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BRUSSELS, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Seven EU countries have ordered ammunition under a landmark European Union procurement scheme to get urgently needed artillery shells to Ukraine and replenish depleted Western stocks, according to the EU agency in charge. The scheme was set up as part of a plan worth at least 2 billion euros, launched in March with the aim of getting a million shells and missiles to Ukraine within a year. "Seven Member States have already placed orders for 155mm ammunition through the EDA’s fast-track procedure," the agency said in response to questions from Reuters. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in Kyiv on Thursday that the alliance now had overarching framework contracts for 2.4 billion euros' ($2.5 billion) worth of key ammunition, including 1 billion euros of firm orders. The EDA said the EU deals were for both complete shells and for components such as fuses, projectiles, charges and primers.

Persons: Jens Stoltenberg, France’s CAESAR, Poland’s, Germany’s, Andrew Gray Organizations: EU, European Union, European Defence Agency, States, Reuters, NATO, Peace, Andrew Gray Our, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Ukraine, EU, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Kyiv, Europe, Ukrainian

☆ As Russia's war in Ukraine drags on, Kyiv's neighbors are loading up on new high-tech military gear
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Constantine Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

AdvertisementAdvertisementRussia's invasion of Ukraine has upended European security, driving countries there to plan once again for the possibility of a major land war. Those European countries have transferred billions of dollars' worth of military hardware to Ukraine, and now they are seeking to rebuild their own stocks. Poland and Romania both border Ukraine and have been affected by the war. US Army/Markus RauchenbergerBased on disclosed weapon transfers, Poland is Europe's second biggest contributor of military aid to Ukraine, sending Kyiv large quantities of Soviet-era arms. AdvertisementAdvertisementPoland also announced in September a $2 billion purchase of several hundred Naval Strike Missiles from Norway.

Persons: —, Markus Rauchenberger, HIMARS, Mariusz Blaszczak, Attila Husejnow, Abrams, DANIEL MIHAILESCU, spender, Constantine Atlamazoglou Organizations: Service, US Army, Baltic Fleet, Polish, Getty, Patriot, Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensors, US, US State Department, Apaches, NATO, Polish Air Force, Washington, Getty Images, Naval, Missiles, Reuters, Fletcher School of Law, LinkedIn, Twitter Locations: Ukraine, Europe, Eastern Europe, Poland, Romania, Warsaw, Bucharest, Norway, NSMs, Kaliningrad, Poland's, Belarus, South Korea, Seoul, Romanian, AFP, Getty Images Romania, Eastern, Slovakia, Czech Republic

While Biden and most congressional leaders still support aid to Ukraine, and Biden's Democrats control the Senate, Zelenskiy faces a tougher crowd than when he visited Washington nine months ago. Zelenskiy told Senators that military aid was crucial to Ukraine's war effort, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in the Senate chamber after the briefing, which took place behind closed doors. "If we don't get the aid, we will lose the war," Schumer quoted Zelenskiy as saying. Biden will announce a new $325 million military aid package for Ukraine, which is expected to include the second tranche of cluster munitions fired by a 155 millimeter Howitzer cannon. About a third of the House Republican caucus voted in July for a failed proposal to cut funding for Ukraine.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Hakeem Jeffries, Kevin McCarthy, Zelenskiy, Joe Biden, Biden, Chris Murphy, Chuck Schumer, Schumer, Lloyd Austin, we're, Vladimir Putin, J.D, Vance, McConnell, Makini Brice, Phil Stewart, Patricia Zengerle, Andrea Shalal, Simon Lewis, Don Durfee, Heather Timmons, Alistair Bell Organizations: U.S . House, U.S, Capitol, United Nations, Pentagon, National Archives, Senate, Chamber, U.S . Defense, Washington, Biden, Republican, Management, Republicans, Democrats, Reuters, Ukraine, Thomson Locations: Washington, WASHINGTON, Russia, Ukraine, United States, Ukrainian, NATO, Kyiv

