NATO

Turkey had been holding up the NATO bids of Finland and Sweden, which both applied to join the military alliance after Russia invaded Ukraine. But on Tuesday ...

Thank you so much, President Biden, dear Joe. It's really good to see you here in Madrid, so soon after we met in the White House in Washington.

And so, at this Summit, the full Alliance is going to welcome Finland and Sweden. We're stepping up, proving that NATO is more needed now than it ever has been. And we also see that in the unwavering support from you and from the United States to Ukraine. And now we're here. And the moment when Putin has shattered peace in Europe, and attacked the very, very tenants of the rules-based order, the United States and our Allies, we're going to step up. And we're going to send two additional F-35 squadrons to the UK, and station additional air defence and other capabilities in Germany and in Italy. Our meeting is today. And together our Allies, we're going to make sure that NATO is ready to meet threats from all directions, across every domain: land, air and the sea. And Article Five is sacrosanct. And we're going to enhance our rotational deployments in the Baltic states. An historic application for membership and their decision to move away from neutrality, tradition of neutrality, to join the NATO Alliance. This is going to make us stronger and more secure, and NATO, stronger. We're going to approve a new NATO Strategic Concept and reaffirm the unity and determination of our Alliance to defend every inch of NATO territory.

The talks with the Turkish president had been going around in circles for hours on Tuesday afternoon when the delegations decided to take a breather.

Biden says additional deployments send 'an unmistakable message' that the alliance is 'strong and united'

US President Joe Biden (R) speaks with Netherland's Prime Minister Mark Rutte (2nd R), Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) and Foreign minister Mevlut ...

Participating in the summit are leaders from Australia, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand. "He's getting the opposite of what he wants. for a summit that will include discussion of support for Ukraine and how the alliance will adapt to face current and future challenges. We're going [to] continue to adjust our posture based on the threat in close consultation with our allies," Biden said. "I won't get ahead of the exact language, but clearly our allies have likewise been concerned about this growing, burgeoning relationship between Russia and China," Kirby said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is addressing the summit by video.

The Ukraine war, cooperation in the Arctic, and this week's NATO summit in Madrid were on the agenda when foreign ministers from Norway, Sweden, Denmark, ...

“I believe we can manage to establish increased cooperation in other areas too as a consequence of their joining NATO. We discussed that too during the day. That means a strengthening of our security interests in the North.” We are focused on preserving it in order to avoid unintended consequences of this crisis”, she says and closes: Finlands foreign minister Pekka Haavisto expressed that a NATO-membership would mean taking part in NATO’s common defense planning on the northern flank. A Finnish NATO-membership means taking part in NATO’s common defense planning on the northern flank. “We do of course have to keep our eyes open as anything can happen now, Russia’s military activity is concentrated at the Ukrainian border.

The June 29-30, 2022 NATO Summit in Madrid, Spain will be an historic moment for the Transatlantic Alliance. Building on the President's first NATO Summit.

The U.S. has been a leader in the alliance on spurring NATO’s adaptation to these issues, including by mainstreaming climate considerations in intelligence analysis and assisting with development of a methodology for mapping the NATO enterprise’s greenhouse gas emissions. In recognition of the mutually-reinforcing roles of NATO and the EU in bolstering Euro-Atlantic and international security, the presidents of the European Council and European Commission will join the Summit’s discussions and the Transatlantic dinner hosted by Spain. Allies will also consult with Georgia to express support for its sovereignty, territorial integrity, and Euro-Atlantic aspirations. Strengthened Cyber Resilience and Defense: Building on last year’s adoption of a new Cyber Defense Policy for NATO, Allied leaders will endorse a new action plan to strengthen cyber cooperation across the political, military, and technical levels. NATO’s Parliamentary Assembly has highlighted the importance of democratic resilience to NATO’s strength and unity, and the United States is working with Allies to support and bolster these efforts. Preserving our Technological Edge: Leaders will offer pledges to help stand up a new Defense Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic, which will support NATO’s efforts to boost interoperability and ensure that every Ally has access to cutting-edge technological solutions for military needs. Allies will also approve expanded programs to support the defensive needs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, and the Republic of Moldova. The United States welcomes the trilateral agreement signed on June 28 by Turkey, Sweden, and Finland that will pave the way for NATO leaders to issue an invitation during the Summit to Sweden and Finland. The United States strongly supports the applications by Sweden and Finland and has prepared all necessary materials for the U.S. Congress to carry out their advice and consent responsibilities, once accession talks have concluded and Allies sign the accession protocols, which is expected to occur in the coming days. In close cooperation with our Allies and hosting nations, President Biden announced today that the United States will take the following additional actions to strengthen NATO’s deterrence and defense and European security: Allies have also doubled NATO’s battlegroups on the eastern flank, ensuring strong defense from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea. At the Summit, Allied leaders will endorse a new strengthened defensive force posture, with a 360-degree view across land, air, sea, cyber, and space, and an emphasis on more combat-credible forward capabilities on the eastern flank. Our Allies are stepping up as well, and have significantly enhanced their contributions to NATO through identified reinforcements and establishment of new combat-credible structures able to scale up to brigade size across the eastern flank. The Summit will provide an opportunity to advance collective efforts with these Allies and partners to strengthen the rules-based international order. A New Strategic Concept: Allied leaders will endorse NATO’s next Strategic Concept, the first update since 2010 for this key public document which describes how NATO will address threats and challenges in its security environment in coming years.

