May 19 WATCH: President Joe Biden meets with Swedish and Finnish leaders amid bid for NATO membership By Zeke Miller, Chris Megerian, Associated Press Biden greeted Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson of Sweden and President Sauli Niinistö of Finland at the White House with as they met for trilateral conversations on the NATO mutual defense pact as well as broader European security concerns. Continue reading
May 18 Watch 5:08 News Wrap: Omicron variant drives spike in U.S. COVID-19 cases In our news wrap Wednesday, COVID cases are spiking as federal health officials call for indoor mask mandates, Russia released video of Ukrainian soldiers abandoning the Azovstal steel plant, the U.S. embassy reopened in Kyiv, Finland and Sweden handed in… Continue watching
May 18 WATCH: Finland and Sweden to have ‘effective and efficient’ entry into NATO, White House says By News Desk and Associated Press White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan hold a news briefing on Wednesday. Continue reading
May 18 How serious is Turkey’s Erdogan in denying Finland, Sweden NATO membership? By Matthew Lee, Suzan Fraser, Associated Press Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is taking an increasingly tough line against the NATO membership bids of Finland and Sweden despite far less strident statements from some of his top aides. Continue reading
May 17 WATCH: Prime Minister Mitsotakis touts Greece as a new energy hub in address to Congress By Lisa Mascaro, Aamer Madhani, Zeke Miller, Associated Press As Europe looks to wean itself off Russian energy, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis touted the idea of Greece becoming an energy hub in a speech to a joint session of Congress. Continue reading
May 16 Watch 9:28 Finland, Sweden ambassadors discuss the push to join NATO and future of security in Europe Russia's invasion of Ukraine has prompted a major shift in public opinion in Finland and Sweden, with support for joining NATO recently surging in both countries. Meanwhile, Russian President Putin said the expansion of NATO infrastructure would trigger a response. Continue watching
May 16 Sweden ends 200 years of military neutrality, joins Finland in seeking NATO membership By Karl Ritter, Associated Press Sweden will follow neighboring Finland and apply for NATO membership because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Continue reading
May 16 Russia hits new hurdles in Ukraine and beyond as international opposition grows By Oleksandr Stashevskyi, Ciaran McQuillan, Associated Press Russia's aggression in Ukraine is hitting new hurdles both on the battleground and internationally. Continue reading
May 15 McConnell backs Finland, Sweden NATO memberships during stop in Europe By Lisa Mascaro, Associated Press McConnell is a staunch supporter of the Western military alliance, and the visit by the Republicans who made a surprise stop over the weekend to Ukraine's capital delivers a show of American support for the region as Ukraine battles the… Continue reading
May 15 Western officials say Russia is losing momentum as the war in Ukraine grinds on By Associated Press While Moscow lost ground on the diplomatic front, Russian forces failed to make territorial gains in eastern Ukraine. Continue reading