Russian President Vladimir Putin met mercenary leader Yevgeniy Prigozhin in Moscow, five days after Wagner rebellion
Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Wagner Group mercenary boss Yevgeniy Prigozhin and 35 of his commanders on June 29 in Moscow, five days after Wagner’s brief mutiny aimed at ousting the country’s top military officials, who were criticized by Prigozhin for botching the invasion of Ukraine.
In the meeting, which lasted about three hours, Putin “gave his assessment” of the private military company’s fighting record in Ukraine as well as its actions on the day of the mutiny, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Monday in a conference call with reporters.
“The president listened to the commanders’ explanations and offered them options for further employment options and combat application,” Peskov said, without offering more detail.
More live updates here.
Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Wagner Group mercenary boss Yevgeniy Prigozhin and 35 of his commanders on June 29 in Moscow, five days after Wagner’s brief mutiny aimed at ousting the country’s top military officials, who were criticized by Prigozhin for botching the invasion of Ukraine.
In the meeting, which lasted about three hours, Putin “gave his assessment” of the private military company’s fighting record in Ukraine as well as its actions on the day of the mutiny, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Monday in a conference call with reporters.
“The president listened to the commanders’ explanations and offered them options for further employment options and combat application,” Peskov said, without offering more detail.
More live updates here.
Outliers Turkey, Hungary threaten NATO unity in standoff with Russia
When the leaders of NATO nations gather in Lithuania this week, President Biden and his closest allies will endeavor to send Russia a forceful message: that the West is united against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.
But jeopardizing their show of cohesion will be some of the same leaders joining Biden for the Vilnius summit, whose refusal to admit Sweden as the 31-nation bloc’s newest member underscores the divisions that could erode NATO’s deterrent power amid a dangerous standoff with Moscow.
While Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban have cited differing objections to the entry of Sweden, whose advanced military will boost NATO’s combat power, their shared status as holdouts highlights the ability of any member state to disrupt widely supported alliance priorities.
Read the full story here.
When the leaders of NATO nations gather in Lithuania this week, President Biden and his closest allies will endeavor to send Russia a forceful message: that the West is united against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.
But jeopardizing their show of cohesion will be some of the same leaders joining Biden for the Vilnius summit, whose refusal to admit Sweden as the 31-nation bloc’s newest member underscores the divisions that could erode NATO’s deterrent power amid a dangerous standoff with Moscow.
While Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban have cited differing objections to the entry of Sweden, whose advanced military will boost NATO’s combat power, their shared status as holdouts highlights the ability of any member state to disrupt widely supported alliance priorities.
Read the full story here.
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Biden and Sunak pledge support for Ukraine ahead of NATO summit
LONDON — President Biden kicked off his high-stakes visit to Europe with a first stop in London to meet Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, where the two leaders emphasized the importance of “providing the support Ukraine needs to win this war and secure a just and lasting peace,” according to a 10 Downing Street spokesman.
While the war in Ukraine, slogging through its second year, was expected to dominate Biden’s trip to Europe, his one-day visit to Britain touched on a broader array of topics, including the environment, energy supplies, artificial intelligence and critical minerals. Biden also met with the new king.
It was Biden’s first meeting with Charles III since his coronation, and aides said the two men used the time to discuss something on which they largely agree: the need to boost private-sector investment in combating climate change.
Read the full story here.
LONDON — President Biden kicked off his high-stakes visit to Europe with a first stop in London to meet Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, where the two leaders emphasized the importance of “providing the support Ukraine needs to win this war and secure a just and lasting peace,” according to a 10 Downing Street spokesman.
While the war in Ukraine, slogging through its second year, was expected to dominate Biden’s trip to Europe, his one-day visit to Britain touched on a broader array of topics, including the environment, energy supplies, artificial intelligence and critical minerals. Biden also met with the new king.
It was Biden’s first meeting with Charles III since his coronation, and aides said the two men used the time to discuss something on which they largely agree: the need to boost private-sector investment in combating climate change.
Read the full story here.