Australia's prime minister is calling on China to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine and is welcoming NATO's interest in Asia-Pacific security.

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ Both leaders also discussed the need to find ways to allow Ukrainian grain exports. ___ ___

Given the stakes involved in the outcome of the Russia-Ukraine war, the Madrid summit has taken on new importance and urgency. Will NATO make room for two more?

The United States is more deeply engaged in Europe than the Biden administration intended — and Putin’s war has once again highlighted America’s role as the guarantor of European security. At their December 2019 summit, NATO leaders mentioned China for the first time in a summit declaration. Since February, the United States has provided more total assistance to Ukraine than the countries of the European Union combined. In fact, Stoltenberg on Monday announced NATO’s high-readiness forces would grow from 40,000 to more than 300,000, which means sizable numbers of U.S. troops will be heading to Europe. As with any strategy document, of course, it’s the implementation that really matters. That’s what NATO leaders pledged to do by 2024 at their 2014 summit in Wales. The German government also set up a €100 billion fund this year for immediate military investments. The Madrid summit declaration will undoubtedly highlight a shared commitment to burden sharing. Transatlantic relations already appear back to the usual state, with the United States carrying the heavy burden for European security. The United States made unprecedented security guarantees to cover the interim period between their application and their membership. Back in April, she noted that Putin’s war had made clear that “There is no other way to have security guarantees than under NATO’s deterrence and common defense as guaranteed by NATO’s Article 5.” After a last-minute breakthrough in negotiations, it now appears as if the logjam has been broken. But the Swedish and Finnish bids ran into trouble from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was the lone holdout.

Defense alliance wants to outsmart adversaries at advanced technology and cybersecurity. FRANCE-SECURITY-TECHNOLOGY-COMPUTER-HACKING. NATO ...

Since then, the new version of the document, which lays out threats to NATO and strategies to address these concerns, is certain to include language on cyber deterrence. Now, NATO leaders want to set out a plan to win the war for tech supremacy and cyber defenses in the long run. “The fact that they weren't successful in knocking it all out doesn't mean they didn't try.” The war in Ukraine has put technology front and center of armed conflict. “More countries are looking into bolstering their cyber capabilities, and a lot of the companies helping them are based in the U.S.,” said Lasoen. “Of course, it would be advisable for the EU to have its own know-how, but for now it is in the U.S.” “The Strategic Concept quite clearly puts cyber also into the context of Russia as a threat to allies’ security, and that cyber is one of the means it uses to threaten our partners,” a NATO official said, adding that the text of the strategy is still to be finalized.

The move propels the bids from the Nordic countries forward after weeks of stalling by Turkey. Read more at straitstimes.com.

They reiterated calls for Russia to immediately stop its war in Ukraine. Turkey had concerns the two Nordic nations didn't do enough to tackle Kurdish groups it views as terrorists. BRUSSELS (BLOOMBERG) - Nato leaders formally invited Sweden and Finland to join the military alliance and agreed to sign their accession protocols, propelling the bids from the Nordic countries forward after weeks of stalling by Turkey.

NATO invited Sweden and Finland on Wednesday to join the military alliance in one of the biggest shifts in European security in decades after Russia's ...

Magdalena Andersson sees 'mild' reaction from Moscow so far but says her country is prepared.

