NATO Expansion in Focus as Blinken Travels to Europe for Talks on Russia-Ukraine War & More News Here

The doable growth of NATO will probably be a spotlight of talks Saturday, as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken heads to Berlin for an off-the-cuff NATO overseas ministerial assembly.

Finnish President Sauli Niinisto and Prime Minister Sanna Marin have expressed their approval for becoming a member of the alliance, a transfer that may full a serious coverage shift for the Scandinavian international locations in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated Friday his nation doesn’t help Finland and Sweden becoming a member of NATO, citing their help of what Turkey considers terrorist organizations, such as Kurdish militant teams.

“We are following developments concerning Sweden and Finland, but we are not of a favorable opinion,” Erdogan advised reporters in Istanbul. Any NATO enlargement requires the unanimous consent of the prevailing members.

US stance

U.S. officers stated they have been working to “clarify Turkey’s position,” whereas reiterating that the “United States would support a NATO application by Finland and/or Sweden should they choose to apply.”

“We strongly support NATO’s Open Door policy,” U.S. Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs Karen Donfried advised reporters Friday. “I think that it’s important to remember that a fundamental principle the U.S. is defending in terms of its support for Ukraine is the right of every sovereign country to decide its own future foreign and security policy arrangement.”

Both Sweden’s and Finland’s overseas ministers will take part in the North Atlantic Council casual dinner Saturday in Berlin. From Germany, Blinken heads to France on Sunday, the place he’ll attend the second ministerial assembly of the U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council, recognized as the TTC.

U.S. President Joe Biden talked with Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson and Finland’s Niinisto on Friday.

“President Biden underscored his support for NATO’s Open Door policy and for the right of Finland and Sweden to decide their own future, foreign policy, and security arrangement,” the White House stated in a readout of the decision, including the leaders “reiterated their shared commitment to continued coordination in support of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people affected by the war.”

Impact of NATO growth

The German Marshall Fund’s Michael Kimmage advised VOA that Finland’s becoming a member of NATO would shake up the safety order in Europe, each for NATO and for Russia.

“It’s a very, very long border, and of course it brings NATO very close to — or will bring NATO if it all goes through — very close to St. Petersburg. And at the same time, it will give NATO a lot more territory right on the Russian border to defend. So those are big steps. Those are big changes,” Kimmage stated.

Russia has warned towards NATO growth and stated Finland’s and Sweden’s becoming a member of would convey “serious military and political consequences.”

“The expansion of NATO and the approach of the alliance to our borders does not make the world and our continent more stable and secure,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov advised reporters Thursday.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke by cellphone along with his Russian counterpart Sergey Shoygu for the primary time since February 18.

Pentagon press secretary John Kirby stated in a press release that Austin “urged an immediate cease-fire in Ukraine and emphasized the importance of maintaining lines of communication.”

US support to Ukraine

Austin additionally spoke Friday with Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov about Ukraine’s “evolving battlefield needs.”

“Secretary Austin highlighted the President’s May 6 announcement of $150 million in Presidential Drawdown Authority to provide Ukraine’s Armed Forces with artillery, counter-artillery radars, and electronic jamming equipment,” Kirby stated in a press release. “Minister Reznikov shared his assessment of the situation on the ground in eastern Ukraine.”

On Thursday, U.S. Senator Rand Paul blocked a vote on a $40 billion support bundle for Ukraine, slowing U.S. efforts to shortly ship extra assist to Ukraine as it battles a Russian invasion.

“We cannot save Ukraine by dooming the U.S. economy,” Paul stated.

A unanimous Senate vote would have expedited the supply of support to Ukraine. Paul’s transfer, nevertheless, has delayed the vote for one other week, when the Senate is anticipated to go the invoice.

War crimes trial

In Ukraine, a 21-year-old Russian soldier was introduced earlier than a Kyiv court docket Friday, in the primary battle crimes continuing because the battle started.

Ukrainian prosecutors say Vadim Shishimarin fired a number of pictures from a automobile in the Sumy area of northeastern Ukraine on February 28, simply days after the battle started, killing an unarmed 62-year-old man who was pushing a motorbike on the facet of the highway.

Ukraine’s authorities says it’s investigating greater than 10,000 battle crimes involving Russian forces, with circumstances of torture and mutilation having usually been revealed after Russian forces left a Ukrainian metropolis, as in the case of Bucha.

Russia has denied committing battle crimes in Ukraine, and the Kremlin on Friday stated it had no information of the trial.

Putin-Scholz name

In Moscow, Russian President Vladmir Putin on Friday spoke by cellphone with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz concerning the stalled Ukrainian-Russian peace talks.

In a tweet, the German chief stated he had known as throughout the 75-minute dialog for an instantaneous cease-fire, countered the Russian declare “that Nazis are in power” as false and likewise reminded Putin “about Russia’s responsibility for the global food situation.”

G-7 assembly

The name got here as G-7 ministers assembly in Germany pledged unity and extra weapons and support to Ukraine.

The European Union’s overseas coverage chief Josep Borrell introduced a further $520 million value of navy help to Ukraine for heavy weaponry, whereas expressing hope that member states would agree to a Russian oil embargo.

British Foreign Minister Liz Truss additionally introduced new sanctions towards members of Putin’s interior circle, together with his former spouse and cousins.

VOA Senior Diplomatic Correspondent Cindy Saine contributed to this report.

Some data for this story got here from The Associated Press and Reuters.

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