☆ Ukraine’s counteroffensive may be painful. But its success is crucial to wider European security
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Nick Paton Walsh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Imagine these sorts of risk, and the men and women enduring its nerve-wracking toll nightly, when you next hear talk of the progress of Ukraine’s counteroffensive. But make no mistake: this is perhaps the most important moment for European security since the Berlin Wall fell, or even 1945. Ukraine’s forces are nowhere near where they hoped they would be as fall draws in. Russian President Vladimir Putin is presumably counting on winter to strengthen his position. It was the rationale behind not supplying Ukraine with longer-range missiles that could strike Crimea or Russian territory bordering Ukraine.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, Oliver Weiken, Vladimir Putin, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, – Putin, Kim Jong Un, Klaus Iohannis, it’s Organizations: CNN, Ministry of Defense, Marines, Bradley, Washington, Republican, North, Kremlin, NATO Locations: Orikhiv, Robotyne, Mariupol, New York, Tokmak, Crimea, Russia, Kherson, Moscow, Russian, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Ukrainian, European, Ukraine, China, Romania, Bulgaria, Tyulenovo

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reacts on the day of the annual State of the European Union address to the European Parliament, in Strasbourg, France, September 13, 2023. European Commission President von der Leyen told the European Parliament that Ukraine had already made "great strides" since being designated a membership candidate last year, even as it fights to repel Russia's invasion. But candidate countries have to meet a string of political and economic criteria to begin membership talks - and must fulfil more stringent conditions on democracy, the rule of law and economic standards - before they can actually join the EU. "For Ukraine, the biggest obstacle is Hungary and the discussion around national minorities," a senior EU diplomat said on condition of anonymity. On Wednesday, von der Leyen outlined a vision of a European Union that would include not only Ukraine, but also Moldova and countries of the Western Balkans.

Persons: Ursula von der Leyen, Yves Herman Acquire, von der Leyen, Viktor Orban, Peter Szijjarto, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Gabriela Baczynska, Andrew Gray, Andreas Rinke, Nick Macfie Organizations: European Union, REUTERS, Rights, ., EU, European Commission, Kyiv, OTP Bank, West, European, Thomson Locations: State, Strasbourg, France, Rights BRUSSELS, EU, European Union, Ukraine, Hungary, Germany, Kyiv, Hungarian, Moscow, Budapest, Moldova, Western Balkans

[1/4] European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers the State of the European Union address to the European Parliament, in Strasbourg, France, September 13, 2023. Von der Leyen, who has been at the head of the bloc's executive Commission since the end of 2019, also said she would appoint an envoy to help small and medium-sized enterprises tackle red tape to make it easier to do business. Lawmakers gave a standing ovation after von der Leyen recounted the fate of Victoria Amelina, a Ukrainian writer and activist who was killed in a Russian attack on Ukraine. An upcoming package to support Europe's wind industry would be aimed at helping the sector as renewable energy companies struggle with steep inflation, von der Leyen said. Von der Leyen also said the wealthy bloc must engage more with African countries and accused Russia of stirring chaos in the Sahel region of the continent.

Persons: Ursula von der Leyen, Yves Herman Acquire, Von der Leyen, von der Leyen, Victoria Amelina, Héctor Abad, Yves Herman, Jan Strupczewski, Marine Strauss, Foo Yun Chee, Kate Abnett, Gabriela Baczynska, Andrew Gray, Julia Payne, Philip Blenkinsop, Ingrid Melander, Nick Macfie, Alex Richardson Organizations: European, European Union, REUTERS, EU, STRASBOURG, EU Commission, Ukraine, Kyiv, Lawmakers, Thomson Locations: Strasbourg, France, Europe, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Colombian, China, Russia, Sahel, Africa, Brussels

☆ Europe has dodged Putin’s gas bullet. But it’s still thirsty for cheap energy
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

For Europe, energy security has always been a trade-off: Cheap, imported energy comes with the risk of dependency on the countries from which it originates. Europe had an especially mild winter while governments and citizens made a concerted effort to use less gas. Despite these efforts, officials and analysts are fearful that however impressive these advancements have been, Europe’s energy is far from secure in the long term. And when it comes to energy security, dependency ultimately brings us back to that classic trade-off: economics versus risk. China is not the only threat when it comes to energy security in Europe.

