The Arab world is coming together. It wants to create a NATO-style military alliance. The aim is to protect the 'collective interests' of Arab nations. What would this alliance look like? Who will be the members? What obstacles does it face? On Gravitas Plus, Palki Sharma explains.

Gravitas Plus: Is an Arab NATO taking shape?

The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation has no current plans to send troops to Sweden and Finland once they complete the membership process launched this week, the defensive alliance's deputy chief said on Tuesday.

As reported by AFP, Deputy Secretary-General Mircea Geoana said, "We don't plan to have an additional presence in either country, they have formidable national forces. They're capable of defending themselves."&nbsp;

"We don't plan to have NATO bases in these two countries, because they have a very high level of military and strategic maturity," he added.

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned last week that if military contingents and military infrastructure were deployed there, we would be obliged to respond symmetrically and raise the same threats for those territories where threats have arisen for us.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/udaipur-terror-attack-how-my-hometown-turned-into-a-curfew-zone-494414">Udaipur terror attack: How my hometown turned into a curfew zone&nbsp;</a>

Geoana said that after the accession process was launched Tuesday, it is up to parliaments in all 30 member states to ratify Oslo and Helsinki's membership of the Atlantic alliance. Although a deal has been struck in principle with Turkey to overcome its objections relating to the Nordic countries' policy towards Kurdish militants, there is still some suspense on whether Ankara will ratify immediately.

Geoana hailed NATO members' and allies' support for Ukraine as it defends itself against the Russian invasion launched on February 24. But he acknowledged "active concerns" about how long the flow of arms and ammunition can be kept up. Also speaking Tuesday, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said, "I count on allies to deliver a quick and swift and smooth ratification process."

(with inputs from agencies) 
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The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation has no current plans to send troops to Sweden and Finland once they complete the membership process launched this week, the defensive alliance's deputy chief said on Tuesday.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation has no current plans to send troops to Sweden and Finland once they complete the membership process launched this week, the defensive alliance's deputy chief said on Tuesday. As reported by AFP, Deputy Secretary-General Mircea Geoana said, "We don't plan to have an additional presence in either country, they have formidable national forces. They're capable of defending themselves." "We don't plan to have NATO bases in these two countries, because they have a very high level of military and strategic maturity," he added. Russian President Vladimir Putin warned last week that if military contingents and military infrastructure were deployed there, we would be obliged to respond symmetrically and raise the same threats for those territories where threats have arisen for us. Also Read: Udaipur terror attack: How my hometown turned into a curfew zone Geoana said that after the accession process was launched Tuesday, it is up to parliaments in all 30 member states to ratify Oslo and Helsinki's membership of the Atlantic alliance. Although a deal has been struck in principle with Turkey to overcome its objections relating to the Nordic countries' policy towards Kurdish militants, there is still some suspense on whether Ankara will ratify immediately. Geoana hailed NATO members' and allies' support for Ukraine as it defends itself against the Russian invasion launched on February 24. But he acknowledged "active concerns" about how long the flow of arms and ammunition can be kept up. Also speaking Tuesday, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said, "I count on allies to deliver a quick and swift and smooth ratification process." (with inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

NATO says no plans to send troops to Sweden or Finland after Putin threatens to retaliate

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg announced that the process to ratify Sweden and Finland as the newest members of the military alliance has been formally launched.

He told reporters in a joint press statement with the Swedish and Finnish foreign ministers "This is a good day for Finland and Sweden and a good day for NATO."

"With 32 nations around the table, we will be even stronger and our people will be even safer as we face the biggest security crisis in decades," he added.

Opening a months-long period for alliance countries to ratify their membership, NATO's 30 member states are expected to sign the accession protocols for the two Nordic countries in a meeting.

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Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde said, "We are tremendously grateful for all the strong support that our accession has received from the allies."

"We are convinced that our membership would strengthen NATO and add to the stability in the Euro Atlantic area," she added.

Both Sweden and Finland announced their intention to drop their military non-alignment status and become part of NATO following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February.

After Turkey won concessions over concerns it had raised and a US promise it would receive new warplanes, a NATO summit in Madrid last week endorsed that move by issuing invitations to the two nations.

Accusing both countries of promoting "terrorism", Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said they were havens for Kurdish militants he has sought to crush.

After putting forward his demand to lift arms embargoes imposed for Turkey's 2019 military incursion into Syria, Erdogan said he could still block Sweden and Finland's bids if NATO fails to fulfill its promises.

(With inputs from agencies)

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NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg announced that the process to ratify Sweden and Finland as the newest members of the military alliance has been formally launched.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg announced that the process to ratify Sweden and Finland as the newest members of the military alliance has been formally launched. He told reporters in a joint press statement with the Swedish and Finnish foreign ministers "This is a good day for Finland and Sweden and a good day for NATO." "With 32 nations around the table, we will be even stronger and our people will be even safer as we face the biggest security crisis in decades," he added. Opening a months-long period for alliance countries to ratify their membership, NATO's 30 member states are expected to sign the accession protocols for the two Nordic countries in a meeting. × Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde said, "We are tremendously grateful for all the strong support that our accession has received from the allies." "We are convinced that our membership would strengthen NATO and add to the stability in the Euro Atlantic area," she added. Both Sweden and Finland announced their intention to drop their military non-alignment status and become part of NATO following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February. After Turkey won concessions over concerns it had raised and a US promise it would receive new warplanes, a NATO summit in Madrid last week endorsed that move by issuing invitations to the two nations. Accusing both countries of promoting "terrorism", Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said they were havens for Kurdish militants he has sought to crush. After putting forward his demand to lift arms embargoes imposed for Turkey's 2019 military incursion into Syria, Erdogan said he could still block Sweden and Finland's bids if NATO fails to fulfill its promises. (With inputs from agencies) Watch WION's live TV here:

Stoltenberg announces formal launch of ratification process for Sweden, Finland membership

