The Washington Post
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR LIVE UPDATES
NATO says it will invite Ukraine to join when ‘conditions are met’; Zelensky calls lack of timeline ‘absurd’
clock iconUpdated 29 min ago
By Emily Rauhala, Michael Birnbaum, Meryl Kornfield, Toluse Olorunnipa, Niha Masih, Annabelle Timsit and Adam Taylor
LATEST UPDATES
Zelensky looks ahead to a packed Day 2 of NATO summit
5:24 p.m.
Democrats voice discomfort as U.S. moves to send cluster munitions to Kyiv
5:00 p.m.
The Treasury Department put sanctions on Serbian spy chief Aleksandar Vulin for “corrupt dealings” that “facilitate...
4:20 p.m.
Four maps explain how Sweden and Finland could alter NATO’s security
3:30 p.m.
NATO warns about effects of China’s ‘ambitions and coercive policies’
3:16 p.m.
On tomorrow’s agenda in Vilnius: a potentially tense meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and leaders...
2:35 p.m.
What’s different about the latest NATO stance on Ukraine?
1:53 p.m.
Biden-Erdogan meeting comes as ‘reset’ possible, analyst says
1:28 p.m.
Zelensky continues campaign for NATO membership at flag-raising rally
12:49 p.m.
NATO summit is a test of Biden’s political leadership
12:32 p.m.
Biden thanks Turkey’s Erdogan for his diplomacy
12:25 p.m.
Coalition outlines plan to train Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16s
12:23 p.m.
Stoltenberg says Ukraine now has ‘a clear path towards membership’
11:23 a.m.
Zelensky slams NATO over lack of details on membership
11:11 a.m.
Will Turkey get F-16 fighter jets in return for cooperation on Sweden?
10:57 a.m.
Key updates
Stoltenberg says Ukraine now has ‘a clear path towards membership’
Zelensky slams NATO over lack of details on membership
Will Turkey get F-16 fighter jets in return for cooperation on Sweden?
Listen
2 min
Add to your saved stories
Save
Gift Article
Share
VILNIUS, Lithuania — NATO leaders would invite Ukraine to join the military alliance “when the Allies agree and conditions are met,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters Tuesday as NATO begins its annual summit in this Baltic nation.
Stoltenberg’s comments came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had criticized NATO leaders. In a tweet, he said, “wording is being discussed without Ukraine” that gives little clarity on his country’s prospects for joining the bloc, in apparent reference to draft text that had been circulated. Kyiv wants specific pledges on when and how it can join the defense alliance.
Here’s what to know:
Though Stoltenberg said Tuesday that NATO was “sending a message to Ukraine, which is stronger than any message NATO has ever sent before, on membership for Ukraine,” Zelensky said any language that did not include a time frame for Ukraine becoming a member of NATO would be “absurd.”
The U.S. delegation was furious with Zelensky’s tweet, according to a person familiar with the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive diplomatic considerations.
President Biden will meet with Zelensky at the summit, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters Tuesday.
In a boost to the alliance, Turkey dropped its opposition to Sweden’s NATO membership bid on the eve of the summit, paving the path for Stockholm’s eventual inclusion as the bloc’s 32nd member state. “This summit is already historic before it has started,” Stoltenberg said early Tuesday.
36 min ago
Zelensky looks ahead to a packed Day 2 of NATO summit
Return to menu
By Sammy Westfall
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife, Olena Zelenska, at the NATO summit in Vilnius. (Ludovic Marin/AFP/Getty Images)
After the first day of the NATO summit came to a close, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed gratitude to alliance members for “new steps” taken but said the work will continue.
Zelensky’s schedule for Day 2 of the summit is packed. He said on Telegram that he had bilateral meetings planned with leaders of the United States, Canada, Germany, Britain, the Netherlands, Japan and others.
