NATO's Northern Flank Prepares To Counter Russia Threat
"Anywhere you are, you can see Russia when you're flying," Brigadier Nick English, commander of the British Army's 1st Aviation Brigade Combat Team, said as he strode through the snow and churned ground of Europe's largest training ground in northern Finland.
"You're that close," he told Newsweek.
But NATO is ready for whatever Russia may do on the alliance's northern flank, military personnel camped out in Finland's Arctic Circle say, despite concerns about how ready Europe's armed forces are for a fight with Russia and how long certain armies could hold out.
Finnish, Swedish and British soldiers have been plugging away through joint exercises crafted to induct NATO's newest members into the alliance, live-firing howitzers and loading Hellfire missiles into Apache helicopters roughly 70 miles from the Russian border.
More drills have been rolled out further south along NATO's eastern border, close to Russian soil, Belarusian territory and on Ukraine's doorstep.
Finland, Sweden and the U.K. have pledged to raise military spending in the next few years, part of a drive across NATO to dedicate significantly more money to the military in the face of fierce criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump and burgeoning worries over what Russia could do next.
Military officials across NATO countries are increasingly outspoken about the threat Russia could pose to the alliance once Moscow has had a chance to recover from more than three years of grueling war in Ukraine.
Russia's invasion of its neighbor on February 24, 2022, has hacked away at the Kremlin's ground forces but left much of the rest of the Russian military unscathed.
There are deepening concerns over where hundreds of thousands of battle-hardened Russian recruits, volunteers and conscripts will end up if a ceasefire deal is inked. Trump and senior officials in his administration have made putting an end to Europe's largest land war since World War II a foreign policy priority, albeit one increasingly frustrating to the Republican president.
The Finns are certainly aware that Russia is expanding its bases close to its eastern border. The construction appears to be part of a longer-looking effort to expand Russian military facilities in spitting distance of NATO, The New York Times reported this week.
Russia had about 20,000 soldiers and four standby brigades close to Finland before 2022, according to Lieutenant General Vesa Virtanen, deputy chief of the Finnish armed forces. A brigade is typically between 3,000 and 5,000 soldiers.
"Now we see that Russia is building new infrastructure and bringing more troops to this region as soon as they can," Virtanen told German newspaper Die Welt last month. "They are reorganizing themselves."
In late 2022, then-Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said the Kremlin would remodel Russia's military structure while inflating the number of service members over the next few years. Parts of the plan were to split Russia's Western Military District—close to NATO's eastern flank—into two districts, Moscow and Leningrad, and to grow the size of the military. This came into force in June 2024.
When Finland joined NATO in 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that reestablishing the Leningrad Military District was a direct result of NATO increasing its presence on Russia's border. Finland's accession to the alliance doubled the size of NATO's border with Russia.
The number of Russian troops based close to Finland could double or triple compared to before the war with Ukraine, Pekka Turunen, head of Helsinki's military intelligence, told Reuters in January.
Intelligence assessments, including from Estonia just south of Finland, have warned that NATO could face a large and experienced, if less technologically advanced, Russian military in the next few years. A wavering U.S. commitment makes this possibility more likely, many suggest.
Washington's ambassador to NATO, Matthew Whitaker, said in recent days that talks on reducing the vast U.S. presence in Europe would come in the wake of the alliance's upcoming summit in The Hague. The U.S. was not involved in this round of exercises in Finland, nor did it facilitate the drills.
While there is a public confidence in the strength of the alliance, there are concerns about gaping capability gaps across Europe. Air defense systems and supplies, as well as ammunition, are among the most urgent.
