Turkey votes in favor of Sweden’s NATO membership after months of delay
ISTANBUL — After 20 months of demands, obstruction and delay, the Turkish parliament on Tuesday night voted in favor of Sweden joining NATO, clearing one of the final hurdles for a major expansion of the military alliance set in motion by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan still needs to sign the document into law.
Assuming he does, Hungary would be the last remaining holdout. Officials there have previously signaled they would not, ultimately, stand in the way. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced, somewhat cryptically, that he had invited the Swedish prime minister to visit to “negotiate on Sweden’s NATO accession.”
If both Turkey and Hungary get on board, the alliance could formally welcome its 32nd member, potentially sealing the deal before its 75th anniversary this spring.
Read the full story here.
ISTANBUL — After 20 months of demands, obstruction and delay, the Turkish parliament on Tuesday night voted in favor of Sweden joining NATO, clearing one of the final hurdles for a major expansion of the military alliance set in motion by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan still needs to sign the document into law.
Assuming he does, Hungary would be the last remaining holdout. Officials there have previously signaled they would not, ultimately, stand in the way. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced, somewhat cryptically, that he had invited the Swedish prime minister to visit to “negotiate on Sweden’s NATO accession.”
If both Turkey and Hungary get on board, the alliance could formally welcome its 32nd member, potentially sealing the deal before its 75th anniversary this spring.
Read the full story here.
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Russian military jet crashes near Belgorod, killing 74, officials say
RIGA, Latvia — A Russian military plane crashed on Wednesday in the western Belgorod region near the border with Ukraine, killing 74 people on board, Russian state media reported.
Immediately after the 11 a.m. crash, there were conflicting reports about who was on the Ilyushin Il-76 aircraft.
The Russian Defense Ministry said it was carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war who were being transferred to the region for a subsequent swap. Ukrainska Pravda, a Ukrainian news outlet, citing unnamed military officials, reported that the plane was transporting missiles.
Read the full story here.
RIGA, Latvia — A Russian military plane crashed on Wednesday in the western Belgorod region near the border with Ukraine, killing 74 people on board, Russian state media reported.
Immediately after the 11 a.m. crash, there were conflicting reports about who was on the Ilyushin Il-76 aircraft.
The Russian Defense Ministry said it was carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war who were being transferred to the region for a subsequent swap. Ukrainska Pravda, a Ukrainian news outlet, citing unnamed military officials, reported that the plane was transporting missiles.
Read the full story here.
Ukraine alleges Russian disinformation in downing of military plane
KYIV — Russia and Ukraine traded blame and pushed dueling narratives Thursday over the downing of a Russian military plane, which Moscow said was carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war who were about to be exchanged and returned home to their families. Everyone aboard was killed, Russia said.
Ukraine has not confirmed whether POWs were on board. Nor has it directly confirmed that it shot down the Ilyushin Il-76 transport plane, which crashed Wednesday in Russia’s Belgorod region, just north of the Ukrainian border.
But in their statements about the incident, senior Ukrainian officials, including President Volodymyr Zelensky, have not denied shooting down the plane, and some have emphasized Ukraine’s right — and urgent need — to target Russian military aircraft given Moscow’s ongoing invasion, constant airstrikes on Ukrainian cities and push to seize more territory.
Read the full story here.
KYIV — Russia and Ukraine traded blame and pushed dueling narratives Thursday over the downing of a Russian military plane, which Moscow said was carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war who were about to be exchanged and returned home to their families. Everyone aboard was killed, Russia said.
Ukraine has not confirmed whether POWs were on board. Nor has it directly confirmed that it shot down the Ilyushin Il-76 transport plane, which crashed Wednesday in Russia’s Belgorod region, just north of the Ukrainian border.
But in their statements about the incident, senior Ukrainian officials, including President Volodymyr Zelensky, have not denied shooting down the plane, and some have emphasized Ukraine’s right — and urgent need — to target Russian military aircraft given Moscow’s ongoing invasion, constant airstrikes on Ukrainian cities and push to seize more territory.
Read the full story here.
Russia sentences woman to 27 years in bomb assassination of blogger
Russian courts on Thursday imposed prison sentences in two telling cases connected to the war in Ukraine, with one serving as a threat to pro-war Russians who criticize the military’s performance on the battlefield and another, much harsher sentence, as warning that Russians aiding Kyiv in this war will see no mercy.
In St. Petersburg, a military court sentenced Daria Trepova, a young antiwar activist, to 27 years in prison on terrorism charges connected to the killing of a prominent pro-war blogger in a cafe, the harshest known sentence for a woman in modern Russian history.
