WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump is discussing options, including military action, to take control of Greenland, the White House said Tuesday, upping tensions that Denmark warns could destroy the NATO alliance. Trump has stepped up his designs on the mineral-rich, self-governing Danish territory in the Arctic since the US military operation to seize Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro last weekend. &lsquo;Always an option&rsquo;&nbsp;White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that &quot;acquiring Greenland is a national security priority&quot; for Trump to deter adversaries such as Russia and China. &quot;The president and his team are discussing a range of options to pursue this important foreign policy goal, and of course, utilizing the US military is always an option at the commander in chief&#39;s disposal,&quot; she said in a statement to AFP. The Wall Street Journal reported that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers that Trump&#39;s preferred option is to buy Greenland from Denmark, adding that the threats did not signal an imminent invasion. &lsquo;Everything would stop&rsquo;Denmark has warned that any attempt to seize Greenland by force would mean &quot;everything would stop,&quot; including NATO and 80 years of close transatlantic security links. Any US military action against Greenland would effectively collapse NATO, since the alliance&#39;s Article Five pledges that member states will defend any of their number that come under attack. Greenland and Denmark said earlier that they had asked to meet Rubio quickly as tensions rose over the issue. &lsquo;Not for sale&rsquo;&quot;It has so far not been possible,&quot; Greenland&#39;s Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt wrote on social media, adding that they had been pushing for a meeting throughout 2025. Denmark&#39;s Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said meeting Rubio should &quot;clear up certain misunderstandings.&quot; Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen earlier insisted that the island was not for sale, and that only its 57,000 people should decide its future. &#39;Not acceptable&#39;&nbsp;Allies have rallied around Denmark and Greenland while trying not to antagonize Trump. The leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Spain joined Denmark in a statement on Tuesday saying that they would defend the &quot;universal principles&quot; of &quot;sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders.&quot; French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer both sought to play down the row as they attended Ukraine peace talks in Paris alongside Trump&#39;s envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner. &quot;I cannot imagine a scenario in which the United States of America would be placed in a position to violate Danish sovereignty,&quot; Macron said. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, whose country Trump earlier this year said should become the 51st state, also weighed in. &quot;The future of Greenland and Denmark is decided solely by the people of Denmark and Greenland,&quot; Carney told reporters in Paris. Military base in GreenlandThe United States already has a military base in Greenland, the Pituffik space base, with around 150 personnel stationed there. Greenland residents have also rejected Trump&#39;s threats. &quot;This is not something we appreciate,&quot; Christian Keldsen, director of the Greenland Business Association, told AFP in the capital Nuuk.&nbsp; &quot;It is not acceptable in the civilized world.&quot; Trump&#39;s Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller told CNN on Monday that &quot;nobody&#39;s going to fight the United States militarily over the future of Greenland!&quot; Copenhagen has, however, invested heavily in security, allocating some 90 billion kroner ($14 billion) in the last year. Trump has been floating the idea of annexing Greenland since his first term. &quot;It&#39;s like a broken record,&quot; Marc Jacobsen, a specialist in security, politics, and diplomacy in the Arctic at the Royal Danish Defence College, told AFP.

Americas

Europe

Denmark has warned that any move to take Greenland by force would mean that ‘everything would stop’, including NATO and 80 years of close transatlantic security links.

