NATO | Breaking News & Updates | AP News

NATO

President Joe Biden meets with Romania's President Klaus Iohannis in the Oval Office of the White House, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Biden hosts Romanian leader at the White House to celebrate NATO partnership

President Joe Biden has hosted Klaus Iohannis, the president of Romania, at the White House. The two leaders on Tuesday celebrated their joint cooperation on issues including international security, the economy and continued support for Ukraine.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg talks during his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv Ukraine, Monday, April 29, 2024. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)

NATO members ‘deeply concerned’ by activities such as sabotage on alliance soil. They blame Russia

Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, center, looks up at Netherland's Prime Minister Mark Rutte and French President Emmanuel Macron during a round table meeting at an EU summit in Brussels, Wednesday, April 17, 2024. European leaders' discussions at a summit in Brussels were set to focus on the bloc's competitiveness in the face of increased competition from the United States and China. Tensions in the Middle East and the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine decided otherwise and the 27 leaders will dedicate Wednesday evening talks to foreign affairs. (AP Photo/Omar Havana)

Outgoing Dutch prime minister visits Turkey’s Erdogan in his bid for the NATO chief position

Poland's Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski delivers a speech to the parliament in Warsaw, Poland, Thursday April 25, 2024. Sikorski told the parliament that the government wants to return to the group of countries which sets the agenda of the European Union, laying out the government's vision at a historically crucial moment with war across the border in Ukraine. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

Poland lays claim to a leadership role in Europe as Russia’s war threatens stability

President of Finland Alexander Stubb, left, is received by Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson at the government headquarters Rosenbad in Stockholm, on the occasion of Stubb's two-day visit to Sweden, Tuesday, April 23, 2024. (Henrik Montgomery/TT News Agency via AP)

NATO newcomer Finland is now a ‘front-line state’ for the alliance, Finnish president says

More News

Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, right, Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk, center, and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, right, visit the Armourd Brigade barracks in Warsaw, Poland, Tuesday, April 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

UK puts its defense industry on ‘war footing’ and gives Ukraine $620 million in new military aid

The U.K. prime minister says the country is putting its defense industry on a “war footing” by increasing defense spending to 2.5% of GDP by the end of the decade.

FILE - Members of the military raise the flag of Sweden, as other other alliance member flags flap in the wind, during a ceremony to mark the accession of Sweden to NATO at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Monday, March 11, 2024. Argentina on Thursday, April 18, 2024, requested to join NATO as a global partner, a status that would clear the way for greater political and security cooperation at a time when the right-wing government aims to boost ties with Western powers and attract investment. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert, File)

Argentina asks to join NATO as President Milei seeks a more prominent role for his nation

Argentina has requested to join NATO as a global partner, a status that would clear the way for greater political and security cooperation at a time when the right-wing government of President Javier Milei aims to boost ties with Western powers and attract investment.

German Army Chief Lt. Gen. Alfons Mais listens to a question during a media joint conference with Lithuanian Chief of Defence Gen. Valdemaras Rupsys and Lithuanian Defense Minister Laurynas Kasciunas as members of the Headquarters initial command element of the Bundeswehr's 45th Brigade Lithuania arrival by plane at a airport in Vilnius, Lithuania, Monday, April 8, 2024. Germany has made a commitment to deploy a heavy brigade with three maneuver battalions and all necessary enablers, including combat support and provision units, to Lithuania. In total, approx. 5 thousand German military and civilian personnel are expected to move to Lithuania with families in stationing the Brigade. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)

German troops arrive in Lithuania, their first long-term foreign deployment since World War II

Lithuanian leaders have hailed a “historic event” as Germany began deploying troops in the Baltic country — a NATO member — the first time since World War II that German forces will be based outside the country on a long-term basis.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, right, and Belgium's Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib cut a cake during a ceremony to mark the 75th anniversary of NATO at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Thursday, April 4, 2024. NATO marked on Thursday 75 years of collective defense across Europe and North America, with its top diplomats vowing to stay the course in Ukraine as better armed Russian troops assert control on the battlefield. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

NATO marks its 75th birthday as Russia’s war in Ukraine gnaws at its unity

NATO is celebrating its 75th anniversary as Russia’s war on Ukraine corrodes its unity and resolve. U.S.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks with the media as he arrives for a meeting of NATO foreign ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Wednesday, April 3, 2024. NATO foreign ministers gathered in Brussels on Wednesday to debate plans to provide more predictable, longer-term support to Ukraine. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

NATO weighs a plan to provide long-term military help to Ukraine as Russian troops assert control

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says the organization is debating a plan to provide more predictable military support to Ukraine as better armed Russian troops assert control on the battlefield.

