NATO

The NATO summit follows a meeting of the Group of Seven leaders, who pledged to stand by Ukraine but stopped short of imposing new energy sanctions on ...

On gas, leaders agreed to “seek to develop solutions that meet our objectives of reducing Russian revenues from hydrocarbons,” the text said. Some observers said Ukraine’s allies are still falling short at a critical time in the war. “In addition, we will explore further measures to prevent Russia from profiting from its war of aggression.” Analysts at Barclays, the Wall Street firm, estimated in a report last week that oil prices could rise as high as $150 or $200 per barrel if Russian exports are restricted. Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen has said the allies have discussed “secondary sanctions” to punish countries that trade with the sanctioned nation, but those could further destabilize a global economy already facing strong head winds. Negotiators have been considering ways to enforce the cap though Western-dominated insurance and shipping industries, hoping to leverage them to make it difficult to transport Russian oil that has been purchased outside the cap. The goal is to hurt Russia financially and bring down surging energy prices globally. Stoltenberg announced Monday that the number of high-readiness alliance forces will increase sharply — to more than 300,000 troops from 40,000 — in response to Russia’s war. After days of negotiations, the final communique did not include any new energy sanctions but said G-7 countries would instruct ministers to look for ways to impose caps on the price of Russian oil and gas. President Biden met with Spanish leaders soon after arriving in Madrid and stressed a similar point. The leaders here are also expected to address longer-term strategic questions raised by the Kremlin’s aggression and China’s global ambitions. "A historic moment for the alliance — two traditionally neutral countries choosing to sign up to NATO and being welcomed by NATO.”

NATO leaders meeting in Madrid over the next three days (28-30 June 2022) are set to sign off on key decisions, including a new Strategic Concept, ...

Speaking to reporters ahead of a summit, NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg said that NATO will enhance its battlegroups in the eastern part of the alliance up to brigade levels. In Madrid, Allies will also approve a new Strategic Concept, setting out the Alliance’s priorities and approaches for the next decade. The leaders of Georgia, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea, and Ukrainian president Zelenskyy via video link will join the Summit.

NATO leades say Turkey has dropped its objection to Finland and Sweden being invited into the alliance — one of the most significant reactions by the West ...

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President Joe Biden was meeting royalty in Spain on Tuesday when word arrived that an audacious plan he had hatched six months earlier was in the final ...

The senior US administration official said there were "a bunch of moving parts" and not a "single word or phrase" that proved the final sticking point. "The Americans do not want to put themselves in the middle of this because the price then goes up," a European official said. And more than four months into the Russian war in Ukraine, NATO is poised to welcome two new members. Instead, Biden "chose his moments selectively to try to help put a thumb on the scale to get this across the finish line," according to a senior administration official. As the Madrid summit approached, US and European officials grew increasingly frustrated at Turkey's resistance, which some believed was being drawn out on purpose to extract concessions. "It is Turkey's standard operating procedure not to give concessions till the last possible moment. In March, after the invasion began, Biden invited Niinistö to the White House for talks. The next day, they were in the White House Rose Garden with Biden marking a historic milestone. Still, on December 13, Biden placed a phone call to Niinistö to raise the idea. Clouding the Rose Garden celebrations, however, was firm resistance from Turkey at adding new members to the alliance. In the six-and-a-half months since Biden placed his first phone call to Niinistö suggesting he join NATO, the security situation in Europe has been altered drastically. Instead, a marathon set of meetings, a strategically timed phone call from Biden to Erdoğan and a last-minute sign off resulted in the path being cleared for NATO's newest members.

As the Western alliance expands to counter the Kremlin, Biden has to placate NATO's problem child and 'weakest link' — the Turkish president.

But instead, the alliance has rallied together, with many of its members sending weapons and money to Kyiv’s defense. Erdogan has raised concerns about Swedish support for Kurdish militias and appears intent on creating a precedent to prevent any NATO ally from backing the group. Many in Washington condemned Trump’s decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Syria, which led to a Turkish onslaught of the Kurds, who fought alongside Americans against Islamic State fighters — but whom Erdogan has deemed “terrorists.” “Erdogan is NATO’s weakest link,” said Jonathan Schanzer, senior vice president at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. “But Biden has quite a lot on his plate. But aides noted that talks could progress to the point where at least a declaration of intent could be approved during the week. But in recent days, there have been growing signs that Turkey may be willing to deal in order to sign off on the nations’ accession, which requires the approval of all 30 NATO members.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine prompted Sweden and Finland to abandon their long-held nonaligned status and apply to join NATO. But Turkish President Recep ...

