Finnish president says Turkey has agreed to back Finnish and Swedish NATO membership
Finnish president says Turkey has agreed to back Finnish and Swedish NATO membership Finland’s President Sauli Niinisto said on Tuesday that Turkey has agreed to support Finland and Sweden’s joint membership of NATO, on the first day of the alliance’s summit in the Spanish capital Madrid. Niinisto said the breakthrough came after the three countries […]
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EU grants Ukraine, Moldova path to membership
EU grants Ukraine, Moldova path to membership The European Union agreed Thursday to put Ukraine on a path toward EU membership, acting with uncharacteristic speed and unity to pull the embattled country further away from Russia’s influence and bind it more closely to the West. Meeting at a summit in Brussels, leaders of the EU’s […]
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Balkan membership hopefuls leave EU summit empty handed
Balkan membership hopefuls leave EU summit empty handed A summit of European Union and Balkan leaders failed on Thursday to break a deadlock over a stalled EU membership bid by North Macedonia and Albania, even as Ukraine was set to become an official candidate for membership. Separate from the Ukraine decision later on Thursday, the […]
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Balkans losing hope of progress on EU membership
Balkans losing hope of progress on EU membership In Kosovo, which has been waiting for visa-free travel to the European Union since 2010, a restaurant owner has erected a large replica of France’s famed Eiffel Tower for its diners. “We have built it as a form of consolation for the people who cannot go to […]
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EU backs Ukraine’s membership bid as war brings huge shift
EU backs Ukraine’s membership bid as war brings huge shift The European Union gave its blessing on Friday to Ukraine to become an official candidate to join the bloc, along with its neighbor Moldova, an historic eastward shift in Europe’s outlook brought about by Russia’s invasion. Ukraine applied to join the EU just four days […]
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Scholz backs giving ‘realistic chance’ to Western Balkans on EU membership bid
Scholz backs giving ‘realistic chance’ to Western Balkans on EU membership bid German Chancellor Olaf Scholz promised to help the Western Balkans to reinvigorate their long-stalled campaign for European Union membership, a move aimed at easing regional tensions and fending off the influence of rival powers such as Russia. Speaking alongside the Kosovo Prime Minister […]
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As Ukraine fights, does the EU owe it membership?
As Ukraine fights, does the EU owe it membership? With Ukraine defending European values and security against a blatant Russian invasion, what obligation does the European Union and NATO have toward Ukraine? The moral answer may be obvious, as European and American governments vow support for Kyiv and are pouring money and arms into Ukraine. […]
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Sweden and Finland Formally Apply for NATO Membership
Sweden and Finland Formally Apply for NATO Membership Sweden and Finland abandon neutrality and apply to join the Alliance. Credit: Facebook/NATO Finland and Sweden formally applied to join the NATO alliance on Wednesday in a dramatic move that marks one of the biggest strategic consequences of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The decision by the two […]
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Finland, Sweden submit NATO membership application
Finland, Sweden submit NATO membership application NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Wednesday that Finland, Sweden have officially applied to join the world’s biggest military alliance, a move driven by security concerns over Russia’s war in Ukraine. “I warmly welcome the requests by Finland and Sweden to join NATO. You are our closest partners,” Stoltenberg told […]
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Mitsotakis at Georgetown Q&A: Ankara’s objections to Swedish, Finnish NATO membership to be resolved, sooner rather than later
Mitsotakis at Georgetown Q&A: Ankara’s objections to Swedish, Finnish NATO membership to be resolved, sooner rather than later The last thing NATO needs is another source of tension between Greece and Turkey, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told veteran Washington Post editor and columnist David Ignatius on Monday, during a live-streamed Q&A session at Georgetown University on […]
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Turkish president hints at veto to Finnish, Swedish NATO membership
Turkish president hints at veto to Finnish, Swedish NATO membership Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday that his country is “not favorable” toward Finland and Sweden joining NATO, indicating that Turkey could use its status as a member of the Western military alliance to veto moves to admit the two countries. “We are following […]
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Finland’s Leaders Urge NATO Membership in Historic Move
Finland’s Leaders Urge NATO Membership in Historic Move Finland and Sweden could soon become members of NATO. Credit: NATO Finland’s president and prime minister have called for the country to apply for NATO membership “without delay” in a joint statement on Thursday. Sauli Niinisto and Sanna Marin said they expected a decision in the next […]
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Finland’s leaders in favor of applying for NATO membership
Finland’s leaders in favor of applying for NATO membership Finland’s president and prime minister said Thursday they’re in favor of applying for NATO membership, paving the way for the alliance to expand amid Russia’s war in Ukraine. The dramatic move by Finland was announced by President Sauli Niinisto and Prime Minister Sanna Marin in a […]
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EU envoy seeks start of North Macedonia membership talks
EU envoy seeks start of North Macedonia membership talks The European Union wants to start formal membership talks with North Macedonia by early this summer and renew efforts to address objections from Bulgaria that have held up the process, a top EU official said Wednesday. Oliver Varhelyi, the EU ‘s enlargement commissioner, said during a […]
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Ukraine completes questionnaire for EU membership
Ukraine completes questionnaire for EU membership Ukraine has completed a questionnaire which will form a starting point for the European Union to decide on membership for Kyiv, Ihor Zhovkva, deputy head of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s office, said. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen handed the questionnaire to Zelenskyy during her visit to Kyiv on […]