Show more
1 hour ago
Democrats voice discomfort as U.S. moves to send cluster munitions to Kyiv
Return to menu
By Niha Masih
Source: Army training manual 9-1025-215-10 (The Washington Post)
The Biden administration’s decision to supply Ukraine with cluster munitions has rankled not only allies like the United Kingdom and Canada — but also members of the Democratic Party.
Show more
1 hour ago
Return to menu
By Sammy Westfall
Assistant Editor on the Foreign desk
The Treasury Department put sanctions on Serbian spy chief Aleksandar Vulin for “corrupt dealings” that “facilitate Russian malign activities in Serbia and the region,” it announced in a statement Tuesday.
Treasury said Vulin, who heads Serbia’s Security Information Agency, used public positions to support Russia and facilitated its activities that “degrade the security and stability of the Western Balkans.”
2 hours ago
Four maps explain how Sweden and Finland could alter NATO’s security
Return to menu
By Ruby Mellen, Dylan Moriarty and Júlia Ledur
(The Washington Post)
Sweden’s path to joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization appeared clearer this week when Turkey, after months of stalling, agreed to let the Scandinavian country enter the alliance.
Show more
2 hours ago
NATO warns about effects of China’s ‘ambitions and coercive policies’
Return to menu
By Sammy Westfall
In their 90-point summit communiqué, NATO members called out China on six points, saying the country’s “stated ambitions and coercive policies challenge our interests, security and values.”
“The [People’s Republic of China] employs a broad range of political, economic, and military tools to increase its global footprint and project power, while remaining opaque about its strategy, intentions and military build-up,” members said in the communiqué, released after Tuesday’s discussions.
Show more
REPORTING FROM THE PRESS BUS
2:35 p.m. EDT
Return to menu
By Emily Rauhala
Brussels bureau chief
On tomorrow’s agenda in Vilnius: a potentially tense meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and leaders from NATO countries, and a speech by President Biden. People will be watching to see if Zelensky walks back his criticism of NATO — or doubles down. They will also be keeping an eye out for security assurances for Ukraine from the United States and Group of Seven allies.
1:53 p.m. EDT
What’s different about the latest NATO stance on Ukraine?
Return to menu
By Adam Taylor
In a lengthy communiqué released by NATO leaders from Vilnius on Tuesday, the alliance explained its views on future membership for Ukraine. But has anything actually changed since the 2008 declaration that saw NATO accept Ukraine’s plans to integrate?
Show more
1:28 p.m. EDT
Biden-Erdogan meeting comes as ‘reset’ possible, analyst says
Return to menu
By Meryl Kornfield
On the sidelines of NATO, President Biden and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan praised each other and discussed the possibility of future meetings, a hint at what could be a change in the relationship between the United States and Turkey.
“Our meetings prior to this were mere warm-ups,” Erdogan told Biden. “But now we are initiating a new process.”
Show more
12:49 p.m. EDT
Zelensky continues campaign for NATO membership at flag-raising rally
Return to menu
By Marisa Bellack
NATO host raises Ukrainian flag from frontline of war
0:32
A Ukrainian flag from the frontline of the war with Russia was raised during a ceremony in Vilnius, Lithuania, on the sidelines of the NATO summit. (Video: Reuters)
After criticizing NATO leaders earlier in the day and declaring that “uncertainty is weakness,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attended a rally in Vilnius and put a somewhat more hopeful spin on his campaign for NATO membership.
Show more
12:32 p.m. EDT
NATO summit is a test of Biden’s political leadership
Return to menu
By Toluse Olorunnipa
President Biden attends the meeting of the North Atlantic Council at the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania on Tuesday. (Filip Singer/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)
While President Donald Trump relished disrupting global alliances such as NATO, President Biden has sought to reassure domestic and global audiences that he is a steady hand capable of reasserting American leadership on the world stage. And his ability to keep NATO unified in responding to Russia’s aggression has become a key component of his reelection pitch. But as the war in Ukraine has dragged on — costing billions of dollars and slamming the global economy — it has become increasingly difficult for world leaders to find consensus. Meanwhile, many of Biden’s Republican rivals, including Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, have expressed concern about open-ended U.S. support for Ukraine, and even some Democrats worry that the public will grow weary of America’s investment in the war.
