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Nato fighter jets have shot down Russian drones over Polish airspace for the first time, after what Warsaw described as an “unprecedented violation” of its territory that led it to trigger emergency consultations in the alliance. The operation in the early hours of Wednesday, during a massive Russian attack on Ukraine, involved Dutch and Polish fighter jets, while German Patriot missiles were put on alert and an Italian early warning aircraft provided support. The alliance said it was “committed to defending every kilometre of Nato territory, including our airspace”. It marks the most serious clash between Russia and the US-led...

A senior security official in Moscow has accused Finland of laying the ground for an attack on Russia by Nato, in comments that echo President Putin’s justifications for the invasion of Ukraine. Dmitry Medvedev, the former president and prime minister who is now the deputy head of Russia’s national security council, issued his warning after a visit to Russia’s 830-mile border with Finland. “After joining Nato, under the guise of defence measures, Helsinki is pursuing a confrontational course in preparation for war with Russia, apparently preparing a springboard for an attack on us,” Medvedev wrote in an article that was...

The United Kingdom’s new Challenger 3 is a technologically impressive and formidable main battle tank, but the decision to procure only 148 units renders the fleet “patently inadequate” for its strategic needs. This small, “brittle” force lacks the numbers and depth required to sustain heavy combat operations, honor NATO commitments in Eastern Europe, or project power effectively.

For over three decades since the Cold War, the United States has lacked a coherent strategy for Russia, lurching from one failed “reset” to another. This stands in stark contrast to the clear, successful Cold War doctrine of containment. Successive administrations have failed to grasp Russia’s true nature and objectives, allowing Moscow to rearm and pursue its imperial ambitions.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin stole the spotlight at the Shanghai Cooperation Council summit in Tianjin with their warm gestures and camaraderie. The two leaders walked together, shared light moments, and exchanged jokes, showcasing a bond that appeared stronger than ever. Modi was seen hugging Putin on the sidelines, a moment that fuelled headlines amid growing Western unease over India’s oil trade with Russia.

THIS is the bizarre moment Vladimir Putin is seen holding hands with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi at an "anti-Nato" summit. The inseparable pair were seen giggling and smiling at one another as they met up with Chinese despot Xi Jinping for crunch talks in Tianjin.

With less than half of its vehicles operational, only one submarine seaworthy, and major equipment modernization programs years away, the CAF remains a “hollow force.” While its presence in places like Latvia is politically valuable, it serves as a “tripwire,” not a sustained, combat-capable contribution to a high-intensity coalition fight.

Denmark’s foreign minister had the top U.S. diplomat in the country summoned for talks after the main national broadcaster reported Wednesday that at least three people with connections to President Donald Trump have been carrying out covert influence operations in Greenland. Trump has repeatedly said he seeks U.S. jurisdiction over Greenland, a vast, semi-autonomous territory of Denmark. He has not ruled out military force to take control of the mineral-rich, strategically located Arctic island. Denmark, a NATO ally of the U.S., and Greenland have said the island is not for sale and condemned reports of the U.S. gathering intelligence there.

Russia’s MiG-35, comically dubbed a fourth-generation “+++” fighter, is an overrated “paper tiger” that has been a non-factor in the Ukraine war. With only a handful of aircraft in service, the program is a failure, plagued by significant drawbacks. It lacks its intended advanced AESA radar, its missiles are outmatched, its engines are aging, and its electronic warfare suite is subpar. Instead of a revolutionary dogfighter, the MiG-35 is a symbol of the Russian aviation industry’s inability to deliver on its ambitious promises, making it another costly and ineffective platform.

Worshippers were forced to flee a Melbourne synagogue early Friday morning after it was set ablaze in an arson attack Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony called “act of hate.” Sixty-plus firefighters were called to Adass Israel synagogue in the Victorian state capital just after 04:00 local time on Friday (17:00 GMT Thursday), finding the building fully ablaze when they arrived. Local media outlets confirmed people were inside at the time for morning prayers and they had reported seeing firebombs thrown by masked assailants. One person was injured and the fire caused extensive damage.