You must be aware of the China Taiwan issue; it’s happening since 1949. On October 1 of last year, when China observed its National Day to commemorate the founding of the People's Republic of China, tensions between the two countries resumed. Over 100 fighter jets from China flew into Taiwan's air defence identification zone during the 72nd-anniversary festivities, rattling Taiwanese emotions and raising concerns about a possible military invasion of the island. We must first see the cause of the China and Taiwan split to fully understand this matter. After World War II, there was combat in mainland China between nationalist government troops and the Chinese Communist Party, which led to the division between the two. In 1949, the communists prevailed, and Mao Zedong seized power in Beijing.&nbsp;The Kuomintang, a nationalist party, withdrew to neighbouring Taiwan during this time. Since then, the Kuomintang has been one of Taiwan's leading political parties and has ruled the island for a sizable portion of its history. China puts a lot of diplomatic pressure on other nations to avoid any actions that can be seen as recognition of Taiwan. Only 13 nations currently recognise Taiwan as a sovereign state.

Taiwan's authorities assert that their country is an independent state, but China regards Taiwan as a part of its territory and is desperate to seize control of it by force. Now here the question is why&nbsp;does Taiwan matter to China? Apart from the territorial integrity the reason China wants Taiwan is because of its economic capabilities and western influence.&nbsp;&nbsp;You will observe the same thing in Ukraine as well; why do you think Russia attacked Ukraine? Because Russia doesn't want any military bases close to its borders, it has repeatedly urged Ukraine not to join NATO or any other western allies. Taiwan experiences a similar issue. China does not want Taiwan to be the next Ukraine.&nbsp;because China is aware that American and NATO forces intend to erect military infrastructure in Taiwan and China's foreign policy will be directly threatened by it. We should also keep in mind that China is quite savvy and is aware that whatever sanctions Russia is dealing with could apply to China in the future. Additionally, Taiwan's electronic industry draws the largest proportion of its foreign investment. China and Taiwan's economies are highly interdependent, with Taiwan's semiconductor manufacturing industry being the largest contract chip manufacturer in the world and Asia's most valuable listed company at 600 billion dollars. With an export value of 515 billion dollars from January 2017 to January 2022, China is Taiwan's largest export partner, more than twice as much as the next-largest partner, the United States. More chips from Taiwan are imported into China than crude oil. This means that China is heavily dependent on Taiwan for the essential components of its manufacturing and electrical industries.

Anyway, we know that Taiwan recognizes itself as a sovereign nation. Taiwan maintains diplomatic ties with 15 nations, including major powers including the US, Australia, Canada, the EU, Japan, and New Zealand. Consequently, Taiwan's sovereignty is essentially supported by all western nations. Additionally, Taiwan has full membership in World Trade Organization, the Asian Development Bank, and other intergovernmental organizations. So, if you look at Taiwan of course they have full right to be a sovereign country, I am not denying that. However, if you take a step back and look at it from a more traditional perspective, you'll find that the western nations do not support Taiwan because they favour democracy or because they have comparable democratic values. Since the west does a lot of business with China, in recent years it has begun to forge closer ties with Taiwan to keep China in check and prevent it from straying too far from the norm. And if you recall, in 2018—Trump's first year in office—China and the United States were engaged in a continuing economic struggle known as the "China-US trade war." Additionally, both nations had imposed sanctions on one another. As a result of the US-China trade war and the subsequent COVID-19 outbreak, China’s name around the world began to decline. Many Taiwanese and foreign companies that were based in mainland China, started relocating back to Taiwan because of this if you see Taiwan became an indirect beneficiary of the US-China trade war.

So, the western countries do not want to let go of the leverage on China and the leverage is Taiwan. Because of this, the United States, Australia, and Japan expressed alarm and disapproval when Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare signed the security arrangement with China and extended his country's allegiance to Beijing rather than Taiwan. 

Despite US President Joe Biden's comments that he would be willing to use force to defend Taiwan, White House officials maintain that the US has not altered its policy. United States President Joe Biden suggested that any attempt by China to invade Taiwan will result in American military action during the Quad Summit in Tokyo on May 23, 2022. At the G-7 summit in Madrid, the UK's foreign secretary, Lizz Truss, recently warned China, saying, "I do think that with China extending its influence through economic coercion and building a capable military, there is a real risk that they draw the wrong idea, which results in a catastrophic miscalculation like invading Taiwan, and that is precisely what we saw in case of Ukraine, a strategic miscalculation by Putin.&nbsp;Invoking Taiwan as an example, Truss argued that NATO needed to have a global perspective that included democracies outside of its membership.&nbsp;To protect the Pacific, she said, "we need to anticipate dangers in the Indo-Pacific, working with friends like Japan and Australia." "We must ensure that democracies like Taiwan can defend themselves." "We must ensure the self-defence of democracies like Taiwan."China dwarfs Britain, the sixth-largest economy in the world, both economically and militarily, but London still hopes to influence Beijing to abide by the rules of a new, more dynamic international order through the use of soft power and strategic partnerships.

Along with the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, which brought an end to the Cold War, China's rapid economic and military development over the previous 40 years is seen as one of the most important geopolitical developments in recent times. Taiwan views the Ukraine scenario as a lesson in how to cope with China's military adventurism even though a Chinese invasion of Taiwan is not near. If recent actions by the US and Japan are any indication, both nations are stepping up their efforts to support Taiwan's resolve to counter the Chinese security threat. This is a natural move on the part of the US and Japan, and it provides a platform for other democracies and like-minded nations to contribute to preventing geopolitical instability in the Indo-Pacific. The effects of the Russia-Ukraine conflict would be felt well beyond the Western world, notwithstanding how some foreign policy experts portray a controlled West-only situation. Due to a protracted border dispute and ongoing standoffs with China, India has maintained a low profile with Taiwan. There has been a widespread belief that any attempt to engage Taiwan will provoke a fierce response from China. Due to their unresolved border conflict and China's frequent territorial incursions into Indian territory, China represents a serious threat to India. It would be appropriate for India to quit paying attention to China at the expense of engaging Taiwan after the Galwan skirmishes, which were preceded by decades of Chinese duplicity and attempts to halt India's development.