Persons: guzzled, Vladimir Putin, –, Sean Gallup, Koen van Weel, ”, Milan Elkerbout, Kevin Frayer, Ursula von der Leyen, Von der, Adam Bell, it’s, Ursula von der, Yves Herman, Velina Tchakarova, ” Tchakarova Organizations: CNN, Ukraine, European Union, EU, Getty, Center for European Policy Studies, China . Workers, China Locations: Ukraine, Europe, Russia, Moscow, European, Lubmin, Germany, Port, Rotterdam, Netherlands, Qatar, Nigeria, China, Huainan, Anhui province, Brussels, Beijing, Belgium, Taiwan, cyberattacks . China, Saudi Arabia, Khazakstan, Libya

Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called US military aid "the most profitable investment into world's security" during a joint news conference with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Kyiv on Wednesday. Kuleba said he and Blinken had “an open, sincere and friendly conversation” and reiterated that the US support for Ukraine is long-standing. “Anyone in the world who has doubted that Ukraine and the US will stand shoulder to shoulder until the end of this war have received a powerful signal today that they are wrong. We are moving forward together because we understand this war is not just about the future of Ukraine, but the future of the world,” he said. The leaders also ate at a McDonald’s in Kyiv, which had recently reopened.

Persons: Dmytro Kuleba, Antony Blinken, ” Kuleba, Kuleba, United States “, Blinken, ” Organizations: “, Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO, Tactical Missile Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, United States, Ukrainian, Romania

☆ The US is making 'irreversible' progress with a former Russian partner in a tense corner of Europe, but not everyone in NATO will be happy
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Constantine Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

For Cyprus, it's a move away from its longtime partner in Russia, but Turkey isn't happy about it. Cyprus has made "important strides" in its military and security cooperation with the US, Michalis Giorgallas, Cyprus' minister of defense, told Insider in response to written questions. Giorgallas told Insider. "This trajectory will continue," Giorgallas told Insider, adding that after the National Guard partnership, "our defense cooperation with the US has become irreversible and we look forward to what's to come." Giorgallas told Insider that the area is historically an unstable one and that the instability has become more visible in more domains, such as at sea and in the air over the region.

Persons: it's, Michalis Giorgallas, aren't, ROY ISSA, Panteleyev, Yiannis Kourtoglou, Giorgallas, John Yountz, —, IAKOVOS HATZISTAVROU, Christopher Cavoli, BIROL BEBEK, Constantine Atlamazoglou Organizations: Service, NATO, UN, Getty, Cypriot, Russian Navy, Airbus, US Army, Staff, Military Education, Training, Cypriot National Guard, New Jersey National Guard, National Guard, US European Command, Turkish, Fletcher School of Law, LinkedIn, Twitter Locations: Republic of Cyprus, Cyprus, Russia, Turkey, Wall, Silicon, Europe, East, North Africa, Moscow, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Ankara, Washington, Crimea, Ukraine, Limassol, AFP, US, Nicosia, Larnaca, John Yountz Cypriot, Cypriot, Greece, Tartus, Northern Cyprus

☆ Europe wants China in its corner on Ukraine. But their relations are a tricky balancing act
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —European officials took some small comfort when China attended a summit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, last weekend. The only downside is how it makes others think about China.”It’s no secret that China’s relationship with Europe has become tetchy. Multiple officials explained to CNN that the relationship with China is in a sort of stasis that tries to balance what Europe needs versus what Europe wants. Europe still imports vastly more from China than it exports, a reflection of the level of dependency it has on China. In 2023, European officials know that China represents a major security concern and that becoming overly dependent on China is a risk.

Persons: it’s, Vladimir Putin, “, ”, Wang Yi, Sergey Lavrov, Putin, China’s Xi Jinping, It’s, Russia –, Moscow’s, ” Alicja, €, Ursula von der Leyen, Xi Jinping, Emmanuel Macron, Jacques Witt, they’re, Sam Goodman, Goodman, Charles Parton Organizations: CNN, EU, “, Russia, Saudi Press Agency, Reuters, European Council, Foreign Relations, Europe, Investment, Beijing, European Commission, East, Risks Institute, Putin’s, Huawei Locations: China, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, Beijing, Russia, Russian, Alaska, Europe, Washington, Brussels, Eurasia, Taiwan, France, Germany, Spain, Guandong, Guangzhou, Reuters Brussels, West, Putin’s Moscow, America

The German-made Leopards were at the centre of a public spat earlier this year after Belgian Defence Minister Ludivine Dedonder said the government had explored buying back tanks to send to Ukraine but had been quoted unreasonable prices. Freddy Versluys, CEO of defence company OIP Land Systems, bought the tanks from the Belgian government more than five years ago. The German Defence Ministry had no immediate comment. Several of Kyiv's Western allies agreed earlier this year to send modern Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine and also to send older Leopard 1 models. A spokesperson for the Belgian defence ministry declined to comment on the sale of the tanks.