Trump weighs military option to acquire Greenland: White House

WASHINGTON:&nbsp;President Donald Trump signed a sweeping defense policy bill into law Thursday that signaled strong bipartisan support for Europe and defied the US leader&#39;s increasingly hostile posture toward NATO and America&#39;s closest allies. The annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), one the few remaining rituals of cross-party cooperation in Congress even as divisions sharpen elsewhere in Washington, sets out the country&#39;s national security and foreign policy priority areas for the coming year, according to lawmakers. White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said Trump signed into law a measure which raises pay for US troops, codifies the country&#39;s &quot;PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH agenda,&quot; and &quot;funds the Golden Dome&quot; air and missile defense system backed by Trump. The NDAA, at some $900 billion, also &quot;removes woke priorities&quot; like diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs opposed by many conservatives, and &quot;requires promotions based on merit, not DEI,&quot; Kelly added. The Senate easily passed the NDAA measure on Wednesday following the House&#39;s green light last week. The success comes amid unease in European capitals over Trump&#39;s rhetoric, especially after the recent White House national security strategy painted Europe as over-regulated, culturally adrift and insufficiently committed to its own defense. The strategy questioned the continent&#39;s strategic value and openly echoed themes championed by far-right parties, fueling fears of a widening transatlantic rift. By contrast, the NDAA reflects lawmakers&#39; determination to anchor the United States firmly in Europe. The bill bars US troop levels on the continent from falling below 76,000 for more than 45 days and restricts the removal of major military equipment, effectively tying the administration&#39;s hands on any rapid drawdown. It also boosts resources for frontline NATO states, particularly in the Baltic region, reinforcing the alliance&#39;s northeastern flank. The measure authorizes roughly $8 billion more than the administration requested, a signal of congressional assertiveness on defense priorities. Beyond Europe, the NDAA locks in $400 million in security assistance for Ukraine, aiming to preserve a baseline of support even as broader funding debates grind on, and places new limits on any reduction of the 28,500 US troops stationed in South Korea. As ever, the NDAA drew fire from multiple directions -- from conservative critics of Ukraine aid to safety experts warning about aviation provisions rolling back critical air-safety requirements for military aircraft operating in Washington&#39;s restricted airspace. But none came close to derailing a package long seen as must-pass legislation.

Trump signed a $900 billion bipartisan defense bill boosting troop pay, funding missile defense, limiting NATO drawdowns, supporting Europe and Ukraine, removing DEI programs, and exceeding administration spending requests levels

Trump signs $900B defense policy bill into law

WASHINGTON: The United States said Monday it offered strong, NATO-like security guarantees to Ukraine and voiced confidence that Russia would accept, in what Washington said would be a breakthrough in ending the war.&nbsp;US officials described hours of talks in Berlin with President Volodymyr Zelensky as positive and said President Donald Trump would call both the Ukrainian leader and Europeans later Monday to push forward the deal.&nbsp;The US officials warned Ukraine must also accept the deal, which they said would provide security guarantees in line with NATO&#39;s Article Five &ndash; which calls an attack on one ally an attack on all.&nbsp;&quot;The basis of that agreement is basically to have really, really strong guarantees -- Article Five like -- also a very, very strong deterrence&quot; in the size of Ukraine&#39;s military, a US official said on condition of anonymity.&nbsp;&quot;Those guarantees will not be on the table forever. Those guarantees are on the table right now if there&#39;s a conclusion that&#39;s reached in a good way,&quot; he said.&nbsp;Trump has previously ruled out a formal entry of Ukraine into NATO and sided with Russia in calling Kyiv&#39;s aspirations to the alliance a reason for the 2022 invasion by Moscow.&nbsp;But another US official voiced confidence that Russia would back the deal.&nbsp;&quot;I think the Ukrainians would tell you, as would the Europeans, that this is the most robust set of security protocols they have ever seen. It is a very, very strong package,&quot; the second official said.&nbsp;&quot;I think hopefully the Russians are going to look at it and say to themselves, &#39;That&#39;s OK because we have no intention -- we&#39;re going to take them at their word -- we have no intention of violating,&quot; he said.&nbsp;&quot;But violations are going to be addressed with the securities package.&quot;&nbsp;The first official acknowledged that there was no agreement on territory. Trump has called it inevitable that Ukraine would need to surrender territory to Russia, an outcome anathema to Zelensky after his country&#39;s defense of nearly four years.&nbsp;The first US official said that the United States discussed with Zelensky the idea of an &quot;economic free zone&quot; in the area now contested by militaries.&nbsp;&quot;We spent a lot of time trying to define what that would mean, how it operates. And then ultimately, if we can get that defined, then it will really be up to the parties to work out the final issues of sovereignty,&quot; the official said.&nbsp;The talks in Berlin were led by Steve Witkoff, Trump&#39;s business friend and roving global negotiator, and Jared Kushner, Trump&#39;s son-in-law.