(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

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You must be aware of the China Taiwan issue; it’s happening since 1949. On October 1 of last year, when China observed its National Day to commemorate the founding of the People's Republic of China, tensions between the two countries resumed.

You must be aware of the China Taiwan issue; it’s happening since 1949. On October 1 of last year, when China observed its National Day to commemorate the founding of the People's Republic of China, tensions between the two countries resumed. Over 100 fighter jets from China flew into Taiwan's air defence identification zone during the 72nd-anniversary festivities, rattling Taiwanese emotions and raising concerns about a possible military invasion of the island. We must first see the cause of the China and Taiwan split to fully understand this matter. After World War II, there was combat in mainland China between nationalist government troops and the Chinese Communist Party, which led to the division between the two. In 1949, the communists prevailed, and Mao Zedong seized power in Beijing. The Kuomintang, a nationalist party, withdrew to neighbouring Taiwan during this time. Since then, the Kuomintang has been one of Taiwan's leading political parties and has ruled the island for a sizable portion of its history. China puts a lot of diplomatic pressure on other nations to avoid any actions that can be seen as recognition of Taiwan. Only 13 nations currently recognise Taiwan as a sovereign state. Taiwan's authorities assert that their country is an independent state, but China regards Taiwan as a part of its territory and is desperate to seize control of it by force. Now here the question is why does Taiwan matter to China? Apart from the territorial integrity the reason China wants Taiwan is because of its economic capabilities and western influence. You will observe the same thing in Ukraine as well; why do you think Russia attacked Ukraine? Because Russia doesn't want any military bases close to its borders, it has repeatedly urged Ukraine not to join NATO or any other western allies. Taiwan experiences a similar issue. China does not want Taiwan to be the next Ukraine. because China is aware that American and NATO forces intend to erect military infrastructure in Taiwan and China's foreign policy will be directly threatened by it. We should also keep in mind that China is quite savvy and is aware that whatever sanctions Russia is dealing with could apply to China in the future. Additionally, Taiwan's electronic industry draws the largest proportion of its foreign investment. China and Taiwan's economies are highly interdependent, with Taiwan's semiconductor manufacturing industry being the largest contract chip manufacturer in the world and Asia's most valuable listed company at 600 billion dollars. With an export value of 515 billion dollars from January 2017 to January 2022, China is Taiwan's largest export partner, more than twice as much as the next-largest partner, the United States. More chips from Taiwan are imported into China than crude oil. This means that China is heavily dependent on Taiwan for the essential components of its manufacturing and electrical industries. Anyway, we know that Taiwan recognizes itself as a sovereign nation. Taiwan maintains diplomatic ties with 15 nations, including major powers including the US, Australia, Canada, the EU, Japan, and New Zealand. Consequently, Taiwan's sovereignty is essentially supported by all western nations. Additionally, Taiwan has full membership in World Trade Organization, the Asian Development Bank, and other intergovernmental organizations. So, if you look at Taiwan of course they have full right to be a sovereign country, I am not denying that. However, if you take a step back and look at it from a more traditional perspective, you'll find that the western nations do not support Taiwan because they favour democracy or because they have comparable democratic values. Since the west does a lot of business with China, in recent years it has begun to forge closer ties with Taiwan to keep China in check and prevent it from straying too far from the norm. And if you recall, in 2018—Trump's first year in office—China and the United States were engaged in a continuing economic struggle known as the "China-US trade war." Additionally, both nations had imposed sanctions on one another. As a result of the US-China trade war and the subsequent COVID-19 outbreak, China’s name around the world began to decline. Many Taiwanese and foreign companies that were based in mainland China, started relocating back to Taiwan because of this if you see Taiwan became an indirect beneficiary of the US-China trade war. So, the western countries do not want to let go of the leverage on China and the leverage is Taiwan. Because of this, the United States, Australia, and Japan expressed alarm and disapproval when Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare signed the security arrangement with China and extended his country's allegiance to Beijing rather than Taiwan. Despite US President Joe Biden's comments that he would be willing to use force to defend Taiwan, White House officials maintain that the US has not altered its policy. United States President Joe Biden suggested that any attempt by China to invade Taiwan will result in American military action during the Quad Summit in Tokyo on May 23, 2022. At the G-7 summit in Madrid, the UK's foreign secretary, Lizz Truss, recently warned China, saying, "I do think that with China extending its influence through economic coercion and building a capable military, there is a real risk that they draw the wrong idea, which results in a catastrophic miscalculation like invading Taiwan, and that is precisely what we saw in case of Ukraine, a strategic miscalculation by Putin. Invoking Taiwan as an example, Truss argued that NATO needed to have a global perspective that included democracies outside of its membership. To protect the Pacific, she said, "we need to anticipate dangers in the Indo-Pacific, working with friends like Japan and Australia." "We must ensure that democracies like Taiwan can defend themselves." "We must ensure the self-defence of democracies like Taiwan."China dwarfs Britain, the sixth-largest economy in the world, both economically and militarily, but London still hopes to influence Beijing to abide by the rules of a new, more dynamic international order through the use of soft power and strategic partnerships. Along with the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, which brought an end to the Cold War, China's rapid economic and military development over the previous 40 years is seen as one of the most important geopolitical developments in recent times. Taiwan views the Ukraine scenario as a lesson in how to cope with China's military adventurism even though a Chinese invasion of Taiwan is not near. If recent actions by the US and Japan are any indication, both nations are stepping up their efforts to support Taiwan's resolve to counter the Chinese security threat. This is a natural move on the part of the US and Japan, and it provides a platform for other democracies and like-minded nations to contribute to preventing geopolitical instability in the Indo-Pacific. The effects of the Russia-Ukraine conflict would be felt well beyond the Western world, notwithstanding how some foreign policy experts portray a controlled West-only situation. Due to a protracted border dispute and ongoing standoffs with China, India has maintained a low profile with Taiwan. There has been a widespread belief that any attempt to engage Taiwan will provoke a fierce response from China. Due to their unresolved border conflict and China's frequent territorial incursions into Indian territory, China represents a serious threat to India. It would be appropriate for India to quit paying attention to China at the expense of engaging Taiwan after the Galwan skirmishes, which were preceded by decades of Chinese duplicity and attempts to halt India's development. (Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

China-Taiwan conflict turning into another Russia-Ukraine situation?