Trepova, 26, was arrested last spring and accused of giving a statuette with a bomb inside to Maxim Fomin, a pro-war commentator and Telegram blogger with over half a million followers, better known by his pen name Vladlen Tatarsky. Fomin died in the blast.
Read the full story here.
Russian courts on Thursday imposed prison sentences in two telling cases connected to the war in Ukraine, with one serving as a threat to pro-war Russians who criticize the military’s performance on the battlefield and another, much harsher sentence, as warning that Russians aiding Kyiv in this war will see no mercy.
In St. Petersburg, a military court sentenced Daria Trepova, a young antiwar activist, to 27 years in prison on terrorism charges connected to the killing of a prominent pro-war blogger in a cafe, the harshest known sentence for a woman in modern Russian history.
Trepova, 26, was arrested last spring and accused of giving a statuette with a bomb inside to Maxim Fomin, a pro-war commentator and Telegram blogger with over half a million followers, better known by his pen name Vladlen Tatarsky. Fomin died in the blast.
Read the full story here.
Kharkiv’s air defense struggles to halt nonstop Russian missiles
NORTH OF KHARKIV, Ukraine — Russia hit Kharkiv, which sits just 19 miles south of the border, three times on Tuesday. The barrages were the latest in a series of recent strikes that appear aimed in part to exploit weak points in Ukraine’s air defense systems.
The missile strikes show that Russian President Vladimir Putin is prepared to destroy Ukraine rather than allow the country to pursue an independent, democratic future in the European Union. They also show that Ukraine still does not have enough air defenses even after the West supplied Kyiv with an array of systems.
Read the full story here.
NORTH OF KHARKIV, Ukraine — Russia hit Kharkiv, which sits just 19 miles south of the border, three times on Tuesday. The barrages were the latest in a series of recent strikes that appear aimed in part to exploit weak points in Ukraine’s air defense systems.
The missile strikes show that Russian President Vladimir Putin is prepared to destroy Ukraine rather than allow the country to pursue an independent, democratic future in the European Union. They also show that Ukraine still does not have enough air defenses even after the West supplied Kyiv with an array of systems.
Read the full story here.
This man wants to run against Putin. Thousands of Russians are helping him.
RIGA, Latvia — Boris Nadezhdin claims he wants to do the unthinkable: unseat Vladimir Putin in Russia’s March presidential election by campaigning against the war in Ukraine. Many Putin critics suspect that Nadezhdin, a former member of parliament, is playing by the Kremlin’s rules — and is the latest to join a cast of approved opposition candidates used to create a sheen of democracy in a ruthless, authoritarian state where true dissent is crushed and genuine challengers are jailed or exiled.
Despite these misgivings, tens of thousands of antiwar Russians have flocked to help Nadezhdin get on the ballot. They don’t believe he will win, and some even dislike him, citing his appearances on propagandist state television programs and his previous job as an aide to Sergei Kiriyenko, who is now Putin’s domestic policy czar. Nonetheless, they view Nadezhdin, 60, as their own tool.
Read the full story here.
RIGA, Latvia — Boris Nadezhdin claims he wants to do the unthinkable: unseat Vladimir Putin in Russia’s March presidential election by campaigning against the war in Ukraine. Many Putin critics suspect that Nadezhdin, a former member of parliament, is playing by the Kremlin’s rules — and is the latest to join a cast of approved opposition candidates used to create a sheen of democracy in a ruthless, authoritarian state where true dissent is crushed and genuine challengers are jailed or exiled.
Despite these misgivings, tens of thousands of antiwar Russians have flocked to help Nadezhdin get on the ballot. They don’t believe he will win, and some even dislike him, citing his appearances on propagandist state television programs and his previous job as an aide to Sergei Kiriyenko, who is now Putin’s domestic policy czar. Nonetheless, they view Nadezhdin, 60, as their own tool.
Read the full story here.
Exclusive: U.S. war plans for Ukraine don’t foresee retaking lost territory
Still smarting from last year’s failed counteroffensive in Ukraine, the Biden administration is putting together a new strategy that will de-emphasize winning back territory and focus instead on helping Ukraine fend off new Russian advances while moving toward a long-term goal of strengthening its fighting force and economy.
The emerging plan is a sharp change from last year, when the U.S. and allied militaries rushed training and sophisticated equipment to Kyiv in hopes that it could quickly push back Russian forces occupying eastern and southern Ukraine. That effort foundered, largely on Russia’s heavily fortified minefields and front-line trenches.