You are going to be next, this is going to be knocking on your door just in the blink of an eye,” Klitschko told reporters at the summit venue. Some saw the timing — as Group of Seven leaders met in Germany and just ahead of NATO — as a message from Moscow. For the first time, the leaders of Japan, Australia, South Korea and New Zealand are attending the summit as guests. The troops will be based in their home nations, but dedicated to specific countries on NATO’s eastern front, where the alliance plans to build up stocks of equipment and ammunition. The last document, published in 2010, didn’t mention China at all. Moscow’s invasion on Feb. 24 shattered European security and brought shelling of cities and bloody ground battles back to the continent. The three countries’ leaders met for more than two hours alongside Stoltenberg on Tuesday before the agreement was announced. American support for Syrian Kurdish fighters in combatting the Islamic State group has also enraged Turkey for years. Just nine of NATO’s 30 members meet the organization’s target of spending 2% of gross domestic product on defense. The summit was kicking off with a leaders’ dinner hosted by Spain’s King Felipe VI at the 18th-century Royal Palace of Madrid. Spain, which is hosting the summit, spends just half that. The agreement comes at the opening of a crucial summit dominated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. U.S. President Joe Biden and other NATO leaders arrived in Madrid for a summit that will set the course of the alliance for the coming years.

Previously, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he would not approve their applications. Stoltenberg has said NATO's ...

Both Finland and Sweden already meet many of the requirements to be NATO members. Moscow, long wary of NATO expansion, has opposed the two nations' plans to join the alliance. He said it will "make them safer, NATO stronger and the Euro-Atlantic area more secure."

The president after meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is also denouncing Russia's Vladimir Putin for trying to "wipe out" Ukrainian culture ...

Sullivan said a majority of members would report that they have met the benchmark or are on track to by 2024. The U.S. president praised Spain for taking in tens of thousands of Ukrainian migrants who have fled the war. Turkey wants the two nations to take a tougher line against a Kurdish separatist group it accuses of terrorism. As the U.S. president departed for the NATO meeting from German Alps, where he first met this week with leaders of the Group of Seven, French President Emmanuel Macron said that the prices are putting European economies in “untenable” situation. Biden is looking to use this week’s NATO summit to shore up allies amid signs of fractures in the western alliance. Biden, in talks with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, detailed plans to increase the number of Navy destroyers based in Rota, Spain, from four to six. Sullivan said that at the summit, the U.S. would be an advocate for Finland and Sweden joining the alliance and sidestepped the question of whether the U.S. could provide inducements to Turkey for supporting accession of the countries. Sullivan suggested that other moves Biden is set to announce will involve positioning “additional forces on the eastern flank” of NATO “in a steady state.” He declined to say if some U.S. forces that serve in NATO’s eastern flank on a rotational basis would become permanent. The U.S. and Spain in a joint statement following the Biden-Sanchez meeting said the invasion “fundamentally altered the global strategic environment” and that the “aggression constitutes the most direct threat to transatlantic security and global stability since the end of the Cold War.” “The president said before the war started that if Putin invaded Ukraine, the United States and NATO would enhance the force posture on the eastern flank, not just for the duration of the crisis, but to address the long term change in the strategic reality that that would present,” Sullivan added. To be certain, the U.S. has already been building up its presence since shortly before the Russian invasion in late February, adding about 20,000 troops to the 80,000 who were previously in Europe. And the U.S. has signaled that the Russian invasion will have reverberations on its and NATO allies’ defense posture for years to come. Biden said the move was one of multiple announcements that he and NATO allies would make to help bolster the alliance in the region during the summit.

Turkey lifts objections to Finland and Sweden membership in NATO, paving the way for the two Nordic nations to join world's largest military alliance.

The troops will be based in their home nations, but dedicated to specific countries on NATO’s eastern flank, where the alliance plans to build up stocks of equipment and ammunition. "Finland and Sweden are strong democracies with highly capable militaries," he said in a statement. All 30 NATO countries still must formally approve Finland’s and Sweden’s membership applications. Both countries also sit along the Baltic Sea, a vast body of water bordering nine countries, including Denmark and Germany to the west and Estonia and Russia on the east. Though formal approval of their applications is still pending, the final obstacle was removed Tuesday when Turkey lifted its opposition to their membership. "It will be surrounded by NATO countries on every side.”

One of President Vladimir Putin's goals for his invasion of Ukraine was to upend the balance of military power in Europe. Mr. Putin has achieved that goal, ...

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. The discussion at the summit about a larger, stronger NATO is playing out against the backdrop of a new strategic-concept document for the alliance — a vision for its trajectory for the next decade. In this fateful moment, NATO must take a serious look not only at deterring Russia but also at itself, its purpose and its readiness to really share that burden. One need not side with Mr. Putin or endorse his actions to understand why a Russian leader would be concerned about a military alliance expanding to the country’s border. Finland and Russia share an 810-mile border, and the Kola Peninsula is home to Russia’s Northern Fleet. St. Petersburg, Russia’s second-largest metropolis, is a mere 100 miles from the Finnish border. Sweden had not fought a war for 200 years, and Finland had long cultivated a policy of military nonalignment, though both nations are members of the European Union. But the Russian invasion shifted public attitudes swiftly and dramatically. In the United States, the expansion will require the support of at least 67 senators. Some expansions of NATO have come after serious debate in the U.S. Senate, with lawmakers raising valid concerns about the alliance. Answering some of the alliance’s existential questions also means convincing Americans that an expanded NATO is worth the potential costs. At the NATO summit in Madrid this week, the road now looks clear for the alliance to expand and encompass those two nations. The heart of the alliance, Article 5, pledges every member to come to the defense of any member. They should take a clear and sober look at what they really want their alliance to be and what inviting Sweden and Finland entails.