In this photo provided by Lithuanian Ministry of National Defense, Lithuania's army soldiers attend the celebration for Lithuania's NATO membership 20th anniversary at the Siauliai airbase, some 230 km (144 miles) east of the capital Vilnius, Lithuania, Thursday, March 28, 2024. (Alfredas Pliadis/Lithuanian Ministry of National Defense via AP)

Central and Eastern European countries mark 20 years in NATO with focus on war in Ukraine

Several central and Eastern European countries have begun marking the 20th anniversary of the largest expansion of the NATO military alliance when formerly socialist countries became members of the bloc.

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis speaks at the EPP Congress in Bucharest, Romania, Thursday, March 7, 2024. Romania's President Klaus Iohannis announced Tuesday that he will officially enter the race to become the next leader of the NATO military alliance. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)

Romania’s president announces his bid to become the NATO military alliance’s next leader

Romania’s president says he will enter the race to become the next leader of the 32-nation NATO military alliance, emphasizing his country’s proximity to Ukraine and the threat from Russia.

A vessel from the NATO force sails off the French navy frigate Normandie during a patrol in a Norwegian fjord, north of the Arctic circle, Thursday March 7, 2024. The French frigate is part of a NATO force conducting exercises in the seas, north of Norway, codenamed Steadfast Defender, which are the largest conducted by the 31 nation military alliance since the cold war. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

An expanding NATO uses its diversity as strength. Member troops know Russia is watching

The NATO military alliance is working to turn its diversity into strength as its membership grows in response to Russia’s threat.

FILE - Poland's President Andrzej Duda gives a statement to the media in Warsaw, Poland, Wednesday Jan. 10, 2024, after the arrest of two politicians convicted of abuse of power who had taken refuge for hours in the presidential palace. Poland’s president is calling on other other members of the NATO alliance to raise their spending on defense to 3% of their GDP as Russia puts its economy on a war footing and pushes forward with its invasion of Ukraine. Duda made his call both in remarks in Warsaw and in a piece published by the Washington Post. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski, File)

Poland’s president calls on NATO allies to raise spending on defense to 3% of GDP

Poland’s president is calling on other members of the NATO alliance to raise their spending on defense to 3% of their gross domestic product.

The NATO flag, left, is raised next to the Swedish flag during a ceremony at the Musko navy base Stockholm, Monday, March 11, 2024. Sweden’s national flag has been raised at NATO headquarters in Brussels, cementing the Nordic country’s place as the 32nd member of the alliance two years after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine persuaded its reluctant public to seek safety under NATO’s security umbrella. (Fredrik Sandberg/TT News Agency via AP)

Sweden’s flag is raised at NATO headquarters to cement its place as the 32nd member of the alliance

Sweden’s national flag has been raised at NATO headquarters to cement the Nordic country’s place as the 32nd member.

French Chief Petty officer Julien looks on during a flight to join the French navy frigate Normandie in a Norwegian fjord, north of the Arctic circle, for a reconnaissance patrol, Wednesday March 6, 2024. The French frigate is part of a NATO force conducting exercices in the seas, north of Norway, codenamed Steadfast Defender, which are the largest conducted by the 31 nation military alliance since the cold war. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

NATO’s biggest drills since the Cold War send a signal to Russia and aim for a real-life feel

Large NATO drills in the frigid fjords of northern Norway may be just war games meant to hone the skills of the newly expanded 32-nation military alliance in the event of conflict.