Read the full story here.
Still smarting from last year’s failed counteroffensive in Ukraine, the Biden administration is putting together a new strategy that will de-emphasize winning back territory and focus instead on helping Ukraine fend off new Russian advances while moving toward a long-term goal of strengthening its fighting force and economy.
The emerging plan is a sharp change from last year, when the U.S. and allied militaries rushed training and sophisticated equipment to Kyiv in hopes that it could quickly push back Russian forces occupying eastern and southern Ukraine. That effort foundered, largely on Russia’s heavily fortified minefields and front-line trenches.
Read the full story here.
Russia projects confidence as it pursues alliances to undermine West
Russia is increasingly confident that deepening economic and diplomatic ties with China and the Global South will allow it to challenge the international financial system dominated by the United States and undermine the West, according to Kremlin documents and interviews with Russian officials and business executives.
Russia has been buoyed by its success in holding off a Western-backed Ukrainian counteroffensive followed by political stalemates in Washington and Brussels over continued funding for Kyiv. In Moscow’s view, the U.S. backing of Israel’s invasion of Gaza has damaged Washington’s standing in many parts of the world. The confluence of events has led to a surge of optimism about Russia’s global position.
Read the full story here.
Russia is increasingly confident that deepening economic and diplomatic ties with China and the Global South will allow it to challenge the international financial system dominated by the United States and undermine the West, according to Kremlin documents and interviews with Russian officials and business executives.
Russia has been buoyed by its success in holding off a Western-backed Ukrainian counteroffensive followed by political stalemates in Washington and Brussels over continued funding for Kyiv. In Moscow’s view, the U.S. backing of Israel’s invasion of Gaza has damaged Washington’s standing in many parts of the world. The confluence of events has led to a surge of optimism about Russia’s global position.
Read the full story here.
Ukraine says defense officials stole $40 million meant for ammunition
KYIV — Ukrainian officials stole about $40 million meant for the purchase of ammunition for the military, the country’s internal security service said Saturday — confirming a massive procurement fraud as Kyiv seeks to assure international backers that it is cracking down on corruption.
Though it was state money — not foreign aid — that was embezzled, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said in a statement, the scheme is likely to resonate in both Washington and Brussels, where European Union membership and continued financial and military assistance hang in the balance.
Read the full story here.
KYIV — Ukrainian officials stole about $40 million meant for the purchase of ammunition for the military, the country’s internal security service said Saturday — confirming a massive procurement fraud as Kyiv seeks to assure international backers that it is cracking down on corruption.
Though it was state money — not foreign aid — that was embezzled, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said in a statement, the scheme is likely to resonate in both Washington and Brussels, where European Union membership and continued financial and military assistance hang in the balance.
Read the full story here.
Zelensky to oust Ukraine’s top general amid tension over new mobilization
KYIV — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told his top commander, Gen. Valery Zaluzhny, that he was firing him in a meeting on Monday, according to a senior official familiar with the conversation — a disruptive military shake-up amid Ukraine’s struggles on the battlefield and after months of friction between the president and the popular general.
Zaluzhny remains in his post for now, but a formal presidential decree is expected to confirm his ousting nearly two years into Russia’s invasion and as Moscow’s forces appear to be gaining the strategic initiative on some parts of the front.
On Monday, Zelensky’s spokesman, Serhiy Nykyforov, denied that Zaluzhny had been fired. “There is no subject of conversation,” Nykyforov told reporters. “There is no order. The president did not dismiss the commander in chief.”
Read the full story here.
KYIV — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told his top commander, Gen. Valery Zaluzhny, that he was firing him in a meeting on Monday, according to a senior official familiar with the conversation — a disruptive military shake-up amid Ukraine’s struggles on the battlefield and after months of friction between the president and the popular general.
Zaluzhny remains in his post for now, but a formal presidential decree is expected to confirm his ousting nearly two years into Russia’s invasion and as Moscow’s forces appear to be gaining the strategic initiative on some parts of the front.
On Monday, Zelensky’s spokesman, Serhiy Nykyforov, denied that Zaluzhny had been fired. “There is no subject of conversation,” Nykyforov told reporters. “There is no order. The president did not dismiss the commander in chief.”
Read the full story here.
Russia, Ukraine trade POWs with no new word of passengers on downed plane
Russia and Ukraine exchanged hundreds of prisoners Wednesday, exactly a week after Russia accused Ukraine of shooting down a military plane that Moscow claimed was carrying dozens of Ukrainian POWs being transported to a swap later that day.