'The will to power exists, but it can be tamed and be guided by rationality and principles of moral duty'. 

Where the world is facing some serious consequences of the war between Russia and Ukraine; on the other side of the picture world is suffering from catastrophic hunger which is a threat to the wider section of society not only to the deprived sanction of the society but for those who like to see the wholesome grain on their breakfast table, which doesn't create a threat to the malnourishment but to the hunger death too, basically for the African countries like Sudan, South Sudan, Mali, Tunisia, Madagascar, and sub-Saharan Africa and West African countries too. Well but no one thinking about stopping the unforeseen conditions of the ongoing war which could be a long sprint for both the nation as no sign of stopping the war as said by the NATO chief, the reason behind this could be that Russia never declared it as a full-fledged war but instead of that Russian administration said it as a Special Military Operation, which can be of a long run like America did in Afghanistan.&nbsp;

Well, the situation is not only grim for African countries but for the European countries too who are dependent on Russia's oil and gas and wheat for too as Russia and Ukraine account for 30 per cent&nbsp;of the world's wheat production and supplies to Europe and some of the Asian countries like Bangladesh and central Asian countries who used to be the part of integrated Soviet Union before 1991. If we talk specifically about Ukraine, then under the United Nations World Food Programme, Ukraine supplies 50 per cent of wheat to the African nation viz. Tunisia, Somalia, Mali, etc which&nbsp;malnourished countries where more than 40-45 per cent&nbsp;of the population either malnourished or undernourished leaving them no option just to rely on only one of the sessions food in a day. According to United Nations&nbsp;Conference On Trade and Development report says the 25 African nations including many of the least developed countries import more than one-third of their wheat from Ukraine and Russia.&nbsp;

A report from World Economic Forum on global food crisis about 180 million people across the 40 countries will have to face dire&nbsp;consequences of inescapable food insecurity, which can also lead to malnutrition, mass hunger, and famine viz. grimmer in African countries who are part if their dependency on global import of food grains. If we could turn to the Russian side then you could find the affection of power ,where Russia blocked the Black sea area on the southern side of Ukraine where Mariupole port been a important dock to export the grains to the nations and chain of landmines spread across the coast of Black sea from Mariupole side leaving no option for the Ukrainian farmer to store their wheat and unnecessarily in their storage house and seeing them rotten.&nbsp;

Let's give a look to ethical side of the groaning situation. European union hurting everyday as EU imports 40% of its gas supply from Russia through Nord Stream 1, while stopping the further process of laying the Nord Stream 2 to import more gas from Russia now seems burdening the financial discourse of the EU , while Russia threatened that may be last of this year ,they will cut 2/3rd of the gas supply to the European Union ,which will leave EU in complete despair. Although European Union said that from August of this year thry will cut the Russian coal import and within 6 months most of the oil supply from Russia ,as recently EU pact a deal with Israel and Egypt to import gas supply to further down the shooting price of gases. While on the other side of this childish activities inflation rises daily ,global crises of oil and gases , threat to food security but no has a word to say abouy to stop the war to provide relief to the scarced humans.&nbsp;

Everyone directly or indirectly supporting the war , Americans fueling the fire by providing the arms to Ukraine by passing bills and basically American's seen a well benefit in between as Russia and Ukraine locked by providing the food to the EU and most of the African countries , Americans are pursuing the EU members to buy their wheat viz. becomes costlier due to long route from USA to EU. Vladimir Putin recently made an statement saying that , they can think of food export to cut short the global food crises ,only if USA and EU lift sanctions from them. While Russian oil export firm Gazprom earning daily benefit by finding new consumer like India as India replaced Saudi Arabia and becomes second oil importing nation and raised import from marely 2&nbsp;to 18 per cent,&nbsp;making India also a benefit holder of this. If things goes on like this without thinking of millions of people who are relying on the food and on energy resources of this nation the conspirators might get benefited but who's gonna left apart can't be answered.&nbsp;

This will also collapse the phased development in many of the countries that took a long run to come at this stage, surely facing the threat of their fiscal deficit cause not everyone has holding capacity in currencies. And what about the United Nations' sustainable development goals, which include poverty, hunger, health, and global cooperation?&nbsp;The human development index of many of the least developed countries or developing countries will come down by leaving the larger section of the society vulnerable to many of humanitarian crisis. Time for the nations to come out of the disrupted mindset of trade benefits than to morality and rationality.

(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

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&nbsp;

'The will to power exists, but it can be tamed and be guided by rationality and principles of moral duty'. Where the world is facing some serious consequences of the war between Russia and Ukraine; on the other side of the picture world is suffering from catastrophic hunger which is a threat to the wider section of society not only to the deprived sanction of the society but for those who like to see the wholesome grain on their breakfast table, which doesn't create a threat to the malnourishment but to the hunger death too, basically for the African countries like Sudan, South Sudan, Mali, Tunisia, Madagascar, and sub-Saharan Africa and West African countries too.