“We are right now in the midst of the largest buildup of our military, our defense since the ’50s.” “This was a historic day for Sweden and for NATO yesterday,” she said. And together with Finland, they’re very strong on the ground, I think we, together, will really provide for more security to NATO.” “My ambition is that that will not only increase security in Sweden and Finland, but in NATO as a whole.” But with Sweden and Finland as allies, NATO will instantly gain vastly expanded cold-weather war-fighting capabilities. Putin claimed his invasion of Ukraine was partly intended to contain NATO and prevent further expansion of the U.S.-led military alliance.

Alliance condemns Russia's 'appaling cruelty' in Ukraine, vows to strengthen forces on eastern flank.

“It means we are ready when we need it but when we never want to have an escalation with Russia,” she said. The declaration also addressed the growing military and economic reach of China. NATO leaders have called Russia the “most significant and direct threat” to the alliance’s peace and security, while officially inviting Sweden and Finland to join bloc.

Ankara has signed a trilateral memorandum agreement after obtaining concessions on demands it put forward in May.

- Russia has firmly opposed Finland and Sweden’s accession to NATO, seeing it as further encroachment of the transatlantic alliance towards Russian territory. Biden is expected to meet Erdogan during the summit. - Ankara hailed the agreement as a triumph. - Finland and Sweden also agreed “not to impose embargo restrictions in the field of defence industry” on Turkey and to take “concrete steps on the extradition of terrorist criminals”. - Turkey surprised its NATO allies when it initially opposed Finland and Sweden’s bid to join the alliance. Turkey has lifted its veto over Finland and Sweden’s bid to join NATO, ending a weeks-long dispute that tested the unity of the alliance against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly pointed to NATO's post-Cold War enlargement as one of the many reasons for his invasion of Ukraine. But Russia's ...

- "The accession of Finland and Sweden will make them safer, NATO stronger, and the Euro-Atlantic area more secure. And it also demonstrates that we respect the sovereign right of every nation to choose their own path." What they're saying: "Today, we have decided to invite Finland and Sweden to become members of NATO, and agreed to sign the Accession Protocols," NATO leaders wrote in a summit declaration issued Wednesday.

NATO leaders have just taken decisions to transform and strengthen our Alliance at this pivotal time for our security. President Putin's war against Ukraine has ...

That was the reason why NATO Allies reduced defence spending after the end of the Cold War, but if we reduce defence spending when tensions are going down, we have to be able to increase defence spending when tensions are going up, and when we live in a more dangerous world. And Canada leads the Battlegroup in Latvia. I’ve been there together with Prime Minister Trudeau and also with the defence and the foreign minister, and I also welcome the fact that Canada is now stepping up its presence in Latvia. And of course, this also counts a lot when it comes to contributions to our collective defence. So of course, this is a message to all Allies, including Canada. At the same time, also, I welcome the fact that Canada and other Allies are providing a lot of capabilities, contributions to NATO missions and operations. NATO Secretary General: Of course, I expect all Allies to meet the guidelines that we have set and we agreed them back in 2014 for the decade up to 2024. So, this has moved fast so far, and of course I expect that the Allies are ready to also ratify as soon as possible, but there are different procedures in different countries so this will take some times in different parliaments. And this links to the first part of your question. What we will make sure with our presence is that we are able to defend all Allies including, of course, Finland and Sweden. I cannot speak on behalf, or promise anything on behalf of, thirty different parliaments, but the message in the room is that throughout the Alliance there is a strong will to work with parliaments so they can do the ratification as soon as possible. But I was wondering how much longer you think it's gonna take for Finland and Sweden to join the NATO, since it's a pretty urgent situation? So we, of course, respected Finland and Sweden when they decided to stay out of NATO for many many years, but then also welcomed them and respected their decision to join NATO. NATO Allies have already stepped up and NATO has increased its presence in the Baltic, Nordic, region. And I’m wondering you know, Putin has said that Finland and Sweden’s memberships don’t pose a direct threat to Russia, but he has also warned them about becoming bases for NATO forces or equipment so I’m wondering whether NATO has any plans to put permanent bases in those countries now that they’ve been formally invited into the Alliance. The first is I’m wondering if you could talk a bit more about the meetings you’ve had over the day about ironing out the details of the new force model and that includes the question of permanent basing.

At Madrid leaders' summit, Stoltenberg says Putin failed in effort to stop alliance from adding members.