Persons: Freddy Versluys, Read, Ludivine Dedonder, Germany's, Versluys, Krauss, Andrew Gray, Christoph Steitz, Sabine Siebold, Jonathan Oatis, Alex Richardson Organizations: OIP, Systems, Belgian, Leopards, Belgian Defence, Reuters, Rheinmetall, LinkedIn, NATO, German Defence Ministry, Maffei, Thomson Locations: Belgian, Ukraine, Wallonia, Germany, Tournais, Belgium, BRUSSELS, Vilnius

Ukrainian, Russian and international officials say there is no prospect of direct peace talks between Ukraine and Russia at the moment, as the war continues to rage and Kyiv seeks to reclaim territory through a counter-offensive. Neither the Jeddah gathering - which is expected to begin on Friday, with the main discussions on Saturday and Sunday - nor the peace summit would involve Russia, officials say. Saudi Arabia, along with Turkey, played a mediation role in a major prisoner swap between Ukraine and Russia last September. Zelenskiy attended an Arab League summit in Saudi Arabia in May this year, at which Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman expressed his readiness to mediate in the war. A second senior EU official said Saudi Arabia reached "into parts of the world where (Ukraine's) classical allies would not get to as easily".

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Leo Varadkar, Clodagh, Zhovkva, Zelenskiy, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Jake Sullivan, Matt Miller, there's, Dmitry Peskov, Olena Harmash, Carien du Plessis, Gabriela Baczynska, Daphne Psaledakis, Laurie Chen, Martin Pollard, Jon Boyle Organizations: Ireland's, REUTERS, Global, Reuters, European Commission, Chinese Foreign Ministry, Russia, Arab, Saudi Crown, EU, . National, U.S . State, Thomson Locations: Horodetskyi, Ukraine, Kyiv, Jeddah, China, BRUSSELS, LONDON, Saudi Arabia, Russia, India, Brazil, South Africa, Turkey, Moscow, Copenhagen, Riyadh, United States, U.S

☆ Poland-Belarus: Tensions high on NATO's border with Belarus after Wagner troops move closer
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Sana Noor Haq Josh Pennington Niamh Kennedy Darya Tarasova Jessie Gretener Yulia Kesaieva | Sana Noor Haq | Josh Pennington | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Belarusian soldiers and Wagner troops attend joint training exercises near the border city of Brest, in Belarus on July 20, 2023 amid increased border tensions between Warsaw and Minsk. Belarus' Defense Ministry/Handout/AP/FileMinsk had informed Warsaw about the exercise, but a border crossing took place in the eastern Bialowieza region at a “very low altitude, making detection by radar systems difficult,” the Polish defense ministry said in a statement. Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak subsequently ordered that more troops and combat helicopters be deployed along the border, the ministry added. “By deploying troops from both the west (Kaliningrad) and the east (Belarus), Russia would be able to effectively cut off the Baltic States from its NATO allies in central and western Europe. Five EU countries, four of whom border Ukraine – Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria – lifted sanctions on the import of Ukrainian grain, which they had installed to protect their own agricultural industries.

