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Five men have been arrested “on suspicion of aiding and abetting terrorist offenses,” Sweden’s SAPO domestic security agency said Tuesday, adding the case was related to the burning of a Quran in January in Stockholm and that an attack is not imminent. In a statement, Susanna Trehörning, deputy head of SAPO’ s counterterror unit said that the case had “international links to violent Islamist extremism.” Swedish public radio said the suspects had links to the Islamic State group. Trehörning said that Tuesday’s arrests came following “extensive intelligence and investigative work “after the protests that were directed at Sweden in connection with the high-profile burning of the Quran in January and where there are international calls for attacks.” She told Swedish broadcaster SVT that the suspects were in ”a planning phase” and that they “had not immediately thought of doing anything here and now.” In January, a far-right activist from Denmark received permission from police to stage a protest outside the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm where he burned the Islamic holy book. That angered millions of Muslims around the world and triggered protests. NATO-member Turkey said it wouldn’t allow Sweden to join the military alliance as long as the Scandinavian country permits such protests to take place. In Sweden, such demonstrations are protected by freedom of speech.All NATO members need to ratify in their parliaments the accession requests by Sweden. Finland which sought NATO membership at the same time as Sweden is expected to join the alliance later Tuesday after all 30 member states ratified the Finns’ accession request, but Turkey is holding out on ratifying Sweden’s membership. In February, Swedish police denied permission for protests involving the burning of a Quran, fearing they could provoke terror attacks or attacks against Swedish interests. On Tuesday, Sweden’s Administrative Court ruled that freedom of assembly and demonstration are constitutionally protected rights and overturned the police decision, saying security risk concerns were not enough to limit the right to demonstrate.

Finland joined the NATO military alliance Tuesday, dealing a major blow to Russia with a historic realignment of the continent triggered by Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. With the handing over of documents, the Nordic nation officially entered the world's biggest security alliance, doubling its border with Russia. Finland's membership represents a major change in Europe's security landscape: The country adopted neutrality after its defeat by the Soviets in World War II. But its leaders signaled they wanted to join the alliance just months after Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine sent a shiver of fear through Moscow's neighbors. The move is a strategic and political blow to Putin, who has long complained about NATO's expansion toward Russia and partly used that as a justification for the invasion. The alliance says it poses no threat to Moscow. Also Read: Finland prime minister ousted, conservatives win tight vote Russia warned that it would be forced to take "retaliatory measures" to address what it called security threats created by Finland's membership. It has also warned it will bolster forces near Finland if NATO sends any additional troops or equipment to what will be its 31st member country. Neighboring Sweden, which has avoided military alliances for more than 200 years, has also applied. But objections from NATO members Turkey and Hungary have delayed the process. Finland's membership became official when its foreign minister handed over documents completing its accession process to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The U.S. State Department is the repository of NATO texts concerning membership.  

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Monday Finland will become the 31st member of the world’s biggest military alliance on Tuesday, prompting a warning from Russia that it would bolster its defenses near their joint border if NATO deploys any troops in its new member. “This is a historic week,” Stoltenberg told reporters on the eve of a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels. “From tomorrow, Finland will be a full member of the alliance.” He said that he hopes Sweden will be able to join NATO in coming months. The former Norwegian prime minister said that on Tuesday afternoon, “we will raise the Finnish flag for the first time here at the NATO headquarters. It will be a good day for Finland’s security, for Nordic security, and for NATO as a whole.” Stoltenberg said that Turkey, the last country to have ratified Finland’s membership, will hand its official texts to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday. Stoltenberg said he would then invite Finland to do the same. Finnish President Sauli Niinistö and Defense Minister Antti Kaikkonen will attend the ceremony, along with Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto. “It is a historic moment for us. For Finland, the most important objective at the meeting will be to emphasize NATO’s support to Ukraine as Russia continues its illegal aggression,” Haavisto said in a statement. “We seek to promote stability and security throughout the Euro-Atlantic region.” Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said that Moscow would respond to Finland becoming NATO’s member by bolstering its defenses if needed. “We will strengthen our military potential in the west and in the northwest,” Grushko said in remarks carried by the state RIA Novosti news agency. “In case of deployment of forces of other NATO members on the territory of Finland, we will take addition steps to ensure Russia’s military security.” The announcement of Finland’s entry comes just after Finnish voters gave a boost to conservative parties in a weekend election, depriving left-wing Prime Minister Sanna Marin of another term. Marin had championed her country’s NATO accession. Fearing that they might be targeted after Russia invaded Ukraine a year ago, the Nordic neighbors Finland and Sweden abandoned their traditional positions of military non-alignment to seek protection under NATO’s security umbrella. All 30 allies signed Finland’s and Sweden’s accession protocols. Turkey and Hungary delayed the process for months but have relented on Finland. Turkey has sought guarantees and assurances from the two, notably on tackling extremism. Hungary’s demands have never been explicit. NATO must agree unanimously for new members to join. NATO officials are also keen to bring Sweden within the fold before U.S. President Joe Biden and his alliance counterparts meet in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on July 11-12. “Sweden is not left alone. Sweden is as close as it can come as a full-fledged member,” Stoltenberg said.    