The US offered Ukraine strong, NATO Article Five-like security guarantees to end the war, expressing confidence Russia would accept the "robust" package. The deal, pushed by US officials after talks with Zelensky, does not yet resolve the contested issue of Ukrainian territory.

US offers 'NATO-like' security to Ukraine, expects Russia to accept

Muhammad Imad Abbas

ISLAMABAD: The United States committed more funds to rebuilding Afghanistan than it did to reconstructing 16 European nations under the post-World War II Marshall Plan, according to a report released Wednesday by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR).&nbsp;Created by Congress in 2008 to provide independent oversight of US reconstruction efforts, SIGAR compiled its findings from original research, including interviews with US and NATO military and civilian officials, contractors, nongovernmental organizations, and Afghan government personnel.&nbsp;The report found that between 2002 and mid-2021, Congress appropriated approximately $144.7 billion for Afghanistan&rsquo;s reconstruction, far exceeding inflation-adjusted Marshall Plan spending.&nbsp;&ldquo;The mission promised to bring stability and democracy to Afghanistan, yet ultimately delivered neither,&rdquo; the report said.&nbsp;Despite nearly $90 billion allocated for security-sector assistance, Afghan security forces collapsed rapidly after the US military withdrawal in 2021.&nbsp;&ldquo;Costs were immense. Tens of thousands of people, including more than 2,450 US servicemembers, were killed. Many more were injured, among them more than 20,700 US servicemembers,&rdquo; the report added.&nbsp;SIGAR cited numerous interviews with former US and NATO officials, contractors, NGOs, and Afghan government staff, concluding that &ldquo;the seeds of failure in Afghanistan had been sown long before the final withdrawal.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;Success, when measured against the ambitious goals set by the United States, may never have been achievable, regardless of the strategies adopted or the resources invested,&rdquo; the report said.&nbsp;&ldquo;The outcome in Afghanistan should serve as a cautionary tale for policymakers contemplating similar reconstruction efforts.&rdquo;&nbsp;Funding overviewThe report provided a detailed breakdown of how the funds were allocated. Of the total appropriations, 60% went to security, 24% to development projects, 5% to humanitarian assistance, and 11% to agency operations.&nbsp;Reconstruction funding peaked between 2009 and 2012, coinciding with surges in US troop deployments and civilian personnel in Afghanistan. During this period, SIGAR noted that almost 40% of total reconstruction funding was disbursed, with security-related projects consuming the majority of resources.&nbsp;Even after the US military withdrawal, assistance continued. Between October 2021 and June 2025, nearly $3.5 billion was appropriated for Afghanistan, with more than 72% earmarked for humanitarian aid to address urgent needs among Afghan civilians.&nbsp;Waste, fraud, and abandoned equipmentSIGAR&rsquo;s report highlighted significant instances of mismanagement, identifying 1,327 cases of waste, fraud, and abuse that resulted in at least $26 billion in lost funds and over $4.6 billion in potential savings.&nbsp;&ldquo;Criminal investigations resulting from SIGAR oversight led to 171 convictions, including some of the largest tax evasion and conspiracy cases in US history,&rdquo; the report stated.&nbsp;These investigations also recovered $1.7 billion through criminal fines, restitution, forfeitures, and civil settlements.&nbsp;The report further revealed that the United States left behind more than $38 billion in military equipment and civilian infrastructure during its withdrawal, much of it rendered unusable or vulnerable to insurgent takeover.&nbsp;Factors behind the mission&rsquo;s failureAccording to SIGAR, multiple strategic and operational shortcomings contributed to the collapse of the US reconstruction effort.&nbsp;The report criticized US alliances with corrupt Afghan powerbrokers, noting that such partnerships undermined efforts to promote democracy, good governance, and human rights. Flawed institution-building, unrealistic timelines, and rapid spending also increased opportunities for corruption and weakened program effectiveness.&nbsp;&ldquo;The gap between ambition and reality was vast,&rdquo; the report said.&nbsp;Other challenges included a persistent lack of understanding of Afghanistan&rsquo;s complex social, economic, and political dynamics, insufficient monitoring and evaluation of reconstruction programs, and the compounding effects of a prolonged conflict on development efforts.&nbsp;SIGAR noted that these issues created &ldquo;fundamental flaws&rdquo; in America&rsquo;s two-decade-long mission.&nbsp;&ldquo;If there is one overarching lesson to be learned from a tragedy that unfolded over 20 years, it is that any US mission similar in context, scale, and ambition must confront the real possibility of failure,&rdquo; the report said.&nbsp;Oversight challengesThe report also highlighted difficulties in overseeing US assistance programs.&nbsp;SIGAR was the only office of inspector general dedicated exclusively to Afghanistan reconstruction, facing hurdles such as limited agency cooperation, poor record-keeping, difficulty accessing program sites amid ongoing conflict, and high staff turnover at implementing agencies.&nbsp;&ldquo;A robust, in-country presence is critical to establishing a network of local sources to overcome the difficulty of conducting on-site investigations amid an ongoing war,&rdquo; the report added.&nbsp;Legacy and lessonsDespite the massive financial and human investment, SIGAR concluded that US reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan fell short of their stated objectives, leaving a complex legacy of fiscal cost, human suffering, and strategic lessons for future policymakers.&nbsp;&ldquo;The outcome in Afghanistan should serve as a cautionary tale for policymakers contemplating similar reconstruction efforts,&rdquo; the report said.&nbsp;The findings underscore that while US aid and military engagement were unprecedented in scale, structural challenges and misaligned strategies ultimately prevented the establishment of a stable, self-sufficient Afghan state.