'The will to power exists, but it can be tamed and be guided by rationality and principles of moral duty'. Where the world is facing some serious consequences of the war between Russia and Ukraine; on the other side of the picture world is suffering from catastrophic hunger which is a threat to the wider section of society not only to the deprived sanction of the society but for those who like to see the wholesome grain on their breakfast table, which doesn't create a threat to the malnourishment but to the hunger death too, basically for the African countries like Sudan, South Sudan, Mali, Tunisia, Madagascar, and sub-Saharan Africa and West African countries too. Well but no one thinking about stopping the unforeseen conditions of the ongoing war which could be a long sprint for both the nation as no sign of stopping the war as said by the NATO chief, the reason behind this could be that Russia never declared it as a full-fledged war but instead of that Russian administration said it as a Special Military Operation, which can be of a long run like America did in Afghanistan. Well, the situation is not only grim for African countries but for the European countries too who are dependent on Russia's oil and gas and wheat for too as Russia and Ukraine account for 30 per cent of the world's wheat production and supplies to Europe and some of the Asian countries like Bangladesh and central Asian countries who used to be the part of integrated Soviet Union before 1991. If we talk specifically about Ukraine, then under the United Nations World Food Programme, Ukraine supplies 50 per cent of wheat to the African nation viz. Tunisia, Somalia, Mali, etc which malnourished countries where more than 40-45 per cent of the population either malnourished or undernourished leaving them no option just to rely on only one of the sessions food in a day. According to United Nations Conference On Trade and Development report says the 25 African nations including many of the least developed countries import more than one-third of their wheat from Ukraine and Russia. A report from World Economic Forum on global food crisis about 180 million people across the 40 countries will have to face dire consequences of inescapable food insecurity, which can also lead to malnutrition, mass hunger, and famine viz. grimmer in African countries who are part if their dependency on global import of food grains. If we could turn to the Russian side then you could find the affection of power ,where Russia blocked the Black sea area on the southern side of Ukraine where Mariupole port been a important dock to export the grains to the nations and chain of landmines spread across the coast of Black sea from Mariupole side leaving no option for the Ukrainian farmer to store their wheat and unnecessarily in their storage house and seeing them rotten. Let's give a look to ethical side of the groaning situation. European union hurting everyday as EU imports 40% of its gas supply from Russia through Nord Stream 1, while stopping the further process of laying the Nord Stream 2 to import more gas from Russia now seems burdening the financial discourse of the EU , while Russia threatened that may be last of this year ,they will cut 2/3rd of the gas supply to the European Union ,which will leave EU in complete despair. Although European Union said that from August of this year thry will cut the Russian coal import and within 6 months most of the oil supply from Russia ,as recently EU pact a deal with Israel and Egypt to import gas supply to further down the shooting price of gases. While on the other side of this childish activities inflation rises daily ,global crises of oil and gases , threat to food security but no has a word to say abouy to stop the war to provide relief to the scarced humans. Everyone directly or indirectly supporting the war , Americans fueling the fire by providing the arms to Ukraine by passing bills and basically American's seen a well benefit in between as Russia and Ukraine locked by providing the food to the EU and most of the African countries , Americans are pursuing the EU members to buy their wheat viz. becomes costlier due to long route from USA to EU. Vladimir Putin recently made an statement saying that , they can think of food export to cut short the global food crises ,only if USA and EU lift sanctions from them. While Russian oil export firm Gazprom earning daily benefit by finding new consumer like India as India replaced Saudi Arabia and becomes second oil importing nation and raised import from marely 2 to 18 per cent, making India also a benefit holder of this. If things goes on like this without thinking of millions of people who are relying on the food and on energy resources of this nation the conspirators might get benefited but who's gonna left apart can't be answered. This will also collapse the phased development in many of the countries that took a long run to come at this stage, surely facing the threat of their fiscal deficit cause not everyone has holding capacity in currencies. And what about the United Nations' sustainable development goals, which include poverty, hunger, health, and global cooperation? The human development index of many of the least developed countries or developing countries will come down by leaving the larger section of the society vulnerable to many of humanitarian crisis. Time for the nations to come out of the disrupted mindset of trade benefits than to morality and rationality. (Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Bone of contention : Rationality dies,  benefit takes over

Amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, Nuke tensions have heightened after Belarusian president asked Russia to be ready to use nukes. Is world heading to another cold war?

Fallout of the Russia-Ukraine war: Possible threat of a cold war looming large?

Amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, western leaders held two major summits recently. G7 Summit in Germany and NATO summit in Spain's Madrid. In the meantime, Russia continued to escalate its offensive. So, What did the G7 and NATO summits actually mean for Ukraine?

What did the G7 and NATO summits mean for Ukraine?

NATO's annual summit in Madrid ended with a declaration naming China as a threat to the alliance's security and values. Beijing accused NATO of wrongly defining its ambitions. What does NATO's Asia expansion mean for the Indo-Pacific? Palki Sharma tells you.

Gravitas: NATO puts China on its radar

The US, UK, and Germany will boost NATO's defenses against Russia. The NATO allies will send in military reinforcements across Europe. Is Europe preparing for a potential clash with Russia? Palki Sharma brings you an assessment.

Gravitas: NATO responds to Russia threat with more troops

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday that Türkiye can still block Finland and Sweden from becoming NATO members if the two countries fail to “meet his expectations”. At the end of the NATO Summit in Madrid, Erdogan made it clear that the 10-article agreement with both the countries was a victory for his country and any change in the terms can result in Türkiye once again taking away their support. The Turkish President added that the best part of the agreements was the extradition of terror suspects with links to Kurdish groups, according to Associated Press.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/scotus-strikes-again-limits-us-government-powers-to-curb-greenhouse-emissions-493343" hreflang="en">SCOTUS strikes again, limits US government powers to curb greenhouse emissions</a>

The Turkish parliament still need to ratify the deal reached by the three countries and till then, the government still has the chance to go back on their words and block the NATO membership bid.

