NATO

FILE PHOTO: A view of the flags of Finland, NATO and Sweden during a ceremony to mark Sweden's and Finland's application for membership in Brussels, ...

FILE PHOTO: A view of the flags of Finland, NATO and Sweden during a ceremony to mark Sweden's and Finland's application for membership in Brussels, Belgium, May 18, 2022. By clicking submit, you are agreeing to our Terms and Conditions & Privacy Policy. Stay informed daily on the latest news and advice on COVID-19 from the editors at U.S. News & World Report.

The Military Management Institute under the National Defense University is hosting a training course on "NATO Operational Planning Process", ...

Bilateral cooperation began when Azerbaijan joined the Partnership for Peace (PfP) program in 1994. During the course, participants are being briefed on NATO in general, staffing, and operations planning. NATO and Azerbaijan started work on a jointly agreed Defence Education Enhancement Programme (DEEP) in 2008 to integrate NATO standards into the teaching methodologies and curricula of the country’s Professional Military Education (PME) institutions.

By Tuvan Gumrukcu and Anne Kauranen. ANKARA/HELSINKI -Finland and Sweden should change their laws if needed to meet Turkey's demands and win its backing for ...

Then you have to change your law.” The Nordic states applied to join NATO after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “Are our demands impossible?

President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that Turkey had not yet received any concrete proposals to address its concerns over Finland and Sweden's NATO ...

You can select 'Manage settings' for more information and to manage your choices. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Your Privacy Controls. Find out more about how we use your information in our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy. Click here to find out more about our partners. - Information about your device and internet connection, including your IP address

KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine's president says the country is loosing between 60 and 100 soldiers a day in the fighting with Russian forces. President Volodymyr ...

Moscow offered customers receiving its natural gas to establish an account in dollars or euros at Russia’s third-largest bank, Gazprombank, then a second account in rubles. ___ ___ ___ Kim didn’t specify exactly where the retreat he described was happening. ___ ___ ___ Poland is receiving EU funds for the purpose, Morawiecki said. ___ ___ ___

President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that Turkey had not yet received any concrete proposals to address its concerns over Finland and Sweden's NATO ...

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com

Finland had to seek membership with NATO as Russia's invasion of Ukraine had transformed the Nordic country's security thinking, said its ambassador to ...

You can select 'Manage settings' for more information and to manage your choices. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Your Privacy Controls. Find out more about how we use your information in our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy. Click here to find out more about our partners. - Information about your device and internet connection, including your IP address

What's happening in Ukraine today and how are countries around the world responding? Read live updates on Vladimir Putin and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The family of two Metis hunters who were shot to death on a rural road in Alberta say they would have liked harsher convictions for the men who killed their loved ones but are satisfied those responsible will be behind bars. The family of two Metis hunters who were shot to death on a rural road in Alberta say they would have liked harsher convictions for the men who killed their loved ones but are satisfied those responsible will be behind bars. One of his lab's innovations is called a base editor, which he used last year to cure progeria in mice. Neptune and Uranus are so similar that scientists sometimes refer to the distant, icy planets as planetary twins. Moscow offered customers receiving its natural gas to establish an account in dollars or euros at Russia's third-largest bank, Gazprombank, then a second account in rubles. But these ice giants have one big difference: their colour. "The situation is very difficult. Polls showed it with around 40% support and the "no" side with 30%. Kim didn't specify exactly where the retreat he described was happening. So we are holding our defensive perimeters," Zelenskyy said. ------ ------

Turkey ups the ante against Finland and Sweden's NATO membership. In the latest, Ankara has asked Finland and Sweden to change their laws if needed to meet ...

Denmark's Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod will on Thursday ask for the support from parliament for the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO, ...

A large majority of Swedes believe their country will end up as a member of NATO despite Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's objections, according to a ...

ANKARA, June 1 (Reuters) - President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that Turkey had not yet received any concrete proposals to address its concerns over ...

Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication. Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. Speaking in parliament, Erdogan said Turkey wanted to see a "sincere" approach from the two Nordic countries regarding its concerns, adding Ankara would not change its view unless it saw concrete and binding steps.

LISBON, Portugal — Portugal has sent 146 Marines to join a NATO force stationed in Lithuania as part of efforts to bolster the alliance's eastern flank in ...

