NATO's Former Head Says Allies Must Counter Russia's Arctic Rise
NATO must take a stronger role in the Arctic to deter increasing Russian activity, according to the alliance's former secretary general.
'Russia has started re-arming in the Arctic region,' said Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who led the North Atlantic Treaty Organization for five years until 2014 and previously served as Denmark's prime minister. That includes Russia opening air bases and other military installations and making 'significant' investments in Arctic capabilities, he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox News
26 minutes ago
- Fox News
Condoleezza Rice reveals concerning shift in Putin's behavior, calls him 'desperate' as Ukraine strikes back
Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin has grown "more out of control," arguing he is "desperate" to eradicate Ukraine. Rice was asked about reports of Ukraine striking a bridge linking Crimea and Russia in a series of underwater explosions. Rice called the attack "extraordinary" during "Fox & Friends," saying it shows Ukraine can hold Putin accountable for his "aggression.""It shows a couple of things," she told Brian Kilmeade on Wednesday. "First, the changing nature of warfare, that you can do this with relatively cheap drones... against the Russian strategic air fleet, which has cost billions and billions of dollars. Secondly, it shows that the Ukrainians are very advanced in what they are doing in their defense industry with the building of these drones and an employment strategy for them."UKRAINE'S SURPRISE ATTACK SHOWS IT MAY TAKE A 'MAJOR DRONE STRIKE' TO CHANGE US DEFENSE POLICY, EXPERTS SAY "And third, it is an incredible intelligence coup," she added. "Vladimir Putin is undoubtedly now wondering whether there was an inside job. You're probably going to see a witch hunt in Russia as he tries to figure out who did this inside. So it just shows that just with a little bit of help, Ukrainians can make Vladimir Putin pay for his aggression."A massive underwater blast targeting a bridge linking Russia to Crimea left it in a "state of emergency" Tuesday, according to the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU). The SBU said it detonated around 2,500 pounds of underwater explosives along the Kerch Bridge. Footage showed a blast centered around one of the bridge pillars, followed by people surveying damage on top of the bridge. The surprise detonation comes just days after Ukraine carried out "Operation Spider's Web," a series of coordinated drone strikes penetrating deep into Russian territory that is believed to have taken out dozens of Russia's most powerful bomber jets and surveillance planes as they sat idle on five military noted Putin's behavior has become more unstable since she served under former President George W. Bush, pointing to his unwavering determination in trying to "extinguish" Ukraine. "He seems to be more out of control than he used to be," Rice said. "He was always a very controlled figure. Don't get me wrong, he was never a Jeffersonian Democrat. He was always an autocrat. He was always an imperialist, but there is something about him now that seems almost more desperate in wanting to extinguish Ukraine."Rice argued it is imperative for President Donald Trump to make it clear that Russia will not win in its effort to take over the country after peace talks failed to yield a major breakthrough in Istanbul on Monday. "I do think there's a little part of Vladimir Putin that recognizes, particularly, that the energy infrastructure in Russia is degrading, and that he would be better off to stop this war," she said. "But it's being overcome by that other Putin who still thinks he can extinguish Ukraine. And, you know, he needs the president more than the president needs him. And so, making very clear to him that he's not going to get his maximalist claims is extremely important at this point."Fox News' Greg Norman and Jasmine Baehr contributed to this report.
New York Times
36 minutes ago
- New York Times
Trump Says Putin Plans to Retaliate for Ukrainian Attack on Its Warplanes
President Trump said Russia planned to retaliate against Ukraine for its surprise attack over the weekend, after speaking to President Vladimir V. Putin on the phone for more than an hour on Wednesday. 'President Putin did say, and very strongly, that he will have to respond to the recent attack on airfields,' Mr. Trump said in a statement on social media. He described their exchange as a 'good conversation, but not a conversation that will lead to immediate peace.' Mr. Trump did not say in the statement if he sought to discourage Mr. Putin from attacking Ukraine. The White House did not respond to a question inquiring if Mr. Trump pushed back against Mr. Putin. He rather expressed optimism over the prospect of working with Mr. Putin on another foreign policy priority: deterring Iran's nuclear capabilities. The post broke a rare, if temporary, silence by Mr. Trump on complex international affairs. The statement was his first about Kyiv's drone attack on airfields in Russia, a stunning assault that hit nuclear-capable bombers, revealing a significant vulnerability. In what amounted to a strategic and symbolic blow, Ukraine hid drones across Russia before attacking airfields in five regions stretching across five time zones. The attack cost about $7 billion in damage. Mr. Trump described the episode as if he were a bystander, and suggested that an aggressive Russian response was a fait accompli. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
New York Times
41 minutes ago
- New York Times
Putin, Zelensky Trade Accusations Amid Escalating Attacks
The leaders of Russia and Ukraine on Wednesday lashed out, accusing each other of sabotaging peace prospects amid escalating attacks and highlighting the deep animosity that is keeping the sides as far apart as ever. Speaking at a meeting with high-ranking government officials in Russia, President Vladimir V. Putin did not mention Ukraine's audacious recent drone strikes on Russian strategic bombers, but concentrated instead on apparent attacks that derailed two Russian trains on Sunday, killing seven people. After hearing a report from Russia's top investigator, who said that the railway attacks had been committed by Ukrainian special services, Mr. Putin accused Kyiv's leadership of ordering them to disrupt the second round of the Russian-Ukrainian talks that took place on Monday in Istanbul. 'They are asking for a summit meeting,' Mr. Putin said, referring to Ukraine's request for an in-person meeting between him and President Volodymyr Zelensky. 'But how can such meetings be held in these conditions?' Mr. Putin asked. 'How can we negotiate with those who rely on terror?' President Trump said Wednesday that he had spoken with Mr. Putin for the first time since the weekend. In a Truth Social post, referring to the drone strikes against bombers, Mr. Trump said, 'President Putin did say, and very strongly, that he will have to respond to the recent attack on the airfields.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
