Jens Stoltenberg: Latest News

Jens Stoltenberg, secretary general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), during a panel session on day two of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday, May 24, 2022. The annual Davos gathering of political leaders MADRID (AP) - Turkey agreed Tuesday to lift its opposition to Sweden and Finland joining NATO, a breakthrough in an impasse clouding a leaders’ summit in Madrid amid Europe’s worst security crisis in decades triggered by the war in Ukraine.After urgent top-level talks, alliance Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said "we now have an agreement that paves the way for Finland and Sweden to join NATO."Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has prompted Sweden and Finland to abandon their long-held nonaligned status and apply to join NATO.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg is reassuring allies that the alliance will defend “every inch of NATO territory” as Eastern European member countries are raising concerns about the presence of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group in Belarus.

AFP journalist Arman Soldin snaps a selfie with a cat on his shoulder during an assignment for AFP in Ukraine. Arman was killed by a rocket strike as he reported with AFP colleagues from Ukrainian positions in Chasiv Yar on May 9, 2023.

Russia would normally have its own "house" at the World Economic Forum as a showcase for business leaders and investors.

BRUSSELS - NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Wednesday that the military alliance stands ready to seize a historic moment and move quickly on allowing Finland and Sweden to join its ranks, after the two countries submitted their membership requests.The official applications, handed over by Finland and Sweden’s ambassadors to NATO, set a security clock ticking. Russia, whose war on Ukraine spurred them to join the military organization, has warned that it wouldn't welcome such a move, and could respond."I warmly welcome the requests by Finland and Sweden to join NATO.

KYIV, Ukraine - Ukraine told residents of its industrial heartland to leave while they still can and urged Western nations to send "weapons, weapons, weapons" Thursday after Russian forces withdrew from the shattered outskirts of Kyiv to regroup for an offensive in the country's east.Russia’s six-week-old invasion failed to take Ukraine's capital quickly and achieve what Western countries say was President Vladimir Putin’s initial aim of ousting the Ukrainian government. Russia’s focus is now on the Donbas, a mostly Russian-speaking region in eastern Ukraine.In Brussels, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba urged NATO to provide more weapons for his war-torn country to help prevent further atrocities like those reported on Kyiv's northern outskirts.

NATO has activated its “chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defence elements” amid fears Russia could launch a biological strike in Ukraine.Following an emergency summit of the military alliance on Thursday, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters in Brussels the decision comes as the allies move to equip Ukraine with its own biological defences.“Our top military commander … has activated NATO’s chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defence elements,” he said.“And allies are deploying additional chemical and biological and nuclear defences to reinforce our existing and new battlegroups, so we are taking measures both to support Ukraine and also to defend ourselves.” How the war in Ukraine stands a month after Russia’s invasion — and what may be next Stoltenberg made the announcement as part of a slew of new measures taken by the military alliance to boost its presence in eastern Europe amid a growing Russian threat, he said.NATO is sending four new battlegroups to Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia, Stoltenberg announced, while promising the allies will further support Ukraine in its fight against Russia as the invasion hit the one-month mark Thursday.However, the West fears Russia, which has yet to make significant ground in Ukraine, could escalate the conflict by using biological weapons. Leaders have expressed their fears over such an attack, but have not provided evidence one is looming.

File image - Women with children are seen outside the main railway station in Przemysl, southeastern Poland, near the Polish-Ukrainian border, as refugees from Ukraine wait to get on buses to other destinations in Poland, on March 24, 2022, following WASHINGTON - The United States will expand its sanctions on Russia in response to the invasion of Ukraine, targeting members of the country’s parliament and the central bank’s gold reserves, the White House announced Thursday. At the same time, Washington will increase its humanitarian assistance by welcoming 100,000 Ukrainian refugees and providing an additional $1 billion in food, medicine, water and other supplies.The White House announced the initiatives as U.S. President Joe Biden and world leaders gathered in Brussels for a trio of summits in response to the Russian invasion, seeking new ways to limit the economic and security fallout from the conflict.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the day's first meeting, an emergency NATO summit, where he called for "military assistance without limitations." He pleaded for anti-air and anti-ship weapons, asking "is it possible to survive in such a war without this?""It feels like we’re in a gray area, between the West and Russia, defending our common values," Zelenskyy said during the video address.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday that NATO leaders are expected to agree at Thursday’s emergency summit to increase troops’ presence in Eastern Europe, with four new battlegroups in Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia.