The European Union (EU) member states’ ambassadors on March 29 agreed the Council’s negotiating mandate for a proposal to digitalize the Schengen visa procedure. The proposal includes the ability to apply for Schengen visa online, as well as the replacement of the present visa sticker with a digital visa, according to a press release of the European Council. The move intends to enhance the efficiency of the visa application process as well as the security of the Schengen area, it said. Read More: Schengen visa fee for Bangladeshis to go up from Feb 2 “A digital Schengen visa will make it easier for legitimate travellers to apply and will at the same time help make the Schengen area safer. Online applications will reduce the number of trips to the consulate for travellers and make the process smoother for national administrations. At the same time, the digital visa will put an end to the risk of falsification and theft of the visa sticker,” said Maria Malmer Stenergard, Swedish minister for migration. The proposed new guidelines will establish a platform for visa applications. All Schengen visa applications will be made through this platform – a single website that will forward them to the applicable country visa systems. Schengen visa applicants will be able to enter all required data, submit electronic copies of their travel and supporting papers, and pay their visa fees on the website, it said. Read More: Saudi Visa Service Centre launched in Dhaka   Travellers will also be informed of any decisions made regarding their Schengen visa. First-time applicants, those whose biometric data is no longer valid, and those with a new travel document, will be required to be present in-person at the consulate, said the press release. When a person wishes to visit several Schengen countries, the platform will automatically decide which one is in charge of evaluating the application based on the length of stay. Read More: US announces in-person interview waivers for certain visa applicants throughout 2023 Nevertheless, the applicant will be able to choose whether the application should be handled by a certain member state based on the purpose of travel, the release also said. Schengen visas will be issued in digital format, as a 2D barcode that is cryptographically signed, under the proposed new guidelines. This would reduce the security threats associated with counterfeit and stolen visa stickers. Background and next steps for Schengen visa process Current migration and security issues have dramatically altered the setting of the EU’s visa policy. Furthermore, the Covid-19 outbreak hindered Schengen visa processing and generated a demand for additional digital procedures. Read More: Umrah e-visa: Biometric data must for pilgrims from Bangladesh, 4 other countries Simultaneously, technology advancements give additional security features and potential to make procedures more efficient and effective for both visa applicants and national authorities, the release said. In this regard, the Commission proposed a legislative proposal aiming at digitalizing the Schengen visa procedure on April 27, 2022. The Council presidency will begin discussions with the European Parliament to agree on the final text based on the negotiating mandate agreed upon on March 29 meeting. Read More: Bangladeshi applicants for UK visa need to pay online from Nov 28

Finland's main conservative party claimed victory in parliamentary elections Sunday in a tight three-way race that saw right-wing populists take second place, leaving Prime Minister Sanna Marin's Social Democratic Party in third, dashing her hopes for reelection. The center-right National Coalition Party (NCP) claimed victory with all of the votes counted, coming out on top at 20.8%. They were followed by right-wing populist party The Finns with 20.1%, while the Social Democrats garnered 19.9%. With the top three parties each getting around 20% of the vote, no party is in position to form a government alone. Over 2,400 candidates from 22 parties were vying for the 200 seats in the Nordic country’s parliament. “Based on this result, talks over forming a new government to Finland will be initiated under the leadership of the National Coalition Party,” said the party's elated leader Petteri Orpo, as he claimed victory surrounded by supporters gathered in a restaurant in the capital, Helsinki. Marin, who at age 37 is one of Europe’s youngest leaders, has received international praise for her vocal support of Ukraine and her prominent role, along with President Sauli Niinistö, in advocating for Finland’s successful application to join NATO. Also Read: Hungarian parliament approves Finland’s bid to join NATO The 53-year-old Orpo, Finland's former finance minister and likely new prime minister, assured that the Nordic country's solidarity with Kyiv would remain strong during his tenure. “First to Ukraine: we stand by you, with you," Orpo told the Associated Press at NCP's victory event. “We cannot accept this terrible war. And we will do all that is needed to help Ukraine, Ukrainian people because they fight for us. This is clear.” "And the message to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is: go away from Ukraine because you will lose,” Orpo said. Finland, which