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☆ Germany, 13 NATO allies aim to jointly procure air defence systems
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht speaks at a news conference, on the day of the NATO enhanced Forward Presence German-led battle group inauguration ceremony, in Rukla, Lithuania October 8, 2022. REUTERS/Ints KalninsBRUSSELS, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Germany and 13 NATO allies on Thursday signed a letter of intent for the joint procurement of air defence systems in the category of systems such as Arrow 3 (ISRAI.UL) and Patriot (RTX.N). The signing ceremony took place at NATO's headquarters in Brussels. The participating countries are Germany, Britain, Slovakia, Norway, Latvia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Belgium, Czechia, Finland, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Romania and Slovenia. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Sabine Siebold, Marine StraussOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ NATO to keep close eye on Russia's upcoming nuclear exercise - Stoltenberg
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS, Oct 13 (Reuters) - NATO will monitor an expected upcoming Russian nuclear exercise very closely, the alliance's chief said on Thursday, in particular in light of Moscow's latest nuclear threats related to its conflict in Ukraine. "We have monitored Russian nuclear forces for decades and of course we will continue to monitor them very closely and we will stay vigilant - also when they now start a new exercise," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters. "What I can say is that this exercise, the Russian exercise, is an annual exercise. It's an exercise where they test and exercise their nuclear forces," he added, apparently referring to Russia's annual Grom exercise that normally takes place in late October and in which Russia tests its nuclear-capable bombers, submarines and missiles. And of course we will remain vigilant, not least in light of the veiled nuclear threats and the dangerous rhetoric we have seen from the Russian side," Stoltenberg said.

Advanced air defence systems are designed to protect entire cities from air attacks. Russian air raids on Monday killed 19 people in Ukraine, wounded more than 100 and knocked out power supplies across the country. On Tuesday, Ukraine received the first of four IRIS-T SLM air defence systems Germany promised to supply, a German defence ministry source said. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterNATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, speaking ahead of a two-day meeting of the alliance's defence ministers on Oct 12-13 in Brussels, urged allies to provide additional air defence systems. Discussions of the more than 50 countries will focus on providing additional air defence systems to Ukraine, said the U.S. ambassador to NATO, Julianne Smith.

☆ Russia has depleted large part of precision ammunition - NATO official
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BRUSSELS, Oct 12 (Reuters) - Russia has depleted a significant proportion of its precision-guided ammunition in its invasion of Ukraine and its industry cannot produce all kinds of ammunition and weapon systems due to Western sanctions, a senior NATO official said on Wednesday. The official said he did not know how long it would take for Russia to mobilise the 300,000 troops Moscow is aiming for, and suggested it could take a few months. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Sabine Siebold; writing by Philip BlenkinsopOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ First German IRIS-T air defence system in Ukraine, three more to come - minister
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BRUSSELS, Oct 12 (Reuters) - A first IRIS-T air defence system promised to Kyiv by Germany has reached Ukraine, with three more of these systems to be supplied next year, German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht said on Wednesday. "A very important support for Ukraine in the fight against missile attacks, against this terror the population is subjected to," she told reporters as she arrived for a meeting with her NATO counterparts in Brussels. "This is one system, to be followed by three more systems next year." Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Sabine Siebold Editing by John ChalmersOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Russian nuclear strike would almost certainly draw "physical response" - NATO official
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BRUSSELS, Oct 12 (Reuters) - A Russian nuclear strike would change the course of the conflict and almost certainly trigger a "physical response" from Ukraine allies and potentially from NATO, a senior NATO official said on Wednesday. Any use of nuclear weapons by Moscow would have "unprecedented consequences" for Russia, the official warned. It would "almost certainly be drawing a physical response from many allies, and potentially from NATO itself", he said. The official added that Moscow was using its nuclear threats mainly to deter NATO and other countries from directly entering its war on Ukraine. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Sabine Siebold; editing by Philip BlenkinsopOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Russia's attacks only deepen Ukraine, allied resolve, U.S. defense secretary says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS, Oct 12 (Reuters) - Russia's missile strikes on Ukraine have laid bare the "malice and cruelty" of its war and further united the international community to support Ukraine's military efforts to defend itself, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Wednesday. Austin, speaking at the start of a Ukraine-focused meeting at NATO headquarters, praised Ukraine's military gains since September, calling them "extraordinary" and saying they had changed the dynamics of the war. "These victories belong to Ukraine's brave soldiers. But the Contact Group's security assistance, training, and sustainment efforts have been vital," Austin said, addressing the gathering of defense leaders, including from Ukraine. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Phil Stewart and Sabine Siebold; Editing by Andrew HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