This is an excerpt from a full story.
Continue readingContinue reading
12:25 p.m. EDT
Biden thanks Turkey’s Erdogan for his diplomacy
Return to menu
By Marisa Bellack
Biden, Erdogan meet on sidelines of NATO summit
0:45
President Biden met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on July 11, the first day of the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. (Video: The Washington Post)
President Biden was generous in his praise for Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday, after the Turkish president agreed on Monday to drop his opposition to Sweden’s NATO membership bid. Going into a bilateral meeting, Biden told Erdogan that this summit was “made all the more historic by the agreement you reached yesterday and the admission of Sweden, how you’re going to proceed.” He continued: “Thank you for your diplomacy and your courage to take that on.” Erdogan has established a pattern of acting as a holdout in a way that grabs headlines and allows him to extract concessions.
12:23 p.m. EDT
Coalition outlines plan to train Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16s
Return to menu
By Emily Rauhala
A group of 11 NATO countries on Tuesday signed a memorandum sketching out details of a plan to train Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16s.
The training could begin in Denmark as early as August, officials said, and then a training center will be set up in Romania.
“It’s official: a coalition for F-16 training of the Ukrainian Air Force has been formed!” tweeted Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov, who is in Vilnius, Lithuania, for the summit.
Show more
KEY UPDATE
11:23 a.m. EDT
Stoltenberg says Ukraine now has ‘a clear path towards membership’
Return to menu
By Michael Birnbaum
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speakings during a news conference on the opening day of the annual NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, on July 11. (Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg News)
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters in Lithuania: “We will issue an invitation for Ukraine to join NATO when the allies agree and conditions are met. This is a strong package for Ukraine and a clear path towards its membership in NATO.”
His language reflected a precise negotiation among NATO’s 31 leaders — and did not include the concrete timeline that Ukraine had sought.
Show more
KEY UPDATE
11:11 a.m. EDT
Zelensky slams NATO over lack of details on membership
Return to menu
By Toluse Olorunnipa, Emily Rauhala, Meryl Kornfield and Michael Birnbaum
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday. (Francisco Seco/AP)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky aggressively lashed out at NATO leaders gathered in Vilnius on Tuesday, objecting to a statement on its membership prospects and the “absurd” process that produced it. “Now, on the way to Vilnius, we received signals that certain wording is being discussed without Ukraine,” he wrote on Twitter, before the NATO communiqué had been released publicly. “And I would like to emphasize that this wording is about the invitation to become NATO member, not about Ukraine’s membership. It’s unprecedented and absurd when time frame is not set neither for the invitation nor for Ukraine’s membership.”
This is an excerpt from a full story.
Continue readingContinue reading
KEY UPDATE
10:57 a.m. EDT
Will Turkey get F-16 fighter jets in return for cooperation on Sweden?
Return to menu
By Emily Rauhala, Kareem Fahim and Michael Birnbaum
A U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter takes off from the Spangdahlem Air Base in Spangdahlem, Germany, on June 14. (Boris Roessler/AP)
Turkey’s main aim in holding out support for Sweden’s NATO membership, analysts said, was to negotiate for the completion of a $20 billion deal for American F-16 fighter jets, an agreement that is backed by the Biden administration but has faced opposition on Capitol Hill.
Show more
10:29 a.m. EDT
Finnish foreign minister: ‘I understand the Ukrainian position’
Return to menu
By Michael Birnbaum and Emily Rauhala
Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said Tuesday she was sympathetic to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s frustration about discussions at a NATO summit about the speed at which Ukraine might join the alliance.
“I understand the Ukrainian position. And of course, they are concerned. We share the same concerns. But we are very, very dedicated to NATO’s unity. And we want to see Ukraine as a member of NATO in the future,” Valtonen said in an interview.
Show more
9:51 a.m. EDT
Why did Turkey oppose Sweden’s NATO membership to begin with?
