Nato secretary general jens stoltenberg

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg hailed an "historic moment" on Wednesday after Finland and Sweden formally submitted their applications to join the military alliance. The seismic shift from long-held neutrality -- which has popular support in both countries -- was spurred by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. “I warmly welcome the requests by Finland and Sweden to join NATO. You are our closest partners,“ Stoltenberg said. “All allies agree on the importance of NATO enlargement. We all agree that we must stand together, and we all agree that this is an historic moment which we must seize.” “This is a good day at a critical moment for our security,” a beaming Stoltenberg said, as he stood alongside Finland's and Sweden's ambassadors to NATO. Russian President Vladimir Putin has demanded the alliance stop expanding toward Russia's borders, and several NATO allies, led by the United States and Britain, have signalled that they stand ready to provide security … [Read more...] about ‘Historic moment’: Finland and Sweden submit their bids to join NATO

US President Joe Biden met with Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson and Finnish President Sauli Niinistö on Thursday morning in Washington to discuss their NATO membership applications . "Having two new NATO members in the high north will enhance the security of our alliance and deepen our security cooperation across the board," Biden said. "New members joining NATO is not a threat to any nation," the US President added. It comes as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed Ankara would continue to block the Swedish and Finnish bids "in a determined fashion," while reiterating his claims that Sweden is a "terror haven." Watch video 02:42 Sweden and Finland formalize NATO applications Why would Sweden and Finland joining NATO be significant? Sweden and Finland, while firmly in the Western camp, have traditionally followed a policy of nonalignment with NATO to avoid drawing the ire of Moscow. However, Russia's invasion of Ukraine has … [Read more...] about NATO: Joe Biden backs Sweden, Finland membership bid

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned Finland that joining NATO is a mistake. Finnish counterpart Sauli Niinisto was told ditching neutrality would be a mistake that could damage relations between their two countries, according to the Kremlin. The two countries said their presidents spoke by phone two days after Finland declared its intention to join the Western alliance. Moscow has described that as a security threat that will require it to respond, but has not specified how. Niinisto's office told Putin: "Russian demands in late 2021 aimed at preventing countries from joining NATO and Russia's massive invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 have altered the security environment of Finland". Finnish President Sauli Niinisto and Prime Minister Sanna Marin expressed support for NATO membership ( Image: Lehtikuva/AFP via Getty Images) He said Finland wanted to handle relations with its nearby Russian neighbour in a "correct and professional manner". The … [Read more...] about Vladimir Putin warns Finland joining NATO is a ‘mistake’ and will be ‘security threat’

Attention turned elsewhere this weekend as Ukraine won the Eurovision Song Contest and both Sweden and Finland moved a step closer to joining NATO. As the new week begins, the battle for eastern Ukraine continues to be both bloody and uncertain. See our blog below for a summary of Monday's key developments. 06:30 NATO's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Sunday that Ukraine "can win" its war with Russia, and that NATO must continue to offer military support to Kyiv. Both Sweden and Finland announced Sunday that they were pushing forward with plans to join NATO. 07:51 Belarusian forces deploy along Ukrainian border Belarus has announced the deployment of special operations forces along its border with Ukraine, as well as air defence, artillery and missile units to training ranges in the west of the country, writes the British Ministry of Defence in its latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine. The presence of … [Read more...] about Live: The battle for eastern Ukraine continues as Sweden, Finland move a step closer to joining NATO

Cihat Yayci suggests Turkey won't support Nordic NATO membership Sign up for our news briefing, including a daily special Russia-Ukraine edition SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info Finnish President, Sauli Niinisto, said on Sunday that Helsinki will prepare an application for membership. Sweden will also formally apply for membership of the alliance, Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson confirmed on Monday. Related articles Ukraine: Cunning Kremlin plot backfires 'Going home now' Russian troops taunt Ukrainian POW before killing him But approval for new members needs to be unanimous among the 30 states, and Turkish leader Erdogan has restated his opportunity to the two Scandinavian countries … [Read more...] about Turkey threatens to BLOCK Sweden and Finland from joining NATO in fury at ‘terrorists’

Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Sunday outlined demands for Finland and Sweden which seek membership in NATO in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Speaking with Turkish reporters after a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Berlin, he said that Sweden and Finland must stop supporting terrorists in their countries, provide clear security guarantees and lift export bans on Turkey. According to Cavusoglu, Turkey was not threatening anybody or seeking leverage but speaking out especially about Sweden's support for the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) . Ankara views the PKK as a terrorist organization. Watch video 00:26 Finnish PM: 'We haven't had any indications that there would be any problems' Cavusoglu echoed an earlier statement by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan two days ago, when he said Turkey did not have a "positive opinion" about Finland and Sweden's ambitions to join the military alliance. Erdogan accused both … [Read more...] about NATO: Turkey outlines demands on Finland and Sweden membership

A team of Swedish diplomats will head to Turkey for talks on "resolving" Ankara's objections to Sweden joining NATO , Swedish Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist said Monday. Speaking to Swedish media ahead of a formal vote by lawmakers to hand in the membership application, Hultqvist said the diplomats would hold "discussions and dialogue" to see "what this is really about." Adding a new member to NATO requires approval by all 30 members of the alliance and their parliaments. Why is Turkish support in question? Last week, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey did not have a "positive opinion" about Finland and Sweden's ambitions to join the military alliance. Erdogan accused both countries of harboring "terrorist organizations." On Monday, the Turkish strongman went further during a news conference, telling reporters that Sweden and Finland should "not bother sending delegations to Ankara" to win approval for their NATO bids. He went on to allege that the … [Read more...] about Sweden sends diplomats to Turkey for support on NATO bid

Brussels — NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Wednesday that Finland and Sweden have formally applied to join the world's biggest military alliance , a move driven by security concerns over Russia's war in Ukraine . "I warmly welcome the requests by Finland and Sweden to join NATO. You are our closest partners," Stoltenberg told reporters after a receiving their application letters from the two Nordic countries' ambassadors. "All allies agree on the importance of NATO enlargement. We all agree that we must stand together, and we all agree that this is an historic moment which we must seize. This is a good day at a critical moment for our security," a beaming Stoltenberg said, as he stood alongside the two envoys, with NATO, Finnish and Swedish flags at their backs. The application must now be weighed by the 30 member countries. That process is expected to take about two weeks, although Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has expressed reservations about … [Read more...] about Finland and Sweden officially apply to join NATO despite Russia’s warnings

Finland and Sweden have applied for Nato membership amid concerns over Russia ’s war in Ukraine , the military alliance has confirmed. Both Scandinavian nations have been historically neutral and their decision to join Nato is one of the most significant changes in the security of Europe for decades. ‘This is a historic moment, which we must seize,’ Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said after the Swedish and Finnish ambassadors handed in their application letters. ‘I warmly welcome requests by Finland and Sweden to join Nato. You are our closest partners, and your membership in Nato will increase our shared security.’ The applications now set an accession process in motion that is expected to take only a few weeks. It also significantly reflects a sweeping shift in public opinion against Putin’s invasion and the frequent nuclear threats coming out of Moscow. Sweden share a maritime border with Russia, while Finland has an 810-mile (1,300km) land border … [Read more...] about Nato confirms Finland and Sweden have applied for membership amid Putin’s war

Ukraine's troops have repelled Russian forces all the way back to their border from the country’s second-largest city of Kharkiv, it was claimed on Monday. They have also repelled incursion by a Russian sabotage and reconnaissance group in the northeastern region of Sumy, in another major blow to Moscow. Defending troops are driving Russian forces back in a new counter-offensive as it emerged that Moscow has lost a third of its ground forces in just 82 days since the invasion started. Latest official Ukraine battle loss figures suggest Russia ’s death toll and destroyed military hardware is far worse than has been reported by western intelligence figures. Ukraine estimates revealed Russia has now lost 27, 400 soldiers, 1200 tanks, 200 warplanes, 164 helicopters, and 13 warships in a stunning blow to Vladimir Putin ’s faltering attack. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Russia’s new offensive in Donbas had stalled and Ukraine could win the war, adding … [Read more...] about Vladimir Putin’s troops REPELLED all the way back to border by Ukraine, NATO says