NATO moved one step closer to bolstering its eastern front with Russia after Turkey dropped its opposition to Swedish and Finnish bids to join the military ...

Good morning. Let me first of all thank the Government of Spain and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez for hosting this Summit in Madrid.

We also have a session tomorrow at the Summit, where we will address the challenges from the South and terrorism and I expect that to be a very important decision where Allies will express their commitment to also address the security concerns that Türkiye is facing related to terrorism. and that will then be the case for other brigades and other combat formations, they will then be pre-assigned to specific territories, also many of them in the Eastern part of the Alliance. They will train there, they will learn how to operate together with the home defence forces and then we will pre-position equipment: heavy equipment, fuel stocks and many other things they need to operate in that specific territory. Well, we will make a decision today, or at least at the Summit, to invite Finland and Sweden to become members. We need to understand that these forces, of course, will be paid and organized by the different NATO Allied countries, so they will be based in their home countries but they will be pre-assigned to specific territories, to specific countries and territories, to be responsible for the protection of these territories. I think we can hardly find any other accession process with so few weeks between the application that happened mid-May, and the invitation that will happen now. I expect that, when leaders agree the Strategic Concept today, they will state clearly that Russia poses a direct threat to our security and, of course, that will be reflected throughout the Strategic Concept. And also, the other decisions we take, for instance, to invest more and also to upgrade and strengthen our collective defence and our deterrence and defence posture. Journalist: Secretary General, we saw the articles of the Memorandum agreed by Türkiye, Sweden and Finland yesterday. It also states clearly that Finland and Sweden will work even more closely with Türkiye on issues related to exchange of information, extradition, and in general the fight against terrorism. So, the combination of both increasing the number of forward forces, also combat formations boosting up the battle groups we already have, but also pre-position a lot of equipment and then have pre-assigned forces that can quickly be deployed to specific areas where they have trained and know the terrain and know the challenge that they will meet. And then there is climate change and many other issues that were hardly mentioned in the current Strategic Concept. So, the Strategic concept will reflect that NATO is changing, the world is changing. Can you elaborate for us on the cost structure there, who's going to be bearing the brunt of those costs and how quickly in terms of timeline we're going to see them getting to the front, basically. And we agreed that Russia is a strategic partner for NATO and we had meetings with Russia at the NATO Summit. And of course, this will not be the case now.

NATO leaders are meeting in Madrid amid what Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg calls “the most serious security crisis we have faced since the Second World ...

The decision has to be ratified by all individual nations, but he said he was “absolutely confident” Finland and Sweden would become members. Turkey hailed Tuesday’s agreement as a triumph, saying the Nordic nations had agreed to crack down on groups that Ankara deems national security threats, including the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, which is also considered a terrorist group by the U.S. and the EU, and its Syrian extension. The troops will be based in their home nations, but dedicated to specific countries on NATO’s eastern flank, where the alliance plans to build up stocks of equipment and ammunition. The last such document, in 2010, called Russia a “strategic partner” for NATO. Now Russia is set to be declared the alliance’s number one threat. It said they also agreed “not to impose embargo restrictions in the field of defense industry” on Turkey and to take “concrete steps on the extradition of terrorist criminals.” “We’re stepping up.

Sweden and Finland on Wednesday looked set for fast-track membership of NATO after Turkey lifted a veto on them joining, at a summit where the U.S.-led ...

NATO is also aiming to have as many as 300,000 troops ready for deployment in case of conflict, part of an enlarged NATO response force. The Western alliance is also set to agree that big allies such as the United States, Germany, Britain and Canada pre-assign troops, weapons and equipment to the Baltics and intensify training exercises. "He wanted less NATO. Now President Putin is getting more NATO on his borders." But Stoltenberg has repeatedly called on Beijing to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow says is a "special operation". And I believe it will be decisive as well," Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told a think-tank event in the summit margins. Russia was previously classed as a strategic partner of NATO.

Arriving at the start of the NATO Summit in Madrid on Wednesday (29 June 2022), Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg outlined the key decisions that will be ...

US President Joe Biden and fellow NATO leaders assembled in the Spanish capital of Madrid Wednesday announced a significant strengthening of forces along ...

