Tag Archives: NATO

US Confident On Overcoming Turkey’s NATO Objection

Reuters reports: Turkey’s approach to the NATO accession process of Sweden and Finland is not a bilateral issue between Washington and Ankara, the U.S. State Department said on Friday, but added that Washington was speaking with Ankara and it remained confident that the dispute would be overcome. While the problem officially is between Sweden, Finland and Turkey, many analysts have …

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LIVE VIDEO: Biden And NATO Applicants Hold Presser

The Guardian reports: NATO is on the cusp of adding two new members to the mutual defense alliance and Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson of Sweden and President Sauli Niinistö of Finland are meeting Joe Biden at the White House to discuss the security of Europe. The two Nordic nations say they’ve been forced into the decision by Russia’s invasion of …

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Erdogan Posts Video On Planned “No” Vote To NATO

Reuters reports: Turkey has told allies that it will reject Sweden and Finland’s membership to NATO, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said in a video posted on his Twitter account on Thursday. Finland and Sweden formally applied on Wednesday to join U.S.-led NATO, a decision spurred by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Turkey’s objections have come as a surprise to the other …

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Turkish President Blocks Start Of NATO Expansion Talks

The Washington Post reports: Turkey blocked the start of Finland and Sweden’s accession talks to NATO on Wednesday shortly after the Nordic nations submitted their formal applications, a signal of what could be a bumpy process to expand the alliance and reshape Europe’s post-Cold War security architecture. Turkey’s resistance deprived Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg of the consensus he needed to …

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Finland And Sweden Sign Applications To Join NATO

Politico Europe reports: The ink was still drying on Sweden and Finland’s applications to join NATO on Tuesday when Finland’s President Sauli Niinistö arrived at the royal palace in Stockholm in a horse-drawn carriage. Niinistö’s state visit is seen as a potential bookend over accession by the two Nordic states into the Western defense alliance. Earlier Tuesday, in front of …

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Turkey Hardens Stance Against Expansion Of NATO

The Associated Press reports: Sweden and Finland on Tuesday pushed ahead with their bids to join NATO even as Turkey insisted it won’t let the previously non-aligned Nordic countries into the alliance because of their alleged support for Kurdish militants. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s strongly worded objections caught the two applicants and other NATO members off guard, complicating what …

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Russia Says It “Won’t Put Up With” Expanding NATO

Reuters reports: Russia said on Monday that the West should have no illusions that Moscow will simply put up with the Nordic expansion of the U.S.-led NATO military alliance to include Sweden and Finland, casting the move as a mistake that would stoke military tension. “They should have no illusions that we will simply put up with it – and …

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Sweden’s Ruling Party Approves Applying To NATO

Reuters reports: Sweden’s ruling Social Democrats said on Sunday they backed the country joining NATO, abandoning decades of opposition in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and creating a large parliament majority in favour of membership.  With neighboring Finland already set to hand in its application, Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson [photo] is now all but certain to launch a …

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Finnish President Confirms Plan To Join NATO [VIDEO]

Reuters reports: Finland’s President Sauli Niinisto confirmed on Sunday that his country would apply for membership of the NATO military alliance, in a historic policy shift prompted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Moscow, which shares a 1,300 km (800 mile) border with Finland, has said it would be a mistake for Helsinki to join the 30-strong transatlantic alliance and that …

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Putin Warns Finnish President Against Joining NATO

Reuters reports: Russian President Vladimir Putin told his Finnish counterpart Sauli Niinisto on Saturday that ditching neutrality and joining NATO would be a mistake that could damage relations between their two countries, the Kremlin said. The two countries said their presidents spoke by phone two days after Finland declared its intention to join the Western alliance. Moscow has described that …

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Turkey May Veto Finland And Sweden Joining NATO

The Associated Press reports: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday that his country is “not favorable” toward Finland and Sweden joining NATO, indicating that Turkey could use its status as a member of the Western military alliance to veto moves to admit the two countries. “We are following developments concerning Sweden and Finland carefully, but we are not of …

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Russia Warns Of “Full-Fledged Nuclear War” With NATO

“NATO countries pumping weapons into Ukraine, training troops to use Western equipment, sending in mercenaries and the exercises of Alliance countries near our borders increase the likelihood of a direct and open conflict between NATO and Russia. Such a conflict always has the risk of turning into a full-fledged nuclear war. This will be a disastrous scenario for everyone.” – …

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Finland To Seek NATO Membership “Without Delay”

The BBC reports: Finland’s president and prime minister have called for the country to apply for Nato membership “without delay”. The move comes amid a surge in public support for Nato membership following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Moscow said Finland’s move was a threat to Russia and the further expansion of Nato would make Europe less stable and secure. Finland …

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Decision Near On Finland And Sweden Joining NATO

The Associated Press reports: To join or not to join? The NATO question is coming to a head this week in Finland and Sweden where Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has shattered the long-held belief that remaining outside the military alliance was the best way to avoid trouble with their giant neighbor. NATO membership was never seriously considered in Stockholm and …

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Finland And Sweden To Jointly Decide On Joining NATO

The New York Times reports: Finland and Sweden will work closely together on deciding whether and when to join NATO, their foreign ministers said at a news conference on Friday, emphasizing the close ties between the two Nordic countries but stopping short of saying definitively that they would join the alliance or act simultaneously. It is “very important” that the …

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Finland Mobilizes For Possible Invasion By Russia

The Los Angeles Times report: When the Finnish Reservists’ Assn. recently announced wartime defense courses for civilian women in the southern town of Haemeenlinna, the 400 slots filled almost immediately, with a waiting list of 500 more. Topics will include shooting, cybersecurity and how to manage the first several days of an invasion from abroad. In many ways, Finland has …

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McCarthy Dodges On Anti-NATO Republican Reps

Raw Story reports: During an interview on Fox News, guest host Mike Emmanuel asked McCarthy if his colleagues were wrong to vote against a House resolution affirming support for NATO. “No, there’s strong support for NATO moving forward,” McCarthy replied. “Always has been. NATO is in the process of defending themselves but the one thing we need to make sure …

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Finnish Minister: We Are “Highly Likely” To Join NATO

Axios reports: Finland, which shares an 830-mile border with Russia, is “highly likely” to join NATO despite the Russian government’s threats to deploy nuclear weapons, Finnish Minister for European Affairs Tytti Tuppurainen said in an interview with Sky News Friday. “The people of Finland, they seem to have already made up their mind,” Tuppurainen told Sky News, noting that polls …

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Russia Vows To Move Nuclear Weapons To Baltic Sea Region If Finland And Sweden Decide To Join NATO

The Washington Post reports: Russia warned Finland and Sweden on Thursday that if they join NATO, Moscow will reinforce the Baltic Sea region, including by deploying nuclear weapons. Dmitry Medvedev, a Putin ally who serves as deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, said Thursday that NATO expansion would lead Russia to strengthen air, land and naval forces to “balance” military …

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Finland To Make “Fast” Decision On Joining NATO

The Washington Post reports: Finland will launch an immediate debate on joining NATO, Finnish officials said on Wednesday, as the country reconsiders its longtime stance outside the Western military alliance following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Prime Minister Sanna Marin said that a decision would be made in coming weeks. “There are different perspectives to apply (for) NATO membership or not …

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