BRUSSELS, Oct 11 (Reuters) - NATO told Moscow on Tuesday it would meet attacks on allies' critical infrastructure with a "united and determined response" and was also monitoring Russia's nuclear forces closely as the country was "losing on the battlefield" in Ukraine. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that while the defence alliance had not seen any changes in Russia's nuclear posture, it was vigilant and would proceed with a nuclear preparedness exercise of its own next week. "Now is the right time to be firm and to be clear that NATO is there to protect and defend all allies... It would send a very wrong signal if we suddenly now cancelled a routine, long-time-planned exercise because of the war in Ukraine," Stoltenberg said. "We will further increase protection of critical infrastructure in light of the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines," he said.

☆ NATO chief: 'Ukraine has the momentum' in war, allies stand with Kyiv
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BRUSSELS, Oct 11 (Reuters) - NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Tuesday that "Ukraine has the momentum" in the war with Russia and the Western defence alliance would stand with Kyiv as long as it takes. "While Russia is increasingly resorting to horrific and indiscriminate attacks on civilians and critical infrastructure, President Putin is failing in Ukraine," Stoltenberg told a news conference on the eve of a meeting of NATO defence ministers in Brussels. He said NATO would hold its annual nuclear deterrence exercise next week and was closely monitoring Russia's nuclear forces. "We have not seen any changes in Russia's posture but we remain vigilant," he added. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Sabine Siebold and Philip BlenkinsopOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Ukraine receives first of four German IRIS-T air defence systems -source
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BERLIN, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Ukraine on Tuesday received the first of four IRIS-T air defence systems Germany promised to supply, a German defence ministry source said, confirming a report by Der Spiegel magazine. The delivery had taken place earlier than planned, the source added. The government did immediately respond to a request for official comment. Russia pounded cities across Ukraine during rush hour on Monday morning, killing civilians and knocking out power and heat, in apparent revenge strikes after Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a blast on Russia's bridge to Crimea to be a terrorist attack. read moreRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Sabine Siebold, Writing by Paul Carrel and Thomas Escritt, editing by Rachel More and David GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Swedish Coast Guard/Handout via TT News Agency/via REUTERSBRUSSELS, Sept 29 (Reuters) - EU leaders will discuss next week what the bloc has denounced as sabotage on the subsea Nord Stream gas pipelines, an EU official said on Thursday, adding that the incident had changed the nature of the conflict in Ukraine fundamentally. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register"The attack on strategic infrastructure means that the strategic infrastructure in the entire EU has to be protected," an EU official in Brussels said. The Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines were not supplying gas to Europe when the leaks were first detected on Monday but still had gas in them. Russia had halted deliveries via Nord Stream 1, saying Western sanctions had hampered operations. Nord Stream 2 had not started commercial operations.

A gas leak from Nord stream 1 is seen in the Swedish economic zone in the Baltic Sea in this picture taken from the Swedish Coast Guard aircraft on September 28, 2022. The European Union is investigating the cause of the leaks in the Gazprom-led (GAZP.MM) Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines under the Baltic Sea and has said it suspects sabotage. "The attack on strategic infrastructure means that the strategic infrastructure in the entire EU has to be protected," the EU official in Brussels said. Russia had halted deliveries via Nord Stream 1, saying Western sanctions had hampered operations. Nord Stream 2 had not started commercial operations.