“NATO does not seek confrontation and poses no threat to the Russian Federation,” the leaders wrote. “We cannot consider the Russian Federation to be our partner,” they wrote. “In the High North, its capability to disrupt Allied reinforcements and freedom of navigation across the North Atlantic is a strategic challenge to the Alliance.” In the new edition, they described China as a challenge to allies’ “interests, security and values.” Equipment to counter mines and chemical and biological threats, and hundreds of portable anti-drone systems.” And it also demonstrates that we respect the sovereign right of every nation to choose their path.”

As the NATO summit kicks off in Madrid today, one thing is clear: It's going to be the most important summit of the week. NATO today defined Russia as its No. 1 ...

The policy is, in essence, a price-fixing cartel, which is illegal on both sides of the Atlantic. And precisely the sort of “non-market policy” the leaders criticized China for enacting. "The long and short of it is that the only way to get the grain out quickly is by sea, and that would require some form of escorting mission or Russian acquiescence. THE FIFTH AVENUE BUILDING WHERE FOREIGN BILLIONAIRES FLOCK: Olympic Tower “is a building obsessed with anonymity,” reports Matthew Sedacca. Some residents have gone decades without even seeing their next-door neighbors. But they did manage to back a call for funding new gas infrastructure and exploration, even as they met in the shadow of a dying glacier. NATO is a more natural venue for discussing an escort mission,” he added. Cavoli, who now commands U.S. Army forces on the continent, will succeed Air Force Gen. Tod Wolters as head of U.S. European Command and NATO supreme allied commander. The U.N. has been trying to negotiate a deal with Russia, but that’s predictably gone nowhere. The statements and promises flowed ceaselessly, but did nothing to fundamentally alter the course of Russia’s war in Ukraine, limit runaway global inflation or avert a looming famine. NEW NATO COMMANDER STARTS FRIDAY: Army Gen. Christopher Cavoli, Biden’s nominee to lead U.S. forces in Europe (dual-hatted as NATO’s top commander), starts July 1. POLITICO’s Lili Bayer spoke to over 20 ministers, ambassadors, diplomats and NATO senior staff about the alliance’s future. — Turkey isn’t the only “problem child” at this year’s annual summit. It’s no small task: The current NATO response force comprises approximately 40,000 troops.

NATO countries, welcoming Finland and Sweden and announcing a surge of forces, hope to signal to Moscow that their commitment to Ukraine is not waning.

Significant disagreements have also emerged between some of the NATO countries over how hard to push for an end to the war in Ukraine and how to continue supporting the beleaguered country in the face of economic fallout back home. “And it is not just a problem for European countries.” “The timing is obviously excellent,” the senior administration official said. At a summit of the Group of Seven industrialized democracies earlier this week, leaders were unable to agree on the specifics of a deal to impose price caps on Russian oil. Still, the war could drag on for months or years, and its final geopolitical impact is far from clear. NATO’s resurgence and expansion, after years when it sometimes seemed adrift, was intended to signal that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is having an impact opposite from the one he sought.

Turkey's justice minister says Ankara is seeking extradition of 12 suspects from Finland, 21 from Sweden: State media.

“We don’t in fact have any unsettled extradition requests at the moment. linked to these terrorist organisations.” The agreement states that “Finland and Sweden confirm that the PKK is a proscribed terrorist organisation” and that Sweden and Finland vow to “not provide support” to the People’s Protection Units (YPG), a PKK offshoot in Syria that played an instrumental role in the United States-led alliance against ISIL (ISIS).

At the Madrid Summit on Wednesday (29 June 2022), Allied leaders were joined by some of NATO's closest partners to address global challenges.

The military organization's condemnation was not wholly surprising: Its chief earlier said Russia's war in Ukraine had created Europe's biggest security crisis ...

It plans to increase almost eightfold the size of the alliance’s rapid reaction force, from 40,000 to 300,000 troops, by next year. “We’re stepping up. Set up some 70 years ago to counter the Soviet Union, NATO held its summit in Madrid in a world transformed by Russia’s invasion of its neighbor. Zelenskyy has acknowledged that NATO membership is a distant prospect. “The question is, who’s next? “Hasn’t Ukraine paid enough?”

“We condemn the irresponsible course of the North Atlantic Alliance that is ruining the European architecture, or what's left of it,” Russian deputy foreign ...

