… Fuelling the concerns over Russia's intentions, CIA chief John Ratcliffe paid a surprise visit to Moscow in late August, with US media reporting he warned Russia against attacking any NATO country.
… "You can't have people who spread pro-Russian narratives working in parliament." Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Sweden has joined NATO and is massively rearming and boosting civil preparedness. …
… Fuelling the concerns over Russia's intentions, CIA chief John Ratcliffe paid a surprise visit to Moscow in late August, with US media reporting he warned Russia against attacking any NATO country. …
… The European Union expressed "full solidarity" with Germany, NATO assured that it would defend its members and countries including Britain, Estonia and Poland offered strong backing.Germany will close Russia's consulate in the former capital Bonn later this month, and cancel the …
… Their island is strategically located in the sub-Arctic, has no military and depends on NATO and a 1951 bilateral agreement with the United States for its defence. …
… Trump has also laid claim to Greenland, an autonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark, and talked about making Venezuela a state following the US capture of its leader Nicolas Maduro. …
… Ukraine’s path towards European Union membership has become a central element of its national strategic direction, while its aspiration for closer integration with NATO remains an important part of its security outlook. …
Audio By VocalizeA Romanian F-16 fighter jet on Thursday destroyed a marine drone near an offshore gas project, with Romania's president blaming Russia for the latest incident involving the NATO member bordering Ukraine. …
… NATO said Friday its fighter jets had shot down a drone that entered Latvian airspace -- the second such incident there in a week, according to Latvia's defence ministry. …
Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump had an "extremely frank" one-hour phone call on Tuesday after US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visited Moscow over the weekend for talks with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. According to Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, the leaders exchanged views on the outcome of the visits and the Ukraine conflict, though the talks brought no immediate breakthrough.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump had an "extremely frank" one-hour phone call on Tuesday after US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visited Moscow over the weekend for talks with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. According to Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, the leaders exchanged views on the outcome of the visits and the Ukraine conflict, though the talks brought no immediate breakthrough.
Sweden votes Sunday in a close election where the centre-left opposition led by the Social Democrats holds a lead over Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson's centre-right coalition, with polls showing the left with around 50 percent support and the right with around 47 percent. The campaign has been dominated by concerns over healthcare and the welfare state amid fears over Europe's security, though both blocs have narrowed their positions in recent weeks.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump spoke by phone on Tuesday after Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visited Moscow and Kyiv over the weekend for talks with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. According to Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, the leaders exchanged views on the outcome of the visits, though the talks brought no immediate breakthrough in the four-and-a-half-year war.
Latvia has banned the import of books, newspapers and printing products from Russia and Belarus, citing "disinformation and war propaganda" as threats to its security interests and to further reduce economic ties with countries supporting the war against Ukraine.
Germany blamed Russia for an attempted hybrid attack involving an explosive-laden drone at a strategic airport in August and announced diplomatic counter-measures including closing Russia's consulate in Bonn and canceling the contract for a Russian cultural centre in Berlin. Germany also announced it would tighten entry controls for Russian nationals and propose additional EU sanctions against Russian individuals.
Icelanders voted Saturday on whether to resume membership negotiations with the European Union, with the result expected to be closely contested. The country applied to join the EU following a 2009 financial crisis, though talks were suspended in 2013 when a eurosceptic government took power.
US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to rename Lake Ontario to "Lake America" as tensions escalated in trade talks with Canada. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney rejected the move, stating the lake would be called Lake Ontario "then, now and always."
Ukraine celebrated its 35th Independence Day on August 24, 2026, emphasizing the nation's resilience and sovereignty against Russian aggression. The country highlighted strategic military achievements, including degrading Russia's Black Sea Fleet through domestically developed naval drones and long-range missile strikes.
Romania's F-16 fighter jet destroyed a marine drone loaded with explosives near the Neptun Deep offshore gas project on Thursday. Romania's president blamed Russia for the incident, which he characterized as part of escalating hybrid warfare by the Russian Federation.
Waves of drones and missiles killed 19 people across Russia and Ukraine on Sunday, with Ukrainian drones striking civilian areas in southern Russia and Moscow's forces targeting infrastructure in Ukraine including a major steel plant. Both countries have significantly escalated long-range attacks on civilian infrastructure as fighting at the front remains at a near standstill.
Fighter jets shot down a drone that entered Latvia's airspace, the country's military said Friday. The interception occurred amid heightened European concern over unauthorised drone activity as the Russia-Ukraine war continues.
Ukraine has reached an agreement with the United States on monthly deliveries of interceptor missiles for the Patriot air defense system, though President Zelensky said the supply remains insufficient to meet the country's air defense needs. Zelensky noted that expected deliveries in 2026 will be lower than in 2025.