Gas bubbles from the Nord Stream 2 leak reaching surface of the Baltic Sea in the area shows disturbance of well over one kilometre diameter near Bornholm, Denmark, September 27, 2022. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said he discussed the "sabotage" of the pipelines at a meeting with Danish Defence Minister Morten Bødskov in Brussels. "We addressed the protection of critical infrastructure in NATO countries," the chief of the Western military alliance that also includes most EU countries said on Twitter. The EU, meanwhile, issued a strong warning to anybody attempting to attack the energy backbones of the 27-nation bloc. Borrell announced the bloc would step up the protection of its energy infrastructure following the incidents.

☆ NATO calls Nord Stream leaks acts of sabotage
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BRUSSELS, Sept 28 (Reuters) - NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday attributed the leaks on the Nord Stream pipelines to acts of sabotage and said he had discussed the protection of critical infrastructure in NATO countries with the Danish defence minister. "Discussed the sabotage on the NorthStream pipelines with Defence Minister Morten Bødskov," he said on Twitter. "We addressed the protection of critical infrastructure in NATO countries." Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Sabine Siebold and Bart MeijerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ EU sees sabotage of Nord Stream, warns against attacks on 'active infrastructure'
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BRUSSELS, Sept 27 (Reuters) - European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday said the leaks of the Nord Stream pipelines were caused by sabotage, and warned of the "strongest possible response" should active European energy infrastructure be attacked. "Spoke to (Danish Prime Minister Mette) Frederiksen on the sabotage action Nordstream," von der Leyen said on Twitter, adding it was paramount now to investigate the incidents to get full clarity on the "events and why." "Any deliberate disruption of active European energy infrastructure is unacceptable and will lead to the strongest possible response," she warned. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Sabine Siebold Editing by Chris ReeseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ NATO warns Russia of "severe consequences" in case of a nuclear strike
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS, Sept 27 (Reuters) - Any use of nuclear weapons by Russia is unacceptable and would have severe consequences, NATO said on Tuesday after an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin issued another stark nuclear warning to Ukraine and the West. "Any use of nuclear weapons is absolutely unacceptable, it will totally change the nature of the conflict, and Russia must know that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said. "When we see that kind of nuclear rhetoric again and again from Russia, from President Putin, it is something that we have to take seriously - and therefore we are conveying the clear message that this will have severe consequences for Russia." Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Sabine Siebold and Bart MeijerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterEU leaders gave mixed messages ahead of a meeting of their ambassadors in Brussels on Monday, with another one planned for Tuesday. Russia invaded Ukraine - a former Soviet republic that now wants to join the EU - on Feb.24 by air, land and sea. More than 2,000 people have been detained across Russia for protests at the draft, says independent monitoring group OVD-Info. On Monday, senior Russian lawmaker Sergei Tsekov told RIA news agency that Russia itself should bar draft-age people from leaving. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by John Chalmers, Sabine Siebold, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Writing by Gabriela Baczynska; Editing by Andrew HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ EU crisis response meeting to discuss developments in Russia
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterEuropean Union flags flutter outside the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, June 17, 2022. REUTERS/Yves Herman//File PhotoBRUSSELS, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Ambassadors of European Union member states have been invited to a meeting of the bloc's crisis response working group on Monday to discuss concerns about an escalation of the war in Ukraine, an EU official and an EU diplomat said. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThe closed-door meeting in Brussels was due to start at 10 a.m. (0800 GMT), the sources said. By incorporating the areas of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia into Russia, Moscow could portray efforts to retake them as attacks on Russia itself. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by John Chalmers and Sabine Siebold, editing by Charlotte Van Campenhout and Jason NeelyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ EU has 'serious questions' as Serbia enters regular consultations with Russia
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov shakes hands with Serbian Foreign Minister Nikola Selakovic during a news conference following their meeting in Moscow, Russia April 16, 2021. Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Serbian counterpart Nikola Selakovic signed a document on Friday dubbed a "plan on consultations". Serbia had declared EU accession a strategic priority, which implied "alignment with European policies, including on foreign policy issues," he added. Although Serbia has condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine at the United Nations, it has refused to join sanctions against Moscow. On Sunday, Selakovic said Serbia would not recognise results of the referendums in parts of eastern Ukraine controlled by Moscow.

