Latest North Atlantic Treaty Organization News

NATO chief tells Turkey's Erdogan that 'the time has come' to let Sweden join the alliance

Dec. 01, 2023 09:59 AM EST

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says he has told Turkey’s president that “the time has come” to let Sweden become a member of the military alliance. Turkey and Hungary are the only NATO countries that have not yet formally approved...

Top diplomats arrive in North Macedonia for security meeting as some boycott Russia's participation

Nov. 29, 2023 17:51 PM EST

SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) — Top diplomats from more than 50 countries arrived in North Macedonia on Wednesday for a meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, while others boycotted the event due to the presence of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. ...

Finland closes last crossing point with Russia, sealing off entire border as tensions rise

Nov. 29, 2023 11:22 AM EST

HELSINKI (AP) — NATO member Finland on Wednesday closed its last remaining border crossing with Russia after the government decided to seal the entire border with its eastern neighbor amid rising political tensions. The Cabinet of Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo decided to...

Ukraine insists it sees no sign of NATO war fatigue even as fighting and weapons supplies stall

Nov. 29, 2023 10:56 AM EST

BRUSSELS (AP) — Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba insisted on Wednesday that NATO allies are showing no sign of war fatigue and remain committed to helping Ukraine defend itself against Russia and take back occupied territory. Speaking to The Associated Press, Kuleba also...

Finland will close its entire border with Russia over migrant concerns

Nov. 28, 2023 17:21 PM EST

HELSINKI (AP) — Finland said Tuesday it will close its last remaining border crossing with Russia amid concerns that Moscow is using migrants as part of “hybrid warfare” to destabilize the Nordic country following its entry into NATO. Finland already had shut seven of the eight...

Latvia's chief diplomat pursues NATO's top job, saying a clear vision on Russia is needed

Nov. 28, 2023 13:55 PM EST

BRUSSELS (AP) — Latvia’s foreign minister on Tuesday staked his claim to the top job at NATO, saying that the military organization needs a consensus builder who is committed to higher defense spending and has a clear vision of how to deal with Russia. NATO is likely to name a...

Top diplomats of Baltics and Ukraine to boycott OSCE talks over Russian foreign minister's presence

Nov. 28, 2023 11:13 AM EST

SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) — The foreign ministers of the three Baltic states and of Ukraine said Tuesday they will boycott a meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe being held this week in North Macedonia, in objection to the participation of Russia’s foreign...

Erdogan to visit Budapest next month as Turkey and Hungary hold up Sweden's membership in NATO

Nov. 28, 2023 08:37 AM EST

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will visit Hungary's capital in December, his second trip to Budapest this year at a time when both countries remain the only NATO members not to have ratified Sweden's accession into the trans-Atlantic military alliance. ...

Blinken will return to Israel as the US hopes to see further extensions of the Gaza cease-fire

Nov. 27, 2023 22:45 PM EST

BRUSSELS (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will return this week to the Middle East as the U.S. hopes to find a way to extend a cease-fire in Gaza and get more hostages released, the State Department said Monday. It will be his third trip to the region since Israel's war with Hamas...

Russian FM says he plans to attend OSCE meeting in North Macedonia

Nov. 27, 2023 17:35 PM EST

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Monday that he plans to travel to North Macedonia later this week to attend a conference, a trip that would mark his first visit to a NATO member country since Moscow sent troops to Ukraine. Russia is one of the 57 members...