Ukraine has not denied shooting down the aircraft, an Ilyushin Il-76, but says that Russia has provided no evidence that POWs were onboard. The incident raised concerns that future exchanges of POWs would be suspended.
But in a surprising announcement Wednesday, the Russian Defense Ministry said that 195 Russian soldiers had been exchanged for “exactly” the same number of Ukrainian soldiers.
Read the full story here.
Russia and Ukraine exchanged hundreds of prisoners Wednesday, exactly a week after Russia accused Ukraine of shooting down a military plane that Moscow claimed was carrying dozens of Ukrainian POWs being transported to a swap later that day.
Ukraine has not denied shooting down the aircraft, an Ilyushin Il-76, but says that Russia has provided no evidence that POWs were onboard. The incident raised concerns that future exchanges of POWs would be suspended.
But in a surprising announcement Wednesday, the Russian Defense Ministry said that 195 Russian soldiers had been exchanged for “exactly” the same number of Ukrainian soldiers.
Read the full story here.
European Union finally agrees to more than $50 billion in Ukraine aid
BRUSSELS — European Union leaders agreed Thursday to more than $50 billion in aid for Ukraine, overcoming opposition from Hungary to secure critical funding as battlefield progress stalls and support from the United States looks uncertain.
In emergency meetings in Brussels, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has spent months railing against the aid, finally agreed to sign on — though the terms remain unclear.
The agreement is a win for E.U. leaders who have increasingly struggled to work with Orban on key issues, particularly Russia’s war in Ukraine, and it is good news for Ukraine, which is running desperately short of both ammunition and cash.
Read the full story here.
BRUSSELS — European Union leaders agreed Thursday to more than $50 billion in aid for Ukraine, overcoming opposition from Hungary to secure critical funding as battlefield progress stalls and support from the United States looks uncertain.
In emergency meetings in Brussels, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has spent months railing against the aid, finally agreed to sign on — though the terms remain unclear.
The agreement is a win for E.U. leaders who have increasingly struggled to work with Orban on key issues, particularly Russia’s war in Ukraine, and it is good news for Ukraine, which is running desperately short of both ammunition and cash.
Read the full story here.
Exclusive: Precision equipment for Russian arms makers came from U.S.-allied Taiwan
Since January 2023, I Machine Technology has imported over $20 million of sophisticated equipment called CNC machine tools made in Taiwan, a U.S. strategic partner, according to trade records and Russian tax documents obtained by The Post. The computer-controlled machines are used for the complex and precise manufacturing that is critical in many industries, including weapons production.
The Taiwan-made machines accounted for virtually all of the Russian company’s imports in the first seven months of last year, according to the records, and the company’s sales during that period were overwhelmingly to the Russian defense industry.
The shipments highlight how, despite a U.S.-led regime of global restrictions that is one of the most expansive in history, Russia’s defense industry has remained robust partly because of regulatory loopholes and lax enforcement.
Read the full investigation here.
Since January 2023, I Machine Technology has imported over $20 million of sophisticated equipment called CNC machine tools made in Taiwan, a U.S. strategic partner, according to trade records and Russian tax documents obtained by The Post. The computer-controlled machines are used for the complex and precise manufacturing that is critical in many industries, including weapons production.
The Taiwan-made machines accounted for virtually all of the Russian company’s imports in the first seven months of last year, according to the records, and the company’s sales during that period were overwhelmingly to the Russian defense industry.
The shipments highlight how, despite a U.S.-led regime of global restrictions that is one of the most expansive in history, Russia’s defense industry has remained robust partly because of regulatory loopholes and lax enforcement.
Read the full investigation here.
Zelensky’s shake-up of military command, meant as a refresh, risks backlash
KYIV — When Volodymyr Zelensky told his top commander, Gen. Valery Zaluzhny, on Monday that he would soon be dismissed, the Ukrainian president suggested a leadership change might help provide a refresh. The public is increasingly exhausted by the war, and aid from international partners has slowed, Zelensky said, according to a senior Ukrainian official familiar with their conversation.
But a swift, negative reaction in the military ranks, misgivings among some officials in Kyiv, and uncertainty in the West suggest Zelensky’s removal of the popular general could backfire — allowing Moscow to seize on the instability. It could also deliver a blow to morale among troops on the front lines, especially because there has been no public explanation for Zaluzhny’s expected dismissal.
Read the full story here.
