Europe

Defense ministers of the United Kingdom and France have gathered in Kiev to discuss further military aid to Ukraine, which is striving for more weapons to boost its slowed counteroffensive against Russian forces. UK Defense Secretary Grant Shapps arrived in Kiev on Wednesday and met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, …

Moscow says Ukraine’s Western allies coordinated along with Kiev last week’s attack on the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet in the Crimean Peninsula. Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, said at a briefing on Wednesday that the attack was “planned in advance using Western intelligence means, NATO satellite assets, …

Nearly half of ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh have fled the enclave in fear of reprisal from Azerbaijan, Armenia says, as part of an exodus caused by a military operation that brought the mountainous region back under Azerbaijan’s control. Last week, Azerbaijan launched an operation designed to seize control of Nagorno-Karabakh, …

France’s ambassador to Niger landed in Paris on Wednesday after leaving Niamey following weeks of tensions between Paris and the post-coup regime in the West African country, the foreign ministry told AFP. The return of the ambassador, Sylvain Itte, comes two months after a coup in Niger ousted its pro-Paris …

The Czech Republic will buy 24 US-made F-35 fighter jets, Prime Minister Petr Fiala told reporters on Wednesday. “The first F-35s will be ready in 2029 and our pilots will start training with them in the United States then,” Fiala said. He added that the first supersonic jets would arrive …

The Russian foreign ministry says Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s latest remarks on distancing his country from its alliance with Moscow are aimed at shifting blame for his failures onto Moscow while submitting to Western pressure was behind the “severe” defeat in Karabakh. In a statement on Monday, the ministry …

Russian Black Sea Fleet commander Viktor Sokolov has appeared at a meeting in footage released by the country’s defense ministry, a day after Ukraine claimed to have killed him in a missile strike. The Russian defense ministry released the video and photos on Tuesday, showing Sokolov — one of Moscow’s most senior …

A powerful explosion rocked the Nagorno-Karabakh region on Monday evening, causing significant casualties and further turmoil as ethnic Armenians continued to leave the area following the recent Azerbaijani military offensive. The explosion occurred at a fuel storage facility near the regional capital of Stepanakert, leaving more than 200 people wounded, …

Russian and Iranian presidents on Tuesday discussed the situation in Karabakh region, where Azerbaijan recently concluded its “anti-terror activities.” According to a Kremlin statement, Putin informed Raisi about the activities of the Russian peacekeeping contingent, including providing humanitarian assistance to civilians, protecting the rights and security of the Armenian population …

Russian air defense systems have downed eight Ukrainian drones as Kiev forces increase their unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and missile attacks. The Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday that Russian forces destroyed four drones over the northwestern part of the Black Sea and Crimea in addition to four more over …

The Organization of the Islamic Council (OIC) has condemned the desecration of the holy Qur’an in the Netherlands, urging the Dutch authorities to stop the provocative, Islamophobic acts. The statement came on Sunday, a day after Edwin Wagensveld, leader of the Islamophobic organization Patriotic Europeans against the Islamization of the …

Russia’s Northern Fleet, which operates in the Arctic, has conducted naval military exercises in the East Siberian Sea. Interfax news agency reported on Monday that the Russians used some of their largest destroyers and landing ships in the naval drills aimed to practice countering unmanned mock enemy boats. “During the …

Pope Francis has expressed frustration with the countries that are “playing games” with Ukraine by first providing weapons and then considering backing out of their commitments. “It comes to my mind that there are interests, not just the Russian-Ukraine problem but selling arms, you know. The arms business,” Pope Francis …

France’s President Emmanuel Macron says Paris is imminently withdrawing its ambassador from Niger followed by its troops, putting an end to military cooperation with Niamey. “France has decided to withdraw its ambassador. In the next hours our ambassador and several diplomats will return to France, And we will put an …

France’s highest court on Monday ruled that the government ban on Muslim dress abaya is legal. The Council of State said it had rejected an appeal by three organizations against the government ban announced last month on abaya – a loose-fitting and full-length robe – worn by some Muslim students …

Hungary is not in a hurry to ratify Sweden’s NATO accession, Prime Minister Viktor Orban told parliament on Monday, flagging a further delay in a process that has been stranded in parliament since July 2022. “I wonder if there is something urgent that would force us to ratify Sweden’s NATO …

The speaker of Canada’s House of Commons has apologised for praising an individual who served in a Nazi unit during World War II in a session attended by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and visiting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Speaker Anthony Rota recognised Yaroslav Hunka, 98, as a “Ukrainian hero, a …

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Monday that the first batch of Abrams tanks promised by the US have arrived in Ukraine. In a statement on Telegram, Zelenskky said: “Good news from (Defense) Minister (Rustam) Umerov. Abrams (tanks) are already in Ukraine, we are preparing to reinforce our brigades.” Zelenskyy …

Russia’s defense ministry has said that its military inflicted heavy damage on Kiev forces, killing a multitude of enemy forces while destroying their tanks, armored battle vehicles, drones and munitions depots. The Russian Defense Ministry told TASS news agency on Sunday Southern Military District chopper took out more than two …

US President Joe Biden has announced that the first US Abrams tanks allocated for Ukraine will arrive there next week. Making the announcement on Thursday during a White House meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart, Biden said his administration would continue to support the war against Russia. Biden said he had …