Persons: Wagner, Alexander Lukashenko, Wagner’s, Mariusz Blaszczak, Mateusz Morawiecki, Paweł Jabłoński, Barbara Yoxon, Putin, “, ” Yoxon, ”, Yoxon, Bulgaria –, Marcin Przydacz, Poland Organizations: CNN, NATO, EU, Belarus ' Defense Ministry, Polish, Belarusian Air Force, Air Defense Forces, Lancaster University, “, Presidential, International, Ukraine, ” Locations: Poland, Belarus, Minsk, Europe, Warsaw, Belarusian, Lithuania, Russian, Moscow, Brest, Polish, EU, Russia, Kaliningrad, Baltic, Grodno, England, Ukraine, Baltic States, Latvia, Estonia, Western, Ukrainian, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Kyiv, Republic of Poland

☆ The Ukrainians are begging Western countries for F-16s, but they've also got their eyes on an often overlooked Swedish jet
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-23 | by ( Constantine Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Ukraine has repeatedly asked Western countries to give it F-16 fighter jets to take on Russia. To better fight the air war and support its ground forces, Ukraine has repeatedly asked Western countries for F-16 fighter jets, and those countries are moving toward supplying them. Matthew Horwood/Getty ImagesThe Gripen is well regarded by experts and may be uniquely suited for the war in Ukraine. That'll be great for future marketing of your aircraft,'" Alperovitch added. Of the six countries that fly the jet, only Sweden and the Czech Republic have backed Ukraine in the war.

Persons: Sweden's JAS, Dmitri Alperovitch, Alperovitch, Griffin, JAS, Matthew Horwood, Petr Josek PJ, That'll, Czech JAS, Mindy Bloem, John Kirby, Constantine Atlamazoglou Organizations: Gripen, Service, Royal Military Air, Getty, IRIS, Ukraine's Air Force, Strategic Services, Saab, REUTERS, AA, Russian Air Force, Kyiv, US Air National Guard / Tech, Gripen Es, Swedish Air Force, White House National Security Council, Fletcher School of Law, LinkedIn, Twitter Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Swedish, Wall, Silicon, Western, Kyiv, Prague, Sweden, Stockholm, Czech Republic, Brazil, South Africa, Thailand, Hungary, Czech, Poland, Slovakia

BRUSSELS, July 19 (Reuters) - European Union foreign ministers are expected to discuss a proposal on Thursday to spend up to 20 billion euros ($22.4 billion) on weapons, ammunition and other military aid for Ukraine over four years. The fund has already allocated more than 5 billion euros in support for Ukraine since February last year. An EU official said the aim was to provide more military aid to Ukraine "on a more predictable and sustainable basis". The Peace Facility is used to reimburse EU countries for at least part of the cost of weapons, ammunition and other military aid they give to nations outside the bloc. Diplomats said they expect EU governments to consider the plan alongside a proposal from the European Commission, the bloc's executive, to provide 50 billion euros in economic aid to Ukraine over the same four-year period.

Persons: Josep Borrell, Borrell, Andrew Gray, Jan Strupczewski, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Union, Kyiv, NATO, Peace, Ukraine, EU, Ukraine Defence Fund, Diplomats, European Commission, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Ukraine, Vilnius, EU, Kyiv, Spain

☆ NATO's northernmost members are preparing for an undersea showdown with Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Constantine Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

NATO navies worry about those subs and they've increased their focus on countering undersea threats. Nordic navies are investing in their own submarine fleets to keep track of Russia's boats. A particular concern for the alliance is Russia's submarines, many of which are assigned to those two fleets. The potential threat from Russia's undersea forces has prompted its neighbors to reevaluate their own submarine needs. But Sweden's western neighbors, Norway and Denmark, both see a need for bigger sub fleets.

Persons: Christopher Cavoli, OLGA MALTSEVA, Ronald Reagan, Fredrik Linden, Petty, Marlowe Dix, Michael Aastrup Jensen, Aastrup Jensen, HENRIK MONTGOMERY, Eirik Kristoffersen, Kristoffersen, Constantine Atlamazoglou Organizations: NATO, Nordic, Service, Baltic, US, Command, Allied, Getty, North Atlantic, Baltic Fleet, Navy, Submarine, Reuters, Naval, Norfolk, US Navy, Hudson Institute, Getty Images, Submarines, Armed Forces, Fletcher School of Law, LinkedIn, Twitter Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Nordic, Gulf of Finland, St . Petersburg, AFP, Finland, North, Russia's, Kaliningrad, Russia, Baltic, Sweden, Swedish, Gotland, Blekinge, Navy Gotland, Sweden's, Norwegian Ula, Norway, Denmark, Danish, Ula, Oslo, Swedish Gotland, Halland, Stockholm