White House defends sending up to hundreds of thousands of cluster shells to Ukraine
Ukrainian forces are “running out of ammunition,” President Biden said Friday as the administration announced it will send potentially hundreds of thousands of controversial cluster munitions to fuel Ukraine’s efforts to break through Russian defensive lines.
National security adviser Jake Sullivan said the White House spent “quite some time” weighing the risks to civilians of cluster shells, each of which spreads dozens to hundreds of bomblets over a wide area. Unexploded ordnance, or “duds,” can remain lethal years in the future.
After consultations with allies and lawmakers, Biden’s top advisers unanimously recommended going ahead with the cluster transfer, Sullivan said in a briefing for reporters. He noted that any comparison to Russia’s extensive use of the weapons throughout the war was invalid, since Ukraine was fighting for its own survival against Russian aggression.
Read the full story here.
Ukrainian forces are “running out of ammunition,” President Biden said Friday as the administration announced it will send potentially hundreds of thousands of controversial cluster munitions to fuel Ukraine’s efforts to break through Russian defensive lines.
National security adviser Jake Sullivan said the White House spent “quite some time” weighing the risks to civilians of cluster shells, each of which spreads dozens to hundreds of bomblets over a wide area. Unexploded ordnance, or “duds,” can remain lethal years in the future.
After consultations with allies and lawmakers, Biden’s top advisers unanimously recommended going ahead with the cluster transfer, Sullivan said in a briefing for reporters. He noted that any comparison to Russia’s extensive use of the weapons throughout the war was invalid, since Ukraine was fighting for its own survival against Russian aggression.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Wagner Group chief Yevgeniy Prigozhin in Moscow five days after his failed mutiny, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday.
- President Biden is in the United Kingdom, his first stop in a three-nation trip focused in part on rallying the support of U.S. allies for Ukraine.
- Wagner commanders pledged their loyalty to Putin at their meeting with him after the June 24 rebellion, according to Peskov.
- Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine has fundamentally altered relations between Russia and the West, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg wrote in a Foreign Affairs article.
- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan outlined a new condition for Ankara to approve Sweden’s stalled NATO bid: Progress toward Turkish accession to the E.U.
- Russian attacks have killed more than 170 civilians in Kyiv, including seven children, since the start of the invasion, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Sunday.
More live updates here.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Wagner Group chief Yevgeniy Prigozhin in Moscow five days after his failed mutiny, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday.
- President Biden is in the United Kingdom, his first stop in a three-nation trip focused in part on rallying the support of U.S. allies for Ukraine.
- Wagner commanders pledged their loyalty to Putin at their meeting with him after the June 24 rebellion, according to Peskov.
- Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine has fundamentally altered relations between Russia and the West, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg wrote in a Foreign Affairs article.
- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan outlined a new condition for Ankara to approve Sweden’s stalled NATO bid: Progress toward Turkish accession to the E.U.
- Russian attacks have killed more than 170 civilians in Kyiv, including seven children, since the start of the invasion, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Sunday.
More live updates here.
Turkey drops opposition to Sweden’s NATO bid on eve of summit
VILNIUS, Lithuania — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday agreed to support Sweden’s NATO bid, a high-stakes, last-minute reversal that came after a year of obstruction and on the eve of a major alliance summit.
The deal announced Monday in the Lithuanian capital does not confer membership. But if Turkey and fellow holdout Hungary indeed ratify Swedish accession, NATO will grow, cementing a major shift in European security in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“This is a historic day,” said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, expressing confidence that Erdogan would move quickly to have the Turkish legislature approve the ratification. Hungary has said it does not want to be last to ratify, and Stoltenberg said “that problem will be solved.”
President Biden welcomed the news, saying he looks forward to welcoming Sweden “as our 32nd NATO ally.”
Read the full story here.
VILNIUS, Lithuania — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday agreed to support Sweden’s NATO bid, a high-stakes, last-minute reversal that came after a year of obstruction and on the eve of a major alliance summit.