Moscow offered customers receiving its natural gas to establish an account in dollars or euros at Russia’s third-largest bank, Gazprombank, then a second account in rubles. Polls showed it with around 40% support and the “no” side with 30%. The expectation is that Ukraine could use the rockets in the eastern Donbas region, where they could both intercept Russian artillery and take out Russian positions in towns where fighting is intense, such as Sievierodonetsk. The expectation is that Ukraine could use the rockets in the eastern Donbas region, where they could both intercept Russian artillery and take out Russian positions in towns where fighting is intense, such as Sievierodonetsk. The “yes” side - in favor of getting rid of the 1992 opt-out - has been ahead in recent months. Kim didn’t specify exactly where the retreat he described was happening. That town 90 miles (145 kilometers) south of the Russian border is in an area that is the last pocket under Ukrainian government control in the Luhansk region of the Donbas. The importer would pay the gas bill in euros or dollars and direct the bank to exchange the money for rubles. KYIV, Ukraine — A regional governor in eastern Ukraine says Russian forces control 70% of Sievierodonetsk, a city that in recent days became the focus of Moscow’s offensive. MOSCOW — Russian state gas giant Gazprom confirms that it has cut gas supplies to Shell Energy Europe and Denmark's Ørsted after the two companies refused to pay for the deliveries in rubles. KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine’s president says the country is loosing between 60 and 100 soldiers a day in the fighting with Russian forces. The parts of the Mykolayiv region which have been held by Russian forces in recent days are close to the large Russia-occupied city of Kherson.

VILNIUS – There is a growing understanding in NATO that the Allied forward presence in the Baltic states should be increased to the size o...

Expanding them to brigade-size units would increase the number of allied troops in the country several-fold. "Our committee has asked the Defense Ministry to work out a comprehensive air defense concept," Kasciunas said. "There are very intensive negotiations every day.

"Together with Sweden, we will do our homework and prepare for the questions Turkey has," Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto told reporters in Helsinki, ...

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com

HELSINKI (Reuters) -Finland and Sweden said on Wednesday the Nordic countries will continue their dialogue with Turkey over Ankara's objections to the...

“Our responses to demands and also questions from Turkey we will take directly with Turkey and also sort out any issues and misunderstandings that there might be,” she said. “Together with Sweden we will do our homework and prepare for the questions Turkey has,” Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto told reporters in Helsinki. HELSINKI (Reuters) -Finland and Sweden said on Wednesday the Nordic countries will continue their dialogue with Turkey over Ankara’s objections to their bids for membership of the NATO military alliance.

Swedish Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist said his country's turnabout on pursuing membership in NATO does not mean it is abandoning its status as a neutral ...

"I think we can build a higher level and higher threshold towards Russia with NATO membership." Hultqvist added that the possibility of Sweden storing nuclear weapons is not on the agenda. With regards to Turkey blocking Sweden and Finland's NATO bids, Hultqvist said that his country and NATO members are trying to resolve the issue diplomatically.

The document is expected to be adopted at the upcoming NATO summit in Madrid, marking the first time in more than a decade that the transatlantic military pact ...

We’ve had a number of conversations about emerging and disruptive technologies [and] how are we grappling with that,” she added. At the meeting leaders will have an opportunity “to have a conversation about what we’re both seeing. The agreement “will deepen AI cooperation between the two Allies, maintaining and increasing interoperability and promoting values-based global leadership for the responsible development, procurement, and use of AI in defense,” according to a DOD news release.

Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan holds a news conference during the NATO summit at the Alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium June 14, 2021. (photo ...

Turkey knows that Greece is now more favored in Congress and thinks that pro-Israel voices might go to bat for it on the hill. Civilians in these areas have no ability to protest the endless invasions and wars Ankara has launched. It even tries to reach out to Israel and pro-Israel voices so that it won’t get as much push-back. ANKARA TRIED to press the Biden administration for new invasions in 2021 but the US pushed back then – and is now pushing back again. While the Syrian regime ostensibly controls these areas, it outsources control to the Kurdish-led groups. It has done this in the past.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said he will meet with Turkish, Swedish and Finnish officials to discuss Ankara's demands.