New rounds of security assistance, including a US-provided missile defense system, have been added to the queue of artillery and ammunition flowing in Ukraine. In order to get the deal struck before the summit, Biden dangled the prospect of a formal bilateral meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in a phone call on Tuesday morning. "The United States and our allies, we are going to step up -- we are stepping up. They've stood up and they've stood strong," Biden said Tuesday when he was meeting with King Felipe VI at the Royal Palace in Madrid. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who will address the NATO meeting this week, told leaders attending the G7 summit in Germany he wanted their help staging a major initiative to win the war by the end of the year. That has left Biden and fellow western leaders this week searching for ways to alter the trajectory of the war.

No matter what happens in the Ukraine war the US must persuade allies to move more troops and equipment permanently into states on Russia's borders.

NATO will also need, and has signaled it will develop, enhanced rapid-response capabilities, such as prepositioned equipment larger forces can quickly take up in a crisis. It would involve permanently stationing perhaps 15,000 to 20,000 additional U.S. troops in Eastern Europe and the Baltics, with commensurate additions from other NATO countries. The outcome in Ukraine is still in doubt, thanks to Moscow’s gains in the east and the south and to its severe attrition of Kyiv’s armed forces. The Ukraine war has been an object lesson in the value of American leadership: In the months prior to February 24, Washington repeatedly warned, on the basis of its unmatched intelligence capabilities, that Putin was deadly serious about invading — yet many European leaders were skeptical. Russia’s blunders have led some NATO members, such as France and Italy, to argue that greater forward presence in the east is now unnecessary. The goal was to ensure that Russia, perhaps emboldened by what many analysts thought would be an easy subjugation of Ukraine, was not tempted to take its aggression into NATO territory.

Given the stakes involved in the outcome of the Russia-Ukraine war, the Madrid summit has taken on new importance and urgency. Will NATO make room for two more?

The United States is more deeply engaged in Europe than the Biden administration intended — and Putin’s war has once again highlighted America’s role as the guarantor of European security. At their December 2019 summit, NATO leaders mentioned China for the first time in a summit declaration. Since February, the United States has provided more total assistance to Ukraine than the countries of the European Union combined. In fact, Stoltenberg on Monday announced NATO’s high-readiness forces would grow from 40,000 to more than 300,000, which means sizable numbers of U.S. troops will be heading to Europe. As with any strategy document, of course, it’s the implementation that really matters. That’s what NATO leaders pledged to do by 2024 at their 2014 summit in Wales. The German government also set up a €100 billion fund this year for immediate military investments. The Madrid summit declaration will undoubtedly highlight a shared commitment to burden sharing. Transatlantic relations already appear back to the usual state, with the United States carrying the heavy burden for European security. The United States made unprecedented security guarantees to cover the interim period between their application and their membership. Back in April, she noted that Putin’s war had made clear that “There is no other way to have security guarantees than under NATO’s deterrence and common defense as guaranteed by NATO’s Article 5.” After a last-minute breakthrough in negotiations, it now appears as if the logjam has been broken. But the Swedish and Finnish bids ran into trouble from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was the lone holdout.

US President Joe Biden (R) speaks with Netherland's Prime Minister Mark Rutte (2nd R), Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) and Foreign minister Mevlut ...

Participating in the summit are leaders from Australia, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand. "He's getting the opposite of what he wants. for a summit that will include discussion of support for Ukraine and how the alliance will adapt to face current and future challenges. We're going [to] continue to adjust our posture based on the threat in close consultation with our allies," Biden said. "I won't get ahead of the exact language, but clearly our allies have likewise been concerned about this growing, burgeoning relationship between Russia and China," Kirby said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is addressing the summit by video.

President Joe Biden said at a NATO summit in Madrid that the United States would send additional troops to eastern Europe.

Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea's decision to attend the summit for the first time is significant. How the West handles Russian aggression in Ukraine will affect how Xi approaches Taiwan, the U.S. president has stressed. - "The world is looking at us. Separately, Biden will hold a joint meeting with Japan's Fumio Kishida and South Korea's Yoon Seok-youl at the summit site. The leaders spoke by phone Monday ahead of an expected face-to-face conversation at the NATO summit. Biden will jointly meet with Japanese and South Korean leaders on Wednesday. The U.S. president is also expected to meet with Turkey's Erdoğan. On a trip to Asia last month, Biden said China is " flirting with danger" and recommitted the U.S. to defending Taiwan, which is a democratically-governed part of China, if Xi attempts to take control by force. We're stepping up," Biden said. - President Pedro Sánchez of Spain told leaders at their first group session that entry of Sweden and Finland into NATO "is a milestone" that will make the alliance stronger. - Biden said as he arrived at the NATO gathering site that it will be a "history-making summit," where leaders will "reaffirm the unity and determination to our alliance to defend every inch NATO territory." - Biden asserted that Finland's and Sweden's decision to move away from neutrality to join NATO will make the alliance stronger and more secure. Biden announced the U.S. would establish a permanent troop presence in Poland and maintain an additional rotational brigade of 3,000 fighters and 2,000 personnel in Romania. The troops in Poland will be the first permanent U.S. forces on NATO’s eastern flank.