“This business will not work if we don’t pass this in our parliament. First, Sweden and Finland must fulfil their duties and those are already in the text ... But if they don’t fulfil these, then of course there is no way we would send it to our parliament,” Erdogan said according to AP.

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In the press conference, Erdogan told the journalists that Sweden will be extraditing 73 people who are suspected members of the Kurdistan Workers’ party (PKK) – a body listed as terrorists by both the European Union (EU) and the United States.

“Of course, what we understand is important from our meetings and talks,” Erdogan said according to the report. “Sweden promised to give us these 73 people with this text. They may or they may not, we will follow that through the text, and we will make our decision.”

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(With inputs from agencies)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday that Türkiye can still block Finland and Sweden from becoming NATO members if the two countries fail to “meet his expectations”.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday that Türkiye can still block Finland and Sweden from becoming NATO members if the two countries fail to “meet his expectations”. At the end of the NATO Summit in Madrid, Erdogan made it clear that the 10-article agreement with both the countries was a victory for his country and any change in the terms can result in Türkiye once again taking away their support. The Turkish President added that the best part of the agreements was the extradition of terror suspects with links to Kurdish groups, according to Associated Press. Also read | SCOTUS strikes again, limits US government powers to curb greenhouse emissions The Turkish parliament still need to ratify the deal reached by the three countries and till then, the government still has the chance to go back on their words and block the NATO membership bid. “This business will not work if we don’t pass this in our parliament. First, Sweden and Finland must fulfil their duties and those are already in the text ... But if they don’t fulfil these, then of course there is no way we would send it to our parliament,” Erdogan said according to AP. Also read | Ketanji Brown Jackson sworn in, becomes first Black woman on US Supreme Court In the press conference, Erdogan told the journalists that Sweden will be extraditing 73 people who are suspected members of the Kurdistan Workers’ party (PKK) – a body listed as terrorists by both the European Union (EU) and the United States. “Of course, what we understand is important from our meetings and talks,” Erdogan said according to the report. “Sweden promised to give us these 73 people with this text. They may or they may not, we will follow that through the text, and we will make our decision.” WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. (With inputs from agencies)

Türkiye can still block Finland and Sweden’s NATO membership, says Erdogan

The three-day NATO summit in Madrid has concluded. NATO leaders have declared Russia the most significant and direct threat to its members’ peace and security and vowed to strengthen support for Ukraine.

NATO leaders conclude 3-day summit in Madrid, vow support to Ukraine

The NATO summit has concluded. Leaders of the western alliance gathered in Madrid for three days for the group's annual summit and topping the agenda was the war in Ukraine. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said that the alliance has agreed to a new strategic concept and has addressed the global food crisis.

Russia-Ukraine war | 'Prepared for all eventualities,' says NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg

As NATO summit concludes in Madrid, its Chief Jens Stoltenberg provides assurance to the war-torn Ukraine that it can rely on NATO support.

NATO Chief Jens Stoltenberg: Ukraine can reply on NATO support

The United Kingdom will be committing another 1000 soldiers and two aircraft carriers in order to NATO’s position in Estonia, defence secretary Ben Wallace said on Wednesday. While the UK has already sent 1700 soldiers to defend the position in Estonia, these 1000 personnel will be stationed to join them if the situation arises. The announcement was made at the NATO summit in Madrid where Wallace promises to “allocate a brigade” to Estonia taking the total number to 3000.

“We will put in a huge amount of the Navy. I think we’ll dedicate one of the carrier groups to it.”

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/syria-first-country-other-than-russia-to-recognise-ukraine-separatist-republics-of-donetsk-and-lugansk-493080">Syria recognises Ukraine separatist republics of Donetsk and Lugansk</a>

The NATO summit has seen a number of commitments from the nations in order to transform the defence system in various conflict zones and the target is to take the European defence force to 300,000 personnel as the threat of a possible conflict with Russia looms large at the moment.

While Germany has committed more soldiers to be posted in Lithuania while other NATO members also agreed to increase their contributions in response to Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/volodymyr-zelensky-says-will-attend-g20-summit-depending-on-other-participants-493085">Volodymyr Zelensky says will attend G20 depending on other ‘participants'</a>

On the other hand, the United States has also announced that it will be increasing its military presence in Europe. During the summit, Biden committed 3,000 combat troops in Romania, two squadrons of F-35 fighters in the UK and two navy destroyers in Spain.

“The US and its allies are going to step up. We’re stepping up. We’re proving that NATO is more needed now than it ever has been,” Biden said in a short statement according to AFP.

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The United Kingdom will be committing another 1000 soldiers and two aircraft carriers in order to NATO’s position in Estonia, defence secretary Ben Wallace said on Wednesday.

The United Kingdom will be committing another 1000 soldiers and two aircraft carriers in order to NATO’s position in Estonia, defence secretary Ben Wallace said on Wednesday. While the UK has already sent 1700 soldiers to defend the position in Estonia, these 1000 personnel will be stationed to join them if the situation arises. The announcement was made at the NATO summit in Madrid where Wallace promises to “allocate a brigade” to Estonia taking the total number to 3000. “We will put in a huge amount of the Navy. I think we’ll dedicate one of the carrier groups to it.” Also read | Syria recognises Ukraine separatist republics of Donetsk and Lugansk The NATO summit has seen a number of commitments from the nations in order to transform the defence system in various conflict zones and the target is to take the European defence force to 300,000 personnel as the threat of a possible conflict with Russia looms large at the moment. While Germany has committed more soldiers to be posted in Lithuania while other NATO members also agreed to increase their contributions in response to Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Also read | Volodymyr Zelensky says will attend G20 depending on other ‘participants' On the other hand, the United States has also announced that it will be increasing its military presence in Europe. During the summit, Biden committed 3,000 combat troops in Romania, two squadrons of F-35 fighters in the UK and two navy destroyers in Spain. “The US and its allies are going to step up. We’re stepping up. We’re proving that NATO is more needed now than it ever has been,” Biden said in a short statement according to AFP. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

UK commits 1,000 extra troops and aircraft carriers to NATO’s defence of Estonia

US President Joe Biden has announced to deploy more American armed forces across Europe in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Biden made the announcement on Wednesday after meeting NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in Madrid for the opening of the 30-nation alliance’s annual leaders summit.