Return to menu
By Kareem Fahim and Emily Rauhala
Stoltenberg: Turkey to back Sweden's NATO bid
1:09
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has agreed to admit Sweden to the NATO military alliance, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on July 10. (Video: Reuters)
Before Monday’s surprise announcement that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan would support Sweden’s NATO membership, he had offered a long list of reasons over many months about why Sweden shouldn’t be allowed to join.
Show more
9:19 a.m. EDT
Kremlin downplays ally Turkey’s agreement to let Sweden join NATO
Return to menu
By Francesca Ebel
Russia appeared to downplay the news that Turkey had decided to back Sweden’s NATO membership bid despite being an ally of Russia.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday that while Sweden’s accession to NATO would have “negative consequences,” Moscow understands that Turkey has obligations to the alliance.
Show more
8:58 a.m. EDT
In photos: NATO leaders line up for ‘family’ picture
Return to menu
By Leo Sands
(Video: NATO)
Participants at the NATO summit gather for an official photo in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Tuesday. (Doug Mills/AFP/Getty Images)
French President Emmanuel Macron (left) and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz share a smile as they gather for the photo with other participants. (Odd Andersen/AFP/Getty Images)
President Biden and other world leaders line up for the NATO “family photo.” (Susan Walsh/Pool/Reuters)
8:43 a.m. EDT
Britain’s Sunak urges NATO allies to dig deeper on defense spending
Return to menu
By Leo Sands
Britain's prime minister, Rishi Sunak, rear, and Foreign Secretary James Cleverly arrive in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Tuesday. (Paul Ellis/AP)
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak arrived in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Tuesday to attend his first NATO summit since taking office in October. In a statement published by Downing Street, Sunak said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine marked a “grim new chapter” in NATO’s history — but one that had also united the alliance.
“Putin, in taking the actions he did, thought he would weaken and divide NATO. In fact, he was met with the opposite response,” Sunak said in a tweet.
Show more
8:08 a.m. EDT
As NATO summit begins, Lithuania struts big on world stage
Return to menu
By Ishaan Tharoor
President Biden is greeted by Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda after he disembarked from Air Force One, upon his arrival at Vilnius airport in Lithuania on Monday. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images)
There’s much at stake during the two-day NATO leaders summit in Lithuania. Despite months of wrangling among diplomats in the military alliance, uncertainty surrounds some of the signature propositions on the table. On the matter of Ukraine, questions loom over what path to membership NATO should offer as the country fends off Russian invasion, and at what pace the bloc may work to bring Ukraine fully into the alliance after hostilities with Russia cease.
This is an excerpt from a full story.
Continue readingContinue reading
7:56 a.m. EDT
Return to menu
By Kate Brady
German politics and current affairs
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said G-7 nations will make a declaration on security commitments for Ukraine that would come into force when peace is reached. “The G-7 countries are going to make a declaration that expresses this and that will be fulfilled very concretely by the various countries,” Scholz said at the start of the NATO summit, Reuters reported.
REPORTING FROM VILNIUS
7:39 a.m. EDT
Return to menu
By Meryl Kornfield
Reporter
As NATO allies gather in the capital of the former Soviet nation of Lithuania, the yellow and blue of Ukraine’s flag are everywhere to show support for the war-torn nation. Buildings have been illuminated, and locals have placed flags atop street poles, businesses and homes.
“PUTIN, THE HAGUE IS WAITING FOR YOU,” read one sign atop a municipal building.
7:31 a.m. EDT
Return to menu
By Leo Sands
Breaking-news reporting
In a tweet, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said it would be “absurd” if no time frame was set for inviting Ukraine to join NATO — making clear his expectations for this summit. He also criticized the prospect of setting out “vague” conditions for such an invitation to be extended. Even if NATO doesn’t offer Ukraine a path to membership, Zelensky is asking at least for a path to an invitation.