The June 29-30, 2022 NATO Summit in Madrid, Spain will be an historic moment for the Transatlantic Alliance. Building on the President's first NATO Summit.

The U.S. has been a leader in the alliance on spurring NATO’s adaptation to these issues, including by mainstreaming climate considerations in intelligence analysis and assisting with development of a methodology for mapping the NATO enterprise’s greenhouse gas emissions. In recognition of the mutually-reinforcing roles of NATO and the EU in bolstering Euro-Atlantic and international security, the presidents of the European Council and European Commission will join the Summit’s discussions and the Transatlantic dinner hosted by Spain. Allies will also consult with Georgia to express support for its sovereignty, territorial integrity, and Euro-Atlantic aspirations. Strengthened Cyber Resilience and Defense: Building on last year’s adoption of a new Cyber Defense Policy for NATO, Allied leaders will endorse a new action plan to strengthen cyber cooperation across the political, military, and technical levels. NATO’s Parliamentary Assembly has highlighted the importance of democratic resilience to NATO’s strength and unity, and the United States is working with Allies to support and bolster these efforts. Preserving our Technological Edge: Leaders will offer pledges to help stand up a new Defense Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic, which will support NATO’s efforts to boost interoperability and ensure that every Ally has access to cutting-edge technological solutions for military needs. Allies will also approve expanded programs to support the defensive needs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, and the Republic of Moldova. The United States welcomes the trilateral agreement signed on June 28 by Turkey, Sweden, and Finland that will pave the way for NATO leaders to issue an invitation during the Summit to Sweden and Finland. The United States strongly supports the applications by Sweden and Finland and has prepared all necessary materials for the U.S. Congress to carry out their advice and consent responsibilities, once accession talks have concluded and Allies sign the accession protocols, which is expected to occur in the coming days. In close cooperation with our Allies and hosting nations, President Biden announced today that the United States will take the following additional actions to strengthen NATO’s deterrence and defense and European security: Allies have also doubled NATO’s battlegroups on the eastern flank, ensuring strong defense from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea. At the Summit, Allied leaders will endorse a new strengthened defensive force posture, with a 360-degree view across land, air, sea, cyber, and space, and an emphasis on more combat-credible forward capabilities on the eastern flank. Our Allies are stepping up as well, and have significantly enhanced their contributions to NATO through identified reinforcements and establishment of new combat-credible structures able to scale up to brigade size across the eastern flank. The Summit will provide an opportunity to advance collective efforts with these Allies and partners to strengthen the rules-based international order. A New Strategic Concept: Allied leaders will endorse NATO’s next Strategic Concept, the first update since 2010 for this key public document which describes how NATO will address threats and challenges in its security environment in coming years.

Thank you so much, President Biden, dear Joe. It's really good to see you here in Madrid, so soon after we met in the White House in Washington.

And so, at this Summit, the full Alliance is going to welcome Finland and Sweden. We're stepping up, proving that NATO is more needed now than it ever has been. And we also see that in the unwavering support from you and from the United States to Ukraine. And now we're here. And the moment when Putin has shattered peace in Europe, and attacked the very, very tenants of the rules-based order, the United States and our Allies, we're going to step up. And we're going to send two additional F-35 squadrons to the UK, and station additional air defence and other capabilities in Germany and in Italy. Our meeting is today. And together our Allies, we're going to make sure that NATO is ready to meet threats from all directions, across every domain: land, air and the sea. And Article Five is sacrosanct. And we're going to enhance our rotational deployments in the Baltic states. An historic application for membership and their decision to move away from neutrality, tradition of neutrality, to join the NATO Alliance. This is going to make us stronger and more secure, and NATO, stronger. We're going to approve a new NATO Strategic Concept and reaffirm the unity and determination of our Alliance to defend every inch of NATO territory.

The talks with the Turkish president had been going around in circles for hours on Tuesday afternoon when the delegations decided to take a breather.

“President (Vladimir) Putin's war against Ukraine has shattered peace in Europe and has created the greatest security crisis in Europe since the Second World ...

The decision has to be ratified by all individual nations, but he said he was “absolutely confident” Finland and Sweden would become members. Turkey hailed Tuesday’s agreement as a triumph, saying the Nordic nations had agreed to crack down on groups that Ankara deems national security threats, including the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, which is also considered a terrorist group by the U.S. and the EU, and its Syrian extension. The last such document, in 2010, called Russia a “strategic partner.” Now, the alliance is set to declare Moscow its No. 1 threat. The troops will be based in their home nations but dedicated to specific countries on NATO’s eastern flank, where the alliance plans to build up stocks of equipment and ammunition. “We are deterring Russia to prevent it from destroying us and from destroying you.” The alliance promised to more support for Ukraine, which has already received billions in military and civilian aid from NATO countries.

After urgent top-level talks with leaders of the three countries, alliance Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that "we now have an agreement that paves the ...

