NATO

The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has decided to recall more than 50 ambassadors and more than a dozen ambassadorial candidates, replacing diplomatic personnel appointed by the previous government to better cope with the complex challenges facing Polish foreign policy.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda supports discussions about sending Western troops to Ukraine to train Ukrainian soldiers and calls on the West to stop "drawing red lines" out of fear of Russia's reaction.

Thousands of people protested in Bratislava against the pro-russian position of the Slovak government and in support of Ukraine.

Ukraine has tested more than 50 robotic ground platforms, including kamikaze drones, demining robots, and unmanned systems for delivering ammunition and evacuating wounded soldiers, and plans to deploy them on the battlefield in the coming months to minimize casualties and counter Russia's numerical superiority.

The Czech Republic secured an opportunity to purchase an additional 200,000 units of artillery ammunition for Ukraine from third countries.

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis announces his candidacy for NATO Secretary General, citing Romania's commitment to NATO values and the need for strong leadership amid the Russian threat in Europe.

Zelenskyy believes that putin may launch a ground operation in non-nuclear countries such as Moldova or the Baltic states to destabilize them and strengthen his negotiating position.

Ukraine needs Soviet-style ammunition, which can be purchased more cheaply from Balkan countries that have stockpiles, but they refuse to supply directly, so the US and EU can help Ukraine buy it from them.

Swedish Prime Minister Kristersson calls on Europe to persuade the United States to focus on Russia's war against Ukraine by increasing its own defense capabilities and aligning them with America's strategic interests, including the Chinese challenge.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala will meet with U. S. President Joe Biden in April to discuss Ukraine, security issues, economic opportunities, common democratic values, and reaffirm his strong support for Ukraine against Russian aggression.

French President Emmanuel Macron actively supports Ukraine and calls for the defeat of Russia, realizing that Europe must enjoy strategic autonomy and build up its military capabilities in the absence of the US security umbrella.

Sweden, as a new member of NATO, has no plans to deploy the alliance's nuclear weapons on its territory in peacetime, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg have said.

Ukraine faces difficulties in procuring ammunition because the global arms market is monopolized and controlled by large players, forcing Ukraine to use intermediary countries.

Instead of sending NATO troops to Ukraine, Slovak Defense Minister Robert Kalyniak proposes to bring back combat-ready Ukrainian men who have gone abroad.

Russian President Putin's invasion of Ukraine has led to Finland and Sweden joining NATO and brought Ukraine closer to membership than ever before, despite Putin's goal of hindering Ukraine's progress toward NATO and the EU, the NATO Secretary General said.

Stoltenberg welcomed Germany's significant military support for Ukraine, including advanced air defense systems, battle tanks and ammunition, and reaffirmed Ukraine's right to self-defense under the UN Charter, while allies provide long-range systems to help Ukraine defend itself.

Italy opposes the deployment of Western troops to Ukraine, preferring diplomatic efforts to end the war instead of escalating it.

Sweden has officially joined NATO as the 32nd member state after abandoning its non-aligned policy due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The flag-raising ceremony took place at NATO Headquarters in Brussels with the participation of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and NATO officials.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the support of Ukraine by Western allies is saving lives and should continue, as Ukraine has no choice but to fight against Russia's unprovoked aggression, while Russia could end the war today.

Polish President Andrzej Duda plans to propose raising the requirements for NATO defense spending from 2% to 3% of GDP during his upcoming visit to the United States and talks with the allies.

NATO troops can carry out support activities directly on the territory of Ukraine without violating international rules, Czech President Petr Pavel said.

Russia produces about 3 million artillery shells a year, which is almost three times more than the 1. 2 million shells produced by the United States and Europe for Ukraine.

NATO nations are rotating air defense systems, including Patriot systems, to Lithuania to strengthen Europe's defense capabilities in the Baltic region in response to concerns about russian aggression.

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski suggested that in order to balance the situation, the Pope could call on russia to withdraw its troops from Ukraine, which would bring immediate peace without the need for negotiations.

In the temporarily occupied territories, Russians are campaigning among children and parents in kindergartens, promoting pro-Russian sentiment and militaristic content, seeking to change the identity of an entire generation of Ukrainians.

Latvian President Edgards Rinkēvičs criticized Pope Francis' statement inviting Ukraine to negotiate with Russia, saying that "one cannot capitulate in the face of evil.

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba warned that if Russia attacks the Baltic states, NATO will win, but their cities will be destroyed, like Bakhmut and Avdiivka in Ukraine.

NATO diplomats suggest preparing for a possible US withdrawal from the alliance if Donald Trump wins the next presidential election.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius warns of a potential €6 billion deficit in the Bundeswehr's budget for 2025, which threatens Germany's ability to meet the NATO target of 2% of GDP in defense spending.

Sweden conducted its first military flights near Russia's borders after joining NATO: a reconnaissance plane flew over Poland near Kaliningrad and Belarus, and another radar plane worked over the Baltic Sea.