NATO leaders are expected to agree at an emergency summit on Thursday to boost the alliance’s military presence in eastern Europe due to Russia’s war on Ukraine, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says.Ahead of the meeting, Stoltenberg told reporters at a news conference in Brussels on Wednesday that he expects the allies to sign off on the deployment of four new battlegroups in Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia.“I expect leaders will agree to strengthen NATO’s posture in all domains, with major increases in the eastern part of the alliance on land, in the air and at sea,” he said. NATO summit a chance to bolster Ukraine response, experts say.

Justin Trudeau says Canada is extending the military mission in Latvia as part of a continued NATO effort to stave off further Russian aggression following its invasion of Ukraine two weeks ago.But he offered little clarity when asked whether Canada will boost domestic spending on the military to hit the promised two per cent of GDP target agreed to by NATO allies in 2014.“We understand the urgency that is presented right now in the world with Ukrainians standing strong against this illegal Russian invasion,” Trudeau said when asked about whether Canada will increase spending to meet the NATO target and urgently replace the weapons being offered to Ukraine.“Those weapons are much more useful and in the coming weeks in the hands of Ukrainian soldiers fighting for their lives than they would be in Canadian hands.

Justin Trudeau is defending NATO’s decision to reject establishing a no-fly-zone over Ukraine, warning the move would lead to an “unfortunate” escalation in the conflict.He made the comment during a press conference on Friday, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy enters the ninth day of his call for NATO to impose and enforce a ban on Russian jets flying in Ukrainian skies.“The thing that we have so far avoided — and will continue to need to avoid — is (creating) a situation in which NATO forces are in direct conflict with Russian soldiers,” Trudeau said.“That would be a level of escalation that is unfortunate that we need to avoid.” What is a no-fly zone? Here’s why the West isn’t imposing one in Ukraine Canada “will continue to impose punishing consequences on Putin,” until both he and the Russian people “understand just how terrible a mistake Vladimir Putin has just made,” Trudeau said.Implementing a no-fly zone over the country isn’t as simple as telling Russia it’s no longer allowed in the airspace — it also requires enforcement.That means if NATO were to put a ban on Russian planes in Ukrainian skies, they’d be forced to send in NATO jets to shoot down any Russian aircraft in that airspace.“We understand the desperation but we also believe that if we did that, we would end up with something that could lead to a full-fledged war in Europe involving much more countries and much more suffering,” said NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in a Friday news conference.While NATO has enforced no-fly zones in previous conflicts, including in Iraq, Libya and Bosnia, there’s a major difference when it comes to what’s happening in Ukraine: Russia has nuclear weapons.That hasn’t deterred Zelenskyy, who made yet

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Friday that the military alliance will deploy elements of its quick response force and broader allied response force to Eastern European member states amid fears that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could spread to other regions.

BRUSSELS - U.S. President Joe Biden and his NATO counterparts agreed Friday to reassure member countries on the alliance’s eastern flank by sending parts of the organization’s response force to help protect them following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.With Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appealing for help, NATO members ranging from Russia’s neighbor Estonia in the north down to Bulgaria on the Black Sea coast triggered urgent consultations about their security.

NATO secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Thursday condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to order a “special military action” in Ukraine, saying “we are at a grave moment for the security of Europe.” He called the decision “barbaric” and accused Russia of “trying to turn back the clock by force.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation" in the country while warning those who attempt to intervene would lead to "consequences they have never seen.""I have a few words for those who could feel tempted to interfere with ongoing developments: whoever tries to impede us, let alone create threats for our country and its people must know that the Russian response will be immediate and lead to the consequences you have never seen in history," Putin said.Images from journalists on the ground captured Russian troops and military vehicles advancing through Ukraine. Explosions were reported in several cities in addition to Kharkiv, including Kyiv and Odessa.Russian military tanks and armored vehicles advance in Donetsk, Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

WASHINGTON - When Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized troops to cross Ukraine's border into regions controlled by Russian-backed separatists, the White House initially stopped short of calling it an invasion. That changed on Tuesday, and key allies in Europe joined in saying Putin had crossed a red line."This is the beginning of a Russian invasion of Ukraine," President Joe Biden said.NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg was equally explicit."We saw last night that further Russian troops moved into the Donbas into parts of Donetsk and Luhansk, " he said Tuesday, referring to the two areas of Ukraine's eastern Donbas region controlled by Russian-backed separatists.

