Latest North Atlantic Treaty Organization News
NATO will step up Baltic Sea patrols as Finland probes the possible sabotage of undersea cables
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
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
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
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
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
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
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. ...
Ukraine's reformed military procurement agency drives the country's NATO ambitions
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s Defense Ministry unveiled a new state agency for its armed forces last year. It was the government's answer to the rampant corruption within the ministry's procurement companies, and meant to be a driver of reform on the elusive path toward NATO membership. ...
NATO chief warns that Putin wants long-term confrontation with Europe after Ukraine
BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned on Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to “wipe Ukraine off the map” and could come after other parts of Europe next, as he urged Europeans to press their governments to ramp up defense spending. “It is...
Boosting Cyprus' defense is key so close to the war-wracked Mideast, defense minister says
NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Bolstering Cyprus ' defense capacity is critical for the east Mediterranean island nation so close to the war-wrecked Middle East, the country's defense minister said Tuesday. The priority for Cyprus is to procure better defense systems, said Defense Minister...
