Contents tagged with NATO

  • Turkey to start deploying Russian S-400 missile systems in October

    The Turkish Defense Minister, Hulusi Akar said that Turkey would begin deploying S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems acquired from Russia in October 2019, and Turkish Armed Forces Command will later determine the locations, reports Interfax.

    According to him, Turkey is purchasing the S-400 due to “the urgent need to provide country security.”

    “The purchase of S-400 air defense missile systems is not a matter of preference, but an urgent requirement for national security. Turkey is obliged to …

  • President Poroshenko: Russia unlikely to release Ukrainian prisoners before elections

    During an interview on ICTV, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said that he does not expect Russia to release the Ukrainian soldiers it is holding prisoner before Ukraine’s presidential elections on 31 March, the Presidential pres-service reports.

    “Putin clearly stressed that he will not take a single step,” Poroshenko said, adding that work to have the Ukrainians released is still underway.

    “Not a single international meeting happens on the highest level where the matter of the release of …

  • New NATO headquarters opened in Latvia

    The press service of the Latvian Ministry of Defense announced that Latvia, Estonia and Denmark opened the Northern Division headquarters for the multinational troops in Adazi near Riga.

    The main task of the Northern Division will be the management of military operations in its area of responsibility. The new headquarters will begin planning and managing military operations, as well as planning and integrating the NATO units’ activities in order to strengthen the security of the region and …

  • Czech Republic Defense Minister calls Russia one of main threats to NATO

    Czech Republic Defense Minister Lubomír Metnar stated that Russia is a main threat to NATO, along with world terrorism and cyber-attacks.

    “Terrorism holds first place among the threats, and above all, it is the danger of a global expansion of local terrorist organizations. I give second place to cyber threats and third place to threats from Russia,” said Metnar.

    According to the Defense Minister, Russian posed by Russia include the rearmament of the army, troop movements, and a large number …

  • The US accuses Russia of conspiring with Libyan Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar

    Russia secretly supported Libyan Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar in order to get a foothold in the region that is strategically important to Moscow, stated the Commander of United States Africa Command, Thomas Waldhauser, Interfax reports.

    According to Waldhauser, Russians publicly supported the UN peace initiatives while at the same time secretly provided assistance to the Libyan National Army supplying them with resources and personnel.

    “The success of Haftar will allow Russia to gain a …

  • Poroshenko: Ukraine has no restrictions to create long-range ballistic missiles

    At the National Security and Defense Council's meeting, Ukraine’s President, Petro Poroshenko  announced that Ukraine no longer has an obligation to refrain from developing powerful long-range missile systems.

    Poroshenko stressed that Ukraine welcomes the United States' decision to withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty, formally Treaty Between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the Elimination of Their Intermediate-Range …

  • Poroshenko promises audit of Ukrainian defense industry

    During a session of the National Security and Defense Council on Wednesday, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko promised to have the state-owned defense concern “Ukroboronprom” audited.

    “We are now initiating a complex international audit of the concern Ukroboronprom in accordance with the law on national security – a complex audit of all contracts,” the Ukrainian President said.

    “Secondly, I propose that we immediately deal with the matter of expanding the concern’s supervisory board with …

  • Ukrainian President: EU will allocate 50 million euros to maintain Azov coast security

    President of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, announced during the Regional Development Council in Odessa that the European Union’s special project to support the Azov coast security in the face of Russian aggression foresees allocation of 50 million euros to Ukraine, reports Ukrinform.

    “A special 50 million euros project is directed to the Azov coast to support Mariupol and Berdyansk, as well as the Black Sea coast. This, unfortunately, is due to the Russian aggression in the neutral waters of the …

  • NATO sides with Hungary in the dispute with Ukraine over the language law

    NATO Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller stated during a visit to Hungary that NATO has acted in line with Hungary’s interests when it comes to Ukraine’s Law on Education and insists that Ukraine should implement the conclusions of the Venice Commission regarding the language provisions on the law on education, the Alliance's press service reports. 

    “Allies have acted in solidarity with Hungary when it comes to Ukraine’s Law on Education. In the Brussels Declaration and in the …

  • NATO admits it was not prepared for Crimea's annexation by Russia

    During a speech in the European Parliament, NATO's Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe James Everard stated that NATO was not ready for the annexation of the Crimea by Russia, Polish Radio reports. 

    “In 2014, we were shocked when Russia annexed the Crimea. It completely changed the Euro-Atlantic security environment. We were not ready for this,” Everard stated. The General noted that Russia is the North Atlantic Alliance’s only opponent. 

    “Today, we have to fight against a more dangerous …