Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte urged support for Ukraine, EU and NATO in his farewell speech

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Long-serving Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte urged his country to support Ukraine and international cooperation in his final address to his compatriots Sunday, as an inward-looking new government is set to take over the Netherlands in two days. “It...

Russia presses its offensive in Ukraine and issues new threats as the West tries to blunt the push

Slowly but steadily this summer, Russian troops are forging through Ukraine's outgunned and undermanned defenses in a relentless onslaught, prompting the West to push for new weapons and strategies to shore up Kyiv. That, in turn, has brought new threats by President Vladimir Putin...

Bulgarian president declines government proposal to lead delegation to NATO summit

SOFIA. Bulgaria (AP) — Bulgarian President Rumen Radev has turned down a government proposal to lead the country’s delegation to NATO’s July summit in Washington, D.C., saying he was not consulted while it worked out the official position of the country and its commitments regarding the war...

Mark Rutte is named NATO chief. He'll need all his consensus-building skills from Dutch politics

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Over the course of more than a dozen years at the top of Dutch politics, Mark Rutte got to know a thing or two about finding consensus among fractious coalition partners. Now he will bring the experience of leading four Dutch multiparty governments to the...

NATO appoints outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as its next secretary-general

BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO appointed Mark Rutte as its next secretary-general on Wednesday, putting the outgoing Dutch prime minister in charge of the world’s biggest security organization at a critical time for European security as war rages in Ukraine. Rutte’s appointment was...

NATO appoints Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as its next secretary general at a critical time for European security

Poland rolls out 'Holidays with the Army' in a recruitment drive with Russia in mind

NOWOGROD, Poland (AP) — With assault rifles laid out before them, the young Polish men and women kneel on the grass and follow orders on how to pack their survival kits. Next comes a lesson on applying camouflage paint to their faces. Not too much neon, an instructor says as he shows them how to...

Leader of NATO member Poland visits China, talks to Xi about Ukraine, peace and trade

BEIJING (AP) — Polish President Andrzej Duda met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping Monday for talks on Ukraine, peace and expanding bilateral trade on a visit to Beijing that brought the head of state of a NATO member to a country that has backed Russia in its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. ...

With its new pact with North Korea, Russia raises the stakes with the West over Ukraine

Behind the smiles, the balloons and the red-carpet pageantry of President Vladimir Putin's visit to North Korea last week, a strong signal came through: In the spiraling confrontation with the U.S. and its allies over Ukraine, the Russian leader is willing to challenge Western interests like never...

North Macedonia's parliament approves a new center-right government after May's election

SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) — North Macedonia's center-right leader secured parliamentary approval to lead a new coalition government in a vote late Sunday. Hristijan Mickoski, 46, faces significant challenges in his four-year term in office — above all to advance the small...