Latest news with #NATOHeadquarters
Bloomberg
6 days ago
- General
- Bloomberg
NATO Names Grynkewich Supreme Allied Commander Europe
NATO has named Lieutenant General Alexus G Grynkewich to the post of Supreme Allied Commander Europe, the US military's top job on the European continent. Grynkewich is currently serving as Director for Operations of the Joint Staff. He will succeed General Christopher G. Cavoli after having completed confirmation processes in the US, NATO said in a statement Thursday.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
NATO announces new Ramstein format meeting next week
The United Kingdom and Germany will convene the meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, also known as the Ramstein Format, at NATO Headquarters on 4 June 2025. Source: press service for Alliance, as reported by European Pravda Details: The previous Ramstein Format meeting was held on 11 April in Brussels, also convened by the UK and Germany. Britain and Germany assumed coordination of the Ramstein Format following the change of presidential administration in the United States. Earlier meetings, starting in 2022 under Joe Biden's administration, were chaired by the US. Background: On 11 April, Germany and other countries announced the formation of the Electronic Warfare Coalition for Ukraine. On the same day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the Ramstein participants, calling for the supply of 10 Patriot systems. The day after the upcoming Ramstein meeting, on 5 June, NATO defence ministers will gather at the headquarters to prepare for the Alliance's summit in The Hague later in June. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'Coalition of the willing' for Ukraine stalls over lack of US backstop, Bloomberg reports
The effort of the British- and French-led "coalition of the willing" to provide security guarantees to Ukraine faces delays due to missing commitments from the U.S., Bloomberg reported on April 9, citing undisclosed sources. The coalition of European and other partners is meeting at NATO Headquarters in Brussels on April 10 to discuss a path toward a safe and secure Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire, with the deployment of European peacekeepers floated as a possible part of the plan. The Trump administration has ruled out U.S. participation in the so-called "reassurance force," but London and Paris seek to convince Washington to at least provide airpower, intelligence support, or border surveillance as a backstop to the coalition's efforts. U.S. President Donald Trump has yet to offer any clear security guarantees to Ukraine and the coalition as Washington signals a reduced military presence on the continent. U.K. officials insist that the U.S. contribution is a necessary part of the coalition's efforts, Bloomberg reported, casting doubt on the initiative's future unless the allies succeed in convincing Trump. Publicly, French President Emmanuel Macron took a bolder line, saying the plan for the reassurance force would go ahead "with or without the U.S." At least 37 countries, including European, Asian, and Commonwealth nations, have been involved in the coalition's discussions, with 15 reportedly ready to contribute their troops. Other members have been asked to provide other forms of support, including intelligence, arms, or naval support. The Ukrainian military is still perceived as the main pillar of deterrence against further Russian aggression, while the allied troops, which could number between 10,000 and 30,000, would secure strategic facilities in the rear. U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer first presented the coalition during a London summit on March 2 amid growing uncertainties about continued U.S. support. Trump has not approved any new defense aid packages for Ukraine and even briefly paused the already approved military assistance to push Kyiv to the negotiating table. Trump's efforts to broker a ceasefire have stalled, as Moscow has rejected a full 30-day truce agreed upon by Kyiv and Washington and reportedly violated a partial truce on strikes against energy infrastructure. Read also: Trump didn't impose tariffs on Russia but they might be wrecking its economy regardless We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
The Hill
10-04-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Team Trump's negotiators are just enabling Putin
Ukraine is learning the hard way that it is not in good hands with the Trump administration's negotiators. Instead of stopping the killing, U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff's negotiating efforts are accelerating Moscow's intentional targeting of Ukrainian civilians. On April 4, Russian forces struck Kryvyi Rih – Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky's hometown – with a ballistic missile armed with a cluster warhead. The brazen attack targeted a residential neighborhood, wounding 72 and killing 20, including nine children. Many of the children were killed and wounded in a playground. The youngest victim was a three-month-old baby. Since January, Team Trump has repeatedly asserted that President Trump 'wants to be a president of peace.' Putin's response? Repeated war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine. We are now in the second week of April after two failed ceasefire attempts. Rubio's hope that 'the shooting will stop, the killing will stop, the dying will stop, and the talks can begin about how to end this war permanently in a way that's acceptable and enduring for both sides,' is as elusive and far off as ever. Why is this happening? Because Russia does not want peace — at least not peace as the West envisions it. For Putin, peace is accomplished when Ukraine stops resisting. His intended end-state is the complete annihilation of Ukraine, its people, and its culture. Putin made that clear again on March 6, when he stated that Russia does not intend to 'give in to anyone' or make any compromises in future peace negotiations. For Russia, the ceasefire discussions are merely a tool for the Kremlin to gain a momentary advantage in time to exploit. Former Army Chief of Staff Gen. Gordon R. Sullivan taught us in 1997 that 'hope is not a method.' This was required reading for military officers, something Mike Waltz and U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg have seemingly forgotten. The naive belief that Russia would keep its word has killed or wounded hundreds of Ukrainian civilians since Mar. 11 when Moscow rejected a full 30-day truce agreed upon by the U.S. and Ukraine in Jeddah. Russia instead agreed only to a cessation of strikes