The deal announced Monday in the Lithuanian capital does not confer membership. But if Turkey and fellow holdout Hungary indeed ratify Swedish accession, NATO will grow, cementing a major shift in European security in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“This is a historic day,” said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, expressing confidence that Erdogan would move quickly to have the Turkish legislature approve the ratification. Hungary has said it does not want to be last to ratify, and Stoltenberg said “that problem will be solved.”
President Biden welcomed the news, saying he looks forward to welcoming Sweden “as our 32nd NATO ally.”
Read the full story here.
Biden, U.S. leaders insist war with Russia must end before Ukraine joins NATO
Ahead of this week’s NATO summit in Lithuania, U.S. leaders are insisting that the war with Russia must end before Ukraine is invited to join the powerful military alliance.
President Biden said during an interview with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria that aired Sunday that he doesn’t believe there will be “unanimity” on the issue of Ukraine’s membership while the nation remains “in the middle of a war.”
“We’re determined to [protect] every inch of territory that is NATO territory,” Biden said, noting that if Ukraine were part of NATO, it would put the alliance at war with Russia.
Read the full story here.
Ahead of this week’s NATO summit in Lithuania, U.S. leaders are insisting that the war with Russia must end before Ukraine is invited to join the powerful military alliance.
President Biden said during an interview with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria that aired Sunday that he doesn’t believe there will be “unanimity” on the issue of Ukraine’s membership while the nation remains “in the middle of a war.”
“We’re determined to [protect] every inch of territory that is NATO territory,” Biden said, noting that if Ukraine were part of NATO, it would put the alliance at war with Russia.
Read the full story here.
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Zelensky slams NATO over no clear path to membership, despite Biden unity pitch
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday upended a summit of NATO leaders discussing his country’s potential membership, blasting an agreement for its lack of a concrete timeline for Kyiv to join the alliance as well as the “absurd” process by which it was drafted.
In a fiery tweet, Zelensky frustrated Ukrainian advocates inside the alliance who believed they had secured a win for Kyiv by pushing the United States, Germany and other reluctant countries to consent to “issue an invitation for Ukraine to join NATO when the allies agree and conditions are met,” The language was read out by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg after the agreement among NATO’s 31 leaders was made.
Ukraine has demanded a concrete timeline for NATO membership, pushing members to commit to specific steps for making that happen.
Read the full story here.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday upended a summit of NATO leaders discussing his country’s potential membership, blasting an agreement for its lack of a concrete timeline for Kyiv to join the alliance as well as the “absurd” process by which it was drafted.
In a fiery tweet, Zelensky frustrated Ukrainian advocates inside the alliance who believed they had secured a win for Kyiv by pushing the United States, Germany and other reluctant countries to consent to “issue an invitation for Ukraine to join NATO when the allies agree and conditions are met,” The language was read out by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg after the agreement among NATO’s 31 leaders was made.
Ukraine has demanded a concrete timeline for NATO membership, pushing members to commit to specific steps for making that happen.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- VILNIUS, Lithuania — NATO leaders would invite Ukraine to join the military alliance “when the Allies agree and conditions are met,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters Tuesday as NATO begins its annual summit in this Baltic nation.
- The U.S. delegation was furious with Zelensky’s tweet, according to a person familiar with the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive diplomatic considerations.
- President Biden will meet with Zelensky at the summit, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters Tuesday.
- In a boost to the alliance, Turkey dropped its opposition to Sweden’s NATO membership bid on the eve of the summit, paving the path for Stockholm’s eventual inclusion as the bloc’s 32nd member state.
- Biden was generous in his praise for Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday, after the Turkish president agreed on Monday to drop his opposition to Sweden’s NATO membership bid.
More live updates here.
- VILNIUS, Lithuania — NATO leaders would invite Ukraine to join the military alliance “when the Allies agree and conditions are met,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters Tuesday as NATO begins its annual summit in this Baltic nation.
- The U.S. delegation was furious with Zelensky’s tweet, according to a person familiar with the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive diplomatic considerations.
- President Biden will meet with Zelensky at the summit, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters Tuesday.
