NATO

In a career spanning over three decades, diplomat John Koenig served in pivotal roles across the globe, including as US ambassador to Cyprus from 2012 to 2015, as well as earlier postings in Belgium, Greece, Indonesia, Italy and the Philippines.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has called on NATO to focus on Russia's recent amendments to its nuclear policy.

Speaking at a press conference during the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Erdoğan emphasized the dangers of nuclear weapon usage in warfare.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has named Radmila Sekerinska from North Macedonia as his deputy. Sekerinska previously served as Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration and as Minister of Defense during North Macedonia's accession to NATO in 2020.

Romania has requested a stronger NATO troop presence on its territory, citing security concerns in the Black Sea region. This was confirmed after a meeting between Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels.

European nations boosted their defenses in response to the annexation of the Crimea Peninsula in 2014 and Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, London-based think tank the International Institute for Strategic Studies said in a report on Nov. 8.

The Turkish navy is conducting a maritime exercise in the Eastern Mediterranean with the participation of 16 NATO countries.

Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias met with his Serbian counterpart Bratislav Gacic in Belgrade Tuesday to discuss regional security and bilateral defense relations.

"NATO will be more important in the next 75 years than it has been in the last 75," NATO's former supreme allied commander Europe (2013-2016) General Philip Breedlove tells Kathimerini.

The European Union plans to issue a coordinated response to North Korea's ongoing support for Russia's actions in Ukraine, according toNabila Massrali, a spokesperson for the European External Action Service. The EU intends to align its actions with international partners.

At the Novo Selo training ground today, Defense Minister Atanas Zapryanov affirmed that the recent command and staff exercise showcased the NATO Multinational Battlegroup's preparedness to scale up to brigade level if required for Bulgaria's defense.