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Albania seeks to pursue EU membership separately from North Macedonia
Albania seeks to pursue EU membership separately from North Macedonia Albania will ask the European Union if it can pursue its membership bid separately from its neighbor North Macedonia which continues to face a Bulgarian veto, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said on Thursday. North Macedonia and Albania were meant to launch membership talks with […]
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EU Sends Support to Ukraine, but Won’t Fast Track Membership Yet
EU Sends Support to Ukraine, but Won’t Fast Track Membership Yet Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis speaking at the EU leaders summit, where leaders discussed Ukraine’s EU membership and Russian energy imports. Credit: Office of the Greek Prime Minister Although the European Union has expressed its support of Ukraine, it stopped short of offering the country […]
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EU united on Ukraine, but won’t offer fast-track membership
EU united on Ukraine, but won’t offer fast-track membership European Union leaders meeting in France on Thursday ruled out fulfilling Ukraine’s demand for a fast-track integration with the bloc, as they discussed ways to help the country that’s been invaded by Russia. EU nations have been fully united in backing Ukraine’s resistance, adopting unprecedented economic […]
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EU to phase out Russian energy, offer Ukraine support but no fast-track membership
EU to phase out Russian energy, offer Ukraine support but no fast-track membership European Union leaders will phase out buying Russian oil, gas and coal as Moscow’s war on Ukraine makes them realise they have to be less dependent on Russia, a draft declaration showed, but they are unlikely to offer Ukraine the fast EU […]
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Kosovo parliament urges government to start NATO, EU membership bid
Kosovo parliament urges government to start NATO, EU membership bid Kosovo’s parliament approved a resolution on Thursday asking the government to start negotiations on NATO membership following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Kosovo has been guarded by NATO troops since 1999 when a war between ethnic Albanians and Serb forces ended, but the country of 1.8 […]
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EU Mulls “Legitimate” Ukraine Request for Membership
EU Mulls “Legitimate” Ukraine Request for Membership The EU will look at Ukraine’s request for EU membership. “It is going to be difficult,” said EU leaders chairman Charles Michel on Tuesday. Credit: Annika Haas/CC BY 2.0 The European Union will have to seriously look at Ukraine’s request for EU membership and respond to their “legitimate” […]
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The hour of awakening
The hour of awakening From the very beginning, Greece has linked its membership in the European family with the prospect of creating a common foreign and defense policy. Greece has always tried to awaken its partners to the need for a united European front against the revisionist powers on its borders. Now that Russian aggression […]
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Greece backs Serbia’s EU membership
Greece backs Serbia’s EU membership Greek Prime Minister and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met on the sidelines of an EU-Balkans summit in Slovenia on Wednesday. Mitsotakis affirmed Greece’s support for Serbia’s EU membership ambitions and expressed hope that accession talks will gather pace over the next six months. Talks also centered on regional as well as bilateral […]
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EU leaders to reassure Balkan 6 as membership hopes stall
EU leaders to reassure Balkan 6 as membership hopes stall European Union leaders are gathering Wednesday to reassure six countries in the Balkans region that they could join the trading bloc one day if they meet its standards, but the presidents and prime ministers are unlikely to give any signal about when the nations might […]
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IS suspect charged with membership in terror group
IS suspect charged with membership in terror group An Iraqi asylum-seeker who was arrested in Athens on Monday on suspicion of being a member of the Islamic State was charged with membership in a terrorist group on Tuesday afternoon. The 34-year-old was taken into custody in his home in the suburb of Patissia – where […]
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Greek police arrest asylum-seeker suspected of IS membership
Greek police arrest asylum-seeker suspected of IS membership Greek counterterrorism police on Monday arrested an asylum-seeker in central Athens who is suspected of membership in the Islamic State group, authorities said. A police statement said the 34-year-old man’s arrest followed cooperation with Greece’s EYP intelligence agency and information provided by foreign agencies. The suspect was […]
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Merkel urges western Balkans to focus on EU membership
Merkel urges western Balkans to focus on EU membership German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited Albania on Tuesday to urge the leaders of the six western Balkan states to strengthen their regional cooperation in their strive for European Union membership. Merkel hailed the cooperation initiative, saying “the more cooperation you have, the stronger the Berlin Process […]
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Greece celebrates 40 years of EU membership
Greece celebrates 40 years of EU membership Tom Ellis, the editor in chief of Kathimerini’s English Edition, joins The Greek Current to discuss the impact the EU has had on Greece – economically, politically, and socially – over the last 40 years. We also explore his latest op-ed in Kathimerini, where he highlights how Greece’s […]
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Greek PM: EU membership a non-negotiable aspect of Greece’s identity
Greek PM: EU membership a non-negotiable aspect of Greece’s identity Greece joined the European Community as its 10th member on January 1, 1981, having found its place in Europe and sharing its interests and goals, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Thursday, quoting Constantine Karamanlis who initiated the membership process and saw it through, ANA […]
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European leaders celebrate Greece’s EU membership
European leaders celebrate Greece’s EU membership Members of the European leadership celebrated Greece’s participation in the European Union during the ceremony marking the 40th anniversary of Greece’s accession to the European project on Thursday. “The Union gains an enormous benefit by having Greece in its nucleus,” stated Ursula Von Der Leyen, the President of the […]
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