Both Finland and Sweden already meet many of the requirements to be NATO members.

"From the very beginning of the war, I [have] said that [Putin] only understands the language of strength," says Dalia Grybauskaite, former president of Lithuania.

NATO leaders are gathering in the Spanish capital this week to outline their vision for the West's security agenda.

Military activities have quietly enjoyed a sense of exceptionalism from environmental norms that other areas of society are expected to follow.

Bolstering the defense of the Baltic region is seen as one of the most important decisions for NATO leaders to take at the group's June 29-30 summit.

NATO leaders are preparing to convene in Madrid to decide on the so-called Strategic Concept, the 30-member alliance's most important document.

The kingdom works actively with NATO and sees itself as a partner of the alliance.

David Arakhamia, the majority leader of Ukraine's parliament, called on U.S. and NATO allies to quickly supply Kyiv with additional weapons.

Under Article 9 of the Japanese constitution, Japan's Self Defense Forces are not allowed to wage war except in defense of the country.

The U.S. has provided $5.6 billion in weapons to Ukraine since Russia invaded in late February.

A senior administration official described the talks, which were held in Luxembourg, as "candid, in-depth, substantive and productive."

China's defense minister has accused the U.S. of "smearing" Beijing and says Washington is trying to "hijack" countries in the Indo-Pacific region.

Intense fighting is continued in a key eastern Ukrainian city at the heart of Moscow's invasion, as Kyiv implored the West to deliver more weapons.

The new Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) will add a new dimension to the U.S.-China rivalry in the region.

Russia has failed to achieve its strategic goals in the first 100 days of the war and Ukraine need not cede substantial territory, said a former U.S. diplomat.