“We have a longstanding and ongoing defense relationship with Turkey as a NATO ally,” Blinken said. Erdogan said yesterday he saw little point to such a meeting before receiving “concrete” assurances from the Nordic states. “No other NATO ally has suffered more terrorist attacks than Turkey,” Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said alongside Blinken today.

U.S. President Joe Biden and his national security adviser, Jake Sullivan,will meet with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg at the White House on ...

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com

Earlier this month, Biden met with Finnish President Sauli Niinistö and Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson, whose countries have formally applied for ...

Stoltenberg also met with Finnish and Swedish officials earlier this month after the countries submitted their applications. On Thursday, he will make a joint statement with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. According to a NATO press release, Stoltenberg will meet with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and they will hold a press conference.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is visiting Washington D.C. to discuss the implications of Russia's war in Ukraine and preparations for the NATO ...

The Secretary General and Secretary Blinken also discussed the NATO Summit in Madrid, where Allied leaders will agree NATO’s next Strategic Concept, strengthen the Alliance’s deterrence and defence, and prepare for an age of increased competition with authoritarian powers like Russia and China. The Secretary General noted that leaders will also review progress on burden-sharing. “President Putin wanted less NATO; he is getting more NATO – more troops and more members,” said Mr. Stoltenberg. He noted that the decisions by Finland and Sweden to apply for NATO membership are historic. He will meet President Joe Biden, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.

US and its allies are pledging more aid and weapons for Ukraine as Russian forces advance in city of Severodonetsk.

“We believe that these additional capabilities will arrive in a timeframe that’s relevant and allow the Ukrainians to very precisely target the types of things they need for the current fight.” Ukraine will now face Wales on Sunday with the winner taking a place in the finals. “The United States will stand with our Ukrainian partners and continue to provide Ukraine with weapons and equipment to defend itself,” Biden said in a statement. There is absolutely no justification for this continued violence,” Pele wrote in an open letter to Putin posted on Instagram just before the Ukrainian men’s football team faced Scotland in their World Cup playoff semi-final. For we are Ukrainians.” We will fight on, we will withstand everything, we will win. “There are civilians there in bomb shelters, there are quite a few of them,” Serhiy Haidai said of the Azot chemical plant, adding that there were “strong Soviet-era” bomb shelters under the factory. “It is a completely new approach to Europe, that we are signalling to our European allies, to the whole world,” said former foreign minister and member of the Social Liberal Party, Martin Lidegaard. We are all fighting, everyone on their own front. Stoltenberg told reporters after a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken that he would convene a meeting in Brussels in the coming days with senior officials from Sweden, Finland and Turkey to discuss Turkey’s opposition to Sweden and Finland joining the alliance. Ireland’s Senate has passed a resolution declaring Russia’s invasion of Ukraine an act of genocide, Chair of the Irish Senate Mark Daly has said in a tweet. “….. the illegal invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation is an Act of Genocide”

As President Biden has said, this decision was a victory for democracy. Finland and Sweden are seeking to join NATO not because their leaders forced it but ...

As long as this goes on, we want to make sure that Ukraine has in hand what it needs to defend itself, and we want to make sure that Russia is feeling strong pressure from as many countries as possible to end the aggression. But in particular, concerns that Turkey has raised directly with Finland and Sweden are being addressed by the Fins and the Swedes with the assistance of NATO. We want to make sure that all Allies have their security concerns taken into account, and that, of course, includes Turkey, but I’m confident this process will move forward. There is a strong consensus within NATO broadly for the rapid accession of Sweden and Finland to the Alliance. I remain very confident that that will happen, that we’re going to move forward. What we are working to do – and the secretary general said this very eloquently – is to make sure that the Ukrainians have in hand what they need to defend against this aggression, to repel it, to push it back, and as well and as a result, to make sure that they have the strongest possible hand at any negotiating table that emerges. We had the presidency, as you know, of the Security Council for the month of May. I focused our efforts on the food insecurity challenges that are being faced around the world, and many countries pointed out that a big part of this is the Russian aggression and the fact that food can’t get out of Ukraine to where it’s needed. We have – we’ve had one of our senior officials go around the world to make that very clear to other countries and to help them with any questions they may have. And I agree with the secretary general that eventually that is what is likely to happen. That will be dangerous for all of us, and the price we have to pay will actually be higher than to now invest in the support for Ukraine. And then, NATO Secretary General, you mentioned that you’re going to convene leaders of Finland, Sweden, and Turkey in the coming days, so I’m wondering if you are expecting Sweden and Finland to come to the table with precise actions they are willing to take that could assuage Turkey’s concerns. And let me just also, if I could, before I turn it over to Jens, I do want to say one thing about the question that you addressed to the Secretary General. Here again, at every stage of this Russian aggression – before the aggression, when it started, and in the months since – at virtually every stage we have heard doubts expressed about what the Alliance would do, what countries would do in terms of support for Ukraine, and whether that was actually going to happen. And simply put, the best way to avoid escalation is for Russia to stop the aggression and the war that it started. Of course, these are difficult decisions, hard decisions, and therefore there is a need for consultations, and therefore I would also like to commend the United States for consulting so closely with Allies not only after invasion on the 24th of February, but actually before.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken will hold a joint press conference Wednesday morning with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

