News about Jens Stoltenberg

Sir Keir told reporters yesterday en route to Washington for NATO's 75th-anniversary summit that decisions on the use of UK-supplied long-range Storm Shadow missiles were for the Ukrainian armed forces to make. Storm Shadow missiles, accurate to beyond 150 miles, have already been used by Ukraine to hit targets in Russian-occupied territory to great effect. But Sir Keir said yesterday that UK military aid was 'for defensive purposes but it is for Ukraine to decide how to deploy it for those defensive purposes', indicating that Kyiv could now use the missiles to strike targets on Russian soil in the face of ongoing attacks. Peskov said such a move would be an 'absolutely irresponsible step towards escalating tensions', adding the Kremlin would 'carefully record all of this and of course take appropriate measures'.

Elbridge Colby, the former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy and Force Development, said: 'The biggest thing on the agenda with European states should be: are you taking primary responsibility for the conventional defence of NATO in Europe?' The military strategist, who is widely tipped for a top position in the administration should Trump emerge victorious from November elections, also told Sir Keir Starmer he should focus on a 'British first' approach to defence, and leave the US to deal with China. 'You guys have got to take care of your own situation better because we have to focus on China,' he said, adding that there is 'very little the British military can realistically do at this time in the Pacific'. Colby's comments, made in an interview with the Telegraph yesterday, come amid fears that the US would significantly scale back its military aid to Ukraine should Trump (inset) succeed in securing a second term in the White House (destruction in Ukraine pictured main and right)

President Joe Biden avoided a near disastrous slip-up during his welcome speech to NATO leaders on Tuesday as the eyes of the world watched him to judge his fitness to serve four more years in the White House. The president, visibly reading from the teleprompter, almost read the instructions on it as he awarded outgoing NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor. 'Ask the military aide,' Biden said and then caught himself. 

Outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte clinched the race to become the next head of NATO after sole challenger Romanian President Klaus Iohannis pulled out on Thursday.

Outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte clinched the race to become the next head of NATO after sole challenger Romanian President Klaus Iohannis pulled out on Thursday. The veteran politician, 57, is expected to be formally named by NATO 's 32 nations in the coming days and should take over when current chief Jens Stoltenberg's term ends on October 1. He will become the fourth Dutchman to lead NATO since it was founded in 1949.

Jens Stoltenberg, the 13th secretary general of Nato, revealed there were live discussions among members about removing missiles from storage and putting them on standby to act as a deterrent.

Jens Stoltenberg (left), the 13th secretary general of Nato, revealed there were live discussions among members about removing missiles from storage and putting them on standby to act as a deterrent. Speaking to The Telegraph , Mr Stoltenberg said: 'I won't go into operational details about how many nuclear warheads should be operational and which should be stored, but we need to consult on these issues. That's exactly what we're doing.' It comes as the head of Kyiv 's national security council said Putin could demand a tactical nuclear weapon be used if Russia's army is beaten in Ukraine.

Speaking at a rare press conference with Western news outlets yesterday, the dictator denied having 'imperial ambitions' and told journalists 'they've come up with this idea that Russia wants to attack NATO.' 'Have you lost your mind? Are you as thick as two short planks? Who made this up? It's nonsense,' the 71-year-old Kremlin chief ranted. But at the same meeting, the dictator threatened to supply his advanced weapons to enemies of Britain and other Western countries who are providing long range arms to Kyiv . These Russian weapons could then be used to harm NATO countries. While many NATO members have provided weapons to Kyiv to support its fight against the Russian invaders, the military alliance's chief Jens Stoltenberg today emphasised that it has no plans to deploy forces to Ukraine.