shares a long border with Russia, cleared the last hurdles of becoming a NATO member earlier in the week as alliance members Turkey and Hungary signed off the country's membership bid. Also Read: Erdogan hints Turkey may ratify Finland's NATO membership NCP's share of votes translates into 48 seats in the Eduskunta, Finland's Parliament, while The Finns, a nationalist party running largely on an anti-immigration and anti-European Union agenda, is to get 46 seats and Marin's Social Democrats 43 seats respectively. Observers say the result means a power shift in Finland's political scene as the nation is now likely to get a new center-right government with nationalist tones. The government will replace the center-left Cabinet by Marin, a highly popular prime minister at home and abroad since 2019. Government formation talks led by the NCP are expected to start in the coming days with goal of putting together a Cabinet enjoying a majority at the Parliament. “I trust the Finnish tradition of negotiating with all parties, and trying to find the best possible majority government for Finland," Orpo told the AP. “And you know what is important for us? It’s that we are an active member of the European Union. We build up NATO-Finland, and we fix our economy. We boost our economic growth and create new jobs. These are the crucial, main, important issues we have to write into the government program,” he said. The positions of Marin's party on the Finnish economy emerged as a main campaign theme and were challenged by conservatives, who remain critical of the Social Democrats' economic policies and are unlikely to partner with them. Orpo had hammered on Finland's growing government debt and the need to make budget cuts throughout the election. NCP is open to cooperation with The Finns as the two parties largely share view on developing Finland's economy though have differences in climate policies and EU issues. While Russia’s invasion of Ukraine prompted Finland to seek NATO membership in May 2022, neither the historic decision to abandon the nation’s non-alignment policy nor the war emerged as major campaign issues as there was a large consensus among the parties on membership. Finland, which is expected to join NATO in the coming weeks, is a European Union member. The initial voter turnout in the election was 71.9%, slightly down from the 2019 election.

A chipper-sounding Pope Francis was discharged Saturday from the Rome hospital where he was treated for bronchitis, quipping to journalists before being driven away that he's “still alive.” Francis, 86, was hospitalized at Gemelli Polyclinic on Wednesday following his weekly public audience in St. Peter's Square after reportedly experiencing breathing difficulties. The pontiff received antibiotics administered intravenously during his stay, the Vatican said. In a sign of his improved health, the Vatican released details of Francis' Holy Week schedule. It said he would preside at this weekend's Palm Sunday Mass and at Easter Mass on April 9, both held in St. Peter's Square and expected to draw tens of thousands of faithful. A Vatican cardinal will be at the altar to celebrate both Masses, a recent practice due to the pontiff having a troublesome knee issue. But Francis is scheduled to celebrate Holy Thursday Mass, which this year will be held in a juvenile prison in Rome. Still unclear was whether he would attend the late-night, torch-lit Way of the Cross procession at Rome's Colosseum to mark Good Friday. Before departing Gemelli Polyclinic late Saturday morning, Francis comforted a Rome couple whose 5-year-old daughter died Friday night at the Catholic hospital. Outside, Serena Subania, mother of Angelica, sobbed as she pressed her head into the chest of the pope, who held her close and whispered words of comfort. Francis seemed eager to linger with well-wishers. When a boy showed him his arm cast, the pope made a gesture as if to ask “Do you have a pen?” Three papal aides whipped out theirs. Francis took one of the pens and added his signature to the child's already well-autographed cast. The pontiff answered in a low voice that was close to a whisper when reporters peppered him with questions, indicating he had felt unwell — “I felt sick," he said, pointing to his mid-section — a symptom that convinced his medical staff to take him to the hospital Wednesday. Asked how he felt now, Francis joked, “Still alive, you know.” He gave a thumbs-up sign. Francis exited the hospital from a side entrance, but his car stopped in front of the main entrance, where a gaggle of journalists waited. He opened the car door himself and got out from the front passenger seat. Francis had a cane ready to lean on. After chatting, he got back into the white Fiat 500 car that drove him away from Gemelli Polyclinic. But instead of heading straight home, his motorcade sped right past Vatican City and went to St. Mary Major Basilica, a Rome landmark that is one of his favorites. There, startled tourists rushed to snap photos of him as he sat in a wheelchair, which he has used often to navigate longer distances in recent years due to a chronic knee problem. When he emerged after praying, residents and tourists in the street called out repeatedly, “Long live the pope!” and