Estonia expels Russian Embassy employee
Foreign Minister Margus Tsakhna said, "With its actions, the Russian Embassy has interfered in the internal matters of Estonia in an unacceptable way."
NATO
Politico: Finnish FM does not rule out sending Western troops to Ukraine
At the same time, Finland is not currently willing to send troops or even ready to discuss it, Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said.
Stoltenberg: Russia has lost over 350,000 troops 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.
NATO, China discuss war in Ukraine at military staff talks
NATO and China held their eighth annual military staff talks on March 13 in Beijing, where the two delegations discussed global and regional security issues, including Russia's war against Ukraine.
Putin: Russia 'ready' for nuclear war if US sends troops to Ukraine
Putin's comment marks the 11th nuclear threat the Russian president has issued since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.
Armenia threatens to leave Russian-led CSTO
Armenia will leave the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) if the military alliance fails to address Armenia's collective security concerns, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at a press conference on March 12.
Stoltenberg: Sweden's accession to NATO shows 'failure' of Putin's war goals
Stoltenberg's comments came during Sweden's flag-raising ceremony at NATO headquarters which marked the final step of its accession into the alliance.
Cameron opposes deploying Western troops in Ukraine, including for training
According to U.K. Foreign Secretary David Cameron, deploying foreign soldiers in Ukraine would create additional "targets" for Russia.
Polish FM: 'NATO forces presence in Ukraine is not unthinkable'
"The presence of NATO forces in Ukraine is not unthinkable," Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said. "Because it is about (Russian President Vladimir) Putin being afraid, not us being afraid of Putin," he added.
Sweden officially joins NATO
Sweden's accession to the alliance was officially completed when Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson handed the so-called "instruments of accession" to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington.
Opinion: The threat to American hegemony is real
Ukraine has about a month before it runs out of artillery shells, and the U.S. Congress cannot agree to ship more. Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is dead. The slaughter in Gaza continues with no end in sight. The Yemeni Houthis are attacking ships in the Red Sea. The
Media: NATO headquarters to fly Sweden's flag on March 11
Sweden's flag will be raised at the NATO headquarters in Brussels on March 11 around noon, ceremoniously marking the country's accession to the alliance, the Swedish TV4 channel reported on March 6.
Reuters: France invites Ukraine's allies, NATO head for video call on March 7
France has invited officials from Ukraine's key allies and NATO chief to participate in a video call on March 7 aimed at demonstrating a "united front" and developing concrete proposals to strengthen support for Ukraine, Reuters reported on March 5.
Albania reopens communist-era air base after $54 million NATO refurbishment
Kucova air base in Albania reopened on March 4 after undergoing a 50 million euro ($54 million) NATO refurbishment, making it the region's largest NATO tactical air base.
NATO begins large-scale military drills in northern Europe
The Nordic Response 24 NATO exercises begin in northern Finland, Sweden, and Norway on March 4, for the first time with the participation of Finland as a NATO member, the Finnish public broadcaster YLE reported.
Reuters: Turkish Foreign Minister says 'it is time to start a dialogue for a ceasefire' in Ukraine
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan called for discussions on a ceasefire in Ukraine to begin following a diplomatic forum in the Turkish city of Antalya, Reuters reported.
Hungarian parliament speaker signs off on Sweden's NATO bid
Hungarian parliament speaker Sandor Lezsak has signed off on Sweden's accession to NATO after Hungary's legislature ratified it earlier this week, Reuters reported on March 2, citing the parliament's voting records.
Rutte signs Dutch-Ukrainian long-term security agreement in Kharkiv
President Volodymyr Zelensky and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte signed a 10-year agreement on security cooperation between Ukraine and the Netherlands in Kharkiv, Zelensky announced on March 1.
Putin threatens NATO, says nuclear weapons use possible
There will be "tragic consequences" if NATO troops are sent to Ukraine, and the West's support for Kyiv "risks a conflict using nuclear weapons," Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed during a two-hour State of the Nation address on Feb. 29.
Ukraine war latest: Ukraine withdraws from 2 more villages near Avdiivka, downs 2 Russian warplanes in single day
Key developments on Feb. 27: * Military: Ukraine withdraws from Stepove and Severne villages near Avdiivka * Air Force: Ukraine downs 2 Russian Su-34 planes in single day * Ukraine reports heavy battles in Bakhmut direction as Russia pulls in reserves * NATO members say they are not considering sending troops to Ukraine * Macron
Danish PM criticizes Europe’s ‘naivety’ in confronting Russia’s aggression
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.
NATO members say they are not considering sending troops to Ukraine
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, as well as leaders of Germany, the U.K., and other European NATO member states, have reportedly said they are not considering deploying their troops to Ukraine after French President Emmanuel Macron suggested the possibility of Western military presence in the country.
Hungary approves Sweden's NATO accession
Hungary's parliament voted to ratify Sweden's application to join NATO on Feb. 26, finalizing the country's membership after almost two years of delays.
Volker: West has made a lot of mistakes in Russia-Ukraine war
The West doesn’t spend enough time analyzing its miscalculations in the Russia-Ukraine war, Kurt Volker, a former U.S. special representative for Ukraine negotiations, said in an interview with the Kyiv Independent. “We have made many mistakes, from just before Russia's invasion and throughout. The biggest mistake was holding
Hungary signs deal to buy Swedish fighter jets amid preparations to approve Sweden's NATO bid
After almost two years of delays, Hungary's parliament is set to bring Sweden's NATO accession to a vote on Feb. 26. The ruling Fidesz party has pledged its support for the measure, making its passage all but ensured.
German defense committee chief says Russia's attack on Germany a realistic scenario
"It would be fatal to say he won't do that. You just have to trust him to do that," Strack-Zimmermann said on the Die Wochentester podcast, as reported by German media on Feb. 23.
‘Our reserves will run out:’ Ukrainian artillery sounds alarm on Western shell shortage
DONETSK OBLAST – Hiding beneath sparse winter cover in a crude, muddy ditch, a great steel monster lies in wait for an opportunity to attack. Adorned on either side with painted plus signs, the gun’s huge barrel looks up at the sky over the Bakhmut front line, across which thousands
US, UK reportedly endorse Dutch PM Mark Rutte as next NATO Secretary General
The U.S. and the U.K. are endorsing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte to become the next NATO Secretary General, according to media reports on Feb. 22, which cited officials in Washington D.C. and London.
Poll: Almost 50% of Poles believe a Russian attack on Poland is likely
The 47% of Polish respondents who said that a Russian attack on Poland was probable represented a 16% increase from when a similar poll was conducted in May 2023.
Hungary set to ratify Sweden's NATO accession
The ruling party Fidesz, which has a supermajority in parliament, has pledged its support for Sweden's ratification, all but ensuring its passage if brought to a vote.
Munich diaries: Fear and uncertainty at the ‘Lose-Lose’ conference
Editor’s note: The following piece is a personal account of the Munich Security Conference from a Kyiv Independent reporter but does not purport to reflect the views of the publication. MUNICH – For three days every year, the space in front of the Bayerischer Hof Hotel in central Munich turns
Washington Post: European officials privately discussing 'continentwide complement' to NATO
The Washington Post spoke to a number of European officials who said that they were both plotting ways to more effectively communicate with the MAGA wing of the Republican party and making preparations in case former U.S. President Donald Trump is reelected and delivers on his proposed retreat from NATO.
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