For the first time, the leaders of Japan, Australia, South Korea and New Zealand are attending the summit as guests. The troops will be based in their home nations, but dedicated to specific countries on NATO's eastern flank, where the alliance plans to build up stocks of equipment and ammunition. Some saw the timing, as Group of Seven leaders met in Germany and just ahead of the NATO gathering, as a message from Moscow. The last document, published in 2010, didn't mention China at all. Just nine of NATO's 30 members meet the organization's target of spending 2% of gross domestic product on defense. Moscow's invasion on Feb. 24 shook European security and brought shelling of cities and bloody ground battles back to the continent. Amid speculation about a U.S. role in ending the deadlock, a senior administration official said Washington did not offer any concessions to Turkey to coax it to accept a deal. The summit was kicking off with a leaders' dinner hosted by Spain's King Felipe VI at the 18th-century Royal Palace of Madrid. Turkey hailed Tuesday's agreement as a triumph, saying the Nordic nations had agreed to crack down on groups that Ankara deems national security threats, including the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, and its Syrian extension. Spain, which is hosting the summit, spends just half that. This is happening now. Details of exactly what was agreed were unclear.

Australia's prime minister is calling on China to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine and is welcoming NATO's interest in Asia-Pacific security.

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ Both leaders also discussed the need to find ways to allow Ukrainian grain exports. ___ ___

Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly pointed to NATO's post-Cold War enlargement as one of the many reasons for his invasion of Ukraine. But Russia's ...

- "The accession of Finland and Sweden will make them safer, NATO stronger, and the Euro-Atlantic area more secure. And it also demonstrates that we respect the sovereign right of every nation to choose their own path." What they're saying: "Today, we have decided to invite Finland and Sweden to become members of NATO, and agreed to sign the Accession Protocols," NATO leaders wrote in a summit declaration issued Wednesday.

NATO heads of state and government meeting in Madrid on Wednesday (29 June 2022) approved a new Strategic Concept for the Alliance, setting out the ...

The documents also states that climate change is “a defining challenge of our time”. The Strategic Concept is updated roughly every decade and is NATO’s second most important document. NATO heads of state and government meeting in Madrid on Wednesday (29 June 2022) approved a new Strategic Concept for the Alliance, setting out the Alliance’s priorities, core tasks and approaches for the next decade. The document defines Russia as the “most significant and direct threat” to Allies’ security, while addressing China for the first time and the challenges that Beijing poses toward Allies’ security, interests and values.

NATO countries, welcoming Finland and Sweden and announcing a surge of forces, hope to signal to Moscow that their commitment to Ukraine is not waning.

Significant disagreements have also emerged between some of the NATO countries over how hard to push for an end to the war in Ukraine and how to continue supporting the beleaguered country in the face of economic fallout back home. “And it is not just a problem for European countries.” “The timing is obviously excellent,” the senior administration official said. At a summit of the Group of Seven industrialized democracies earlier this week, leaders were unable to agree on the specifics of a deal to impose price caps on Russian oil. Still, the war could drag on for months or years, and its final geopolitical impact is far from clear. NATO’s resurgence and expansion, after years when it sometimes seemed adrift, was intended to signal that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is having an impact opposite from the one he sought.

As the NATO summit kicks off in Madrid today, one thing is clear: It's going to be the most important summit of the week. NATO today defined Russia as its No. 1 ...

The policy is, in essence, a price-fixing cartel, which is illegal on both sides of the Atlantic. And precisely the sort of “non-market policy” the leaders criticized China for enacting. "The long and short of it is that the only way to get the grain out quickly is by sea, and that would require some form of escorting mission or Russian acquiescence. THE FIFTH AVENUE BUILDING WHERE FOREIGN BILLIONAIRES FLOCK: Olympic Tower “is a building obsessed with anonymity,” reports Matthew Sedacca. Some residents have gone decades without even seeing their next-door neighbors. But they did manage to back a call for funding new gas infrastructure and exploration, even as they met in the shadow of a dying glacier. NATO is a more natural venue for discussing an escort mission,” he added. Cavoli, who now commands U.S. Army forces on the continent, will succeed Air Force Gen. Tod Wolters as head of U.S. European Command and NATO supreme allied commander. The U.N. has been trying to negotiate a deal with Russia, but that’s predictably gone nowhere. The statements and promises flowed ceaselessly, but did nothing to fundamentally alter the course of Russia’s war in Ukraine, limit runaway global inflation or avert a looming famine. NEW NATO COMMANDER STARTS FRIDAY: Army Gen. Christopher Cavoli, Biden’s nominee to lead U.S. forces in Europe (dual-hatted as NATO’s top commander), starts July 1. POLITICO’s Lili Bayer spoke to over 20 ministers, ambassadors, diplomats and NATO senior staff about the alliance’s future. — Turkey isn’t the only “problem child” at this year’s annual summit. It’s no small task: The current NATO response force comprises approximately 40,000 troops.