Speaking at a rare press conference with Western news outlets yesterday, the dictator denied having 'imperial ambitions'. He ranted to journalists: 'They've come up with this idea that Russia wants to attack NATO. Have you lost your mind? Are you as thick as two short planks? Who made this up? It's nonsense.' But at the same meeting, the dictator threatened to supply his advanced weapons to enemies of Britain and other Western countries who are providing long range arms to Kyiv (above). These Russian weapons could then be used to harm NATO countries. While many NATO members have provided weapons to Kyiv to support its fight against the Russian invaders, the military alliance's chief Jens Stoltenberg today emphasised that it has no plans to deploy forces to Ukraine.

 The Netherlands will allow the Ukrainian air force to use its 24 F-16 fighter jets to carry out strikes in Russia, as the US considers allowing Ukraine to use American-supplied weapons to directly blitz Russian territory.  This was confirmed by Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren who, in an interview with Politico this weekend, said there was not a 'Belgian-style restriction', referring to Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo's warning that Kyiv will not fly the F-16 jets that come from Belgium into Russian airspace.  Also, Dutch Foreign Minister Hanke Bruins Slot said this decision does not require permission from the US, even though it produces F-16s. 

The Kremlin on Thursday accused NATO of 'provoking' Kyiv into prolonging the conflict in Ukraine, whose officials have been appealing for permission from allies to target Russia with Western-supplied weapons. The comments came as NATO foreign ministers were convening in Prague in the face of growing calls for leading allies to lift restrictions stopping Kyiv from using Western weapons to strike inside Russia. 'NATO member states, the United States, and capitals in Europe in recent days and weeks have been entering a new round of escalations in tensions and they are doing it deliberately,' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken hinted that the U.S. might allow Ukraine to use American weapons to strike Russian territory due to changing battlefield conditions. This is the first time a senior Biden administration official has suggested such a policy shift. Previously, the U.S. had prohibited Ukraine from using U.S. weapons like ATACMS missiles on Russian targets. Blinken's remarks align with European officials' support for Ukraine using Western weapons against Russian invasion sites. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also indicated it might be time to reconsider restrictions on Ukraine's use of Western-supplied weapons.

During the visit, Sophie met with Ukraine's President Zelenksy (left) and First Lady, Olena Zelenska (right), whom she has met several times before, but was nonetheless 'touched' to find waiting for her outside the president's office. In conversation with The Times , Sophie praised Olena for adopting a leadership role following Russia 's invasion, in addition to her typical spousal position: 'She has done all this with grace and determination, championing all Ukrainians affected by this conflict.'

The former US president said that if he was elected again, continued US support for Ukraine would be depending on NATO members matching the contributions.

The Duchess of Edinburgh has become the first British royal to visit Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion. Sophie, 59, met with President Zelensky and his wife - and passed on a personal message from King Charles - as she showed her solitary with survivors of conflict-related sexual violence and torture during her emotional one-day trip. The mother of-two travelled in her role as champion of the UK's Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative and the Women, Peace and Security agenda. It is understood she was 'keen to show her solidarity with men, women and children affected by the Russian invasion'. She arrived in the country on the same day at least four people were killed in a barrage of Russian missile strike in the Ukrainian port city of Odesa nearly 300 miles away. In Kyiv the duchess listened as survivors of sexual violence, both male and female, bravely shared their stories, as well as talking to female IDPs - internally displaced persons - and volunteers who help their communities cope with the trauma of the invasion.

The clip, seemingly taken from an infrared radar screen and shared on social media by Defence Secretary Grant Shapps, appeared to show the 500lb Paveway IV slamming into its target and triggering a huge fireball. The RAF Typhoon conducted the strike as part of a routine patrol amid Operation Shader - the British armed forces' efforts to support and train allied forces in operations to eradicate ISIS and other Islamic extremist movements in Iraq. Paveway IV bombs have been used to great effect by the RAF since 2008, and were the primary weapon of choice to hit Houthi targets in Yemen earlier this year in response to the rebel attacks on international freight ships in the Red Sea. The device can home in on a target designated by a laser, but can also navigate according to GPS coordinates, making the 500lb explosive a high-precision strike weapons