This has nothing to do with real life; it’s the alliance that poses a threat to us.” The decision followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has prompted Russian neighbours to appeal to Nato for additional security guarantees. “This can only be regretted.”

NATO heads of state and government meeting in Madrid on Wednesday (29 June 2022) approved a new Strategic Concept for the Alliance, setting out the ...

The documents also states that climate change is “a defining challenge of our time”. The Strategic Concept is updated roughly every decade and is NATO’s second most important document. NATO heads of state and government meeting in Madrid on Wednesday (29 June 2022) approved a new Strategic Concept for the Alliance, setting out the Alliance’s priorities, core tasks and approaches for the next decade. The document defines Russia as the “most significant and direct threat” to Allies’ security, while addressing China for the first time and the challenges that Beijing poses toward Allies’ security, interests and values.

Russian threat: The “virtual rapid response cyber capability” comes after months of Russian cyberattacks in Ukraine as part of the war and amid concerns that ...

It also pledged to work with the private sector to counter threats, formally recognized threats in cyberspace posed by Russia and China, and promised to update NATO’s command structure to reflect new cyber threats. The program is voluntary. The U.S. will offer “robust national capabilities” to support this program, according to a fact sheet put out by the White House on Wednesday.

MADRID: NATO invited Sweden and Finland on Wednesday (Jun 29) to join the military alliance in one of the biggest shifts in European security in decades ...

"He wanted less NATO. Now President Putin is getting more NATO on his borders." NATO is also aiming to have as many as 300,000 troops ready for deployment in case of conflict, part of an enlarged NATO response force. But Stoltenberg has repeatedly called on Beijing to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow says is a "special operation". Allies also agreed on NATO's first new strategic concept - its master planning document - in a decade. The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation was founded in 1949 to defend against the Soviet threat. Advertisement

In document, Western military alliance defines Russia as 'most significant and direct threat' and for the first time addresses challenges that Beijing poses ...

NATO’s Strategic Concept is an assessment of security challenges and guides the alliance’s political and military activities. “President Putin has not succeeded in closing NATO’s door,” Stoltenberg said. At the summit that runs until Thursday, the alliance agreed to boost support for Ukraine as it defends itself from the Russian invasion, now in its fifth month. The last one was adopted at the NATO Lisbon Summit in 2010, and ironically included the words: “NATO poses no threat to Russia. On the contrary: we want to see a true strategic partnership between NATO and Russia.” “This is seen as extremely threatening, not only to the United States, but to Europe as well,” said Robert Daly, director of the Kissinger Institute on China and the United States at the Woodrow Wilson Center, to VOA. NATO heads of state and government meeting in Madrid on Wednesday approved a new Strategic Concept for the alliance, naming “Russia’s aggression,” “systemic challenges posed by the People’s Republic of China” and the “deepening strategic partnership” between the two countries as its main priorities.

MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday (Jun 29) that Russia would respond in kind if NATO deployed troops and infrastructure in Finland and ...

He said Russian troops had advanced in Ukraine and that the military intervention was going as planned. "It's inevitable if there is a threat to us." Advertisement

KYIV: NATO on Wednesday (Jun 29) branded Russia the biggest "direct threat" to Western security after its invasion of Ukraine and agreed plans to modernise ...

Russia says it is pursuing a "special military operation" to rid Ukraine of dangerous nationalists. I would hope that would play a factor in whatever sentence I do or don't receive." "I didn't fire a shot. Donbas comprises Donetsk and Luhansk provinces. Advertisement Advertisement

Helsinki and Stockholm joining NATO marks one of the the biggest shifts in European security in decades. Russian President Vladimir Putin takes part in the 6th ...

Helsinki and Stockholm joining NATO marks one of the biggest shifts in European security in decades. “With Sweden and Finland, we don’t have the problems that we have with Ukraine. They want to join NATO, go ahead,” Putin told Russian state television after talks with regional leaders in the central Asian ex-Soviet state of Turkmenistan. Helsinki and Stockholm joining NATO marks one of the the biggest shifts in European security in decades.

On Monday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced plans to put 300,000 troops at high readiness as part of the “biggest overhaul of our ...