MOSCOW - Russia said Wednesday it was returning more troops and weapons to bases, but NATO declared it saw no sign of a drawdown as fears that Moscow could invade Ukraine soon persisted.Russia has massed about 150,000 troops east, north and south of Ukraine, sparking Western concerns it was planning an attack. Moscow denies it has any such plans and this week said it was pulling back some forces and weapons, though it gave few details.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson could face a £10,000 fine over the partygate scandal as police move to question those involved in the rule-breaking events.

Civilians prepare to board a plane during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport, Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug. 18.

BRUSSELS - President Joe Biden arrived at the 2021 North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit on Monday looking to renew U.S. allies abroad for better coordination against China and Russia, while underscoring the country’s commitment to the alliance that was frequently maligned by his predecessor.Early Monday, Biden sat down with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg at the alliance’s headquarters in Brussels and highlighted the U.S.

BRUSSELS – NATO will continue to train Afghan special forces outside the country after it winds up 18 years of security work in conflict-torn Afghanistan in coming months, the military organization’s top civilian official said Friday.

BRUSSELS – French President Emmanuel Macron said Friday that NATO leaders must make a clear, unequivocal commitment to the military organization’s values and rules at a summit next month — a thinly veiled swipe at Turkey’s conduct within the alliance.

BRUSSELS – NATO is planning to scale up its mission training Iraq's security forces with thousands of new personnel as the military alliance seeks to help keep the Islamic State group at bay, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Thursday.

BRUSSELS – NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Thursday urged the Afghan government and the Taliban to step up the pace of peace talks amid doubts over whether the military alliance will pull thousands of troops out of the country by a May deadline.

BRUSSELS – Donald Trump is no longer around as president to berate U.S. allies in Europe and Canada for failing to spend enough on their defense budgets. But the debate about military spending appears likely to continue to rage at NATO, even under President Joe Biden.

BRUSSELS – NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Monday that the military alliance is grappling with a dilemma over its future in Afghanistan, as the United States starts pulling troops out while attacks by the Taliban and extremist groups mount.More than 17 years after taking the lead on international security efforts in Afghanistan, NATO now has around 11,000 troops from dozens of nations there helping to train and advise the national security forces. Most of the personnel are from Europe and other NATO partner countries.But the alliance relies heavily on the United States armed forces for air support, transport and logistics.

BRUSSELS – NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has spoken to the new acting U.S. defense secretary about the alliance’s commitment to stay in Afghanistan as long as necessary, his spokeswoman said Monday, amid speculation that President Donald Trump might order a rapid withdrawal of U.S.

ATHENS – Greece’s prime minister reiterated on Tuesday that his country is prepared to hold talks with fellow NATO member Turkey about a dispute over maritime boundaries in the eastern Mediterranean.Speaking after meeting with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in Athens, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said the dispute, which saw Greek and Turkish warships facing off in the eastern Mediterranean, was a threat to NATO’s cohesion.However, he said he reiterated that Greece “is always ready for dialogue, according to the rules of international law, good neighborly relations and the principle of solidarity, which is at the core of the framework of the North Atlantic alliance.”Stoltenberg was visiting Athens a day after he held meetings

BRUSSELS – NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Tuesday played down concern that the United States will rush to pull thousands of its troops out of Germany, saying that Washington has made no final decision on when such a withdrawal might take place or even how it would happen.President Donald Trump has said that he is ordering a major reduction in U.S. troop strength in Germany, from around 34,500 personnel down to 25,000.

The coronavirus pandemic is driving home the need for members of the NATO security alliance to work together to counter disinformation and shore up supply chains among the alliance.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warned of the “long-term” impacts COVID-19 could have on the global economy and on the global security picture, and urged all NATO member states to contribute even more to the fight to contain the virus.

On Thursday, NATO members agreed to “coordinate the necessary military support” to speed up deliveries of medical aid to allies suffering from the COVID-19 outbreak, with Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg saying that their “airlift capabilities are important in helping supporting allies dealing with this crisis.” The comments came as NATO is scaling down military exercises in Europe to curb the spread of the illness.

OTTAWA — Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne is meeting his NATO counterparts Thursday to discuss the alliance’s response to the COVID-19 crisis while it continues to face daunting global security challenges.

BRUSSELS – NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Wednesday that the organization’s security capabilities have not been diminished by the coronavirus, amid suspicion that Russia might try to use the impact of disease to probe the military alliance’s defenses.