An opinion piece argues that Kenya should prioritize soft power at its borders, citing an incident where Somalia's Deputy Prime Minister returned his Kenyan passport after allegedly being manhandled at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. The piece warns that such treatment of senior visitors, investors, and refugees erodes Kenya's strategic asset of accumulated goodwill in the region.
German police responded to Leipzig-Halle airport after discovering an explosives-laden drone on the tarmac near a Ukrainian cargo plane; another aircraft collided with an unknown flying object nearby before landing safely, prompting diversions for several hours. Ukraine's ambassador blamed Russia for the incident, though authorities said the investigation is ongoing.
German police responded to a security incident at Leipzig-Halle airport after an explosives-laden drone was discovered on the tarmac near a Ukrainian cargo plane; another aircraft also collided with an unknown flying object before landing safely. Ukraine's ambassador blamed Russia, though authorities said the investigation was ongoing.
U.S. President Trump warned China and Russia against selling weapons to Iran, saying he believes assurances from Xi Jinping and Putin that they are not currently doing so. The warning comes amid reports that Washington is investigating whether Moscow and Beijing are providing Iran with targeting information following strikes on U.S. bases.
US President Donald Trump will present the World Cup trophy alongside FIFA chief Gianni Infantino at the final between Spain and Argentina in New Jersey on Sunday. Trump previously drew controversy by calling FIFA to request a red card suspension for USA striker Folarin Balogun.
Ukraine's allies, including at least 25 heads of state and President Zelensky, will meet in Paris on Monday as part of the Coalition of the Willing to reaffirm support for Ukraine and step up pressure on Russia, with the summit pushing for a ceasefire and renewed peace talks.
Iran insisted it had "kept its word" on a ceasefire with the United States after President Trump declared the truce over but agreed to further negotiations. Trump threatened to "completely decimate" Iran if it attempted to assassinate him, marking a new low in relations between the two countries following an exchange of fire this week.
New fighting erupted between the United States and Iran hours before the burial of longtime supreme leader Ali Khamenei on Thursday, with Tehran targeting US allies in the region and American strikes hitting the perimeter of an Iranian nuclear power plant. The renewed hostilities, triggered by tensions over the Strait of Hormuz, sparked concerns of a return to full-scale war after an April ceasefire and a June US-Iran accord ended five weeks of conflict.
US President Donald Trump said the ceasefire with Iran was "over" on Wednesday after fighting flared between the countries sparked by Iranian attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Both sides reported striking dozens of targets, straining an interim deal to end their war and pushing oil prices to their highest level in two weeks.
Italy on Monday criticised US President Donald Trump's social media attack on Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni ahead of a NATO summit. Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto responded that "people come and go but relations must endure," while Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said transatlantic relations go beyond individual comments.
Russia fired missiles and drones into apartment buildings in Kyiv on Monday, killing at least 22 people on the eve of a NATO summit in Turkey. President Zelensky urged NATO to take "strong decisions" on boosting Ukraine's air defences.
Russia fired missiles and drones into apartment buildings in Kyiv on Monday, killing at least 22 people, the second major Russian attack on the capital in a week. Ukrainian President Zelensky, expected to meet US President Trump at a NATO summit in Turkey, called on the alliance to strengthen Ukraine's air defences.
Russia struck Ukraine's Kyiv region with ballistic missiles and drones on Monday, killing at least 11 people and wounding dozens, authorities said, on the eve of a NATO summit in Turkey where US President Donald Trump and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky are expected to discuss the war.
President Donald Trump said Thursday it is "ridiculous" for the United States to continue its "one sided" relationship with NATO, claiming the relationship "is not reciprocal" and European allies "were not there for us." Trump has repeatedly criticized European allies over their response to the war in Iran, as several countries restricted the use of bases for US forces.
NATO chief Mark Rutte said 500 US planes took off from Italian bases during the Iran war (Operation Epic Fury), with 4,000 to 5,000 sorties from European bases overall. Italy's defence ministry disputed this, saying it had authorised only "technical and logistical" flights under existing agreements, not combat operations.
NATO chief Mark Rutte told Fox News that 500 US planes took off from bases in Italy during the Iran war and that 4,000 to 5,000 sorties flew from European bases. Italy's defence ministry said Rutte's comments gave "a completely misleading message," clarifying that Italy had allowed only "technical and logistical" US flights under existing agreements.
Finland's parliament voted 125–61 to lift a total ban on nuclear weapons, allowing them to be brought, transported, supplied, or possessed where Finland's military defence requires it, aligning the country with NATO's deterrence policy after joining the alliance in 2023. The decision repeals restrictions from the Nuclear Energy Act dating to the 1980s and requires presidential approval.
Lithuania's governing coalition named Mindaugas Sinkevicius, head of the Social Democratic party, as its new prime minister on Tuesday, following a reshuffle that expelled the populist Nemunas Dawn party. The three-party centre-left coalition will retain 75 of parliament's 141 seats and maintains focus on defence spending.