The American military battalion stationed in Lithuania will remain in the country indefinitely, not just until 2025 as previously planned, Lithuanian Defense Minister Laurynas Kasciunas said on May 2.
According to NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana, Ukraine will definitely join NATO in the future, so long as political conditions are met.
Lieutenant Admiral Rob Bauer, chair of the NATO Military Committee, told reporters on March 29 that there are currently no signs that Russia is planning an attack on a NATO member, warning instead that the alliance must be prepared for future escalation.
Admiral Rob Bauer gave a speech at the Kyiv Security Forum, in which he said that his visit "is testament to the fact that NATO and Ukraine are closer than they have ever been."
Although not an imminent threat, the ISW assesses that Russian President Vladimir Putin's emphasis on growing Russia's economic and military capabilities is an indication that Russia is gearing up for conflict beyond "a protracted war in Ukraine."
Russia has lost over 350,000 troops in Ukraine since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at a press conference on March 14.
Europe must spend more on defense to deter Russia, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said in an interview with Financial Times on Feb. 27. She called Europe "naive," for not doing it sooner.
The number of Russian troops in the vicinity of Estonia could double from the pre-2022 figure of 19,000, as Russia undertakes a massive reform of its military, Estonia's Foreign Intelligence Service warned in a report published on Feb. 13.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Finland is "now going to have problems" because it joined NATO, on the same morning that he claimed not to be interested in fighting any NATO members.
Brussels – NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg vowed on April 3 that the alliance would continue supporting Ukraine despite Russia's "dangerous and reckless nuclear rhetoric." He added that Kyiv can win the war and become a full-fledged NATO member one day. Responding to the Kyiv Independent at a news conference, Stoltenberg
In a video address on Sept. 30, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine has applied for NATO membership. The country, according to him, should count on the NATO fast-track accession. "De facto, we have already become a NATO ally," Zelensky said. "(Our accession) would be a formal solidifying of the real state of things we've already achieved."
As the Biden administration and its Western allies decide how to respond next to Russia’s threatening military presence on the borders of Ukraine, it’s worth probing Vladimir Putin’s psyche. Is he a rational leader who grasps the realities of his country’s current standoff with the West?
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