☆ NATO promises more help for Ukraine in response to 'sham' votes
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, Sept 23 (Reuters) - NATO will ramp up its help for Kyiv in response to Russia's "sham" referendums in occupied territories of Ukraine, the alliance's Secretary-General, Jens Stoltenberg, said on Friday. "That's exactly what we need to be prepared for, that Russia will use these sham votes to further escalate the war in Ukraine," Stoltenberg said when asked about that scenario. This continues to be a war of aggression by Russia against Ukraine," he added. NATO allies have been supporting Ukraine with weapons, ammunition, other military equipment and training. Putin maintains Russia is carrying out a "special military operation" to demilitarise Ukraine, rid it of dangerous nationalists and defend Russia from transatlantic alliance NATO.

☆ EU's von der Leyen delivers veiled warning to Italy's right wing
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen attends the 77th United Nations General Assembly at the United Nations headquarters in New York City, New York, U.S., September 21, 2022. REUTERS/David 'Dee' DelgadoBRUSSELS, Sept 23 (Reuters) - European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen has warned Italy of consequences should it veer away from democratic principles, issuing a barely veiled threat ahead of Sunday's election that a rightist bloc led by Giorgia Meloni is expected to win. Matteo Salvini, the head of the League and a part of Meloni's conservative alliance, denounced her comments as "shameful arrogance". "Respect the free, democratic and sovereign vote of the Italian people!" Eric Mamer, spokesman for the European Commission, told reporters in Brussels that von der Leyen had not been looking to interfere in Italian politics.

☆ Buy European, CEO of Airbus Helicopters urges military leaders
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Tim Hepher | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch/File PhotoMARIGNANE, France, Sept 22 (Reuters) - The head of Airbus Helicopters (AIR.PA) has urged Europe to back its domestic defence industry when launching major new military programmes, as a row simmers over U.S. arms imports. Airbus Helicopters is marking 30 years since it was born through a Franco-German merger prompted by the development of the original Tiger version, sponsored initially by France and Germany and later Spain. While it competes with Boeing and Leonardo (LDOF.MI) on attack helicopters, Airbus agreed earlier this year to maintain H-47 Chinook heavy-lift helicopters sold by Boeing to Germany. But he laid down a marker that Airbus would fight for future replacements of core programmes like the NH-90. Airbus has teamed up with Leonardo to research technology to be fed into the NGRC programme, backed by the European Union's European Defence Fund.

☆ NATO brings reserve troops to Kosovo for training amid fears of unrest
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( Sabine Siebold | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

CAMP BONDSTEEL, Kosovo Sept 21 (Reuters) - NATO has brought in reserve troops assigned to its KFOR peacekeeping mission to Kosovo for training, one of the mission commanders said, as a deadline approaches in a spat between the Serbian minority and the government that may spark fresh unrest. KFOR's regional commander east, Colonel Christopher Samulski, told reporters the reserves had been brought in "as part of normal contingency planning." The U.S. officer did not give any concrete figures of how many reserve troops have arrived in Kosovo but spoke of a "battalion-size" unit. Samulski emphasized that the reserve troops had been brought in for training. Beyond this, Samulski said KFOR could also draw on reserves outside Kosovo.

☆ NATO ready to send more troops to Kosovo in case of fresh unrest
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( Sabine Siebold | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Unrest among Kosovo Serbs over a requirement for them to use state-issued car number plates has raised fears of conflict between Kosovo and Serbia, more than two decades after NATO bombed Serbia to end repression of Kosovo's Albanian majority. Around 3,700 NATO peacekeepers are still stationed in the former Serbian province to prevent violence between ethnic Albanians and Serbs. Earlier attempts to introduce Kosovo licence plates in heavily Serb northern Kosovo led to clashes between police and local Serbs, who erected roadblocks. The barricades were only dismantled when NATO peacekeepers stepped in to oversee the process and Kosovo agreed to postpone the licensing rule. "We have sufficient forces to deal with the situation...With that amount of troops we can end any kind of increase of tensions," Piperni added, referring to troops outside Kosovo that NATO could draw as reinforcements.

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