Sweden has officially decided to join NATO
Sweden's ruling Social Democratic Party has said it has decided to work on the country's entry into NATO. At the same time, as stated in the statement, if the application is approved, the country will ask for the opportunity to "express unilateral reservations against the deployment of nuclear weapons and permanent bases" on its territory.
“At its meeting today, 15 May 2022, the board of the Social Democrats decided that the party will work to get Sweden to apply for NATO membership. Thus, the Social Democrats will seek to ensure that Sweden, if the NATO application is approved, expresses unilateral reservations against the deployment of nuclear weapons and permanent bases on Swedish territory,” the
statement said .
After a long-term policy of neutrality, Sweden and Finland announced their desire to join NATO because of the Russian military operation in Ukraine. On May 14, Finnish President Sauli Niinistö told Russian President Vladimir Putin that the country would make a decision on membership in the alliance in the coming days. Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said that the country is likely to apply to join the alliance on Wednesday, May 18.
NATO countries generally support the decision of Finland and Sweden to join the alliance, but Turkey
says that in order to join the alliance, they must stop helping the PKK and other organizations that Ankara considers terrorist. To accept new members into the alliance, the approval of all existing members is required.
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US handed over 89 M777 howitzers to Ukraine
The United States has completed the transfer of a batch of M777 155-mm howitzers to Ukraine, the United States Embassy in the country has reported. Almost the entire batch of howitzers has already arrived in Ukraine - 89 pieces out of the planned 90.
“M777 howitzers in action. This is part of an $800 million aid package for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. All but one of the 90 howitzers sent by the US are now in Ukraine, many already deployed on the front lines,” the US embassy said on Facebook (banned and blocked in Russia, owned by the company Meta, recognized as extremist and banned).
The M777 is a 155 mm light towed howitzer. It can fire guided Excalibur projectiles with a firing range of up to 40 km, and a circular probable deviation from the target of 5 m. The rate of fire is 5 rounds per minute. Crew - 5-8 people. Equipped with a digital fire control system. M777, in particular, were used by the United States in armed conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Earlier, a senior Pentagon official
said that 310 Ukrainian troops were trained to work with new weapons, in particular this type of howitzers. The United States began to increase the supply of weapons to Ukraine in connection with the Russian military operation on the territory of this country.
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Romanian Foreign Minister and Blinken discussed the export of grain from Ukraine through Romanian ports
The United States can take out the grain blocked in Ukraine through the Romanian ports of Galati and Constanta. Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu discussed this issue with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.
“I briefly discussed with Secretary of State Blinken Romania’s efforts and plans to support the Ukrainian economy by facilitating the export/shipment of grain through the ports of Galati and Constanta, as well as possible joint international actions in this regard, in order to contribute to global food security,” Mr. Aurescu wrote. on Twitter.
Earlier, the Foreign Ministers of the G7 countries held a meeting in Germany, following which German Minister Annalena Berbock
said that the world was "threatened by a severe famine" due to the Russian military operation in Ukraine, and Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly
said that the country was working on the issue of exporting blocked in Ukraine grain with another major exporter. Earlier, US President Joe Biden
reported 20 tons of grain. He said that the United States was also looking for ways to export them.
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