Russian defence minister’s plane buzzed by NATO jet

NATO's Scandinavian members will give their full support to Finland and Sweden if the two countries apply to join the alliance.

Finland will not be deterred by Russian threats from applying to join NATO, Finnish ex-Prime Minister Alexander Stubb says. He told DW that the country would be a major security asset for the alliance.

The move is a stark U-turn for the country, which held a more neutral stance on the alliance in the past. Sweden is expected to follow suit.

We take a look at how the press is covering Finland and Sweden saying they want to join NATO. We also discuss how the once-fringe, racist ideas of "replacement theory" have seeped through to the US Republican Party, and how they could be behind a shooting that killed 10 people in Buffalo, New York. Finally, we find out about a strange, canine bedfellow.

Sweden's government has decided to reverse decades of security policy and formally join NATO. Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson announced the step. Finland's parliament votes on the same plan later.

It never happened during the entire Cold War. But all these years later, Russia's border with NATO is about to double in size. Finland remains unmoved by threats out of the Kremlin over its bid to join the US-led alliance. The same goes for neighbouring Sweden, which is so concerned by Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine that it is ready to call time on two centuries of neutrality.

Two new prospective members of the 73-year-old NATO alliance have submitted their applications to join. Their bids, which come in light of Russia's aggression in Ukraine, have already faced resistance from Turkey.

While the majority of Swedes are in favor of joining NATO, there are others who even took to the streets in protest. They warn the decision is rushed and that Sweden should better stick with its tradition of neutrality.

Bombs and weapons used in Afghanistan by militants and US forces are making their way into India-administered Kashmir, raising fears that they could bolster an Islamist insurgency in the area.

Finland has formally announced its intent to join NATO, marking a monumental shift from a long-held position of military nonalignment. DW reports from the Russian-Finnish border on the dramatic turnaround in popular opinion following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Finland has formally announced its intent to join NATO, marking a monumental shift from a long-held position of military nonalignment. DW reports from the Russian-Finnish border on the dramatic turnaround in popular opinion following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Fifty prominent Austrians are openly questioning the country's stance on neutrality. Yet, Austria, unlike Sweden and Finland, lacks majority support for joining the NATO defense alliance. Here's why.