NATO

Turkish legislators on Tuesday endorsed Sweden's membership in NATO, lifting a major hurdle on the previously nonaligned country's entry into the military alliance.

The legislators ratified Sweden's accession protocol by 287 votes to 55, with four abstentions. The ratification will come into effect after its publication in the Official Gazette, which is expected to be swift.

NATO yesterday signed contracts worth $1.2 billion to acquire over 200,000 155-millimeter artillery shells in the face of Russia's invasion on Ukraine.

Members of the Western military alliance have drained their stocks sending shipments of heavy ammunition to help Ukraine's forces battle Russia in a brutal war of attrition.

Turkey's parliament is widely expected to approve Sweden's NATO membership bid on Tuesday, clearing the biggest remaining hurdle to expanding the Western military alliance.

“In order to be fully effective, also in the future, we need a warfighting transformation of NATO”

In a bleak outlook, Admiral Rob Bauer, who chairs the bloc's Military Committee, said people should get ready for conscription within the next two decades. He said it is "not a given" that member states are at peace, as he praised Sweden for preparing its citizens for war.

Bulgaria is gearing up to enhance its defense capabilities with the imminent arrival of eight cutting-edge F-16 fighter jets from the United States in 2025, as announced by Admiral Emil Eftimov, the Chief of Defense. The decision to expedite the acquisition was crucial, ensuring delivery well before 2030.

Greek Captain Fotis Paraskevas took over the command duties of the Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Maritime Group Two (SNMCMG2) with the handover ceremony taking place at the Naval Base La Spezia in Italy on Friday, as was announced by the Hellenic National Defense General Staff on Monday. 

Britain will send 20,000 armed forces personnel to one of NATO's largest exercises since the Cold War, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps announced on Monday.

Bulgaria's Minister of Defense, Todor Tagarev, has announced a substantial infrastructure development plan valued at EUR 6 billion, aimed at serving both NATO requirements and civilian purposes. The multifaceted initiative encompasses the construction of roads, railways, oil pipelines, warehouses, and accommodation buildings, positioning Bulgaria as a strategic hub for NATO activities.

BELGRADE - Kfor Commander Maj Gen Ozkan Ulutas said on Friday the situation in Kosovo-Metohija was calm overall but remained "fragile following a rise of tensions in the past months."