KEY UPDATE
7:26 a.m. EDT
Biden says he agreed to NATO leader’s language on Ukraine’s membership
Return to menu
By Toluse Olorunnipa
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (left) welcomes President Biden as he arrives for the NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Tuesday. (Odd Andersen/AFP/Getty Images)
President Biden and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg indicated that they had reached agreement on language concerning the alliance’s willingness to accept Ukraine — a point of contention ahead of the summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.
“We agree with the language you proposed relative to the future of Ukraine joining NATO,” Biden said in brief remarks while standing next to Stoltenberg.
Show more
KEY UPDATE
7:20 a.m. EDT
Allies pledge new weapons, aid to Ukraine at Vilnius summit
Return to menu
By Annabelle Timsit, Michael Birnbaum and Kate Brady
A German Leopard II tank. (Filip Singer/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)
Ukraine’s allies made new pledges of financial and military support Tuesday ahead of the meeting of NATO leaders in Vilnius, Lithuania.
Show more
7:01 a.m. ED
Kremlin accuses NATO leaders of ‘anti-Russian’ bias
Return to menu
By Leo Sands and Natalia Abbakumova
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday that NATO’s summit in Lithuania demonstrated “a strongly pronounced and concentrated anti-Russian character,” adding that Moscow will be watching it closely to take measures to protect Russia’s security.
Show more
6:41 a.m. EDT
Return to menu
By Leo Sands
Breaking-news reporting
In a Tuesday tweet, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country “received signals” that NATO leaders were discussing, without Kyiv, language on its invitation for Ukraine to join NATO. “It seems there is no readiness neither to invite Ukraine to NATO nor to make it a member of the Alliance,” he said, adding that his country “deserves respect.”
6:34 a.m. EDT
NATO should ease path for Ukraine’s membership, Stoltenberg says
Return to menu
By Naomi Schanen and Missy Ryan
Stoltenberg: Ukraine should bypass Membership Action Plan
0:47
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on July 11 said NATO allies should agree to remove the requirement of a Membership Action Plan for Ukraine. (Video: Reuters)
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Ukraine should be allowed to circumvent the alliance’s Membership Action Plan (MAP) process in his opening address to Tuesday’s NATO summit — easing Ukraine’s path to joining the defense alliance. Stoltenberg praised Ukraine for having “come a long way” since 2008, when NATO made a vague commitment that Kyiv would one day join.
Show more
6:14 a.m. EDT
Return to menu
By Victoria Bisset
Breaking news, international news
In Ukraine, officials accused Russia of carrying out a wave of drone attacks overnight. Antiaircraft defenses in Odesa shot down 22 drones, authorities in the southern region said Tuesday, while Kyiv authorities also reported an unspecified number of attacks. Separately Tuesday, Kherson regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin said three people were injured in Russian shelling.
5:58 a.m. EDT
Summit T-shirts proclaim: ‘Vilnius: Unexpectedly Amazing’
Return to menu
By Emily Rauhala
Will the NATO summit be “unexpectedly amazing”? So hope NATO allies, as well as the designers of a T-shirt tucked into tote bags here in the Lithuanian capital.
The front of the shirt reads: “I didn’t know where Vilnius was. Luckily, the NATO summit was there.” The back: “Vilnius: Unexpectedly Amazing.”
To date, no head of state or government has been spotted in the very great garment. But the day is young, and the T-shirt beautiful.
5:46 a.m. EDT
Return to menu
By Annabelle Timsit
Breaking news reporter focusing on U.S. and global events
Biden started the day in Vilnius meeting with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda. The White House said they “discussed their ongoing commitment to Ukraine’s security and imposing costs on Russia for its aggression for as long as necessary.” Nauseda gave Biden an award for advancing U.S.-Lithuanian relations. The White House called it “the highest award that a Lithuanian President can bestow.”