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Associated Press
36 minutes ago
- Associated Press
The election of a Trump ally in Poland could alter EU and Ukraine policies
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland has elected Karol Nawrocki, a conservative historian and staunch nationalist, as its next president in a closely watched vote that signals a resurgence of right-wing populism in the heart of Europe. Nawrocki, who is set to take office on Aug. 6, is expected to shape the country's domestic and foreign policy in ways that could strain ties with Brussels while aligning the Central European nation of nearly 38 million people more closely with the administration of President Donald Trump in the United States. Here are some key takeaways: Conservative populism on the rise Nawrocki's victory underscores the enduring appeal of nationalist rhetoric among about half of the country along the eastern flank of NATO and the European Union, and its deep social divisions. The 42-year-old historian who had no previous political experience built his campaign on patriotic themes, traditional Catholic values, and a vow to defend Poland's sovereignty against the EU and larger European nations like Germany. His win also reflects the appeal of right-wing nationalism across Europe, where concerns about migration, national sovereignty, and cultural identity have led to surging support for parties on the right — even the far right in recent times. Far-right candidates did very well in Poland's first round of voting two weeks earlier, underlining the appeal of the nationalist and conservative views. Nawrocki picked up many of those votes. As his supporters celebrate his win, those who voted for the defeated liberal candidate, Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski, worry that it will hasten the erosion of liberal democratic norms. Prime Minister Donald Tusk's troubles Nawrocki's presidency presents a direct challenge to Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who returned to power in late 2023 pledging to mend relations with the EU and restore judicial independence which Brussels said was eroded by Law and Justice, the party that backed Nawrocki. But Tusk's coalition — a fragile alliance of centrists, leftists, and agrarian conservatives — has struggled to push through key promises including a civil union law for same-sex couples and a less restrictive abortion law. Nawrocki, who opposes such measures, will have the power to veto legislation, complicating Tusk's agenda and potentially triggering political gridlock. Ties with the Trump administration Nawrocki's election could signal a stronger relationship between Poland and the Trump administration. Poland and the U.S. are close allies, and there are 10,000 U.S. troops stationed in Poland, but Tusk and his partners in the past have been critical of Trump. Nawrocki, however, has a worldview closely aligned with Trump and his Make America Great Again ethos. Trump welcomed Nawrocki to the White House a month ago and his administration made clear in other ways that he was its preferred candidate. A shifting focus on Ukraine While Nawrocki has voiced support for Ukraine's defense against Russian aggression, he does not back Ukrainian membership in NATO and has questioned the long-term costs of aid — particularly support for refugees. His rhetoric has at times echoed that of Trump, for instance by accusing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of what he said was insufficient gratitude for Poland's assistance. With growing public fatigue over helping Ukrainian refugees, Nawrocki's approach could shift Poland's posture from strong ally to conditional partner if the war drags on much longer. Ties with the EU The election result is a setback for the EU, which had welcomed Tusk's return in 2023 as a signal of renewed pro-European engagement. Nawrocki and the Law and Justice party have criticized what nationalists view as EU overreach into Poland's national affairs, especially regarding judicial reforms and migration policy. While the president does not control day-to-day diplomacy, Nawrocki's symbolic and veto powers could frustrate Brussels' efforts to bring Poland back into alignment with bloc standards, particularly on rule-of-law issues. Market jitters Though an EU member, Poland has its own currency, the zloty, which weakened slightly on Monday morning, reflecting investor concerns over potential policy instability and renewed tensions with EU institutions. Billions of euros in EU funding has been linked to judicial reforms which Tusk's government will now be unlikely to enact without presidential cooperation.
