Pars Today
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says he cannot endorse the bid of Sweden to join the NATO military alliance as long as the two Nordic countries continue to lend support to terrorist groups against his country.
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has voiced the bloc's readiness to defend Finland and Sweden in the event of a Russian attack even before the two countries become NATO members.
Russia says Finland and Sweden's potential membership in NATO would probably make no difference as the pair have long participated in the military alliance's drills along with other putative neutral countries in the region.
Russian President Vladimir Putin says a bid by Finland and Sweden to join NATO poses no direct threat to his country, but Moscow will respond if the US-led alliance bolsters military infrastructure in the two Nordic states.
The Russian army has focused its fresh offensive in Ukraine on the eastern Donetsk region, targeting military sites in several towns across the restive region, the Ukrainian military said on Monday.
NATO has pledged open-ended military support for Ukraine, as Finland and Sweden formally announced their bid to join the military alliance and Russia warned the "militarization" of Ukraine will threaten global security.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says the West has launched a “hybrid war” against his country, the consequences of which would be felt around the world.
The Pentagon said that Congress must pass a pending $40 billion Ukraine aid package by Thursday to avoid interrupting US weapons shipments to the Kiev government in its war with Russia.
Russia says it would take precautionary measures if NATO deployed nuclear forces and infrastructure closer to the country's border.
For the first time since the Krelim launched a military operation in Ukraine nearly three months ago; US defense secretary Lloyd Austin and his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu spoke over the phone on Friday.