Breaking news: Sweden finally joins NATO in expansion spurred by Putin’s Ukraine war

Sweden officially joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Thursday, a historic shift that highlights how Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine is transforming European security in ways he may not have foreseen.

At a meeting in Washington, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson deposited the final paperwork with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the last step needed for the former militarily nonaligned nation to become NATO’s 32nd member. Sweden’s neighbor, Finland, joined last year.

To justify his aggression in Ukraine, Putin cited the possibility of NATO expansion. Now, in one of the conflict’s many twists, his war has brought a bigger, stronger alliance to his door. Russia will have to live with the consequences for years.

Read the full story here.

An painting of a town with some buildings and trees, in the style of mesmerizing optical illusions

Midjourney Art

Ukraine war film 20 Days in Mariupol wins Oscar for best documentary

Eyewitness documentary shot by war reporter Mstyslav Chernov during the Russian siege of the Ukrainian city takes Academy Award

🕯 Exactly two years ago, Russian terrorists attacked the Mariupol Drama Theater, killing hundreds of peaceful Ukrainians.

"The inscription "Children". Two years have passed... The world must remember everything that Russia has done against Ukraine and Ukrainians, and every Russian murderer must be held accountable for what he has done. We will ensure their responsibility. May the memory of all those whose lives were taken by Russian terror," President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy honored the memory of the victims.

⚡️ Ukraine beats Iceland, qualifies for Euro 2024.

Ukraine's national football team has qualified for the 2024 UEFA European Football Championship after beating Iceland 2:1.

It will be Ukraine's fourth straight European Championship, with the 2024 edition taking place in Germany in June and July.

Photo: Mateusz Birecki/NurPhoto via Getty Images

😎 The Mandalorian's totem animal is the auk

Adults reach a length of 38 to 43 cm and a wingspan of 60 to 69 cm. The back and head are black, and the belly and underside of the wings are white. In winter, the head also turns white.

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Facing NGC 1232

April 18, 2024

via @nasapictures

https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240418.html

US House approves long-awaited $61 billion Ukraine aid package
The House is pushing swiftly through a series of votes in a rare Saturday session to approve $95 billion in foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel and other U.S. allies, Democrats and Republicans joining together after a grueling monthslong fight over renewed American support for repelling Russia's invasion.

👉 Read more: https://f24.my/AGxy.g

watercolored sakura cat macro Yin Yang tenderness pastel blue style

Midjourney Art

Ruzzian used cluster munition bombs in Odessa hitting civilians.

The real experts in camouflage are the leafhoppers and orchid mantises.

⚡️Reuters: US warns Raiffeisen that access to dollar system could be restricted due to Russia presence.

Austria's Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) was warned by the U.S. Treasury that its access to the U.S. financial system could be curbed due to its continued presence in the Russian market, Reuters reported on May 15.

Western leaders join veterans to mark 80th anniversary of D-Day landings in France
Western leaders are set Thursday to remember the 1944 World War II D-Day landings in northern France to liberate Europe from Nazi occupation, mindful of the over two-year war raging since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

👉 Read more: https://f24.my/ANse.g