Nato Chief

Want Ukraine in stronger position for peace talks with Russia: Nato leader

NATO's secretary-general said he wants to discuss ways to put Ukraine in a position of strength for any future peace talks with Russia during a meeting on Wednesday with Ukraine's president and a small number of European leaders. But Mark Rutte appeared frustrated at growing speculation in NATO capitals about when those peace talks might start and whether European peacekeepers would be involved, saying that speaking publicly about it plays into the hands of Russian President Vladimir Putin. "High on the agenda is to make sure that the president, his team in Ukraine, are in the best possible position one day when they decide so to start the peace talks," Rutte told reporters as he welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to his residence in Brussels. The focus, Rutte said, must be "to do everything now to make sure that when it comes to air defence, when it comes to other weapons systems, that we make sure that we provide whatever we can". He said that another issue up for .

Nato chief Rutte meets Trump in Florida for talks on global security

US President-elect Donald Trump and the head of NATO have met for talks on global security, the military alliance said Saturday. In a brief statement, NATO said Trump and its secretary general, Mark Rutte, met on Friday in Palm Beach, Florida. They discussed the range of global security issues facing the Alliance, the statement said without giving details. It appeared to be Rutte's first meeting with Trump since his November 5 election. Rutte had previously congratulated Trump and said his leadership will again be key to keeping our Alliance strong" and that he looked forward to working with him. Trump has for years expressed scepticism about the Western alliance and complained about the defence spending of many of its member nations, which he regarded as too low. He depicted NATO allies as leeches on the US military and openly questioned the value of the alliance that has defined American foreign policy for decades. He threatened not to defend NATO members that fail to meet ...

Not working on PM's 'Asian Nato' proposal, say Japanese ministers

Shigeru Ishiba made the proposal ahead of his victory in the ruling party leadership election on Friday, arguing that it would bolster security in Asia

Leader of Nato member Poland visits China, hopes to talk Ukraine with Xi

Poland's President Andrzej Duda is in China on a visit that brings the leader of a NATO member to a country that has backed Russia in its full-on invasion of Ukraine. I am trying to maintain friendly relations with China, Poland has always had decent relations with China and I would like that to be continued," Duda said in an interview on private Radio Zet on Friday. He was scheduled to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Monday and has said peace in Ukraine will be discussed. Asked if he believes that China is holding a key to peace in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Duda said: I think that to a large degree, yes. While China says it is neutral in the fighting, it has blamed NATO's expansion for provoking Russian President Vladimir Putin into launching the invasion and has maintained robust trade and diplomatic relations with Moscow. Poland borders Ukraine and has provided refuge for those fleeing the fighting and maintained a hard line against further expansion of Russian ...

Canada's may be on track to align with Nato's military spending guidelines

Canada looks on track to meet NATO's military spending guideline soon, Defence Minister Bill Blair said Friday, notably by boosting investment in the Arctic near its shared border with Russia as the region warms quickly due to climate change. After Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014, NATO allies agreed to halt budget cuts and move toward spending 2% of their gross domestic product on defense within a decade. Canada was barely spending 1% at the time. Last year, as it became clear that Russia's war with Ukraine would grind on, they decided that 2% should be a spending minimum. According to NATO figures, Canada was estimated to be spending 1.33% of GDP on its military budget in 2023. My defence spending budget will increase by 27% next year over this year, Blair said at a meeting with his NATO counterparts in Brussels. We've begun the important processes of acquiring the additional capabilities that we require (and) to meet NATO's requirements of us. He said that Cana

Security deal with US is 'bridge' to Ukraine's Nato membership: Zelenskyy

Zelenskyy made the remarks at a joint news conference with US President Joe Biden, which was held on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Italy on Thursday