Yahoo
38 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Ukraine hits air bases thousands of miles inside Russia in audacious military operation
Ukrainian forces have destroyed dozens of Russian warplanes parked at air bases thousands of miles from the front lines, according to a source in the country's security services, in one of Kyiv's most audacious and sophisticated counter assaults since the beginning of the war. The operation, dubbed 'Spiderweb,' saw drones hit targets across a large swathe of Russia, including in Belaya – which is closer to Japan than Ukraine – and at Olenya base near Murmansk in the Arctic Circle, according to the source. More than 40 Russian aircraft were 'burning en masse' at four air bases, the source said. The SBU, Ukraine's domestic intelligence agency, said the strikes caused an estimated $7 billion in damages and hit 34% of Russia's strategic cruise missile carriers at its main air bases. The drone attacks came on the eve of expected peace talks in Istanbul between Russia and Ukraine, which were already strained by uncertainty and pressure from US President Donald Trump. The Trump administration was not given a heads-up about the operation, an administration official told CNN. The strikes appear intended to send a message to Russia that Ukraine could still apply pressure more than three years since Russia's unprovoked invasion. Kyiv has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of not wanting to end the war as Moscow ramps up its attacks and offensive operations, including launching its largest drone assault on Ukraine since the war began overnight Saturday. The operation, more than a year and a half in the making, involved drones being smuggled into Russian territory and hidden in wooden mobile houses atop trucks, according to the security source. The roofs were then remotely opened, and the drones deployed to launch their strikes. 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More than 40 aircraft were known to have been hit, according to the Security source, including TU-95 and Tu-22M3 strategic bombers and one of Russia's few remaining A-50 surveillance planes. 'We are doing everything to drive the enemy from our native land! We will strike them at sea, in the air, and on land. And if needed — we'll reach them even from underground,' the SBU said in a statement. A senior US defense official told CNN that Ukraine's attack showed a level of sophistication that they had not seen before. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth received regular updates as he traveled to Joint Base Andrews on Sunday but has not yet spoken to his Ukrainian counterparts, the official said. The airfields targeted included Belaya in Irkutsk, some 4,500 kilometers (2,800 miles) from Ukraine's border with Russia, and the Dyagilevo base in Ryazan in western Russia, about 520 kilometers (320 miles) from Ukraine, which is a training center for Russia's strategic bomber force. The Olenya base near Murmansk in the Arctic Circle, more than 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) from Ukraine, was also struck, according to the source, as well as the Ivanovo air base, more than 800 kilometers (500 miles) from Ukraine. Ivanovo is a base for Russian military transport aircraft. The Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed Ukraine had targeted Russian airfields across five regions on Sunday, calling the drone strikes 'terrorist attacks.' The ministry said strikes were repelled in the Ivanovo, Ryazan and Amur regions but that 'several pieces of aircraft' caught fire after attacks in the Murmansk and Irkutsk regions. It added that the fires had since been extinguished. There were no casualties as a result of the attacks, the ministry continued, adding that 'some participants in the terrorist attacks have been detained.' The governor of Irkutsk region, Igor Kobziev, said that drones had been launched from a truck near the Belaya base. 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'The drones were hidden under the roofs of the houses, which were already placed on trucks. At the right moment, the roofs were remotely opened, and the drones flew to hit Russian bombers.' One video purportedly of one attack appears to show drones rising from a truck, as vehicles pass on a nearby highway. Another image shows the roof of the truck on the ground. The source added that people involved were already back in Ukraine. Ukraine's operation followed a Russian attack overnight Saturday that involved 472 drones – Moscow's largest drone attack since the war began. It came the same day as a Russian missile strike on a training site used by Ukrainian forces, killing at least 12 people and wounding more than 60 others. It also came soon after two bridges collapsed in Russia's western regions bordering Ukraine in unclear circumstances. This chain of events comes as Russia and Ukraine are set to return to peace negotiations on Monday. The talks, which will take place in Istanbul, have been strained by uncertainty. US President Donald Trump has expressed frustration around Russian President Vladimir Putin's resistance to advancing the peace talks. Putin proposed holding 'direct talks' in Turkey earlier this month – but never showed up, despite Zelensky agreeing to meet. In the end, the two nations sent low-level delegations to negotiate instead. A framework from the Ukrainian delegation lists key principles for the talks that include a full and unconditional ceasefire, an exchange of prisoners, and the release of hostages and return of abducted children. CNN's Frankie Vetch, Eve Brennan and Catherine Nicholls contributed to this report.