☆ China's Wang Yi urges EU to 'clarify' its position on partnership
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, July 15 (Reuters) - The European Union must further "clarify" its position on its strategic partnership with Beijing, China's top diplomat Wang Yi told European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, as EU leaders called for reduced dependence on China. The launch of an EU-China comprehensive strategic partnership in 2003 had promised to elevate ties beyond trade and investment. In March, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said a hardening of China's position required Europe to "de-risk" both economically and diplomatically. During his meeting with Borrell, Wang called on both sides to guard against the politicisation of economic issues and the use of "de-risking" as another term for "decoupling". There is no fundamental conflict of interest between China and the EU, Wang said.

Persons: Wang Yi, Josep Borrell, Wang, Borrell, Ursula von der Leyen, Ryan Woo, Michael Perry, William Mallard Organizations: European Union, EU, Twitter, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Beijing, China's, China, EU, Moscow, Ukraine, Jakarta, Europe, Taiwan

VILNIUS, July 12 (Reuters) - British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said on Wednesday he had warned Ukraine that its international allies were "not Amazon" and Kyiv needed to show gratitude for weapons donations to persuade Western politicians to give more. London has been one of Kyiv's staunchest supporters since Russia's invasion last year, and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said Britain and its allies will double down on its support for Ukraine. Wallace recalled that he had travelled last year to Ukraine, where he was presented with a shopping list of weapons. "We were always grateful to the UK, prime ministers and the minister of defence because the people are always supporting us," he said. Asked about Wallace's comments, Sunak said that Zelenskiy had been grateful for the support given so far and that more support would be forthcoming as required.

Persons: Ben Wallace, Kyiv's staunchest, Rishi Sunak, Wallace, Volodymyr Zelenskiy's, Zelenskiy, Sunak, John Irish, Kylie MacLellan, Alistair Smout, Mark Heinrich, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: British, Ukraine, U.S, NATO, Thomson Locations: VILNIUS, Ukraine, London, Britain, Lithuania, Vilnius

"Today there are security guarantees for Ukraine on the way to NATO," he said. "The Ukraine delegation is bringing home a significant security victory for Ukraine." Speaking earlier alongside Zelenskiy, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Ukraine was closer to the alliance than ever before, and brushed aside new warnings from Russia about the consequences of supporting Ukraine. The security assurances for Ukraine had to be "credible", he said, in order to deter Russia from future attacks. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was "potentially very dangerous" for the West to give Ukraine security guarantees.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Joe Biden, we're, Biden, Zelenskiy, Jens Stoltenberg, Rishi Sunak, Yves Herman, Stoltenberg, Dmitry Peskov, Dmitry Medvedev, Vladimir Putin, John Irish, Steve Holland, Justyna Pawlak, Sabine Siebold, Andrew Gray, Max Hunder, Gabriela Baczynska, Matthias Williams, Alex Richardson, William Maclean Organizations: Ukraine Ukrainian, Ukraine, NATO, Kyiv, U.S, British, REUTERS, Zelenskiy, Twitter, Thomson Locations: United States, Ukraine, U.S, VILNIUS, Russia, Russian, Germany, Japan, France, Canada, Italy, Britain, Zelenskiy, Vilnius, Lithuania, Budapest, Moscow, Netherlands, NATO, Kyiv, Soviet Union, Washington, Berlin, Europe

☆ Biden welcomes Finland to NATO ahead of summit with Nordic leaders
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Steve Holland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Biden travelled to Finland, which shares a border with Russia, straight from this week's NATO talks in Vilnius, Lithuania to participate in a U.S.-Nordic summit with the leaders of Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland and Norway. He will also hold a joint news conference with Finland's President Sauli Niinisto before heading back to Washington. Ahead of a bilateral meeting with Niinisto, Biden hailed Finland's as an "incredible asset" to the NATO military alliance. Niinisto said Finland's NATO membership heralded "a new era in our security", and applauded Biden for "creating unity" at the Vilnius summit which focused on uniting behind Ukraine. At this week's NATO summit, Biden described Finland and Sweden's push to join NATO as evidence Putin's "craven lust for land and power" had backfired, only serving to strengthen the military alliance.