He said that a brigade of 3,000 combat troops would be stationed in Romania, two squadrons of F-35 fighters in the UK and two navy destroyers in Spain. The president also added that a permanent army headquarters would be established in Poland and enhancing rotational deployment in Baltic countries, and extra air defence systems would be stationed in Germany and Italy..

“The US and its allies are going to step up. We’re stepping up. We’re proving that NATO is more needed now than it ever has been,” Biden said before the first summit meeting began.

“The United States will enhance our force posture in Europe and respond to the changing security environment as well as strengthening our collective security,” he added.

A day earlier, Biden said that the US is boosting its fleet of naval destroyers from four to six in Rota, Spain.

Currently, the US has more than 100,000 service members deployed across Europe, up by about 20,000 since before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began four months ago, according to the US Department of Defence.

Biden said that increase in military backing for US allies comes at a time when Russian President Vladimir Putin has “shattered peace in Europe and attacked the very tenants of rule-based order”.

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Notably, the leaders attending the summit have inked a new NATO strategic concept, the first time the alliance has revised its vision statement since 2010. It formally recognised that Russia poses “the most significant and direct threat to allies’ security”, reports The Guardian.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/vladmir-putin-issues-warning-to-finland-and-sweden-on-installing-nato-infrastructure-493118">Putin issues warning to Finland and Sweden on installing NATO infrastructure</a>

The new document also referred to China for the first time, warning that Beijing’s “stated ambitions and coercive policies challenge our interests, security and values” and that a “deepening strategic partnership” with Russia, and the two countries’ attempts to undercut the rules-based international order, “run counter to our values and interests”.

(With inputs from agencies)

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US President Joe Biden has announced to deploy more American armed forces across Europe in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Biden made the announcement on Wednesday after meeting NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in Madrid for the opening of the 30-nation alliance’s annual leaders summit.

US President Joe Biden has announced to deploy more American armed forces across Europe in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Biden made the announcement on Wednesday after meeting NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in Madrid for the opening of the 30-nation alliance’s annual leaders summit. He said that a brigade of 3,000 combat troops would be stationed in Romania, two squadrons of F-35 fighters in the UK and two navy destroyers in Spain. The president also added that a permanent army headquarters would be established in Poland and enhancing rotational deployment in Baltic countries, and extra air defence systems would be stationed in Germany and Italy.. “The US and its allies are going to step up. We’re stepping up. We’re proving that NATO is more needed now than it ever has been,” Biden said before the first summit meeting began. “The United States will enhance our force posture in Europe and respond to the changing security environment as well as strengthening our collective security,” he added. A day earlier, Biden said that the US is boosting its fleet of naval destroyers from four to six in Rota, Spain. Currently, the US has more than 100,000 service members deployed across Europe, up by about 20,000 since before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began four months ago, according to the US Department of Defence. Biden said that increase in military backing for US allies comes at a time when Russian President Vladimir Putin has “shattered peace in Europe and attacked the very tenants of rule-based order”. Also read | US groups 'Proud Boys', 'The Base' labelled as terrorist organisations by NZ Notably, the leaders attending the summit have inked a new NATO strategic concept, the first time the alliance has revised its vision statement since 2010. It formally recognised that Russia poses “the most significant and direct threat to allies’ security”, reports The Guardian. Also read | Putin issues warning to Finland and Sweden on installing NATO infrastructure The new document also referred to China for the first time, warning that Beijing’s “stated ambitions and coercive policies challenge our interests, security and values” and that a “deepening strategic partnership” with Russia, and the two countries’ attempts to undercut the rules-based international order, “run counter to our values and interests”. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

US President Joe Biden announces to deploy more American troops across Europe to counter Russia

After Erdogan lifted his veto, Finland and Sweden have been invited to join NATO. Russia's Former President Dmitry Medvedev has threatened to respond with ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons. Palki Sharma tells you more.

Gravitas: NATO Expansion: Russia threatens to respond with nuclear missiles

UK PM Boris Johnson addresses the media on final day of NATO summit, he reiterates his support to Ukraine and pledges another $1.2 billion in military aid to Ukraine.

The NATO Summit: UK PM Boris Johnson pledges another $1.2 billion in aid to Ukraine

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday (June 29) said that China was not an enemy of the alliance but it did represent a serious challenge.

"We now face an era of strategic competition. We see a deepening strategic partnership between Moscow and Beijing and China's growing assertiveness and its coercive policies have consequences for the security of (NATO) allies and partners," Stoltenberg said.

Stoltenberg's comment came after NATO agreed a new strategic concept that mentioned China for the first time.

The 10-page document describes China as a challenge to NATO's "interests, security and values". It also describes China as a military power that remains opaque about its strategy, intentions and military build-up"

Beijing's "stated ambitions and coercive policies challenge our interests, security and values", the document says.

The new strategic concept accuses China of using malicious hybrid and cyber operations, confrontational rhetoric and disinformation to target NATO allies.

China denies any such tactics.

The document also mentions China's economic ambitions. It says Beijing seeks to control key technological and industrial sectors, critical infrastructure, and strategic materials and supply chains.

"It uses its economic leverage to create strategic dependencies and enhance its influence," the concept says.

"It strives to subvert the rules-based international order, including in the space, cyber and maritime domains." It also expresses concern over closer ties between Moscow and Beijing that are "mutually reinforcing attempts to undercut the rules-based international order".