CBS News
an hour ago
- CBS News
Trump-backed conservative narrowly wins Poland's presidential election
Warsaw, Poland — Conservative Karol Nawrocki won Poland's weekend presidential runoff election, according to the final vote count on Monday. Nawrocki won 50.89% of votes in a very tight race against liberal Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski, who received 49.11%. The race had Poland on edge since a first round of voting two weeks earlier, revealing deep divisions in the country along the eastern flank of NATO and the European Union. An early exit poll released Sunday evening suggested Trzaskowski was headed to victory before updated polling began to reverse the picture a couple of hours later. Karol Nawrocki, presidential candidate of the Law and Justice Party , gestures to supporters in Warsaw following the Polish presidential runoff election on June 01, 2025. Sean Gallup / Getty Images The outcome suggests Poland can be expected to take a more populist and nationalist path under its new leader, who was backed by President Trump. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen congratulated Nawrocki. In a post on X, she said she's "confident that the EU will continue its very good cooperation with Poland." Most day-to-day power in the Polish political system rests with a prime minister, who is chosen by the parliament. However, the president's role is not merely ceremonial. The office holds the power to influence foreign policy and veto legislation. Nawrocki will succeed Andrzej Duda, a conservative whose second and final term ends on Aug. 6. Under the Polish constitution, the president serves a five-year term and may be re-elected once. Prime Minister Donald Tusk came to power in late 2023 with a coalition government that spans a broad ideological divide - so broad that it hasn't been able to fulfill certain of Tusk's electoral promises, such as loosening the restrictive abortion law or passing a civil partnership law for same-sex couples. But Duda's veto power has been another obstacle. It has prevented Tusk from fulfilling promises to reverse laws that politicized the court system in a way that the European Union declared undemocratic. Now it appears Tusk will have no way to fulfill those promises, which he made both to voters and the EU. Some observers in Poland have said the unfulfilled promises could make it more difficult for Tusk to continue his term until the next parliamentary election scheduled for late 2027, particularly if Law and Justice dangles the prospect of future cooperation with conservatives in his coalition. Incoming president's background Nawrocki, a 42-year-old amateur boxer and historian, was tapped by the Law and Justice party as part of its push for a fresh start. The party governed Poland from 2015 to 2023, when it lost power to a centrist coalition led by Tusk. Some political observers predicted the party would never make a comeback, and Nawrocki was chosen as a new face who wouldn't be burned by the scandals of the party's eight years of rule. The strategy clearly worked. Nawrocki has most recently been the head of the Institute of National Remembrance, which embraces nationalist historical narratives. He led efforts to topple monuments to the Soviet Red Army in Poland, and Russia responded by putting him on a wanted list, according to Polish media reports. Nawrocki's supporters describe him as the embodiment of traditional, patriotic values. Those who oppose secular trends, including LGBTQ+ visibility, have embraced him, viewing him as a reflection of the values they grew up with. Nawrocki's candidacy was clouded by allegations of past connections to criminal figures and his participation in a violent street brawl. He denies the criminal links but was unapologetic about the street fight, saying he had taken part in "noble" fights in his life. The revelations didn't seem to hurt his support among right-wing voters, many of whom see the allegations as politically motivated. Nawrocki endorsed by Trump Mr. Trump made it clear he wanted Nawrocki as Poland's president. He welcomed Nawrocki to the White House a month ago. And last week, the conservative group CPAC held its first meeting in Poland to give Nawrocki a boost. Kristi Noem, the U.S. Homeland Security Secretary and a prominent Trump ally, strongly praised Nawrocki and urged Poles to vote for him. The U.S. has about 10,000 troops stationed in Poland and Noem suggested that military ties could deepen with Nawrocki as president. A common refrain from Nawrocki's supporters is that he will restore "normality," as they believe Mr. Trump has done. U.S. flags often appeared at Nawrocki's rallies, and his supporters believed he offered a better chance for good ties with the Trump administration. Nawrocki has also echoed some of Mr. Trump's language on Ukraine. He promises to continue Poland's support for Ukraine but has been critical of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, accusing him of taking advantage of allies. He has accused Ukrainian refugees of taking advantage of Polish generosity, vowing to prioritize Poles for social services such as health care and schooling.