Persons: Joe Biden disembarks, Finland Sauli, Joe Biden, Vladimir Putin, Biden, Sauli Niinisto, Niinisto, Finland's, Tayyip Erdogan, craven, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Donald Trump, Putin, Steve Holland, Essi, Heather Timmons, Rosalba O'Brien, Emma Rumney Organizations: Air Force, United, Nordic, Summit, Read, NATO, Finland's, Russia, White, Ankara, White House, Thomson Locations: Helsinki, Vantaa, Finland, HELSINKI, Russia, Vilnius, Lithuania, U.S, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Washington, Soviet, Ukraine, Turkey

☆ Secretive and highly paid submariners are behind some of Russia's most worrying undersea operations
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Constantine Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Known as GUGI, the directorate is responsible for conducting sabotage and surveillance against critical maritime infrastructure, including undersea cables and energy pipelines. NATO's intelligence chief warned this year that Russia could attempt to sabotage undersea cables in retaliation for Western support of Ukraine. Yantar, the special-purpose survey ship, was spotted lingering near undersea cables west of Ireland in 2021. "We know that Russia has the capacity to map but also potentially to conduct actions against critical infrastructure," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters on June 16. "That's also the reason why we have, for many years, addressed the vulnerability of critical undersea infrastructure."

Persons: Sidharth Kaushal, Kaushal, GUGI, OLGA MALTSEVA, Sutton, Andrey Luzik, Jens Stoltenberg, That's, Stoltenberg, Constantine Atlamazoglou Organizations: NATO, Service, Directorate, Russian Ministry of Defense, Submarine, Royal United Services Institute, Getty, Barents Observer, Russia Ministry of Defense, US Navy, Norwegian Coast Guard, OLE BERG, NATO Maritime Centre, Fletcher School of Law, LinkedIn, Twitter Locations: Wall, Silicon, Russia, GUGI, British, St . Petersburg, AFP, Belgorod, Moscow, Olenya, Baltic, Severomorsk, Europe, Ukraine, Ireland, GUGI's St, Petersburg

VILNIUS, July 12 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy meets NATO leaders on Wednesday after they declared his country's future lay inside the alliance but rebuffed his call for a timeline to membership. Zelenskiy will join the NATO leaders on the second day of their summit in Vilnius for an inaugural session of the NATO-Ukraine Council, a body established to upgrade relations between Kyiv and the 31-member transatlantic military alliance. At a rally in Vilnius on Tuesday, Zelenskiy expressed disappointment that NATO had not offered a timeline to membership - a prospect he had earlier branded "absurd". Its leaders on Tuesday reiterated a 2008 declaration that Ukraine would join NATO but also made clear this would not happen automatically after the war ends. Although it did not get what it wanted on membership at the summit, Ukraine has received new pledges of arms from NATO members.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Joe Biden, Vladimir Putin, Emmanuel Macron, Andrius Sytas, Steve Holland, Anna Pruchnicka, Olena Harmash, Lewis Macdonald, Ronald Popeski, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: NATO, U.S, Twitter, Patriot, Thomson Locations: VILNIUS, Vilnius, Ukraine, Kyiv, United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia, Europe, Russian, Paris

VILNIUS, July 11 (Reuters) - NATO leaders have agreed at a summit in Vilnius that Ukraine's future lies within the alliance but stopped short of handing Kyiv the invitation or timetable for accession that the country has been seeking. At the same time, NATO dropped the requirement for Ukraine to fulfil a so-called Membership Action Plan (MAP), effectively removing a hurdle on Kyiv's way into the alliance. "Ukraine's future is in NATO," a declaration agreed by the leaders on Tuesday said, adding Kyiv's Euro-Atlantic integration had moved beyond the need for a Membership Action Plan. "We will be in a position to extend an invitation to Ukraine to join the alliance when allies agree and conditions are met," the declaration said. Reporting by Sabine Siebold, Andrew Gray and John Irish, Editing by Charlotte Van CampenhoutOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sabine Siebold, Andrew Gray, John Irish, Charlotte Van Campenhout Organizations: NATO, Thomson Locations: VILNIUS, Vilnius, Ukraine

☆ 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

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