(With inputs from agencies)

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NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday (June 29) said that China was not an enemy of the alliance but it did represent a serious challenge. "We now face an era of strategic competition.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday (June 29) said that China was not an enemy of the alliance but it did represent a serious challenge. "We now face an era of strategic competition. We see a deepening strategic partnership between Moscow and Beijing and China's growing assertiveness and its coercive policies have consequences for the security of (NATO) allies and partners," Stoltenberg said. Stoltenberg's comment came after NATO agreed a new strategic concept that mentioned China for the first time. The 10-page document describes China as a challenge to NATO's "interests, security and values". It also describes China as a military power that remains opaque about its strategy, intentions and military build-up" Beijing's "stated ambitions and coercive policies challenge our interests, security and values", the document says. The new strategic concept accuses China of using malicious hybrid and cyber operations, confrontational rhetoric and disinformation to target NATO allies. China denies any such tactics. The document also mentions China's economic ambitions. It says Beijing seeks to control key technological and industrial sectors, critical infrastructure, and strategic materials and supply chains. "It uses its economic leverage to create strategic dependencies and enhance its influence," the concept says. "It strives to subvert the rules-based international order, including in the space, cyber and maritime domains." It also expresses concern over closer ties between Moscow and Beijing that are "mutually reinforcing attempts to undercut the rules-based international order". (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

China is not an enemy, but remains serious challenge: NATO

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that Russia will be responding in kind to any deployment of troops or infrastructure by NATO in ether Finland or Sweden after the two countries became the newest members of the alliance. "With Sweden and Finland, we don't have the problems that we have with Ukraine. They want to join NATO, go ahead," Putin told Russian state television. "But they must understand there was no threat before, while now, if military contingents and infrastructure are deployed there, we will have to respond in kind and create the same threats for the territories from which threats towards us are created," he added according to Reuters.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/finally-finland-sweden-get-formal-invites-to-join-nato-493057" hreflang="en">Finally, Finland, Sweden get formal invites to join NATO</a>

Finland and Sweden were invited to become members of the NATO alliance on Wednesday after Türkiye decided to end their opposition following a meeting at the NATO summit in Madrid.

The decision is expected to create tensions between the two nations and Russia.

"Everything was fine between us, but now there might be some tensions, there certainly will. It's inevitable if there is a threat to us," Putin said when asked about the new NATO members.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/syria-first-country-other-than-russia-to-recognise-ukraine-separatist-republics-of-donetsk-and-lugansk-493080">Syria recognises Ukraine separatist republics of Donetsk and Lugansk</a>

The NATO membership bids by Sweden and Finland were seen as a direct result of Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. The “special military operations” sparked fear in Baltic countries but Putin maintained that the goal was to "liberate" and safeguard Russian interests in the region.

Putin also denied that Russian military was responsible for the missile attack on the Ukrainian shopping centre which resulted in the death of 18 people and injured many more.

“Our army does not attack any civilian infrastructure sites. We have every capability of knowing what is situated where,” Putin said in a news conference in the Turkmenistan capital of Ashgabat.

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(With inputs from agencies)

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that Russia will be responding in kind to any deployment of troops or infrastructure by NATO in ether Finland or Sweden after the two countries became the newest members of the alliance.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that Russia will be responding in kind to any deployment of troops or infrastructure by NATO in ether Finland or Sweden after the two countries became the newest members of the alliance. "With Sweden and Finland, we don't have the problems that we have with Ukraine. They want to join NATO, go ahead," Putin told Russian state television. "But they must understand there was no threat before, while now, if military contingents and infrastructure are deployed there, we will have to respond in kind and create the same threats for the territories from which threats towards us are created," he added according to Reuters. Also read | Finally, Finland, Sweden get formal invites to join NATO Finland and Sweden were invited to become members of the NATO alliance on Wednesday after Türkiye decided to end their opposition following a meeting at the NATO summit in Madrid. The decision is expected to create tensions between the two nations and Russia. "Everything was fine between us, but now there might be some tensions, there certainly will. It's inevitable if there is a threat to us," Putin said when asked about the new NATO members. Also read | Syria recognises Ukraine separatist republics of Donetsk and Lugansk The NATO membership bids by Sweden and Finland were seen as a direct result of Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. The “special military operations” sparked fear in Baltic countries but Putin maintained that the goal was to "liberate" and safeguard Russian interests in the region. Putin also denied that Russian military was responsible for the missile attack on the Ukrainian shopping centre which resulted in the death of 18 people and injured many more. “Our army does not attack any civilian infrastructure sites. We have every capability of knowing what is situated where,” Putin said in a news conference in the Turkmenistan capital of Ashgabat. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. (With inputs from agencies)

Vladimir Putin issues warning to Finland and Sweden on installing NATO infrastructure

US President Joe Biden pledged more American troops, warplanes and warships for Europe to bolster regional security after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

US pledges to boost military in Europe as NATO strengthens defences

Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued fresh warning to Finland and Sweden that if they welcome NATO troops and military infrastructure onto their territory, Moscow will respond in kind.

Putin condemns NATO’s ‘imperial ambitions’, issues fresh warning to Finland, Sweden

Amid a raging war NATO leaders are gathered in Madrid. Back in 1997 as well NATO leaders had held a summit in Madrid. WION tells you what are the challenges the alliance is battling in the years of Madrid summit.

NATO's big challenges ahead: Finland & Sweden to join alliance; balancing act by military alliance

NATO says the Ukraine war could last for years. The West says it will support Ukraine as long as it takes. Molly Gambhir tells you if the West can live up to its promises.

WION Fineprint | NATO says Ukraine war could last for years

With the Ukraine war entering its fifth month, the priority for Spain's NATO partners remains firmly on deterring Russia. As NATO leaders meet in Madrid, Molly Gambhir tells you the challenges that the military alliance faces.

WION Fineprint | Sweden, Finland to join NATO

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