Al-Monitor has learned that US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is expected to travel to Turkey March 30. He will be the most senior US official to formally visit Turkey since the Donald Trump administration took office in January. A senior Turkish official who spoke on the condition of anonymity confirmed that Tillerson was expected to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, among others. The official was unaware of Tillerson’s full itinerary but said it would not be unusual for the secretary to visit other countries in the region as well. The official declined to elaborate any further. In an emailed...

Congressman Matt Gaetz proposed a radical peacetime solution – allow Russia to join NATO. “Before you suggest I’m crazy for thinking about NATO and Russia as partners, the idea has been floated by foreign policy thinkers on the right and left for some time,” Gaetz added. “In 1997, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee held a hearing on NATO expansion. President Clinton’s secretary of state, Madeleine Albright, reflected on groundbreaking cooperation between NATO and Russia.” The concept never came to fruition as NATO decided that encircling Russia was of paramount concern, and partnering with its greatest enemy was of no interest...

Through an extended weekend full of summitry, President Donald Trump revived the role of diplomacy in addressing the European conflict, making the first allied contact with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin since early in the Ukraine war. Trump rejected efforts by Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky and seven European leaders to escalate the endless proxy war against Russia. Despite his narcissistic peculiarities, the president made more progress toward peace in four days than President Joe Biden did in three years, though there is still great skepticism that the war will soon end.

While President Trump deserves credit for pursuing diplomacy to end the Ukraine war—a step his predecessor avoided—his strategy contains a grave risk to U.S. interests. In his pursuit of a historic peace deal, Trump has proposed offering Ukraine an “Article 5-like” security guarantee. This commitment, made outside of NATO, could obligate the U.S. military to defend Ukraine and create a direct tripwire for conflict with a nuclear-armed Russia.

While the theory that Russia could collapse under the strain of the Ukraine war is popular, a direct comparison to the fall of the USSR is flawed. Unlike the Soviet Union’s final years, which saw a rapid turnover of leadership and liberalizing reforms under Gorbachev, Putin’s Russia is a stable, repressive regime. However, the current system faces its own unique pressures: major state-owned companies like Gazprom are hemorrhaging money, and a rising tide of violent crime from returning convicts is creating deep social instability that could lead to a different kind of collapse.

Special envoy Steve Witkoff says the White House extracted critical wins from its Friday summit with Vladimir Putin in Alaska, even as President Donald Trump failed to walk away with the ceasefire he was loudly advocated for. Security guarantees offering Ukraine “Article 5-like protections” are the real prize, Witkoff told CNN’s Jake Tapper on Sunday. They’re “game-changing,” he said. “We didn’t think that we were anywhere close to agreeing to Article Five protection from the United States in legislative enshrinement within the Russian Federation, not to go after any other territory when the peace deal is codified,” Witkoff said on...

The Democrats are starting to realize that they have no chance in elections if they continue to vehemently oppose everything Trump is doing. Failed presidential candidate and treasonous Russiagate conspirator Hillary Clinton said in a recent interview that she is “encouraged” by Trump’s actions with NATO and Ukraine as he seeks to bring the Russia-Ukraine war to an end. Clinton made the comments during an appearance on the Raging Moderates podcast with host Jessica Tarlov. Tarlov attempted to set her up to bash Trump, implying that President Trump has overseen a “breakdown” of relationships with allies and Europe is “just...

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary-General Mark Rutte, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Finnish head of state Alexander Stubb all confirmed on Sunday that they will attend the meetings of Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky, the respective leaders of the United States and Ukraine. The aforementioned politicians' press services announced the news on their websites. The encounter will take place at the White House on Monday. The gathering will come after Trump's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, dedicated to finding a way to solve the conflict in Ukraine. Previously, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and...

Several hundred people gathered for a pro-Ukraine rally in Anchorage, Alaska, where U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin are set to meet Friday. The high-stakes summit — the first in-person meeting between an American president and Putin since the latter launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, is meant to lay the ground for a ceasefire. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was not invited to the summit, scheduled to kick off around 11 a.m. local time at the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. Protesters started to gather early on Friday morning ahead of Putin's arrival in Anchorage, chanting...

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, will attend President Trump’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, according to two senior Defense Department officials. Hegseth isn't joining with Trump on Air Force One, instead flying separately, the officials said. Caine has already arrived in Alaska, a third DOD official said.