- In a boost to the alliance, Turkey dropped its opposition to Sweden’s NATO membership bid on the eve of the summit, paving the path for Stockholm’s eventual inclusion as the bloc’s 32nd member state.
- Biden was generous in his praise for Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday, after the Turkish president agreed on Monday to drop his opposition to Sweden’s NATO membership bid.
More live updates here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- As the second day of the NATO summit got underway, Ukraine’s allies indicated that they would provide Ukraine with security guarantees to bolster the country’s defenses in the long term. “The United States, along with G-7 leaders, will announce our intent to help Ukraine build a military that can defend itself and deter future attack,” Amanda Sloat, National Security Council Director for Europe, said Wednesday.
- The long-term security agreement for Ukraine that allies expect to announce Wednesday should be coupled with measures to support Ukraine’s path to NATO membership, the United Kingdom said. This “will send a strong signal to President Putin and return peace to Europe,” British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said in a statement.
- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Tuesday that the alliance agreed to exempt Ukraine from the Membership Action Plan process that most prospective members must follow.
More live updates here.
- As the second day of the NATO summit got underway, Ukraine’s allies indicated that they would provide Ukraine with security guarantees to bolster the country’s defenses in the long term. “The United States, along with G-7 leaders, will announce our intent to help Ukraine build a military that can defend itself and deter future attack,” Amanda Sloat, National Security Council Director for Europe, said Wednesday.
- The long-term security agreement for Ukraine that allies expect to announce Wednesday should be coupled with measures to support Ukraine’s path to NATO membership, the United Kingdom said. This “will send a strong signal to President Putin and return peace to Europe,” British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said in a statement.
- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Tuesday that the alliance agreed to exempt Ukraine from the Membership Action Plan process that most prospective members must follow.
More live updates here.
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Four maps explain how Sweden and Finland could alter NATO’s security
Sweden’s path to joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization appeared clearer this week when Turkey, after months of stalling, agreed to let the Scandinavian country enter the alliance.
Over more than 70 years, NATO has grown to an alliance of more than 30 countries. Founded in 1949 to counterbalance the growing power of the Soviet Union, NATO — long a source of tension between the West and Russia — has reasserted itself as a significant and unified force against Moscow since Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
Finland, a traditionally neutral nation, officially joined the alliance in April, after submitting a request along with Sweden in response to the war.
Analysts say the move will transform Europe’s security landscape for years to come — and further strain relations with Russia, which opposes the alliance’s eastern expansion.
Read the full story here.
Sweden’s path to joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization appeared clearer this week when Turkey, after months of stalling, agreed to let the Scandinavian country enter the alliance.
Over more than 70 years, NATO has grown to an alliance of more than 30 countries. Founded in 1949 to counterbalance the growing power of the Soviet Union, NATO — long a source of tension between the West and Russia — has reasserted itself as a significant and unified force against Moscow since Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
Finland, a traditionally neutral nation, officially joined the alliance in April, after submitting a request along with Sweden in response to the war.
Analysts say the move will transform Europe’s security landscape for years to come — and further strain relations with Russia, which opposes the alliance’s eastern expansion.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- President Biden delivered a sweeping speech at Lithuania’s Vilnius University on Wednesday, expressing unremitting support for Ukraine and NATO unity, after day two of the annual summit for NATO leaders.
- Earlier Wednesday, the Group of Seven countries — Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain and the United States — issued a joint declaration of “unwavering” support for Ukraine.
- NATO would invite Ukraine to become a member “when allies agree that conditions are met,” Stoltenberg said during the news conference with Zelensky, echoing language from a joint communiqué published Tuesday.
- Yuriy Malashko, head of the Zaporizhzhia regional military administration, said Wednesday that 18 people, including six children, were injured in a Russian strike on a bedroom community in Zaporizhzhia city.
More live updates here.
- President Biden delivered a sweeping speech at Lithuania’s Vilnius University on Wednesday, expressing unremitting support for Ukraine and NATO unity, after day two of the annual summit for NATO leaders.
- Earlier Wednesday, the Group of Seven countries — Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain and the United States — issued a joint declaration of “unwavering” support for Ukraine.