Afghanistan

According to a SIGAR report, US Afghanistan reconstruction spending exceeded $144 billion, yet widespread corruption, strategic failures, and weak Afghan forces led to mission collapse and lasting instability.

US spent more on Afghanistan reconstruction than Marshall Plan: report

Pakistan TV Satellite

ISLAMABAD: Russia has expressed that the ongoing war rhetoric from Europe regarding the Ukraine conflict comes as no surprise.&nbsp; While speaking exclusively to Pakistan TV, Dir CIR Dr. Roxolana Zigon said, so-called military illusions have replaced genuine strategic insight within the European Union, particularly in its alignment with NATO over the past decades. This lack of foresight, she said, has weakened Europe&rsquo;s ability to play a decisive role in addressing global crises. Russian authorities emphasize that their concern is not merely with European statements but with the persistent unwillingness of European officials to pursue meaningful diplomacy. Analysts argue that this stubbornness underscores a larger geopolitical reality: between two global powers, the United States and the European Union, there is effectively only one superpower shaping international strategy, particularly in conflict zones such as Ukraine. The United States, under the &ldquo;America First&rdquo; doctrine and Trump administration, continues to assert itself as the dominant global force. In contrast, Europe&rsquo;s influence is perceived as steadily declining, particularly in military and diplomatic arenas related to the Ukrainian crisis. Recent peace talks in Geneva further illustrate this dynamic. Observers note that the U.S. appears to be gradually moving away from the Ukrainian agenda, step by step, leaving the European Union with limited leverage. For Russia, the combination of Europe&rsquo;s strategic missteps and America&rsquo;s dominant position on the global stage confirms a long-standing belief: true superpower status lies with Washington, not Brussels. European rhetoric, may grab headlines, but it does little to shift the balance of power or influence the unfolding events in Ukraine, said Dir CIR.

SAT News Desk

Russian analyst Dr Zigon says so-called military illusions have replaced genuine strategic insight within the European Union, particularly in its alignment with NATO over the past decades.

