DefenceTalkTurkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Sweden on Monday that it should not expect his backing to join NATO following the burning of the Koran outside Ankara’s embassy in Stockholm. Erdogan’s furious comments further distanced the prospects of Sweden and Finland joining the Western defence alliance before Turkey’s presidential and parliamentary polls in May. Turkey […]https://www.defencetalk.com/erdogan-warns-sweden-on-nato-after-koran-burning-79733/

DefenceTalkBelarus said Monday that joint air force drills with Russia began on its territory, amid concerns Minsk was being dragged into the Ukraine conflict to fight alongside Moscow. Minsk’s defence ministry said “joint tactical flight drills of aviation units” from Belarus and Russia had started. The drills will last until February 1, the ministry said […]https://www.defencetalk.com/russia-belarus-launch-joint-air-force-drills-79726/

DefenceTalkPresident Vladimir Putin on Monday slammed Kyiv’s “destructive” policies and growing Western arms supplies to Ukraine in a phone call with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Kremlin said. Putin said Kyiv was pursuing “a destructive line” and that it had “bet on the intensification of hostilities with the support of Western sponsors, who […]https://www.defencetalk.com/putin-slams-growing-western-arms-deliveries-to-ukraine-79722/

DefenceTalkThe Pentagon is finalizing plans to send Patriot missile batteries that can shoot down incoming missiles to Ukraine, US media reported Tuesday. As Russia has ramped up missile strikes on key Ukrainian infrastructure, the administration of President Joe Biden could announce the deployment as early as this week, US officials told The New York Times […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-plans-to-send-patriot-missiles-to-ukraine-media-79676/

DefenceTalkPresident Vladimir Putin on Friday said Russia could amend its military doctrine by introducing the possibility of a preemptive strike to disarm an enemy, in an apparent reference to a nuclear attack. He spoke in response to a question from a reporter who asked him to clarify his statement from earlier this week on the […]https://www.defencetalk.com/putin-says-russia-could-adopt-preemptive-strike-concept-79663/

DefenceTalkRussia’s ex-president Dmitry Medvedev said on Sunday the country was ramping up production of new-generation weapons to protect itself from enemies in Europe, the United States and Australia. “We are increasing production of the most powerful means of destruction. Including those based on new principles,” Medvedev said on messaging app Telegram. “Our enemy dug in […]https://www.defencetalk.com/russia-ramping-up-production-of-most-powerful-weapons-medvedev-79654/

DefenceTalkHungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban called EU sanctions against Russia “a step towards war” on Friday, describing the bloc’s Russia policy as dangerous. Orban has sought to take a neutral position since Russia invaded Ukraine in February, refusing to send Kyiv military aid and opposing an 18-billion-euro EU support package for Ukraine. Although Budapest didn’t […]https://www.defencetalk.com/eus-russia-sanctions-a-step-towards-war-hungary-pm-79619/

DefenceTalkSweden said Wednesday it would provide Ukraine with military and humanitarian aid worth more than $350 million to help it cope with the upcoming winter. Stockholm will contribute military aid worth some three billion kronor ($286 million) plus additional humanitarian aid of 720 million kronor ($69 million), the government said. The military aid will include […]https://www.defencetalk.com/sweden-to-send-military-humanitarian-aid-to-ukraine-79613/

DefenceTalkSweden’s new prime minister said Tuesday he was open to allowing nuclear weapons on Swedish soil once the country becomes a NATO member, a turnaround from the previous government’s stance. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, who took over the reins in Sweden two weeks ago, was speaking in Helsinki at a press conference with his Finnish […]https://www.defencetalk.com/new-swedish-pm-says-open-to-nukes-under-nato-79586/

DefenceTalkNorway, a NATO member that shares a border with Russia in the Arctic, will raise its military readiness, the prime minister said Monday, stressing no direct threat had been detected. “The military will as of tomorrow raise its preparedness in Norway,” Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store told reporters. “We currently have no reason to believe […]https://www.defencetalk.com/norway-raises-military-readiness-but-pm-says-no-direct-threat-79572/