- NATO would invite Ukraine to become a member “when allies agree that conditions are met,” Stoltenberg said during the news conference with Zelensky, echoing language from a joint communiqué published Tuesday.
- Yuriy Malashko, head of the Zaporizhzhia regional military administration, said Wednesday that 18 people, including six children, were injured in a Russian strike on a bedroom community in Zaporizhzhia city.
More live updates here.
At NATO summit, Biden’s caution clashed with calls to draw Ukraine closer
The negotiations about Ukraine’s glidepath toward NATO membership had come down to the wire, and Biden administration officials believed they had finally found a compromise: a vow to ease Kyiv’s membership process, once the wartime situation allows it.
Then Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky weighed in with a tweet blasting the draft offer as far too little. It crashed President Biden’s careful balance between two constituencies: his own conviction that a U.S. misstep in Ukraine could start World War III, and the voices channeling Kyiv’s desire to join the fast track to NATO membership.
Zelensky’s intervention midway through NATO’s high-stakes summit here made members of the U.S. delegation “furious,” one official said. And it crystallized a broader tension facing Biden as Ukraine’s counteroffensive runs up against entrenched Russian defenses: The United States is by far Kyiv’s biggest military backer.
Read the full story here.
The negotiations about Ukraine’s glidepath toward NATO membership had come down to the wire, and Biden administration officials believed they had finally found a compromise: a vow to ease Kyiv’s membership process, once the wartime situation allows it.
Then Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky weighed in with a tweet blasting the draft offer as far too little. It crashed President Biden’s careful balance between two constituencies: his own conviction that a U.S. misstep in Ukraine could start World War III, and the voices channeling Kyiv’s desire to join the fast track to NATO membership.
Zelensky’s intervention midway through NATO’s high-stakes summit here made members of the U.S. delegation “furious,” one official said. And it crystallized a broader tension facing Biden as Ukraine’s counteroffensive runs up against entrenched Russian defenses: The United States is by far Kyiv’s biggest military backer.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- President Biden is in Finland — NATO’s newest member state — for a summit with Nordic leaders. It follows a two-day NATO summit this week, which “put to rest any doubts” about Ukraine’s future membership in NATO, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his nightly address, despite the lack of a concrete timeline that Zelensky had earlier described as “absurd.”
- In Russia, Maj. Gen. Ivan Popov claimed he was forced to retire after highlighting problems with the army fighting in Ukraine, according to a voice message published by a Russian lawmaker.
- The Group of Seven pledged to provide Kyiv with security assistance and modern military equipment. Its member states will prioritize supplying air defense, armored vehicles, and artillery and long-range weapons, their leaders said in a statement.
- The Wagner mercenary group has handed over thousands of tons of weapons, ammunition and military equipment to the Russian army, Moscow said.
More live updates here.
- President Biden is in Finland — NATO’s newest member state — for a summit with Nordic leaders. It follows a two-day NATO summit this week, which “put to rest any doubts” about Ukraine’s future membership in NATO, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his nightly address, despite the lack of a concrete timeline that Zelensky had earlier described as “absurd.”
- In Russia, Maj. Gen. Ivan Popov claimed he was forced to retire after highlighting problems with the army fighting in Ukraine, according to a voice message published by a Russian lawmaker.
- The Group of Seven pledged to provide Kyiv with security assistance and modern military equipment. Its member states will prioritize supplying air defense, armored vehicles, and artillery and long-range weapons, their leaders said in a statement.
- The Wagner mercenary group has handed over thousands of tons of weapons, ammunition and military equipment to the Russian army, Moscow said.
More live updates here.
Russia fires top commander in Ukraine who criticized Defense Ministry
A top Russian general leading Moscow’s forces in occupied southern Ukraine said he was abruptly removed from his post after he criticized the Russian Defense Ministry.
Maj. Gen. Ivan Popov, commander of the 58th Combined Arms Army, which is active in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, recorded an appeal to servicemen that was published late Wednesday on the Telegram channel of Andrei Gurulev, a deputy in the State Duma (Russia’s lower house of parliament).