against energy facilities and in the Black Sea — terms it has not honored anyway. Now Rubio seemingly wants to give Putin more time. When asked about the status of the Black Sea ceasefire talks and whether he believed that Putin was dragging his feet during a press conference at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, the secretary of S tate responded, 'We will know soon enough — in a matter of weeks, not months — whether Russia is serious about peace or not.' Spoiler alert — it is not. The killing and dying continue. With each day, Russia targets Ukrainian civilians in population centers with ballistic missiles and drones with impunity. Once the U.S. stopped sharing intelligence with Kyiv in early March, Russia targeted Ukrainian cities with massive ballistic missile and drone strikes. Trump responded, 'Based on the fact that Russia is absolutely 'pounding' Ukraine on the battlefield right now, I am strongly considering large-scale banking sanctions, sanctions, and tariffs on Russia until a cease-fire and final settlement agreement on peace is reached.' That has yet to happen. The day after Russia rejected the initial Trump ceasefire proposal, Moscow attacked multiple Ukrainian cities with missiles — Odessa, Kryvyi Rih, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Kyiv and Sumy regions, killing at least five people and wounding 11. Between Mar. 19 and Mar. 24, at least 25 civilians were killed and 225 injured. Ukraine's Air Force reportedly intercepted 521 of 949 Russian drones launched. On the frontlines, Russia continues to attack Ukrainian defensive positions. Russian casualties now total 926,310. Between Mar. 11 and Apr. 8, Ukraine inflicted 38,690 casualties on Russian forces — an average of 1,334 a day. At this pace, they will surpass one million by the first week of June. There is no end in sight. The Kremlin has announced it is conscripting an additional 160,000 men by July 15. This coincides with the recent Associated Press report that Russia is likely preparing to launch a new 'multipronged offensive in the coming weeks to strengthen its position in possible peace talks with Ukraine.' According to Zelensky, Russia is preparing for new offensives in the northeast in the Sumy, Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia regions, adding, 'They're dragging out the talks and trying to get the U.S. stuck in endless and pointless discussions about fake 'conditions' just to buy time and then try to grab more land.' Add to that reports that Ukraine captured two Chinese men fighting alongside the Russian army in the eastern Donetsk region. These are not the actions of a country seeking a ceasefire or peace negotiations. Quite the opposite — Russia is escalating. Russia is building up combat power in Crimea as well, where North Korean artillery systems were recently observed on rail cars. There are also reports that an additional 3,000 North Korean troops were sent to the Kursk Oblast in Russia. North Korean troops, so far used in defense of Russia, could eventually be used inside Ukraine, which would further escalate the situation. Trump claims he is ' pissed off ' at Putin and will impose secondary tariffs of 25 percent to 50 percent on buyers of Russian oil. But the Kremlin seems unfazed, especially given reports that the U.S. military will withdraw troops and equipment from Jasionka, a logistics hub in southeastern Poland that supplies most weapons being sent to Ukraine. In fact, the Pentagon is weighing removing up to 10,000 troops from Eastern Europe. Russia has exploited the two limited ceasefires that Team Trump negotiated — cessation of attacks on energy and Black Sea targets — to gain additional advantages on the battlefield at Ukraine's expense. Kyiv does not need more words of condolence, like those offered by U.S. Ambassador Bridget A. Brink on her X feed after the strike on Kryvyi Rih. They need weapons, ammunition, and intelligence. They need the ability to interdict and stop Russian forces from entering Ukraine. They need the ability to prevent ballistic missiles and drones from striking their cities – no-fly zone and air defense weapons. They need precision deep strike weapons. But most importantly, they need Team Trump to stop enabling Russia's continued aggression at the negotiating table. Putin has no intention of stopping, so he must be stopped. The Trump administration must recognize this and enable Ukraine now.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Canada believes Russia's refusal to agree to ceasefire must have consequences
Canada's Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly has stated that Russia's effective refusal to uphold the ceasefire arrangements must have consequences, and a deadline should be set for the Kremlin's final decision on whether or not to participate in the agreement. Source: Mélanie Joly before the start of day two of the NATO foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels on 4 April, as reported by a European Pravda correspondent Details: The Canadian foreign minister stressed that Russia's de facto refusal to agree to a ceasefire must lead to practical consequences. Quote: "Russia needs to come back with a clear position. And we believe that it's important to have a délai [deadline] on the reaction of Russia towards the ceasefire proposal. So, we think that if ultimately they do not agree to that ceasefire, there should be consequences." Details: When asked whether the current US administration shares the view of Europe and Canada that Russia poses a direct threat, Joly said it was important for everyone to agree that Russia is indeed a threat: "If not, I don't know why we should always increase and increase more and more defence spending?" Joly also supported the idea of setting a specific deadline for Russia to make its decision regarding participation in the ceasefire agreement. "Absolutely, that's my point," she stressed. As reported by European Pravda, on 4 April French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, speaking alongside his UK counterpart David Lammy at NATO Headquarters, stated that the member states of the coalition of the willing supporting Ukraine expect a clear answer from Russia on whether it will comply with the ceasefire agreement. Background: Earlier, NATO representatives assessed the balance of power on the battlefield and whether Russia has any chance of a breakthrough. NATO has also said that Russia is stockpiling missiles for a new strike on Ukraine. Meanwhile, the Kremlin's envoy in the US has baselessly accused Ukraine of violating the ceasefire. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
