Former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has officially become the secretary-general of NATO after a handover ceremony in Brussels. He takes over from Norway’s Jens Stoltenberg, who has led the alliance since 2014. Following a symbolic handshake and wreath-laying at…
‘‘It’s a mistake’’: Zelenskyy says he can ‘‘forget’’ Biden’s Putin mix-up
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has played down US President Joe Biden’s recent gaffe at a NATO summit where he introduced the Ukrainian leader as Russian “President Putin”, saying it was a “mistake” that could now be forgotten. “It’s a mistake. I think…
Orban says NATO must win peace not wars
The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) must focus on winning peace rather than engaging in wars, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said this on his social media posting. “NATO was established 75 years ago to protect the security of its…
Hungary’s Russia-friendly PM meets Putin in Moscow
Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban has met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, in a visit that has been heavily criticised by EU leaders and Ukraine’s government. Friday’s meeting was part of what Mr Orban called a “peace mission”, coming…
EU leaders pick von der Leyen for second term as European Commission chief
European Union leaders agreed on Thursday to nominate Ursula von der Leyen of Germany for a second five-year term as president of the European Commission, the EU’s powerful executive body. At a summit in Brussels, the bloc’s 27 national leaders…
NATO picks Dutch PM Mark Rutte as next chief, as alliance faces perilous times
NATO’s 32 nations on Wednesday appointed outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as the alliance’s next head, handing him the job at a crucial moment with Russia on the march in Ukraine and American elections looming. Rutte will take over…
Dutch PM Mark Rutte poised to become next NATO secretary general
Mark Rutte, a staunch ally of Ukraine and a fierce critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, is set to become NATO’s next secretary general, building on a career as a political dealmaker from his 14 years as Dutch prime minister.…
Ukraine withdraws troops from some Kharkiv positions
The Ukrainian army said it has been forced to withdraw soldiers from some of its positions in the north-eastern Ukrainian region. The army said that the position had been the target of a new Russian offensive in recent days. “As…
Germany’s Scholz heads to Sweden to talk security with Nordic leaders
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is due to travel to Sweden on Monday to hold talks with the prime ministers of Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Norway. The main topics of discussion are expected to be the security situation in Europe,…
Zelensky meets British foreign secretary on military aid to Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with visiting British Foreign Secretary David Cameron to discuss military aid to Ukraine, the presidential press service said on Friday. At the meeting, which took place in Kiev earlier on Thursday, Zelensky thanked the British…