In the recording, Popov said he was dismissed “one day” after he “outlined all the problems existing in the army in terms of combat work and support” and expressed this criticism to figures “at the very top.”
Read the full story here.
A top Russian general leading Moscow’s forces in occupied southern Ukraine said he was abruptly removed from his post after he criticized the Russian Defense Ministry.
Maj. Gen. Ivan Popov, commander of the 58th Combined Arms Army, which is active in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, recorded an appeal to servicemen that was published late Wednesday on the Telegram channel of Andrei Gurulev, a deputy in the State Duma (Russia’s lower house of parliament).
In the recording, Popov said he was dismissed “one day” after he “outlined all the problems existing in the army in terms of combat work and support” and expressed this criticism to figures “at the very top.”
Read the full story here.
Exclusive: Zelensky’s angry tweet on NATO membership nearly backfired
JAKARTA, Indonesia — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s confrontational tweet this week challenging NATO leaders on the glacial pace of his war-torn country’s admission into the alliance so roiled the White House that U.S. officials involved with the process considered scaling back the “invitation” for Kyiv to join, according to six people familiar with the matter.
Ultimately, the United States and its allies agreed they would preserve the declaration’s language as eventually presented Tuesday at the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. The declaration lacks a timeline for Ukraine’s membership into the bloc but was the product of hard-won efforts to move the Biden administration and other European leaders to grant more-specific offers to Kyiv amid Russia’s ongoing invasion.
Read the full story here.
JAKARTA, Indonesia — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s confrontational tweet this week challenging NATO leaders on the glacial pace of his war-torn country’s admission into the alliance so roiled the White House that U.S. officials involved with the process considered scaling back the “invitation” for Kyiv to join, according to six people familiar with the matter.
Ultimately, the United States and its allies agreed they would preserve the declaration’s language as eventually presented Tuesday at the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. The declaration lacks a timeline for Ukraine’s membership into the bloc but was the product of hard-won efforts to move the Biden administration and other European leaders to grant more-specific offers to Kyiv amid Russia’s ongoing invasion.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Exclusive: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s fiery response to NATO’s conditions-based pledge in Vilnius touched off a scramble — and brief consideration of watering down what Kyiv would be offered, officials said.
- President Biden is in Finland — NATO’s newest member state — for a summit with Nordic leaders.
- In Russia, Maj. Gen. Ivan Popov claimed he was forced to retire after highlighting problems with the army fighting in Ukraine, according to a voice message published by a Russian lawmaker.
- The Group of Seven pledged to provide Kyiv with security assistance and modern military equipment.
- The Wagner mercenary group has handed over thousands of tons of weapons, ammunition and military equipment to the Russian army, Moscow said.
- Moscow would regard Ukraine’s Western allies supplying it with F-16 fighter jets as a “nuclear” threat because of their capacity to carry atomic weapons, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.
More live updates here.
- Exclusive: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s fiery response to NATO’s conditions-based pledge in Vilnius touched off a scramble — and brief consideration of watering down what Kyiv would be offered, officials said.
- President Biden is in Finland — NATO’s newest member state — for a summit with Nordic leaders.
- In Russia, Maj. Gen. Ivan Popov claimed he was forced to retire after highlighting problems with the army fighting in Ukraine, according to a voice message published by a Russian lawmaker.
- The Group of Seven pledged to provide Kyiv with security assistance and modern military equipment.
- The Wagner mercenary group has handed over thousands of tons of weapons, ammunition and military equipment to the Russian army, Moscow said.
- Moscow would regard Ukraine’s Western allies supplying it with F-16 fighter jets as a “nuclear” threat because of their capacity to carry atomic weapons, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.
More live updates here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- The Pentagon has assessed that Wagner, the Russian mercenary group that conducted a brief but dramatic mutiny against the Kremlin last month, is not “participating in any significant capacity in support of combat operations in Ukraine.”
- U.S.-supplied cluster munitions are now in Ukraine, U.S. Lt. General Douglas A. Sims II, the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s director of operations, told reporters. They have not yet been used, Ukrainian Brig. Gen. Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, told CNN.
