Latest North Atlantic Treaty Organization News

Finnish investigators find an anchor drag mark on the Baltic seabed after suspicious cable damage

Dec. 30, 2024 09:41 AM EST

HELSINKI, Finland (AP) — Finnish investigators probing the damage to a Baltic Sea power cable and several data cables said they found an anchor drag mark on the seabed, apparently from a Russia-linked vessel that has already been seized. The discovery heightened concerns about...

Croatia's incumbent president gains most votes for re-election, but not enough to avoid a runoff

Dec. 29, 2024 16:26 PM EST

ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) — Croatia’s incumbent President Zoran Milanovic won most of the votes in the first round of a presidential election on Sunday, but must face a runoff against a ruling party candidate to secure another five-year term. With nearly all of the votes counted,...

Sweden embarks on a sober search for more cemetery space in case of war

Dec. 28, 2024 10:13 AM EST

GOTHENBURG, Sweden (AP) — Burial associations in Sweden are looking to acquire enough land for something they hope they'll never have to do: bury thousands of people in the event of war. The search follows recommendations from the Church of Sweden’s national...

NATO will step up Baltic Sea patrols as Finland probes the possible sabotage of undersea cables

Dec. 27, 2024 15:38 PM EST

BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Friday that the military alliance will step up patrols in the Baltic Sea region as Finnish investigators work to establish whether a ship linked to Russia sabotaged undersea cables there this week. Finnish authorities seized...

Turkey and Russia engage in delicate maneuvers over Syria after Assad’s downfall

Dec. 20, 2024 00:06 AM EST

The rapid downfall of Syrian leader Bashar Assad has touched off a new round of delicate geopolitical maneuvering between Russia's Vladimir Putin and Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan. With the dust still settling from the stunning events in Damascus, the outcome for now seems to be...

Putin boasts of gains in Ukraine at annual news conference meant to reinforce his authority

Dec. 19, 2024 14:26 PM EST

MOSCOW (AP) — President Vladimir Putin boasted that his military operation in Ukraine has strengthened Russia and denied that the ouster of key ally Bashar Assad in Syria had hurt Moscow’s prestige, as he took questions at his annual news conference and call-in show Thursday. He...

NATO chief inspects joint military unit in Bulgaria and urges alliance to boost support for Ukraine

Dec. 19, 2024 12:21 PM EST

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — NATO’s secretary general on Thursday visited a military training site in Bulgaria, inspecting the activities of a multinational unit set up as a response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Mark Rutte told reporters it was important to ensure that the...

As Russia threats loom, Finland's people are learning to shoot back

Dec. 19, 2024 07:16 AM EST

KERAVA, Finland (AP) — Unsettled by Russia's expansionism and emboldened by its recent accession to NATO, Finland is rallying to strengthen its national self-defense beyond its traditional military capabilities. The popularity of weapons training in the Nordic country has soared in...

NATO leader says he wants to put Ukraine in a position of strength for any peace talks with Russia

Dec. 18, 2024 14:40 PM EST

BRUSSELS (AP) — 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 Wednesday with Ukraine’s president and a small number of European leaders. But Mark Rutte appeared frustrated at...

Trump appoints longtime foreign policy adviser Richard Grenell to serve as special missions envoy

Dec. 14, 2024 21:07 PM EST

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump announced Saturday that he's picked longtime foreign policy adviser Richard Grenell to serve as an envoy for special missions, tasking him with helping the incoming administration deal with some of the toughest foreign policy challenges. ...