The weapons: Ukraine is making use of weapons such as Javelin antitank missiles and Switchblade “kamikaze” drones, provided by the United States and other allies. Throughout the years that former president Donald Trump held office, the secretary general presented defense spending figures calculated to communicate how much commitments had increased since Trump took office in 2017, even though NATO spending had actually started rising after the Russian annexation of Crimea three years earlier. Policymakers said the change will shift NATO’s presence in the region from that of a tripwire — a somewhat symbolic presence meant to dissuade the Kremlin from invading — to a real defensive force that could credibly hold back Russian forces long enough for reinforcements to arrive. “We will have to do more to build up the model before we can work out what national commitments can be.” Even the 300,000 total is theoretical for the moment: “The concept has not been fully worked up yet,” the official said. The official wondered which of his nation’s troops were being counted toward the force — and whether it included personnel from a volunteer national guard who have civilian day jobs.

KYIV: NATO on Wednesday (Jun 29) branded Russia the biggest "direct threat" to Western security after its invasion of Ukraine and agreed plans to modernise ...

Russia says it is pursuing a "special military operation" to rid Ukraine of dangerous nationalists. I would hope that would play a factor in whatever sentence I do or don't receive." "I didn't fire a shot. Donbas comprises Donetsk and Luhansk provinces. Advertisement Advertisement

In a last minute deal, Turkey dropped its objections to Finland and Sweden joining the security alliance — all but ensuring NATO's enlargement in the midst ...

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"Today, NATO leaders decided a fundamental shift in our defence and deterrence to respond to a new security reality," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg ...

But for NATO, the new force model is not just a return to its Cold War posture. And those are important too." We will transform the NATO Response Force and increase the number of high readiness forces to well over 300,000," he added. The move replaces the NATO Response Force, which was for years the first to respond to any Russian attack or other crisis. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com

Leaders from Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand attend a Nato summit for the first time. Read more at straitstimes.com.

Ahead of the unveiling of Nato's new strategy, Beijing already pushed back against the alliance for increasing its attention on Asia. Leading Nato power the United States has pushed for the alliance to pay greater attention to China, despite reluctance from some allies to switch attention away from its focus on Europe. MADRID (AFP) - Nato on Wednesday (June 29), for the first time in its guiding blueprint, said China's might challenges the alliance and Beijing's closer ties to Moscow went against Western interests.

After NATO leaders formally decided to invite Sweden and Finland to join the bloc, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Vladimir Putin “wanted less NATO ...

The weapons: Ukraine is making use of weapons such as Javelin antitank missiles and Switchblade “kamikaze” drones, provided by the United States and other allies. France’s Macron angered some of his NATO allies by warning publicly of the risk of humiliating Russia. Further divisions on weapons supplies, sanctions and the potential for Ukraine to join NATO are inevitable. Pew’s polling suggested drastically divergent views of NATO among the populations of its 30 member states, with a high of 89 percent approval in Poland but a dismal 33 percent in Greece. Even behind the united front on Ukraine, there are differences. Turkey, close to Russia on several key issues, only agreed to not veto the membership bids of Sweden and Finland late Tuesday. It gained some major concessions for doing so. The war will certainly strengthen NATO. Sweden and Finland both had, to varying degrees, histories of neutrality. The fight: A slowly regenerating Russian army is making incremental gains in eastern Ukraine against valiant but underequipped Ukrainian forces. A rewritten NATO Strategic Concept directly discussed China — a big change from the last document, which didn’t mention the nation at all. Positive views of NATO membership also shot up in both Sweden and Finland before they applied to join. With an enemy to focus on, NATO has a renewed sense of purpose. While Ukrainian membership was not in the cards anytime soon, Kyiv’s growing relationship with the United States and other NATO powers has been used as a justification for Russia’s decision to invade on Feb. 24. Just three years ago, French President Emmanuel Macron complained it was facing “brain death.” For years after the Soviet Union collapsed, NATO looked like a military alliance in search of an enemy. Now, Ukraine is flush with weapons and other support from NATO member states.

A trilateral agreement between Finland, Sweden and Turkey appears to give few concrete concessions to Ankara.

On a call with reporters Tuesday, a senior administration official also said that Turkey did not ask the United States for any specific allowances. “This is the strategic thinking behind this whole dog and pony show. “The United States supports Turkey’s modernization of its fighter fleet because that is a contribution to NATO security and therefore American security.” One of his goals, Tahiroglu said, was face time with President Biden and other NATO leaders. An 11th-hour deal between Finland, Sweden and Turkey persuaded Erdogan to drop his objections. NATO on Wednesday announced it was formally inviting Finland and Sweden to join the alliance.