Finland first applied for NATO membership as it sought to shore up its security situation regarding its neighbour following the invasion of Ukraine by Vladimir Putin 's forces in 2022. Finnish President Alexander Stubb said yesterday that joining the alliance a year ago has transformed his country into a 'front-line state,' given that it has doubled the military bloc's border with Russia. Finland is due to host exercises from April 26. 'NATO military exercises near the Russian borders are provocative in nature,' Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said, adding: 'Their task is to exert military pressure on the Russian Federation through a demonstration of force.' Pictured left: NATO exercises last month. Bottom right: NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg and Rishi Sunak this week.

President Milei has been accused of playing 'two different games', as the famously unpredictable leader recently vowed to establish a diplomatic 'roadmap' towards the UK handing over the territory. The contentious issue came up during a meeting between Milei and UK Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron in January (left), during which the pair said 'they would agree to disagree, and do so politely', according to the Foreign Office. Today, Argentine Defence Minister Luis Alfonso Petri met with the Deputy Secretary General of NATO to submit the country's formal request to join the security alliance's list of 'partners across the globe'. Pictured right: Milei brandishes a chainsaw on the campaign trail in September. Inset: British and German forces participate in NATO exercises.

In a world where democracy has become'much more fragile,' he noted the increasing links between those three countries and North Korea in attempts to destabilize Western democracies. During fears of an all-out conflict with Russia, Russia's president Vladimir Putin, who began his Ukrainian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, shook hands hands last October at a summit with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. Only Ministry of Defense minister James Heappey attended an exercise to prepare for wartime scenarios that were intended for the entire government.

According to a senior Ukrainian military official, American-built F-16 fighter jets that are scheduled to land in Ukraine this summer are 'no longer relevant' to the conflict, and that'shells and rockets are still needed in 2024. In July, the Ukrainian Air Force is due to receive a shipment of the supersonic multirole fighter planes, as pilots have been trained and the war-torn country's airfields are set. The F-16's were expected to be the war-winning weapon that would change the balance in the conflict with Russia in Ukraine's favor prior to their arrival. 'We often don't get the weapons systems up to date at a time we need them,' the high-ranking officer told Politico. Every weapon has its own right time.' In 2023, F-16s were needed; they will not be ready for 2024.'

In a address marking 75 years since the establishment of the intergovernmental military alliance, the former Prime Minister said that the West must 'win the argument for Nato once more.' The Foreign Minister likened the present situation with Russia to the one that Britain and France faced at the 1938 Munich conference with Nazi Germany. General Patrick Sanders, the Chief of the General Staff, referred to a '1937 moment,' in his remarks, as opposed to those made by Defense Secretary Grant Shapps who said in January that the UK was facing a 'pre-war world.'

The proposals, led by outgoing NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, would give the security bloc a more direct role in coordinating the supply of arms, ammunition and equipment to Ukraine

According to diplomats, the plans, led by outgoing NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, would place the security bloc in a more prominent role in coordinating arms, ammunition, and equipment supply to Ukraine as it combats Russia's invasion. NATO has concentrated on non-lethal assistance for Ukraine, fearing that a more hands-on approach could spark tensions with Russia. Members of the Association have earned billions of dollars in weapons but not on a bilateral basis, according to them. NATO will be granted full control of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, which coordinates the procurement and delivery of lethal arms and military equipment to Kyiv under the new mission. The step is designed in part to shield the system (of giving assistance to Ukraine) against the winds of political change) against any cut in US support if Donald Trump (inset) returns to the White House, with Stoltenberg predicting that it will'shield the device (of providing assistance to Ukraine) against the winds of transition.' The news of NATO's $100 billion proposal comes on the eve of the 75th anniversary of the bloc's founding

Due to the critical shortages of shells and artillery, Ukrainian troops faced a bleak future on the frontlines, according to Nato's founder, Jens Stoltenberg.