KYIV — When Volodymyr Zelensky told his top commander, Gen. Valery Zaluzhny, on Monday that he would soon be dismissed, the Ukrainian president suggested a leadership change might help provide a refresh. The public is increasingly exhausted by the war, and aid from international partners has slowed, Zelensky said, according to a senior Ukrainian official familiar with their conversation.
But a swift, negative reaction in the military ranks, misgivings among some officials in Kyiv, and uncertainty in the West suggest Zelensky’s removal of the popular general could backfire — allowing Moscow to seize on the instability. It could also deliver a blow to morale among troops on the front lines, especially because there has been no public explanation for Zaluzhny’s expected dismissal.
Read the full story here.
Ukraine’s top general, awaiting dismissal order, urges futuristic overhaul
KYIV — With his days in command apparently numbered, Ukraine’s top general alleged on Thursday that the Ukrainian government had failed to mobilize sufficient numbers of troops and called for an urgent upgrade of the country’s high-tech warfare capabilities to overcome Russia’s larger and better-armed forces “and ensure the existence of statehood.”
Gen. Valery Zaluzhny was told on Monday by President Volodymyr Zelensky that he was being dismissed, but as of Friday evening there was still no formal order removing him as head of commander in chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, no announcement of a successor, and no public explanation by the president of any leadership change.
Read the full story here.
KYIV — With his days in command apparently numbered, Ukraine’s top general alleged on Thursday that the Ukrainian government had failed to mobilize sufficient numbers of troops and called for an urgent upgrade of the country’s high-tech warfare capabilities to overcome Russia’s larger and better-armed forces “and ensure the existence of statehood.”
Gen. Valery Zaluzhny was told on Monday by President Volodymyr Zelensky that he was being dismissed, but as of Friday evening there was still no formal order removing him as head of commander in chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, no announcement of a successor, and no public explanation by the president of any leadership change.
Read the full story here.
Breaking news: Ukraine informs U.S. about decision to fire top general
Ukraine has informed the White House that President Zelensky has decided to fire his top military commander, Gen. Valery Zaluzhny, in what would be the most consequential personnel shake-up of the war, said two people familiar with the discussion.
White House officials did not support or object to the high-stakes decision, but acknowledged it as the president’s sovereign choice, these people said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive conversation.
Zelensky has yet to issue a formal decree announcing the ouster of Zaluzhny, and it is uncertain when that might happen. The advance notice to Washington, which has not been previously reported, reflects the influential role of the United States as Ukraine’s most powerful military and political backer.
Read the full story here.
Ukraine has informed the White House that President Zelensky has decided to fire his top military commander, Gen. Valery Zaluzhny, in what would be the most consequential personnel shake-up of the war, said two people familiar with the discussion.
White House officials did not support or object to the high-stakes decision, but acknowledged it as the president’s sovereign choice, these people said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive conversation.
Zelensky has yet to issue a formal decree announcing the ouster of Zaluzhny, and it is uncertain when that might happen. The advance notice to Washington, which has not been previously reported, reflects the influential role of the United States as Ukraine’s most powerful military and political backer.
Read the full story here.
Russia poised to bar only antiwar candidate from presidential race
MOSCOW — The only remaining antiwar candidate seeking to run in Russia’s presidential election, Boris Nadezhdin, will probably be barred from the ballot, after Russian electoral authorities on Monday alleged irregularities in his attempt to register as a candidate.
A working group of Russia’s Central Election Commission rejected more than 15 percent of the first 60,000 signatures it reviewed among the more than 100,000 Nadezhdin has submitted as a requirement to register. The working group recommended he be barred, and the commission is expected to issue a final decision on Wednesday.
Russian authorities have long manipulated elections, banning any candidate who poses a threat to President Vladimir Putin — such as the jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny — and admitting only a handpicked coterie of candidates who cooperate with the regim
Read the full story here.
MOSCOW — The only remaining antiwar candidate seeking to run in Russia’s presidential election, Boris Nadezhdin, will probably be barred from the ballot, after Russian electoral authorities on Monday alleged irregularities in his attempt to register as a candidate.
A working group of Russia’s Central Election Commission rejected more than 15 percent of the first 60,000 signatures it reviewed among the more than 100,000 Nadezhdin has submitted as a requirement to register. The working group recommended he be barred, and the commission is expected to issue a final decision on Wednesday.
Russian authorities have long manipulated elections, banning any candidate who poses a threat to President Vladimir Putin — such as the jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny — and admitting only a handpicked coterie of candidates who cooperate with the regim
Read the full story here.