5:33 a.m. EDT
Return to menu
By Annabelle Timsit
Breaking news reporter focusing on U.S. and global events
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said Budapest’s ratification of Sweden’s NATO membership bid is a “technical” issue — appearing to remove the last remaining obstacle for Stockholm. The main hurdle was cleared Monday, when Turkey backed Sweden’s bid after long opposing it. Hungary previously said it would not delay Sweden’s membership once Turkey supported it.
5:18 a.m. EDT
What are Articles 4 and 5 of NATO’s founding treaty and why do they matter?
Return to menu
By Miriam Berger, Sammy Westfall, Emily Rauhala and Claire Parker
As the NATO summit gets underway in Lithuania, Eastern European security concerns about possible Russian aggression will be in sharp focus. President Biden has previously pledged to protect “every inch of NATO,” reiterating the United States’ commitment to Article 5 of the NATO treaty.
This is an excerpt from a full story.
Continue readingContinue reading
5:03 a.m. EDT
Return to menu
By Niha Masih
Breaking news reporter focusing on U.S. and global events
Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to be viewed negatively around the world, according to a new Pew Research Center survey, but opinions on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky vary by country. Confidence in Zelensky is high in countries such as Sweden, at 86 percent, the survey found, but he is viewed less favorably in places such as Hungary, Greece and Mexico.
4:49 a.m. EDT
Biden and Sunak pledge support for Ukraine ahead of NATO summit
Return to menu
By Toluse Olorunnipa and William Booth
Biden and Sunak meet before NATO summit
0:39
President Biden met briefly with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at 10 Downing Street in London on July 10 before traveling to a NATO summit in Lithuania. (Video: Reuters)
LONDON — Ahead of a summit that is expected to be rife with divisions, President Biden’s 18-hour stop in Britain emphasized unity, tradition and camaraderie.
Sharing smiles and surrounded by flowers in the garden at the prime minister’s residence, Biden and Rishi Sunak talked about topics that would allow their countries to reaffirm their “special relationship.”
This is an excerpt from a full story.
Continue readingContinue reading
4:14 a.m. EDT
Ukraine wants a ‘clear signal’ on NATO membership
Return to menu
By David Stern, Emily Rauhala and Isabelle Khurshudyan
KYIV, Ukraine — Top Ukrainian officials are hoping the NATO leaders’ summit will be an epic moment — when Ukraine finally receives a “clear signal” that it will eventually join the alliance.
Yuriy Sak, a Ukrainian Defense Ministry adviser, said the summit “must end” with President Volodymyr Zelensky and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg “standing next to each other” and proclaiming, in Sak’s words: “Today, we have reached a historical decision. Today, we have invited Ukraine to join NATO.”
This is an excerpt from a full story.
Continue readingContinue reading
3:52 a.m. EDT
Return to menu
By Niha Masih
Breaking news reporter focusing on U.S. and global events
Three civilians were killed and seven injured in a Russian attack Monday in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, Pavlo Kyrylenko, the head of the regional military administration, said on Twitter. Early Tuesday, Ukrainian forces repelled drone attacks on Kyiv, officials said on Telegram.
3:37 a.m. EDT
Zelensky expresses confidence in NATO, vows Ukraine will be in the alliance
Return to menu
By Niha Masih
Ahead of the summit, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country deserves to be in NATO. (Ed Ram/For The Washington Post)
In another push for Ukraine’s membership on the eve of the NATO summit, President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country “deserves to be in the alliance” — though appeared to admit that Ukraine cannot be inducted while the war is ongoing. In his nightly address, he said Ukraine needs a clear signal from its allies, “and we need this signal right now.”
Show more
3:14 a.m. EDT
No question U.S. supports Ukraine’s NATO bid, Sullivan says
Return to menu
By Meryl Kornfield
There is no question the United States and other allied nations support Ukraine’s NATO membership — the question is the pathway to it, U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Tuesday in Vilnius, Lithuania. Like other Biden administration officials, he stopped short of estimating a time frame for Kyiv’s accession, adding that the bloc’s members would come to an understanding of what that could look like over the next two days.
