NATO

U.S. Senators delivered overwhelming bipartisan approval to NATO membership for Finland and Sweden Wednesday, calling expansion of the Western defensive bloc a “slam-dunk” for U.S. national security and a day of reckoning for Russian President Vladimir Putin over his invasion of Ukraine.

The Senate is set to ratify NATO membership for Finland and Sweden with strong bipartisan support in response to Russia’s war with Ukraine. Wednesday’s vote is a crucial step toward expanding the Western military alliance.

Kosovo’s government is acccusing neighboring Serbia of trying to destabilize the country as ethnic Serbs block roads and conduct other incidents in the north.

The move means the question of admitting the two nations now goes to the capitals of existing members for legislative approval.

North Korea has slammed the U.S., South Kore, and Japan for pushing to boost their trilateral military cooperation targeting the North, warning that the move is prompting urgent calls for the country to reinforce its military capability.

President Joe Biden on Thursday said he would support an exception to the Senate filibuster to protect abortion access.

Biden’s commitments mean the U.S. will maintain a presence of 100,000 troops in Europe, up 20,000 from the levels before the Ukraine war began

In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the two Nordic nations abandoned their long-held nonaligned status and applied to join NATO as protection

President Biden arrived in Spain on Tuesday for a NATO summit, where spoke after meeting with Spanish President Pedro Sánchez, where they discussed how to continue to support Ukraine and hold Russia accountable for its assault.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has posted an uplifting Father’s Day message with 10 photos of parents and children set against the backdrop of war. He praised his nation’s fighters who “protect and defend the most precious.” Zelenskyy wrote in English that followed the Ukrainian on Instagram: “Being a father is a great responsibility and a great happiness. It is strength,...

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Monday that next month’s summit in Madrid will be a “historic” opportunity to strengthen the alliance in the face of Russian aggression against Ukraine.

President Joe Biden is meeting with leaders of Sweden and Finland Thursday after the two countries began the process of application for NATO membership in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

A small brewery in Finland has launched a NATO-themed beer to mark the Nordic country’s bid to join the Western military alliance. Olaf Brewing’s OTAN lager features a blue label with a cartoon version of a beer-drinking medieval knight in metal armor emblazoned with NATO’s compass symbol. The beer’s name is a play on the Finnish expression “Otan olutta,” which...

NATO diplomats say national envoys have failed to reach a consensus about whether to start membership talks with Finland and Sweden. Wednesday’s development comes just as Turkey renewed its objections to the two Nordic countries joining. The envoys met at NATO headquarters after Finland and Sweden’s ambassadors submitted written applications to join the military organization. The diplomats, who did not...

The European crisis wrought by Russia’s war in Ukraine makes Scotland’s independence drive more important and demands that Scotland play its “full part” in ensuring stability and security in Europe as an eventual member of NATO, Scottish leader Nicola Sturgeon said in an interview Tuesday.

Sweden and Finland have pushed ahead with their bids to join NATO even as Turkey insists it won’t let the previously nonaligned Nordic countries into the alliance because of their alleged support for Kurdish militants. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s strongly worded objections caught the two applicants and other NATO members off guard, complicating what was envisioned to be a...

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell says Finland and Sweden would be “important additions” to NATO. McConnell spoke to reporters from Stockholm, where he’s leading a delegation of GOP senators in a show of support against Russia’s aggression. McConnell also is calling on President Joe Biden to designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism over its invasion of Ukraine. McConnell...

NATO Deputy-Secretary General Mircea Geoana told reporters that “with the bravery of the Ukrainian people and army, and with our help, Ukraine can win this war.”

Finland and Sweden have traditionally preferred to be militarily “nonaligned.” But Russia’s war in Ukraine has shaken their security notions to the core.

Finland’s leaders said they are in favor of rapidly applying for NATO membership, paving the way for a historic expansion of the alliance.