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski speaks while meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, not pictured, Monday, Feb. 26, 2024, at the State Department in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Poland’s foreign minister says the presence of NATO troops in Ukraine is ‘not unthinkable’

Poland’s foreign minister says the presence of NATO forces “is not unthinkable” and that he appreciates the French president for not ruling out that idea.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken, right, poses for a photo with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson holding Sweden's NATO Instruments of Accession in the Benjamin Franklin Room at the State Department, Thursday, March 7, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jess Rapfogel)

Sweden officially joins NATO, ending decades of post-World War II neutrality

Sweden has formally joined NATO as the 32nd member of the transatlantic military alliance, ending decades of post-World War II neutrality and centuries of broader non-alignment.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, left, and Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson attend a news conference during their meeting at Karlberg Palace in Solna, Stockholm, Tuesday, March 5, 2024. (Pontus Lundahl/TT News Agency via AP)

Hungary’s president formally signs the approval of Sweden’s NATO bid, removing last obstacle

Hungary’s president has formally signed a bill approving Sweden’s NATO bid, removing the last obstacle after 18 months of delays that frustrated the alliance.

FILE - One of three Swedish Air Force JAS 39 Gripen fighter aircraft takes off from the Blekinge Wing F17, based in Kallinge southern Sweden for a base in Sardinia to join the Nato-led operation in Libya, on Saturday, April 2, 2011. As Sweden joins NATO, it bids a final farewell to more than two centuries of neutrality. (AP Photo/Scanpix/Patric Soderstrom, File)

Newly enlarged NATO starts drill in Finland, Norway and Sweden in defense of its Nordic turf

NATO kicked off an exercise on Monday to defend its newly expanded Nordic territory when more than 20,000 soldiers from 13 nations take part in drills lasting nearly two weeks in the northern regions of Finland, Norway and Sweden.

The new President of the Republic of Finland Alexander Stubb arrives to his first press conference at the Presidential Palace during his inauguration ceremony in Helsinki, Finland, Friday March 1, 2024. (Emmi Korhonen/Lehtikuva via AP)

Finland’s new president Alexander Stubb says the Nordic country enters ‘a new era’ as a NATO member

Alexander Stubb has been sworn in as Finland’s new president. He said Friday that the Nordic country “is facing a new era” after becoming a NATO member.

This image provided by the U.S. Air Force, a F-16 Fighting Falcon from the 510th Fighter Squadron takes off during Red Flag 24-1 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, on Jan 25, 2024. U.S. senators declined on Thursday, Feb. 29, to block the sale of F-16s to Turkey, despite voicing deep disdain for Turkey's conduct as an ally. They were upholding an unofficial bargain that Turks would get the fighter jets if they stopped blocking Sweden's accession to NATO. (Staff Sgt. Heather Ley/U.S. Air Force via AP)

Senators warily allow F-16 sale to Turkey as part of NATO expansion agreement. ‘A deal’s a deal’

U.S. senators have declined to block the sale of F-16s to Turkey. The vote on Thursday gives the Senate’s OK to an unofficial U.S. bargain with Turkey after it stopped blocking Sweden’s accession to NATO.

French President Emmanuel Macron, center right, delivers a speech at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Monday, Feb. 26, 2024. More than 20 European heads of state and government and other Western officials are gathering in a show of unity for Ukraine, signaling to Russia that their support for Kyiv isn't wavering as the full-scale invasion grinds into a third year. (Gonzalo Fuentes/Pool via AP)

Germany and Poland say they’re not sending troops to Ukraine as the Kremlin warns of a wider war

European heavyweights Germany and Poland insist that they will not send troops to Ukraine. That’s after reports said some Western countries may be considering sending ground troops.

FILE - Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, left, speaks during a press conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the Swedish Government headquarters Rosenbad in Stockholm, Oct. 24, 2023. Hungary's parliament approved Sweden's application to join NATO on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024, paving the way for the Scandinavian country to become the alliance's 32nd member. (Jonas Ekstromer/TT News Agency via AP, File)

Timeline of Sweden’s bid to join the NATO alliance

Hungary’s parliament has approved Sweden’s application to join NATO, paving the way for the Scandinavian country to become the alliance’s 32nd member.