We invite you to join the discussion on Facebook and Twitter. Watch the video above. The event begins at 10:15 a.m. ET.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is visiting Washington D.C. to discuss the implications of Russia's war in Ukraine and preparations for the NATO ...

The Secretary General and Secretary Blinken also discussed the NATO Summit in Madrid, where Allied leaders will agree NATO’s next Strategic Concept, strengthen the Alliance’s deterrence and defence, and prepare for an age of increased competition with authoritarian powers like Russia and China. The Secretary General noted that leaders will also review progress on burden-sharing. “President Putin wanted less NATO; he is getting more NATO – more troops and more members,” said Mr. Stoltenberg. He noted that the decisions by Finland and Sweden to apply for NATO membership are historic. He will meet President Joe Biden, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.

U.S. President Joe Biden and his national security adviser, Jake Sullivan,will meet with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg at the White House on ...

Stoltenberg told reporters after a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday that he would convene a meeting in Brussels in the coming days with senior officials from Sweden, Finland and Turkey to discuss Turkey's opposition to Sweden and Finland joining the defense alliance. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.) U.S. President Joe Biden and his national security adviser, Jake Sullivan,will meet with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg at the White House on Thursday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, who is on an official visit to the United States, will meet President Joe Biden on Thursday, June 2.

Last month, the NATO chief accepted the membership application of both Sweden and Finland amid fears of Russia's intention to harm Nordic countries. Stoltenberg termed the decisions by Finland and Sweden to apply for NATO membership "historic" and said both countries will strengthen the military alliance. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, who is on an official visit to the United States, will meet US President Joe Biden on Thursday, June 2.

NATO said Wednesday it will hold talks involving Turkey, Finland and Sweden in hopes of ending Ankara's opposition to the Nordic nations joining the ...

"These are separate questions. Blinken reiterated that he remained "very confident" that NATO will "move forward" with the membership of the two nations. Stoltenberg said that the two nations and NATO took the PKK issue "very seriously."

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says he is 'confident' a solution can be found with Turkey to admit Sweden and Finland into the NATO alliance.

"What we're working to do…is to make sure that the Ukrainians have in hand what they need to defend against this aggression, to repel it, to push it back. And as a result to make sure that they have the strongest possible hand at any negotiating table." Erdogan has accused Sweden and Finland, as well as top NATO nations like the U.S., of turning a blind eye to "harassment" its claims to have endured from members of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). Putin has long viewed NATO as a chief threat to Russia and has claimed its presence near its borders was a contributing factor to his illegal invasion of Ukraine. The U.S. and NATO allies have championed the Sweden and Finland bids to join the military alliance as a significant step in bolstering security in the wake of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg told reporters Wednesday that he is "confident" the alliance will find a solution with Turkey and admit Sweden and Finland into its folds.

Talks among NATO members in Brussels will address Turkey's security concerns on Sweden and Finalnd's accession bids to the security alliance,...

