europe, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Baltic, Latvia, Estonia, Soviet Union, Bucharest, Sens, Connecticut, Russian, United Kingdom, “ State, Western Europe, Israel, Taiwan, United States, Eastern

[1/7] Top ranking official attendees of the NATO summit pose for a family picture in Bucharest April 3, 2008. And officials often cite the Bucharest declaration as a reference point. The parallels with the 2008 summit, held in the colossal Parliament Palace commissioned by Romanian communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, have struck many NATO-watchers. But others argue that promising Ukraine NATO membership after the war could encourage Putin to keep the conflict going. They say the Bucharest declaration in fact prompted Putin to test Western Ukrainian militarily in both Ukraine and Georgia.

Persons: Francois Lenoir, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Dmytro Kuleba, Nicolae Ceausescu, Orysia, Zelenskiy, Vladimir Putin, Putin, ”, Timothy Sayle, Andrew Gray, Kevin Liffey Organizations: NATO, REUTERS, Kyiv, Ukrainian, Chatham House, Russia, Ukraine NATO, University of Toronto, Thomson Locations: Bucharest, VILNIUS, Vilnius, Ukraine, Georgia, U.S, United States, France, Germany, Russia, Moscow, Soviet Union, NATO, Romanian, Russian, Eastern, Ossetia, Tbilisi, Crimea, Ukraine's

☆ What Biden needs to accomplish with his NATO trip
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( Betsy Klein | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

London CNN —President Joe Biden embarks on a weeklong trip to Europe on Sunday, and the stakes couldn’t be higher for the future of the NATO alliance. Biden makes a stop in London ahead of his attendance at the NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, followed by meetings with Nordic leaders in Helsinki, Finland. But Biden will be a key player in determining what specific, measurable criteria or timelines, if any, are offered to Ukraine for NATO membership during this summit. Sweden’s NATO membership is “within reach,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in a news briefing following a meeting of senior officials from Turkey, Sweden and Finland Thursday. And I’m really looking – anxiously looking forward for your membership,” Biden told Kristersson during a meeting in the Oval Office.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, month’s, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin’s, Vladimir Putin’s, ”, Chris Skaluba, Michael McCaul, Jake Sullivan, “, Volodymyr Zelensky, ” Zelensky, Zelensky, Sweden’s, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Jens Stoltenberg, Stoltenberg, Ulf Kristersson, ” Biden, Kristersson, –, it’s, Max Bergmann, Bergmann, China’s “, Sullivan, King Charles III, Jill Biden, Finnegan Biden, Rishi Sunak Organizations: London CNN, NATO, Nordic, Transatlantic Security Initiative, Strategy, Security, Foreign, US House Foreign, CNN, Wall Street, Turkish, White, Eurasia Program, Stuart Center, Center for Strategic, International Studies Locations: Europe, London, Vilnius, Lithuania, Helsinki, Finland, Ukraine, Russia, Belarusian, Bucharest, Romania, Eastern Europe, Sweden, Turkey, NATO’s, Madrid, Vilnius “, United Kingdom, Windsor, Norway, Iceland, Denmark, China

☆ Explainer: What's on the table for NATO at Vilnius summit?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Sabine Siebold | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

It will be the fourth NATO summit since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, with the first held virtually on Feb. 25, 2022, just one day after the assault, followed by meetings in Brussels and in Madrid. Security measures in Vilnius will be high, with three German Patriot air defence units deployed to protect the venue, a first for a NATO summit. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has made clear that Kyiv will not become a member while war rages, and that the Vilnius summit will not issue a formal invitation. NATO is also likely to find a stronger wording than 2008 to underscore Kyiv's perspective for joining the alliance. BOLSTERING NATO'S EASTERN FLANKLeaders will review the first defence plans the alliance has drawn up since the Cold War, detailing how NATO would respond to a Russian attack.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Jens Stoltenberg, Stoltenberg, Tayyip Erdogan, Sabine Siebold, Gareth Jones Organizations: NATO, German Patriot, Kyiv, British, UKRAINE, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Vilnius, Ukraine, Brussels, Madrid, Lithuania, Russian, Kaliningrad, Belarus, UKRAINE, Kyiv, United States, Germany, Russia, Bucharest, NATO, Washington, Moscow, Turkey, Cyprus, SWEDEN Sweden, Stockholm, Britain, Poland, Greece, Estonia, Finland, Romania, Hungary, Latvia, Slovakia, Canada, Slovenia, Spain, Belgium, Luxembourg

U.S. President Joe Biden, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will be among the 31 NATO leaders attending the summit in the small Baltic state. The invasion prompted Finland and Sweden to abandon decades of military non-alignment and apply to join NATO. In Vilnius, Finland will attend its first NATO summit as a member. At the summit, the NATO leaders are also expected to agree they should all spend at least 2% of national GDP on defence - an upgrade on a 2014 pledge to move towards that number. The NATO leaders will also meet with counterparts from Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand as Washington presses the alliance to play a greater role in countering China.

Persons: Joe Biden, Tayyip Erdogan, Olaf Scholz, Emmanuel Macron, Rishi Sunak, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Jens Stoltenberg, Stoltenberg, Erdogan, Ulf Kristersson, John Irish, Andrius Sytas, Huseyin Hayatsever, William Maclean Organizations: Russia VILNIUS, NATO, Patriot, U.S, British, Ukraine Council, Atlantic Treaty Organization, Soviet Union, Vilnius, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Vilnius, Sweden, Europe, Lithuanian, Germany, Prague, Eastern Europe, Russia, United States, Bucharest, France, Britain, TURKEY, SWEDEN, Soviet, Finland, Turkey, Stockholm, Ankara, Swedish, Greece, Cyprus, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Washington, China, Istanbul

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