FILE - Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, left, shakes hands with his Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orban at the Carmelite Monastery in Budapest, Hungary, Friday, Feb 23, 2024. Sweden’s bid to join NATO — held up for almost two years — cleared its last hurdle when Hungary gave its go-ahead Monday, Feb. 26, 2024, to let the Nordic country into the alliance. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos, File)

Here’s what to know about Sweden’s bumpy road toward NATO membership

Sweden’s bid to join NATO — held up for almost two years — cleared its last hurdle when Hungary gave its go-ahead Monday to let the Nordic country into the alliance.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban addresses a parliament session, on the day lawmakers are expected to approve Sweden's accession into NATO, in Budapest, Hungary, Monday, Feb 26, 2024. Hungary's parliament is to vote Monday on ratifying Sweden's bid to join NATO, likely bringing an end to more than 18 months of delays that have frustrated the alliance as it seeks to expand in response to Russia's war in Ukraine. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)

Hungary’s parliament ratifies Sweden’s NATO bid, clearing the final obstacle to membership

Hungary’s parliament has ratified Sweden’s bid to join NATO, ending more than 18 months of delays that frustrated the alliance as it sought to expand in response to Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, left, shakes hands with his Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orban at the Carmelite Monastery in Budapest, Hungary, Friday, Feb 23, 2024. Nearly two years after Sweden formally applied to join NATO, its membership now hinges on convincing one country - Viktor Orban's Hungary - to formally ratify its bid to join the military alliance. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)

Hungary and Sweden agree on defense deal ahead of final vote on Sweden’s NATO accession

The prime ministers of Hungary and Sweden have concluded a defense industry agreement that will expand Budapest’s fleet of Swedish-built fighter jets.

United States Vice-President Kamala Harris prepares to address the audience during the Munich Security Conference at the Bayerischer Hof Hotel in Munich, Germany, Friday, Feb. 16, 2024. The 60th Munich Security Conference (MSC) is taking place from Feb. 16 to Feb. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Harris repudiates Trump worldview and says the US won’t back down on Ukraine’s defense

Vice President Kamala Harris has warned about the dangers of growing authoritarianism and isolationism.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg bangs a gavel to signify the start of a meeting of the North Atlantic Council in defense ministers session at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

NATO chief warns against dividing the US and Europe or undermining their joint nuclear deterrent

NATO’s chief is warning member countries not to allow a wedge to be driven between the United States and Europe.

FILE - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, center, is silhouetted against television lights while giving an interview at the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Feb. 18, 2023. The Munich Security Conference has been long regarded as a celebration of the U.S.-led post-World War II international order. In 2024, though, it will be more of a reflection of America's political turmoil. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek, File)

US to confront Trump-driven political turmoil at the Munich Security Conference

The Munich Security Conference has been long regarded as a celebration of the U.S.-led post-World War II international order.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives at Nene Tereza International Airport in Tirana, Albania, Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024. Blinken visits Albania to reaffirm Washington's relations with a key partner in the Western Balkan region and an ally in supporting Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. (AP Photo/Armando Babani, Pool)

US secretary of state assures Western Balkans of support for path toward European Union integration

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has visited Albania to reaffirm relations with a key partner in the region and assure Western Balkan countries of Washington’s support for their integration into the European Union.

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at Charleston Area Convention Center in North Charleston, S.C., Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/David Yeazell)

Donald Trump stands by remarks about not defending NATO members after backlash

Former President Donald Trump is defending saying he “would encourage” Russia “to do whatever the hell they want” to NATO allies that don’t meet defense spending targets days after his comments set off alarm in the U.S. and among its allies.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg addresses a media conference prior to a meeting of NATO defense ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

NATO chief hails record defense spending while warning that Trump’s remarks undermine security

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says European allies and Canada have ramped up defense spending to record levels. He’s also warning that former U.S.

President Joe Biden delivers remarks on a $95 billion Ukraine Israel aid package being debated in Congress, in the State Dining Room of the White House, Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Biden says Trump’s remarks about NATO are ‘un-American’

President Joe Biden says Donald Trump’s comments calling into question the U.S. commitment to defend its NATO allies from attack were “dangerous” and “un-American.”

FILE - Estonia's Prime Minister Kaja Kallas speaks with the media as she arrives for a NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, Wednesday, July 12, 2023. Estonia's prime minister has been put on a wanted list in Russia because of her efforts to remove Soviet-era World War II monuments in the Baltic nation, officials said Tuesday as tensions between Russia and the West soar amid the war in Ukraine. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis, File)

Russia puts the leader of NATO member Estonia on a wanted list over the removal of Soviet-era monuments

Officials say Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas has been put on a wanted list in Russia because of her efforts to remove Soviet-era World War II monuments in the Baltic nation.