At the Madrid Summit on Wednesday (29 June 2022), Allied leaders were joined by some of NATO's closest partners to address global challenges.

President Biden announces new U.S. troops in Europe during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the alliance's summit in Madrid. (Susan ...

But the war in Ukraine is leading to “the NATO-ization of Europe,” Biden said. “There has been no communication with Moscow about these changes, nor is there a requirement to do that,” said John Kirby, a spokesman for Biden’s National Security Council. “And the steps we’re taking during this summit, we’re going to further augment our collective strength.” Once every member nation’s parliament has ratified the expansion, which is expected to take several months, NATO’s territory will include Finland’s 810-mile border with Russia — more evidence, Biden said, that invading Ukraine has backfired on Russian President Vladimir Putin. Between NATO sessions, Biden met with the leaders of Japan and South Korea, calling the cooperation between the three countries “essential.” The U.S. also will send two additional F-35 fighter squadrons to Britain and bolster “air defense and other capabilities” in Germany and Italy, Biden said. “And that’s exactly what he didn’t want — but exactly what needs to be done to guarantee security for Europe.” “Putin was looking for the Finland-ization of Europe,” Biden said, referring to Helsinki’s decades-long embrace of nonalignment for fear of angering Moscow. Biden emphasized that the alliance was committed to defending “every inch” of territory under its charter’s “sacrosanct” Article V, which deems an attack on a member nation to be an attack against all. That protective umbrella is expected to cover Sweden and Finland in a historic expansion of the alliance after Turkey on Tuesday dropped its objections to the two countries joining. “NATO is strong and united,” Biden said during a meeting with Jens Stoltenberg, the secretary general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, on the first full day of a summit here. Reflecting NATO’s determination to strengthen its defenses amid Russia’s war in Ukraine, President Biden announced Wednesday that the U.S. would commit more troops to Europe as the transatlantic alliance formally invited Finland and Sweden to become members.

President Joe Biden earlier announced an increased U.S. military presence in Europe as the alliance began a summit in Madrid with a series of moves made ...

And the invasion this year saw opinion polls shift, showing most people were in favor of joining. Nevertheless, many experts say NATO’s likely enlargement is a huge blow for the Russian president, not only symbolically but practically. "So in that respect, it's an acknowledgement about how the security in Europe has changed." It has also struggled for a grander sense of purpose in a post-Cold War world. Troops from both countries fought and died alongside Americans in Afghanistan. For years NATO has been tortured by accusations, led by former President Donald Trump, that some member states are not pulling their financial weight.

When the leaders of Finland, Sweden and Turkey met with NATO's chief this week, some remained pessimistic the meeting would lessen Turkey's objections to ...

The expats by no means include only supporters of the PKK and the YPG. We could not come to this kind of meeting and then agree to change the legislation. In addition, they pledged not to support the network of exiled Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen. Turkey calls the network FETO and designates it as another terror group. The official said Turkey never asked the U.S. for anything as part of the talks with Sweden, Finland and Stoltenberg. It is already listed as such by the United States and the European Union, to which Sweden and Finland belong. “We will never extradite Swedish citizens,” Andersson said. “All parties repeated their old positions and how they see the situation. “Our red line is that we are not changing our legislation on any issues. ISTANBUL -- When the leaders of Finland, Sweden and Turkey met with NATO’s chief Tuesday, the potential for progress was hard to predict. Turkish media, which mostly follow a pro-government editorial line, welcomed the NATO agreement. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg confirmed the news about 20 minutes later and disclosed details of the memorandum. Turkey argued the two countries were lax on groups it considers to be national security threats.

Russian threat: The “virtual rapid response cyber capability” comes after months of Russian cyberattacks in Ukraine as part of the war and amid concerns that ...

It also pledged to work with the private sector to counter threats, formally recognized threats in cyberspace posed by Russia and China, and promised to update NATO’s command structure to reflect new cyber threats. The program is voluntary. The U.S. will offer “robust national capabilities” to support this program, according to a fact sheet put out by the White House on Wednesday.

The military organization's condemnation was not wholly surprising: Its chief earlier said Russia's war in Ukraine had created Europe's biggest security crisis ...

It plans to increase almost eightfold the size of the alliance’s rapid reaction force, from 40,000 to 300,000 troops, by next year. “We’re stepping up. Set up some 70 years ago to counter the Soviet Union, NATO held its summit in Madrid in a world transformed by Russia’s invasion of its neighbor. Zelenskyy has acknowledged that NATO membership is a distant prospect. “The question is, who’s next? “Hasn’t Ukraine paid enough?”

“We condemn the irresponsible course of the North Atlantic Alliance that is ruining the European architecture, or what's left of it,” Russian deputy foreign ...

This has nothing to do with real life; it’s the alliance that poses a threat to us.” The decision followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has prompted Russian neighbours to appeal to Nato for additional security guarantees. “This can only be regretted.”

