Russia fired a series of rockets at a shopping center in Kremenchuk, Ukraine, on Monday, raising fears that Russia is stepping up its attacks on civilian structures regardless of the loss of life. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday there were more than a thousand civilians inside the shopping mall and the casualties to come … Read more
Stoltenberg has said NATO’s updated Strategic Concept will likely refer to Russia as the “most significant and direct threat” to security. Anadolu Agency | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Monday said the military alliance is poised to increase the number of its high-readiness forces to well over 300,000 as part … Read more
President Biden will convene with allies this week at a NATO summit in Madrid, which is expected to focus on the security alliance projecting its unity and coordination amid Russia’s war in Ukraine. The meeting, which follows the Group of Seven summit in Germany, is expected to cover a hosts of issues beyond the Russian … Read more
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has said he plans to bring up a stand-off with Russia at this week’s NATO summit. Picture Alliance | Picture Alliance | Getty Images Everything changed when Russia invaded Ukraine and NATO’s defense strategy must now account for the new security environment on Europe’s eastern flank. That’s the coordinated message from … Read more
Russian air strikes hammered Ukraine’s capital Kyiv for the first time in weeks, slamming into an apartment block and kindergarten and killing at least one person with others trapped in destroyed buildings. Up to four explosions shook central Kyiv in the early hours of Sunday. “The Russians hit Kyiv again. Missiles damaged an apartment building … Read more
Putin has several times referred to nuclear weapons since his country invaded Ukraine on February 24 in what the West has seen as a warning not to intervene. Russia will supply Belarus with missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads after the president complained about nuclear-armed NATO flights coming close to the Belarusian border. President Vladimir … Read more
Russian troops took control of Severodonetsk, one of the last holdouts in the breakaway eastern region of Luhansk, on Saturday — even as Western intelligence agencies predicted that the invader’s military will soon exhaust its combat capabilities and be forced to halt its offensive. Hundreds of civilians were believed to remain trapped in underground bunkers … Read more
Santa’s getting company. Fast-melting sea ice has opened a potential new Arctic shipping lane across the North Pole, which will give powerful nations easier access to the frozen zone’s vast riches — but has also sparked fears of war. The Arctic Council predicts that, during the summers, sea ice will be gone by 2040 — allowing for … Read more
Switzerland is a global hub for precious metals with the country’s handful of refineries handling about two-thirds of the world’s gold. Swiss customs authorities are tracking three tonnes of gold of Russian origin that entered Switzerland from the UK last month to watch for potential violations of economic sanctions against Russia following President Vladimir Putin’s … Read more
The Russian ruble has rebounded from crippling economic sanctions imposed on Moscow following the invasion of Ukraine and is now at its strongest in more than seven years — earning it the distinction of being the best-performing currency in the world so far this year. The ruble was trading at 54.47 to the US dollar … Read more