Russia unfazed by European rhetoric, Eyes US as sole superpower

BERLIN: Germany unveiled the country&#39;s first national space security strategy on Wednesday, with Defense Minister Boris Pistorius vowing to expand military and civilian capabilities in orbit.&nbsp;The strategy comes weeks after Pistorius announced plans for the Armed Forces to spend 35 billion euros ($41 billion) by 2030 on space defenses, citing growing threats posed by Russia and potentially China.&nbsp;&quot;We must develop and possess the capacity for deterrence and defense,&quot; Pistorius told a press conference in Berlin.&nbsp;Both Russia and China are &quot;heavily involved&quot; in space and &quot;positioning themselves to influence other satellites&quot; from Europe and the United States, Pistorius said.&nbsp;The minister acknowledged that &quot;Germany alone will not keep pace with Russia and China,&quot; but said European NATO countries can work together &quot;to ensure that we remain capable of action and defense&quot;.&nbsp;The German initiative follows other European efforts to achieve greater independence in space.&nbsp;The multinational European Space Agency plans to launch an internet satellite constellation, dubbed IRIS2, by 2030.&nbsp;In October, three major European aerospace firms announced plans to merge their satellite options to create a credible European rival to US billionaire Elon Musk&#39;s SpaceX rocket company and Starlink internet system.&nbsp;Satellite systems play a central role in modern communications, internet service, GPS systems and weather forecasting -- all with major implications for military operations as well as civilian life.&nbsp;A cyberattack against satellites at the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine caused the failure of several hundred wind turbines on German soil, Pistorius noted.&nbsp;&quot;Everyone can imagine what an effective strike in space could do to satellite systems -- it would paralyse entire countries, and I think it is only natural for Europeans, Germany and NATO to want to protect themselves against this,&quot; Pistorius said.&nbsp;The minister vowed that Germany would &quot;not pursue an offensive strategy in space,&quot; but said that the ability to launch counterstrikes against opponents is necessary.&nbsp;&quot;We will neither attack nor allow the attack of another nation&#39;s satellite, now or in the future,&quot; Pistorius said.&nbsp;Germany is aiming for a &quot;peaceful, sustainable and rules-based&quot; use of space in order to &quot;prevent an arms race,&quot; according to a press release.&nbsp;Cooperative European space efforts include joint launch capabilities, efforts to develop reusable rockets and international space programmes.&nbsp;The minister for space and research, Dorothee Baer, said on Wednesday that Germany&#39;s space security strategy also includes &quot;programmes on asteroid defense&quot; and efforts to &quot;address the major issue of space debris&quot;.&nbsp;

Germany introduced its first national space security strategy, aiming to boost civilian and military space capabilities amid rising threats from Russia and China. It emphasizes European cooperation, deterrence, satellite protection, reusable rockets, asteroid defense, and managing space debris.

Germany beefs up defense in outer space as Russia threat looms

BRUSSELS: NATO said Wednesday it had been informed in advance of US plans to reduce some of its troops deployed on the alliance&#39;s eastern flank, describing the move as an &quot;adjustment&quot; and nothing &quot;unusual.&quot; Washington&#39;s commitment to the alliance remained &quot;clear,&quot; and its presence in Europe sizeable, a NATO official told AFP. &quot;Even with this adjustment, the US force posture in Europe remains larger than it has been for many years, with many more US forces on the continent than before 2022,&quot; the official said. The US has been expected to announce drawdowns in Europe following a review of its military deployments worldwide &mdash; but no move has been officially communicated yet. Romania&#39;s Defense Ministry, however, previewed the scale-down Wednesday, saying Washington was to halt the rotation of a brigade that had elements in several NATO countries, including Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia and Hungary. The prospect of a US pullout is fraying the nerves of allies, especially given fears that Russia could look to attack a NATO country within the next few years if the war in Ukraine dies down. But NATO swiftly downplayed the significance of the planned US reduction in personnel. &quot;The US commitment to NATO is clear,&quot; the official said. &quot;NATO has robust defense plans in place, and we are working to ensure we maintain the right forces and capabilities to deter potential aggression and provide for our collective defense.&quot;

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte meets with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington on Oct. 22, 2025. (Alex Wong/Getty Images via AFP)

NATO said Wednesday it had been informed in advance of US plans to reduce some of its troops deployed on the alliance's eastern flank, describing the move as an "adjustment" and nothing "unusual."