- Ukrainian forces will seek to use cluster munitions “in a tactical environment,” unlike Russia, which has employed the munitions “against civilian communities,” Sims said.
- President Biden authorized the Pentagon to mobilize up to 3,000 reservists for duty in Europe. Pentagon officials said the move would not increase the overall level of U.S. troops in Europe, which stands at about 80,000, but could alter its makeup by allowing commanders to deploy additional reservists.
More live updates here.
- The Pentagon has assessed that Wagner, the Russian mercenary group that conducted a brief but dramatic mutiny against the Kremlin last month, is not “participating in any significant capacity in support of combat operations in Ukraine.”
- U.S.-supplied cluster munitions are now in Ukraine, U.S. Lt. General Douglas A. Sims II, the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s director of operations, told reporters. They have not yet been used, Ukrainian Brig. Gen. Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, told CNN.
- Ukrainian forces will seek to use cluster munitions “in a tactical environment,” unlike Russia, which has employed the munitions “against civilian communities,” Sims said.
- President Biden authorized the Pentagon to mobilize up to 3,000 reservists for duty in Europe. Pentagon officials said the move would not increase the overall level of U.S. troops in Europe, which stands at about 80,000, but could alter its makeup by allowing commanders to deploy additional reservists.
More live updates here.
Russia says Wagner has returned tanks, missile systems, weapons, ammo
Russia’s Defense Ministry said Wednesday that the Wagner Group has handed over thousands of tons of weapons, ammunition and military equipment to the Russian army, in the latest sign that Moscow is still working to break up the mercenaries’ influence following their dramatic and short-lived mutiny last month.
The ministry released a video that it said showed staff inspecting some of the more than 2,000 pieces of equipment and 2,750 tons of ammunition. The haul included tanks, Pantsir and other missile systems, and around 20,000 small arms, the ministry said.
The Washington Post was unable to verify the video or confirm that the weapons featured were used by the Wagner Group.
Read the full story here.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said Wednesday that the Wagner Group has handed over thousands of tons of weapons, ammunition and military equipment to the Russian army, in the latest sign that Moscow is still working to break up the mercenaries’ influence following their dramatic and short-lived mutiny last month.
The ministry released a video that it said showed staff inspecting some of the more than 2,000 pieces of equipment and 2,750 tons of ammunition. The haul included tanks, Pantsir and other missile systems, and around 20,000 small arms, the ministry said.
The Washington Post was unable to verify the video or confirm that the weapons featured were used by the Wagner Group.
Read the full story here.
Greece request for U.S. fighter jets sticking point for Turkey’s F-16s
Turkey’s agreement this week to allow Sweden to become a NATO member, in apparent exchange for President Biden’s willingness to push forward Ankara’s long-stalled purchase of U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets, may not be the end of the issue.
There is another NATO member in the eastern Mediterranean that also wants to buy sopisticated American aircraft, and U.S. lawmakers from both parties say that one deal should not go forward without the other.
Greece — Turkey’s longtime regional rival — wants F-35s, the most advanced U.S. fighter jets, a pending purchase that has been in limbo. And though senior members of Congress appear to have softened their opposition to Turkey’s F-16 request following Ankara’s agreement to drop its objections to Sweden’s NATO accession, they have linked the two deals.
Read the full story here.
Turkey’s agreement this week to allow Sweden to become a NATO member, in apparent exchange for President Biden’s willingness to push forward Ankara’s long-stalled purchase of U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets, may not be the end of the issue.
There is another NATO member in the eastern Mediterranean that also wants to buy sopisticated American aircraft, and U.S. lawmakers from both parties say that one deal should not go forward without the other.
Greece — Turkey’s longtime regional rival — wants F-35s, the most advanced U.S. fighter jets, a pending purchase that has been in limbo. And though senior members of Congress appear to have softened their opposition to Turkey’s F-16 request following Ankara’s agreement to drop its objections to Sweden’s NATO accession, they have linked the two deals.
Read the full story here.