Registers a unique ID that identifies the user's device during return visits. Registers the ads provided by Videology that the user has seen and/or clicked. Registers a unique ID that identifies a returning user's device. Registers a unique ID that identifies a returning user's device. Registers a unique ID that identifies a returning user's device. Registers a unique ID that identifies a returning user's device. Registers a unique ID that identifies a returning user's device. Registers a unique ID that identifies the user's device during return visits across websites that use the same ad network. Registers if the PubMatic partner-cookie has been set in the user's browser. Registers a unique ID that identifies the user's device during return visits across websites that use the same ad network. Registers a unique ID that identifies a returning user's device. id

The Guard supported exercises Locked Shields, Swift Response and DEFENDER-Europe 2022. Guard members traveled to Europe from Connecticut, Colorado, Illinois, ...

Before participating in Swift Response, the Vermont National Guard had already conducted more than 350 military to military engagements with North Macedonia through the program. These annual large-scale exercises are neither new or unfamiliar to the National Guard, U.S. military, or their NATO allies. “The team building across multiple military branches and NATO partners was unparalleled to anything prior.” Today, NATO’s fundamental goal is to safeguard the allies’ freedom and security by political and military means. “For most of our Soldiers it will be the first time they have trained in Europe,” said U.S. Army Capt. Aaron Harkness, assistant plans officer with the battalion. It will be great for us to get back to training in a mountainous environment where we can utilize the terrain to our advantage.” "As our state partner, it only increases our relationship building between the Vermont National Guard and North Macedonia.” “The National Guard has been a major contributor to U.S. European Command exercises this year,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Jessica Meyeraan, director of USEUCOM exercises and assessments. In April, West Virginia and North Carolina National Guard members joined exercise Locked Shields 22, one of the world’s largest international cyber defense exercise with more than 2,000 participants from 24 nations. The annual U.S. Army Europe and Africa Command multinational training exercise included forces from 17 countries and took place from May 2-20 in Norway, Latvia, Lithuania and North Macedonia. Additionally, 22 of those partnerships are in Europe, and 13 are with NATO members. The Guard supported exercises Locked Shields, Swift Response and DEFENDER-Europe 2022.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is to meet this week with top U.S. officials in Washington, D.C., amid an effort by Finland and Sweden to join the ...

"There is a strong consensus within NATO broadly for the rapid accession of Sweden and Finland to the alliance," the United States' top diplomat said. Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has blamed NATO expansion for his war, has volleyed threats at both countries in response to them moving to join the military alliance. "I am confident because all allies agree that NATO enlargement has been a great success, helping to spread democracy, freedom across Europe for decades. For the countries to join the alliance all 30-member states have to agree to their inclusion. "My intention is to have this in place before the NATO summit," he said. The NATO head is in the United States until Friday for meetings with Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and national security advisor Jake Sullivan ahead of the military pact's end-of-June summit in Madrid and amid Russia's war in Ukraine as well as NATO deliberations on the applications submitted last month by Finland and Sweden.

The U.S. ambassador to NATO said the alliance needs to pay closer attention to the growing military relationship between China and Russia.

“There is a sense in the alliance that sharing with these Asia-Pacific countries [and] having them at the table benefits all of us.” Beijing’s military actions will also be prioritized in NATO’s latest strategy, although not as the top threat, she added. “We are at the point now where … [we are] looking at advanced rocket systems, and I think it reflects the evolution of the war, of the situation on the ground and of the Ukrainian’s own internal debates about what is needed in this moment.” “It's about our shared commitment to our shared values and protection of the rules-based order and coping with two countries — China and Russia — that increasingly find themselves relying on a similar set of hybrid tactics,” she said. “We saw a heavy emphasis on air defense and ammunition. We’ve had conversations about coastal defense.

NATO chief and top US diplomat say their aim is to ensure that Ukraine has ability to defend against Russian invasion.

“What we can say is what we will do to make sure that Ukraine has the means to defend itself and has the strongest possible hand at every step along the way.” What they needed to deal with threats to Kyiv are very different from what they need to deal with what’s now happening in southern and eastern Ukraine.” “And as well, and as a result, to make sure that they have the strongest possible hand at any negotiating table that emerges.” Last month, the US Congress approved an additional $40bn in military and humanitarian assistance. “We have evaluated what we believe Ukraine needs to … defend itself effectively,” he said. “Wars are unpredictable,” Stoltenberg told reporters.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the war in Ukraine during a joint news conference on Wednesday.