Reduced US military presence in Europe an 'adjustment': NATO

BRUSSELS: NATO will hold its major annual nuclear exercise next week, the alliance&rsquo;s chief announced Friday, with an important part of the drill to focus on protecting the weapons before they&#39;re ever used. The long-planned &ldquo;Steadfast Noon&rdquo; exercise, which starts on Monday, is taking place amid heightened security around military facilities in Europe due to a series of mysterious drone incidents, some of them blamed on Russia. Steadfast Noon will run for about two weeks. It will be led by the Netherlands and involve 71 aircraft from 14 NATO countries. The exercise has been held at roughly the same time each year for over a decade. &ldquo;We need to do this because it helps us to make sure that our nuclear deterrent remains as credible, and as safe, and as secure, and as effective as possible,&quot; NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said in a video statement. &quot;It also sends a clear signal to any potential adversary that we will and can protect and defend all allies against all threats,&rdquo; he said. Bomber aircraft and fighter jets that can carry nuclear warheads are taking part, but no nuclear weapons or live munitions will be used. The bulk of the exercise is being held in the North Sea, far from Russia and Ukraine. It will involve military bases in Belgium, Britain, Denmark, and the Netherlands. The United States and Britain, with their nuclear forces, are key to NATO&rsquo;s strategic deterrence. France also has nuclear weapons, but is not a part of the organization&rsquo;s nuclear planning group. NATO officials would not say what kind of scenarios would be used to test the 32-nation alliance&#39;s nuclear readiness, but they insisted that it is not directed toward any particular country, nor does it relate to current international events. The United States is providing F-35 jets capable of carrying conventional or nuclear weapons, refueling planes, and other support aircraft. Finland and Poland are sending fighter jets. Electronic warfare equipment and reconnaissance and intelligence systems will also be used. A big part of the exercise will focus on protecting nuclear weapons on the ground, said Col. Daniel Bunch, Chief of NATO Nuclear Operations at the alliance&rsquo;s military headquarters in Mons, Belgium. Bunch said there are &ldquo;a variety of different threats that we assess and that we must defend against because these are highly protected assets that require the utmost security and safety.&rdquo; Asked whether drones are a particular concern given the recent incidents, notably near military facilities in Belgium and Denmark, he said: &ldquo;Drones are not a new threat to us. Drones are something we understand.&rdquo; &ldquo;The more frequent incursions are something we&rsquo;re obviously keeping an eye on,&rdquo; Bunch acknowledged, but he added: &ldquo;Ultimately, we&rsquo;re going to stay one step ahead of the adversary.&rdquo; The Washington Summit declaration agreed by the alliance&rsquo;s leaders last year states that &ldquo;the fundamental purpose of NATO&rsquo;s nuclear capability is to preserve peace, prevent coercion and deter aggression.&rdquo; &ldquo;As long as nuclear weapons exist, NATO will remain a nuclear alliance,&rdquo; it said. James Stokes, the head of NATO&rsquo;s Nuclear Policy Directorate, told reporters that despite the Kremlin&rsquo;s continued and heated rhetoric, the allies &ldquo;haven&rsquo;t seen any change in Russia&rsquo;s nuclear posture&rdquo; recently. He underlined that Russia is not a focus of the exercise, but said that NATO continues to monitor Russian military activities, including its use of dual-capable missiles in Ukraine, which could be fitted to carry nuclear warheads.

NATO will launch its annual nuclear exercise next week, involving 14 nations and 71 aircraft. The drill will focus on nuclear security, with no live weapons used, amid increased drone-related security concerns.