Show more
REPORTING FROM VILNIUS
3:13 a.m. EDT
Return to menu
By Meryl Kornfield
Reporter
National security advisor Jake Sullivan reaffirmed Biden’s support of the F-16 deal with Turkey but would not say what Biden had told Erdogan about Sweden’s NATO bid and its possible link to the sale. “From the president’s perspective, his focus in the conversation was really on how the U.S. and Turkey move forward positively,” he said.
2:59 a.m. EDT
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg gets another year
Return to menu
By Marisa Bellack
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg visits the White House on June 13. (Elizabeth Frantz for The Washington Post)
NATO leaders were due to name their next secretary general at this summit. The jockeying among contenders had begun. Some allies argued it was time to look beyond Scandinavian men for the job — that a woman or someone from NATO’s eastern flank should get the nod. But as it became clear that consensus wasn’t going to happen, the allies settled on another extension — a fourth — for Jens Stoltenberg.
Show more
2:38 a.m. EDT
Why did Erdogan drop his opposition to Sweden’s NATO membership?
Return to menu
By Emily Rauhala, Kareem Fahim and Michael Birnbaum
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during his meeting with the Swedish prime minister and the secretary general of NATO in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Monday. (Filip Singer/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday agreed to support Sweden’s NATO bid, a high-stakes, last-minute reversal that came after a year of obstruction and on the eve of a major alliance summit.
This is an excerpt from a full story.
Continue readingContinue reading
2:14 a.m. EDT
What’s the U.S. position on NATO membership for Ukraine?
Return to menu
By Toluse Olorunnipa
President Biden arrives Monday at the airport in Vilnius, Lithuania, ahead of the NATO summit. (Mindaugas Kulbis/AP)
President Biden has been less forward-leaning than some other allies on NATO membership for Ukraine.
“I don’t think it’s ready for membership in NATO,” he said in a CNN interview that aired Sunday. He added that beyond resolving the war with Russia, Ukraine needs to take additional steps to become eligible.
“NATO is a process that takes some time to meet all the qualifications … from democratization to a whole range of other issues,” he said.
Show more
2:00 a.m. EDT
Death toll from Russian strike on Orikhiv rises to seven
Return to menu
By Niha Masih
A woman walks near damaged buildings in the city of Orikhiv, in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, after a Russian strike on Sunday (Andriy Andriyenko/AP)
The death toll from a Russian strike on the southeastern city of Orikhiv rose to seven on Monday, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said on Telegram. Rescue operations had ended, it said.
Show more
2:00 a.m. EDT
NATO’s fateful 2008 summit hangs over the meeting in Vilnius
Return to menu
By Ishaan Tharoor
Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko and President George W. Bush at NATO's 2008 summit in Bucharest, Romania. (Suzanne Plunkett/Bloomberg News)
The antecedents to the Russian invasion of Ukraine arguably lie in a NATO summit 15 years ago.
Leaders at the 2008 meeting of the Western military alliance in the Romanian capital, Bucharest, failed to find unanimity on whether to grant membership to former Soviet republics Georgia and Ukraine. The two countries were offered a vague commitment of entering the alliance at some point in the future, with no plan regarding how or when that could be achieved.
This is an excerpt from a full story.
Continue readingContinue reading
Gift this articleGift Article
What to know about Ukraine’s counteroffensive
The latest: The Ukrainian military has launched a long-anticipated counteroffensive against occupying Russian forces, opening a crucial phase in the war aimed at restoring Ukraine’s territorial sovereignty and preserving Western support in its fight against Moscow.
The fight: Ukrainian troops on Wednesday night intensified their attacks on the front line in the southeast region, according to multiple individuals in the country’s armed forces, in a significant push toward Russian-occupied territory.
The frontline: The Washington Post has mapped out the 600-mile front line between Ukrainian and Russian forces.
How you can help: Here are ways those in the United States can support the Ukrainian people as well as what people around the world have been donating.
Read our full coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war. Are you on Telegram? Subscribe to our channel for updates and exclusive video.
No comments:
Post a Comment