Tag: NATO

NATO Chief Among Candidates for Top Norwegian Central Bank Position

NATO’s Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, whose contract as head of the alliance is set to expire next year, said on Tuesday that he has applied to become Norway’s next central bank governor. Stoltenberg confirmed on Tuesday that he was asked by Norway’s Finance Ministry last month if he would consider applying for the top position. “I have now…


Russia’s Impending Invasion of Ukraine and What This Reveals About Russian Strategy

Commentary President Joe Biden’s talk with Russian President Vladimir Putin seems to have had no impact on Putin’s plans to threaten—and likely invade Ukraine. A day after Biden threatened economic sanctions and military supplies for Ukraine and nearby NATO allies, tens of thousands of Russian soldiers, tanks, and artillery remain at Ukraine’s border. As one…


Russian Jets Intercept French and US Warplanes Over Black Sea

Several Russian SU-27 fighter jets escorted a group of French and U.S. warplanes over the Black Sea on Dec. 9, according to a video released on Friday by Russia’s Ministry of Defense. The defense ministry said airspace control systems in the country “detected aerial targets flying towards the Russian border over international waters in the Black…


French Warplanes Tracked by Russian Fighters Over Black Sea: French Army

Two French warplanes and a refuelling aircraft were being tracked on Thursday by two Russian fighter jets in international air space over the Black Sea, the second such interaction this week, the French army said on Thursday. A Russian jet had already escorted two French warplanes on Wednesday, which Moscow had said aimed to prevent…


Ukraine Shows Off US Military Hardware, Vows to Fight Off Russia

KYIV—Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Monday said his armed forces were capable of fighting off any Russian attack, as the country marked its national army day with a display of U.S. armoured vehicles and patrol boats. U.S. President Joe Biden has pledged his “unwavering support” to Ukraine in its standoff with Moscow and will hold…


Ukraine Urges NATO to Be Ready With Sanctions in Case of Russian Invasion

RIGA—Ukraine urged NATO on Wednesday to prepare economic sanctions on Russia to deter a possible invasion by tens of thousands of Russian troops concentrated within reach of its border. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said he would make the request to NATO foreign ministers meeting for the second day in Latvia to discuss how to…


Putin Demands NATO Guarantees Not to Expand Eastward

MOSCOW—President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that Moscow would seek Western guarantees precluding any further NATO expansion and deployment of its weapons near his country’s borders, a stern demand that comes amid fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainian and Western officials have worried about a Russian troop buildup near Ukraine, saying it could signal…


Russia Says Ukraine Stationed Half Its Army in Donbas Conflict Zone

Ukraine has stationed about half of its army, amounting to well over 100,000 troops, in the war-torn Donbas region, a conflict zone in eastern Ukraine, a Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman alleged on Wednesday. “According to some reports, the number of troops … in the conflict zone already reaches 125,000 people, and this, if anyone does not…


NATO Head Expresses Concern Over ‘Unprovoked and Unexplained’ Military Buildup on Ukraine Border

NATO’s Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Tuesday expressed concern over a Russian military buildup near its border with Ukraine. “We see Russian military build-up, we see heavy armor, we see drones and combat-ready troops,” Stoltenberg in a statement. “We call on Russia to be transparent because this is unprovoked and unexplained.” The comments were made as ministers…


Lithuania Says Belarus Will Keep Testing West, Urges NATO Rethink

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said on Nov. 28 that NATO needs to adjust its stance towards Belarus, whose military is becoming more integrated with Russian armed forces. Nausėda told a news conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Vilnius, Lithuania, that he has been worried by…