Military alliances

Bulgaria joined the Multinational Ammunition Stockpiling Initiative today.

The news was announced by NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană.

This happened at a ceremony during the two-day meeting in Brussels of the ministers of defense from the member countries of the pact. On the Bulgarian side, the document was signed by Todor Tagarev.

European leaders meet Thursday at a summit held on one of the most vulnerable points on the continent's strategic frontline, in a show of diplomatic force designed to pressure Moscow.

The European Political Community (EPC), which groups 27 EU members with 40 of their allies and excludes Russia and Belarus, chose Ukraine's tiny neighbour Moldova for its second summit.

NATO will deploy 700 more troops to Kosovo, Alliance Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said today, a day after 30 NATO soldiers and 52 protesters were injured in clashes, Reuters reported.

The US State Department has affirmed its recognition of Greece as "an indispensable NATO ally and partner," but has not provided an update on the sale of the latest generation F-35 fighter planes produced by US defense giant Lockheed Martin.

This move represents a major change in the North Atlantic Alliance since it hasn't made major defense plans for a long time - in the recent past it participated in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as in the bombing of FR Yugoslavia, but it did not consider post-Soviet Russia an existential threat.

"In parallel with Russia's aggressive military actions, we are facing an unprecedented increase in various hybrid attacks aimed at undermining Bulgaria's stability and thereby our democratic values and processes".

All NATO allies have agreed that Ukraine will eventually become a member of the alliance, but the main focus now is to ensure that the country prevails over Russia, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters on Friday, Reuters reports.

The invitation to the officials of Kyiv to attend the meeting of ministers of NATO member countries in Brussels is a direct violation of the principles of the Alliance, according to Pter Szijjrt.

Alamy Photo

Finland's flag will be hoisted outside NATO headquarters on Tuesday when it becomes the 31st member of the Western alliance, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said.

"Tomorrow we will welcome Finland as the 31st member," Stoltenberg told reporters on the eve of a historic meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels.

Turkey's parliament on Thursday ratified Finland's application to join NATO, lifting the last hurdle in the way of the Nordic country's long-delayed accession into the Western military alliance.

All 276 lawmakers present voted in favor of Finland's bid, days after Hungary's parliament also endorsed Helsinki's accession.