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
May 15 Finland declares it will seek NATO membership as Sweden prepares to follow suit By Frank Jordans, Jari Tanner, Associated Press The Finnish Parliament is expected to endorse the decision in the coming days. A formal membership application will then be submitted to NATO headquarters in Brussels, most likely at some point next week. Continue reading
May 14 Ukrainian band Kalush Orchestra wins Eurovision with a show of support for a nation gripped by war By Paolo Santalucia, Colleen Barry, Associated Press Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the victory, Ukraine’s third since its 2003 Eurovision debut, and said “we will do our best” to host next year’s contest in the hotly contested port city of Mariupol. Continue reading
May 14 McConnell leads GOP Senate delegation in secret meeting with Zelenskyy in Ukraine By Associated Press A video posted on Zelenskyy’s Telegram account showed McConnell, R-Ky., and Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, John Barrasso of Wyoming and John Cornyn of Texas greeting him in the capital. Continue reading
May 14 Russian forces withdraw from Kharkiv region following weeks of bombardments By Oleksandr Stashevskyi, David Keyton, Associated Press Ukraine’s general staff said the Russians were pulling back from the northeastern city of Kharkiv and focusing on guarding supply routes, while launching mortar, artillery and airstrikes in the eastern Donetsk province in order to “deplete Ukrainian forces and destroy… Continue reading
May 14 Putin says Finland NATO membership would harm relations By Jari Tanner, Associated Press The Kremlin’s press service said in a statement Saturday Putin told Sauli Niinisto that Finland’s abandonment “of its traditional policy of military neutrality would be an error since there are no threats to Finland’s security.”… Continue reading
May 14 G-7 warns war in Ukraine is exacerbating global food crisis By Frank Jordans, Associated Press The Group of Seven leading economies have warned that the war in Ukraine is stoking a global food and energy crisis that threatens poor countries. Continue reading
May 12 Watch 5:55 Finland pursues NATO membership as Russia vows retaliation By Amna Nawaz, Dan Sagalyn, Tommy Walters Finland announced Thursday it would end its decades-long neutral status and seek to join NATO. A formal declaration will be made Sunday, while Sweden is expected to follow suit next week. Both nations have resisted joining NATO but were spurred… Continue watching
May 12 Watch 6:02 Ukraine's religious community perseveres through the horrors of war By Nick Schifrin, Madeline Powell, Volodymyr Solohub, Shoshana Dubnow We are just weeks past Easter, the holiest day of the Christian calendar. For the 70 percent of Ukrainians who are orthodox, the day was freighted with extra meaning this year. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church split from its Russian parent… Continue watching