Arriving at the start of the NATO Summit in Madrid on Wednesday (29 June 2022), Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg outlined the key decisions that will be ...

“Russia has walked away from the partnership and the dialogue that NATO has tried to establish with Russia for many years. “Leaders will also make a historic decision to invite Finland and Sweden to become members of NATO,” said Mr Stoltenberg, adding that this was made possible by the trilateral agreement reached on Tuesday between Türkiye, Finland, and Sweden. Arriving at the start of the NATO Summit in Madrid on Wednesday (29 June 2022), Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg outlined the key decisions that will be taken to transform the Alliance and protect its citizens.

In a last minute deal, Turkey dropped its objections to Finland and Sweden joining the security alliance — all but ensuring NATO's enlargement in the midst ...

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On Monday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced plans to put 300,000 troops at high readiness as part of the “biggest overhaul of our ...

The weapons: Ukraine is making use of weapons such as Javelin antitank missiles and Switchblade “kamikaze” drones, provided by the United States and other allies. Throughout the years that former president Donald Trump held office, the secretary general presented defense spending figures calculated to communicate how much commitments had increased since Trump took office in 2017, even though NATO spending had actually started rising after the Russian annexation of Crimea three years earlier. Policymakers said the change will shift NATO’s presence in the region from that of a tripwire — a somewhat symbolic presence meant to dissuade the Kremlin from invading — to a real defensive force that could credibly hold back Russian forces long enough for reinforcements to arrive. “We will have to do more to build up the model before we can work out what national commitments can be.” Even the 300,000 total is theoretical for the moment: “The concept has not been fully worked up yet,” the official said. The official wondered which of his nation’s troops were being counted toward the force — and whether it included personnel from a volunteer national guard who have civilian day jobs.

The European Union. Georgia. Finland and Sweden. And for the first time at a NATO Summit, our Indo-Pacific partners: Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and the ...

And now, in the coming months, I expect more Allies to commit more forces so when they make decisions, they of course have to also realise that that also will require more forces from NATO Allies at higher readiness organised in a way which makes them available for NATO operations, missions and NATO commanders, if needed. And the good news is that more and more Allies have actually announced forces to fill that new Force Structure with substance. Because that's the reason why we have increased our presence in the eastern part of the Alliance, why NATO Allies have started to invest more in defence, and why we have increased the readiness. And that has made it impossible for us to continue to have the kind of partnership, engagement with Russia that we have worked for so long. And then, of course, when Allies commit to new Force Structure, we also expect them to deliver the forces. But NATO has to have an open mind and engage with also countries which are not as like-minded as the countries gathered in that room. NATO Secretary General: I met with the Georgian Prime Minister. We discussed and addressed, of course, how we can, as you asked about, step up our practical and political partnership and support for Georgia. We will step up both the political and practical support for Georgia with a new package to help build their capabilities and also strengthen their resilience. So this is the core … for the land element to the NATO new Force Model and the new Force Structure. We've also planned to provide additional personnel for our NATO Liaison Office in Georgia. And then, of course, we have also other elements like the training and evaluation centre in Tbilisi and other elements that can further strengthen our partnership with Georgia. On the membership issue, while we stand by the decision we've taken before but we're not going to give any dates. And we're also waiting for the historic decision from NATO to invite Georgia. We are living, as you many times mentioned, in an unpredictable world but still, in the context of the open door policy, what message are you sending today from Madrid to Georgia? When window of opportunity will be for Georgia? You met with Georgian Prime Minister, he had a speech. But the difference is that they will now be organised in ways that can fit them into NATO operations, fit them into NATO defence planning, and be available for NATO commanders. And then, of course, Allies have to contribute forces to that new Force Model. That is in many ways the same as we've done before when we have made similar decisions.

Also, Shanghai wrestles with the scars of Covid lockdowns and religious unrest spreads in India.

P.S. Has the war in Ukraine changed your view of the world? “They’re so much a part of the heritage of Cairo.” The tailor, Kanhaiya Lal Teli, had posted on WhatsApp in support of her. Ressa vowed to appeal the decision. The Times is looking for examples, both big and small, from readers. The secretary general of NATO announced plans to deploy thousands of new troops assigned to bases in eight countries on NATO’s eastern flank. Official response: The Indian government deployed its counterterrorism force to investigate. In a television appearance this month, a spokeswoman for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party made insulting remarks about the Prophet Muhammad. Two Muslim men were killed at a protest calling for the spokeswoman’s arrest. Every district in Shanghai will be briefly locked down each weekend until the end of July for mass testing. During the lockdown, calls to mental health hotlines in Shanghai surged. It followed formal membership invitations to Finland and Sweden — paving the way for NATO’s most significant enlargement in more than a decade. Shanghai, China’s most populous city, has emerged from the depths of its devastating spring Covid outbreak.

NPR's A Martinez talks to retired Navy Adm. James Stavridis, a former NATO commander, about measures the security organization can adopt to better defend ...

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