The European Union. Georgia. Finland and Sweden. And for the first time at a NATO Summit, our Indo-Pacific partners: Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and the ...

And now, in the coming months, I expect more Allies to commit more forces so when they make decisions, they of course have to also realise that that also will require more forces from NATO Allies at higher readiness organised in a way which makes them available for NATO operations, missions and NATO commanders, if needed. And the good news is that more and more Allies have actually announced forces to fill that new Force Structure with substance. Because that's the reason why we have increased our presence in the eastern part of the Alliance, why NATO Allies have started to invest more in defence, and why we have increased the readiness. And that has made it impossible for us to continue to have the kind of partnership, engagement with Russia that we have worked for so long. And then, of course, when Allies commit to new Force Structure, we also expect them to deliver the forces. But NATO has to have an open mind and engage with also countries which are not as like-minded as the countries gathered in that room. NATO Secretary General: I met with the Georgian Prime Minister. We discussed and addressed, of course, how we can, as you asked about, step up our practical and political partnership and support for Georgia. We will step up both the political and practical support for Georgia with a new package to help build their capabilities and also strengthen their resilience. So this is the core … for the land element to the NATO new Force Model and the new Force Structure. We've also planned to provide additional personnel for our NATO Liaison Office in Georgia. And then, of course, we have also other elements like the training and evaluation centre in Tbilisi and other elements that can further strengthen our partnership with Georgia. On the membership issue, while we stand by the decision we've taken before but we're not going to give any dates. And we're also waiting for the historic decision from NATO to invite Georgia. We are living, as you many times mentioned, in an unpredictable world but still, in the context of the open door policy, what message are you sending today from Madrid to Georgia? When window of opportunity will be for Georgia? You met with Georgian Prime Minister, he had a speech. But the difference is that they will now be organised in ways that can fit them into NATO operations, fit them into NATO defence planning, and be available for NATO commanders. And then, of course, Allies have to contribute forces to that new Force Model. That is in many ways the same as we've done before when we have made similar decisions.

China's growing influence is prominent on the Madrid summit agenda. But the assumption that the US will respond alongside NATO to China's rise is being ...

The second is that no one living in a country that calls itself an American ally can ignore the perilous state of America’s social fabric. Twenty years after the commencement of the War on Terror, there are few votes to be harvested in foreign policy. At the recent Shangri-La Dialogue, the US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin claimed that the United States is capable of contributing to European security while also confronting a rising China. “We are walking and chewing gum,” he said. But that item makes a crucial, hidden assumption: That the US will respond to China’s rise with NATO by its side. Reinforcing stoic Ukrainian resistance while avoiding further escalation is deservedly top of the agenda. China’s growing influence is prominent on the Madrid summit agenda.

Beijing's efforts to build up nuclear forces, hacking operations and increasingly close ties to Moscow are 'serious challenges', says Nato secretary ...

We need to learn that lesson for Taiwan. Every piece of equipment we have sent takes months of training, so the sooner we do it, the better.” “That’s one of the most important lessons that we pick up from Ukraine.” “What they should do is give up their cold war mindset, zero-sum games and stop doing things that create enemies.” Addressing her first Nato summit, New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern warned of a “more assertive” China but urged more diplomatic engagement. Albanese’s objective was to elevate the region as a second theatre of strategic competition with Nato members preoccupied with Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. “China is not our adversary but we must be clear-eyed about the serious challenges it represents.”

United States joins NATO allies to issue strong rebuke to 'malicious hybrid and cyber' threats from People's Republic of China.

… It strives to subvert the rules-based international order, including in the space, cyber and maritime domains,” said NATO in the organization’s most important working document. And one of the things that it’s doing is seeking to undermine the rules-based international order.” But China also supports Russia’s supposed security concerns and has been opposing Western sanctions against Moscow. On Wednesday, a spokesperson from China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned NATO to stay out of the Asia-Pacific region. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg accused China of “spreading Russian lies and disinformation” at a press conference in Madrid, where the Atlantic alliance unveiled its “Strategic Concept” that features China for the first time. The United States joined its NATO allies on Wednesday to issue a strong rebuke to “malicious hybrid and cyber” threats from the People’s Republic of China, warning the “no-limits” partnership between China and Russia is undercutting a rules-based international order.

Russia's full-blown invasion of Ukraine has reaffirmed Nato as the cornerstone of Europe's defence and forced leaders of the security alliance to rethink ...