Argentina asks to join Nato as Prez Milei seeks to boost ties with the West

Argentina formally requested on Thursday to join NATO as a global partner, a status that would clear the way for greater political and security cooperation at a time when the right-wing government of President Javier Milei aims to boost ties with Western powers and attract investment. The request came as NATO's Deputy General Secretary Mircea Geoana held talks in Brussels on regional security challenges with visiting Argentine Defense Minister Luis Petri. Geoana said he welcomed Argentina's bid to become an accredited partner in the alliance a valued role short of ally for nations that are not in NATO's geographical area and not required to take part in collective military actions. NATO membership is currently limited to countries of Europe, Turkey, Canada and the United States. The designation could allow Argentina access to advanced technology, security systems and training not previously available to it, the Argentine presidency said. Argentina plays an important role in Latin

Biden to host Polish prez, prime minister on March 12, Nato anniversary

US President Joe Biden will host Poland's President Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Donald Tusk for a meeting in Washington on March 12, the 25th anniversary of Poland's joining the NATO Alliance, the White House said Thursday. A statement from Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the leaders will reaffirm their unwavering support for Ukraine's defense against Russia's brutal war of conquest. The struggle is taking place across Poland's eastern border, on NATO's eastern flank. The declaration of support has special significant now, when political infighting in US Congress is stalling approval of a USD 60 billion aid package for Kyiv. The meeting will underscore that Washington and Warsaw share an ironclad commitment to the NATO Alliance, which makes us all safer, the statement said, adding that the three leaders will coordinate ahead of the NATO Summit in Washington in July. Poland last year spent some 4% of its GDP on defense and has earmarked some 3.1% of its 2024 GDP for the

Trump stands by remarks about not defending Nato members after backlash

Former President Donald Trump again said Wednesday that if he returns to the White House, he would not defend NATO members that don't meet defence spending targets, days after he set off alarms in Europe by suggesting he would tell Russia to attack NATO allies he considered delinquent. Speaking at a campaign rally in South Carolina, he retold the story of his alleged conversation with the head of a NATO member country that had not met its obligations. This time, though, he left out the line that drew the most outrage encouraging Russia to do whatever the hell they want. Look, if they're not going to pay, we're not going to protect. OK? he said Wednesday. Trump hewed closer than usual to his prepared remarks after a freewheeling event days earlier in which he also drew backlash for mocking his Republican rival Nikki Haley's husband for being missing from the campaign trail. He also revised his comments about Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom he has often praised as tough and ..

Nato chief warns, says Trump puts safety of US troops, allies at risk

The head of the NATO military alliance warned on Sunday that Donald Trump was putting the safety of US troops and their allies at risk after the Republican presidential frontrunner said Russia should be able to do "whatever the hell they want" to NATO members who don't meet their defence spending targets. "Any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines all of our security, including that of the US, and puts American and European soldiers at increased risk," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said in a statement. Speaking on Saturday at a rally in Conway, South Carolina, Trump recalled how as president he told an unidentified NATO member that he would "encourage" Russia to do as it wishes in cases of NATO allies who are "delinquent". "You didn't pay? You're delinquent?" Trump recounted saying. "No I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You gotta pay. You gotta pay your bills." Trump's remarks caused deep ...

Turkey's parliament approves Sweden's Nato membership, lifts key hurdle

Turkish legislators on Tuesday endorsed Sweden's membership in NATO, lifting a major hurdle on the previously nonaligned country's entry into the military alliance. The legislators ratified Sweden's accession protocol by 287 votes to 55, with four abstentions. The ratification will come into effect after its publication in the Official Gazette, which is expected to be swift. Hungary then becomes the only NATO ally not to have ratified Sweden's accession. Today we are one step closer to becoming a full member of NATO, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. The U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, Jeff Flake, also welcomed the Turkish parliament's decision calling it a great move for Sweden, Turkey and NATO. NATO-member Turkey had been delaying Sweden's membership for more than a year, accusing the country of being too lenient toward groups that Ankara regards as security threats. It has been seeking concessions from Stockholm, including a ..