NATO Plans annual nuclear drill as security tightens in Europe

HELSINKI: Finland will not be intimidated by attempts to destabilise it and the rest of Europe with drones and other so-called &quot;hybrid&quot; attacks, its defence minister told AFP on Tuesday. The Nordic country shares a 1,340-kilometre border with Russia, which has been blamed for a series of drone incursions and airspace violations over European countries, claims Moscow has rejected.&nbsp;Unidentified drone sightings in Finland&#39;s neighbour Norway and Denmark since September 22, including at military sites, have prompted the closure of several airports and raised concerns about Europe&#39;s security and preparedness.&nbsp;European officials have called the drone flights hybrid attacks, referring to a form of unconventional warfare.&nbsp;Helsinki is &quot;taking a very calm approach&quot; as speculation mounts about what could come next, Defence Minister Antti Hakkanen told AFP.&nbsp;&quot;No drones can rattle us. They are intended to cause confusion, fear and social unrest,&quot; Hakkanen said.&nbsp;He stressed there was &quot;no direct evidence&quot; yet that Russia was responsible for the drone sightings, but said that &quot;Russia is doing all kinds of other hybrid influencing.&quot;&nbsp;&quot;We are prepared for the fact that Russia has a certain desire to disrupt the West with such drones,&quot; Hakkanen said.&nbsp;NATO has &quot;enhanced vigilance&quot; in the Baltic following the intrusions, and the EU has announced plans for a &quot;drone wall.&quot;&nbsp;&quot;We are actively working with NATO&#39;s Eastern Sentry defence operation and the EU&#39;s drone wall initiative to determine how Finland&#39;s section of the NATO-Russia and EU-Russia borders will be secured against drones,&quot; Hakkanen said.&nbsp;Swedish Defence Minister Pal Jonson, who met with his Finnish counterpart in Helsinki on Tuesday, meanwhile told AFP Europe&#39;s tense security situation was &quot;serious.&quot;&nbsp;&quot;We are seeing a pattern where Russia is taking greater political and military risks,&quot; he told AFP.&nbsp;Finland and Sweden both joined NATO after Russia&#39;s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.&nbsp;Finland shut its eastern border with Russia in mid-December 2023 after the arrival of around 1,000 migrants without visas.&nbsp;Helsinki has claimed the surge was orchestrated by Russia as a form of hybrid warfare,a charge the Kremlin has denied.&nbsp;Both Finland and Sweden have beefed up their military investments and preparedness since joining NATO.

Finland’s defence minister said drones will not scare the country, calling them attempts to spread fear and unrest. Finland is working with NATO and the EU to secure borders amid suspicions of Russian hybrid attacks.

Finland vows calm amid rising drone threats 

UNITED NATIONS: Russia gets the microphone at the UN world leaders&#39; meeting on Saturday, three years into an invasion of Ukraine that the international community has broadly deplored, and a that powerful member newly says Ukraine can repel.&nbsp;Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is due to give his country&#39;s address at the General Assembly, four days after US President Donald Trump said he believed Ukraine can win back all the territory it has lost to Russia.&nbsp;It was a notable tone shift from a US leader who had previously suggested Ukraine would need to make some concessions and could never reclaim all the areas Russia has occupied since seizing the Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and launching a full-scale invasion in 2022.&nbsp;Just three weeks earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin said his country and the US had a &ldquo;mutual understanding&rdquo; and that Trump&#39;s administration &quot;is listening to us.&rdquo;&nbsp;Trump&#39;s new view came after he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of General Assembly Tuesday, seven months after a televised blow-up between the two in the Oval Office. This time, the doors were closed, and the tenor was evidently different &quot;a good meeting,&rdquo; as Zelenskyy described it in his assembly speech the next day.&nbsp;For the fourth year in a row, Zelenskyy appealed to the gathering of presidents, prime ministers and other top officials to get Russia out of his country and warned that inaction would put other countries at risk.&nbsp;&ldquo;Ukraine is only the first,&quot; he said.&nbsp;Unauthorized flights into NATO&rsquo;s airspace intrusions blamed on Russia, have raised alarm around Europe in recent weeks, particularly after NATO jets downed drones over Poland and Estonia said Russian fighter jets flew into its territory and lingered for 12 minutes. Russia denied that its planes entered Estonian airspace and said the drones didn&#39;t target Poland, with Moscow&#39;s ally Belarus maintaining that Ukrainian signal-jamming sent the devices off-course.&nbsp;But European leaders see the incidents as intentional, provocative moves meant to rattle NATO and to suss how the alliance will respond.&nbsp;Russia has offered various explanations for the Ukraine war, among them assuring its own security after NATO expanded eastward over the years.&nbsp;Lavrov&#39;s address to the General Assembly last year was a bitter swipe at the West, whetted with a reference to &ldquo;the senselessness and the danger of the very idea of trying to fight to victory with a nuclear power, which is what Russia is.&rdquo;

At the UN, Russia’s Sergey Lavrov speaks amid war tensions. Trump shifted tone, saying Ukraine can reclaim lost land, after meeting Zelenskyy. NATO accused Russia of provocative airspace violations, while Zelenskyy urged global action against Moscow.

Articles tagged with "NATO"