"But the alternative—not to support Ukraine—that would actually enable President Putin to win. "There was no hiding the ball," Blinken said. That would be dangerous for all of us, and the price we'd have to pay would actually be higher than to now invest in the support for Ukraine." "Finland and Sweden have made it clear that they are ready to sit down to address the concerns expressed by Turkey," he said. They have a price, also for us," Stoltenberg said. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday discussed the alliance's backing of Ukraine in defending itself against Russia, saying that if Russian President Vladimir Putin were to win, "the price we'd have to pay would actually be higher than to now invest in the support for Ukraine."

"The level of ... respect that you see across the alliance for Ukrainian forces right now is quite high," Smith added. “We see moments where Russian forces ...

“We are not in a position to support you with equipment that can attack Russian territory," she said. "There's no indication that Russia is taking any of this seriously or negotiating in good faith.” We see moments where Ukrainian forces are successfully able to push back." "NATO allies are united that NATO will not become a party to this conflict." “We see moments where Russian forces advance. "We believe that the United States is purposefully and diligently adding fuel to the fire,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

ARLINGTON, Va. – More than 20000 service members from over 20 countries supporting NATO, including the National Guard, showcased their integrated military ...

These annual large-scale exercises are not new or unfamiliar to the National Guard, U.S. military, or their NATO allies. “For most of our Soldiers it will be the first time they have trained in Europe,” said U.S. Army Capt. Aaron Harkness, assistant plans officer with the battalion. “As our state partner, it only increases our relationship-building between the Vermont National Guard and North Macedonia.” Today, NATO’s fundamental goal is to safeguard the allies’ freedom and security by political and military means. It will be great for us to get back to training in a mountainous environment where we can utilize the terrain to our advantage.” “The team-building across multiple military branches and NATO partners was unparalleled.” In April, West Virginia and North Carolina National Guard members joined exercise Locked Shields 22, one of the world’s largest international cyber defense exercises with more than 2,000 participants from 24 nations. The annual U.S. Army Europe and Africa Command multinational training exercise included forces from 17 countries from May 2-20 in Norway, Latvia, Lithuania and North Macedonia. “The National Guard has been a major contributor to U.S. European Command exercises this year,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Jessica Meyeraan, director of USEUCOM exercises and assessments. The SPP has 87 partnerships with 95 countries – 45% of the world’s nations. Twenty-two of those partnerships are in Europe, 13 with NATO members. Not only does it improve interoperability and capability within the alliance, the National Guard units receive immeasurable benefit from these training engagements.”

by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg with the US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken during the Secretary General's visit to the United States.

Finland and Sweden have made it clear that they are ready to sit down and to address the concerns expressed by Turkey. And all NATO Allies are of course ready to sit down and address those concerns, including the threats posed to Turkey by PKK. And this is a terrorist threat which, of course, is something we are taking very seriously. We know that no other NATO Ally has had suffered more terrorist attacks than Turkey. And Turkey is an important Ally, not least because of its strategic and geographic location bordering Iraq and Syria. They have been important in our fight against ISIS, and also a Black Sea country close to Russia. So all this makes Turkey an important Ally. When they raise concerns of course we sit down and we look into how we can find the united way forward. But the alternative not to support Ukraine, that will actually enable President Putin to win, that will be dangerous for all of us and the price we have to pay will actually be higher than to now invest in the support for Ukraine. And therefore we need to sit down as we always do when there are different views in NATO and find a way to go forward together. And then we also remind Russia on the fact that actually as late as in January, they agreed in the UN a statement where they stated clearly that a nuclear war cannot be won and should not be fought. So I'm wondering if you're expecting Sweden and Finland to come to the table with precise actions they are willing to take that could assuage Turkey’s concerns? What scenarios are you planning for in terms of the nuclear threat from Russia at this point? […] And for Secretary Stoltenberg, we hear about nuclear exercises on the Russian side. And this has also been clearly stated by President Zelensky that at some stage this will end at the negotiating table. And that's obviously because the United States shared so much intelligence with NATO Allies in the months leading up to the invasion in February. So actually, what we have seen is some unprecedented level of unity among NATO Allies and partners. Cracks are appearing in the western front against Moscow, despite the both of you stating that the Alliance is very strong, and we're seeing that there is some disagreement over shipping more powerful weapons to Ukraine. How does NATO as an organisation work to prevent the cooperation from going south at Ukraine's expense?