Nato should be prepared for bad news from Ukraine: Jens Stoltenberg

"I will leave it to the Ukrainians and military commanders to make these difficult operational decisions," Stoltenberg said

NATO tentatively agrees to ask Stoltenberg to remain head for another year

NATO members have reached a tentative agreement to ask Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg to remain head of the 31-member transatlantic alliance for another year, according to a US official familiar with the decision. The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, said the decision still needs to be finalized by alliance members. The much-anticipated decision to formally ask Stoltenberg to extend his tenure for another year is expected to happen relatively soon, the official said. NATO members are scheduled to hold their annual summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, on July 11-12. President Joe Biden conveyed to Stoltenberg during their recent meeting at the White House that it was evident there wasn't going to be consensus in the near term among NATO allies on picking a new permanent leader, the official said. Stoltenberg, a former Norwegian prime minister, has been NATO's top civilian official since 2014. His term was due to expire last year b

Nato allies send 1,500 combat vehicles, 230 tanks to Ukraine amid war

NATO countries have delivered more than 98 per cent of the combat vehicles promised to Ukraine amid its war with Russia, the military alliance's chief said on Thursday, giving Kyiv a bigger punch as it appears poised to launch a counteroffensive. Along with more than 1,550 armoured vehicles, 230 tanks and other equipment, member nations have sent Ukraine vast amounts of ammunition and also trained and equipped more than nine new Ukrainian brigades, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said. More than 30,000 troops are estimated to make up the new brigades. "This will put Ukraine in a strong position to continue to retake occupied territory, Stoltenberg told reporters in Brussels. His comments came a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he and Chinese leader Xi Jinping had a long and meaningful phone call in their first known contact since Russia's full-scale invasion more than a year ago. Though Zelenskyy wsaid he was encouraged by Wednesday's call and Western

NATO chief Stoltenberg eyes bigger defence budgets, hard spending target

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday urged the 30 member countries to commit to spending at least 2 per cent of their gross domestic product on defense by a set date, as Russia's war on Ukraine and other threats eat into military spending. NATO allies agreed in 2014, after Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula, to halt the spending cuts they had made after the Cold War and move toward spending 2 per cent of GDP on their defence budgets by 2024. That pledge expires next year, and NATO is working on a new target. What is obvious is that if it was right to commit to spend 2 per cent in 2014, it is even more right now because we live in a more dangerous world, Stoltenberg told reporters, after chairing a meeting of NATO defence ministers, where a first high-level discussion on the issue was held. There is a full-fledged war going on in in Ukraine, in Europe, and then we see the persistent threat of terrorism, and we see also the challenges that China is forcing to o

NATO chief Stoltenberg warns Russia not to cross 'very important line'

Russian President Vladimir Putin would be crossing a very important line if he were to order the use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warned Thursday, with the military alliance and Russia both due to hold nuclear exercises in coming days. NATO is holding its exercise, dubbed Steadfast Noon, next week. The long-planned maneuvers are conducted around the same time every year and run for about one week. They involve fighter jets capable of carrying nuclear warheads, but do not involve any live bombs. Russia usually holds its own maneuvers around the same time, and NATO is expecting Moscow's exercise of its nuclear forces sometime this month. Stoltenberg said NATO will closely monitor what Russia is up to. Asked what NATO would do if Russia launched a nuclear attack, Stoltenberg said: We will not go into exactly how we will respond, but of course this will fundamentally change the nature of the conflict. It will mean that a very important line has

NATO chief warns of civil unrest in Europe sparked by energy crisis

Stoltenberg warned that Putin could carry out further aggression against Russia's neighbours and even attack NATO allies if he is emboldened by success in Ukraine

NATO summit in Madrid concludes amid criticisms of bloc's aggression

NATO leaders agreed to strengthen the alliance's forward defenses, enhance the bloc's battlegroups on its eastern flank and increase the number of high readiness forces to more than 300,000

Sweden ready to address Turkish security fears, says NATO Secy General

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said he was glad that the Swedish government has confirmed its readiness to address Turkey's concerns as part of assuming the obligations of NATO membership.

Finnish president confirms country will apply to join NATO alliance

Finland will be applying for NATO alliance in the near future, Finnish President confirmed recently. With increasing pressure from Russia, Finland is edging closer towards US and NATO's umbrella