Turkey agrees to the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO. This is what Finnish President Niinistö said during the NATO summit in Spain. A source within the military alliance confirms this now that Turkey has agreed, it paves the way for the two countries to join. It seems that the Turks have been satisfied by receiving commitments in the area of counterterrorism. It also seems that Sweden and Finland are lifting their arms export bans to Turkey. These were key demands of Turkey to counter. The statement by Finland's president says that "as a NATO member, Finland will commit fully to the counterterrorism documents and policies of NATO."

Finland and Sweden in. VERY good news. :Kaleun_Applaud: :Kaleun_Salute: That are really contributors of strength to NATO, the alliance really becomes stronger by this.

As I said to some friend online.

Sweden and Finland are now officially member of Nato-These two country has so to say been member unofficially.

The last decade Sweden's military has made some changes so Nato equipment/weapon can be carried by Swedish weapon system.

Markus

Russian comments in a meltdown over Turkey supporting Sweden and Finland joining NATO - "Erdoğan sold himself!", "no more tourists for Turkey!". :D

Similarly Moskva was not hit by missiles but rather a fire onboard ignited her ammunition stocks :nope:

World leaders from the Nato defence alliance declare Russia a "direct threat" to their security at a summit in Madrid.

Allies will provide Ukraine with military and financial help and modern equipment, Nato's secretary-general says.

Jens Stoltenberg adds Ukraine can count on the alliance "for as long as it takes"

He also confirmed Nato would formally invite Finland and Sweden to join the alliance after Turkey dropped its opposition.

Meanwhile, at least three people have died in a Russian missile strike on a residential building in the southern city of Mykolaiv.

And Ukraine's president has called on the UN to recognise Russia as a terrorist state after Monday's strike on a shopping centre in Kremenchuk killed 20

I'm a bit hesitant to call the destruction of a supposedly abandoned shopping mall an act of terrorism. Especially considering the factory buildings next to it were probably the real target based on reports of what they may have contained.


who knows its a full on propaganda war now

The Russians intentionally kill - even fleeing - civilians all the time, so such subtle sentiments maybe are a bit misplaced. Even more so since the already have bombed shopping mall, shops, bakeries and so forth, as well as schools, theatres, you name it. With people close to them and inside them.



They bomb quite a bit randomly, to spread the feeling of that nobody is never safe nowhere. A discrmination between military and non-military targets seem to not exist in their planning. In the meaning of: they do not care.



Not one bit.



But often they aim at killing civilians. Evidence enough of that we have.

I tend to agree but admit it with a hefty slice of bias against Russia.

This isn’t an act of terrorism this is war, an invasion of a sovereign country by another. Personally I’m for sending in weapon systems that can target the source of these attacks. Will it escalate things? Hell yes it will, bring it!

Thats what I thknk, too. It makes no sense to help devastating the country of the victim but leaving that of the agressor save. The war should be pushed onto the agressors soil. Its his place that should burn, not the victims. The escalating of things is completely on the invaders, from beginning on.

well accusations of "terrorism" and "war crimes" are now standard in this war. It is all part of the ongoing propaganda offensive by Ukraine to try to keep the support of the public in EU/USA. However, much like the boy who cried wolf, when you claim everything is a "war crime", people just tune it out as is now increasingly happening.

Now whether the strike on the shopping centre is a "war crime" depends on the facts. If the Russians were deliberately targeting the structure to kill civilians, it is a "war crime". If the Russians were targeting a military target and accidentally hit the building, as the Russians are claiming, it is a justifiable strike and civilian casualties are just collateral damage. The truth can only be determined by an independent investigation that has access to all the relevant evidence which of course, will not happen while the war is ongoing.