clapped. Francis spent 10 days at the same hospital in July 2021 following intestinal surgery for a bowel narrowing, After his release back then, he also stopped to offer prayers of thanksgiving at St. Mary Major Basilica, which is home to an icon depicting the Virgin Mary. He also visits the church upon returning from trips abroad. Before leaving the hospital Saturday, Francis, while chatting with journalists, praised medical workers, saying they "show great tenderness." “We sick are capricious. I much admire the people who work in hospitals,” he said. Francis also said he read journalists' accounts of his illness, including in a Rome daily newspaper, and pronounced them well done. Francis stopped to talk to reporters again before he was driven into the Vatican through a gate of the tiny walled city-state, where he lives at a Holy See hotel. Speaking through an open car window, he said: “Happy Easter to all, and pray for me.'' Then, indicating he was eager to resume his routine, he said, “Forward, thanks.” In response to a shouted question from a reporter, who asked if the pope would visit Hungary at the end of April as scheduled, Francis answered , “Yes.” On yet another stop, he got out of his car to distribute chocolate Easter eggs to the police officers who drove the motorcycles at the head of his motorcade. Given his strained voice, it was unclear if the pope would read the homily at the Palm Sunday service or deliver the usually lengthy “Urbi et Orbi” (Latin for to the city and to the world) address, a review of the globe's conflicts, at the end of Easter Mass. He told reporters that after Palm Sunday Mass, he would keep his weekly appointment to greet and bless the public in St. Peter's Square. As a young man in his native Argentina, Francis had part of a lung removed, leaving him particularly vulnerable to any respiratory illness.

Russia's security service arrested an American reporter for The Wall Street Journal on espionage charges, the first time a U.S. correspondent has been detained on spying accusations since the Cold War. The newspaper denied the allegations and demanded his release. Evan Gershkovich, 31, was detained in Yekaterinburg, Russia's fourth-largest city, about 1,670 kilometers (1,035 miles) east of Moscow. Russia's Federal Security Service accused him of trying to obtain classified information. Known by the acronym FSB, the service is the top domestic security agency and main successor to the Soviet-era KGB. It alleged that Gershkovich "was acting on instructions from the American side to collect information about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex that constitutes a state secret." The Journal "vehemently denies the allegations from the FSB and seeks the immediate release of our trusted and dedicated reporter, Evan Gershkovich," the newspaper said. "We stand in solidarity with Evan and his family." The arrest comes at a moment of bitter tensions between the West and Moscow over its war in Ukraine and as the Kremlin intensifies a crackdown on opposition activists, independent journalists and civil society groups. The sweeping campaign of repression is unprecedented since the Soviet era. Activists say it often means the very profession of journalism is criminalized, along with the activities of ordinary Russians who oppose the war. Earlier this week, a Russian court convicted a father over social media posts critical of the war and sentenced him to two years in prison. His 13-year-old daughter was sent to an orphanage. Gershkovich is the first American reporter to be arrested on espionage charges in Russia since September 1986, when Nicholas Daniloff, a Moscow correspondent for U.S. News and World Report, was arrested by the KGB. Daniloff was released without charge 20 days later in a swap for an employee of the Soviet Union's United Nations mission who was arrested by the FBI, also on spying charges. At a hearing Thursday, a Moscow court quickly ruled that Gershkovich would be kept behind bars pending the investigation. While previous American detainees have been freed in prisoner swaps, a top Russian official said it was too early to talk about any such deal. In Washington, the Biden administration said it had spoken with the Journal and Gershkovich's family. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre condemned the arrest "in the strongest terms" and urged Americans to heed government warnings not to travel to Russia. The State Department was in direct touch with the Russian government and seeking access to Gershkovich, Jean-Pierre said. The administration has no "specific indication" that journalists in Russia are being targeted, she said. Gershkovich, who covers Russia, Ukraine and other ex-Soviet nations as a correspondent in the Journal's Moscow bureau, could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted of espionage. Prominent lawyers noted that past investigations into espionage cases took a year to 18 months, during which time he may have little contact with the outside world. The FSB noted that Gershkovich had accreditation from the Russian Foreign Ministry to work as a journalist, but ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova alleged that Gershkovich was using his credentials as cover for "activities that have nothing to do with journalism." Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters: "It is not about a suspicion, it is about the fact that he was caught red-handed." Gershkovich speaks fluent Russian and had previously worked for the French news agency Agence France-Presse and The New York Times. He was a 2014 graduate of Bowdoin College in Maine, where he was a philosophy major who cooperated with local papers and championed a free press, according to Clayton Rose, the college's president. His last report from Moscow, published earlier this week, focused on the Russian economy's slowdown amid Western sanctions imposed after Russian troops invaded Ukraine last year. Ivan Pavlov, a prominent Russian defense attorney who has worked on many espionage and treason cases, said Gershkovich's case is the first criminal espionage charge against a foreign journalist in post-Soviet Russia. "That unwritten rule not to touch accredited foreign journalists, has stopped working," said Pavlov, a member of the First Department legal aid group. Pavlov said the case against Gershkovich was built to give Russia "trump cards" for a future prisoner exchange and will likely be resolved "not by the means of the law, but by political, diplomatic means." Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov ruled out any quick swap. "I wouldn't even consider this issue now because people who were previously swapped had already served their sentences," Ryabkov said, according to Russian news agencies. In December, WNBA star Brittney Griner was freed after 10 months behind bars in exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. Another American, Paul Whelan, a Michigan corporate security executive, has been imprisoned in Russia since December 2018 on espionage charges that his family and the U.S. government have said are baseless. "Our family is sorry to hear that another American family will have to experience the same trauma that we have had to endure for the past 1,553 days," Whelan's brother David said in an emailed statement. "It sounds as though the frame-up of Mr. Gershkovich was the same as it was in Paul's case." Jeanne Cavelier, of the press freedom group Reporters Without Borders, said Gershkovich's arrest "looks like a retaliation measure of Russia against the United States." "We are very alarmed because it is probably a way to intimidate all Western journalists that are trying to investigate aspects of the war on the ground in Russia," said Cavelier, head of Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk at the Paris-based group. Another prominent lawyer with the First Department group, Yevgeny Smirnov, said that those arrested on espionage and treason charges are usually held at the FSB's Lefortovo prison, where they are usually placed in total isolation, without phone calls, visitors or even access to newspapers. At most, they can receive letters, often delayed by weeks. Smirnov called these conditions "tools of suppression." Smirnov and Pavlov both said that any trial would be held behind closed doors. According to Pavlov, there have been no acquittals in treason and espionage cases in Russia since 1999.  

Ukraine's president invited his powerful Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, to visit his nation, saying they haven't been in contact since the war began and he is "ready to see him here." "I want to speak with him," Volodymyr Zelenskyy told The Associated Press on Tuesday, the week after Xi visited Russian President Vladimir Putin last week. China had no immediate response about whether a Xi visit to Ukraine would happen. China has been economically aligned and politically favorable toward neighboring Russia across many decades and Beijing has provided Putin diplomatic cover by staking out an official position of neutrality in the war. Xi, a powerful leader who commands the resources of the world's most populous nation, is an important player in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and even China's lack of involvement is a potent statement. Zelenskyy spoke to the AP aboard a train shuttling him across Ukraine, to cities near some of the fiercest fighting and others where his country's forces have successfully repelled Russia's invasion. Zelenskyy rarely travels with journalists, and the president's office said AP's two night train trip with him was the most extensive since the war began. Zelenskyy has extended invitations to Xi before in recent months, but this explicit call to visit comes days after the Chinese leader visited Putin in Russia last week. But the Ukrainian leader said he hasn't communicated with Xi for the duration of the conflict. "We are ready to see him here," Zelenskyy said. "I had contact with him before full-scale war. But during all this year, more than one year, I didn't have." In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning was asked whether Xi would accept an invitation from Zelenskyy — or whether one had been officially extended. She told reporters she had no information to give. She did say that Beijing maintains "communication with all parties concerned, including Ukraine." Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, asked whether a meeting between Xi and Zelenskyy would be useful to resolve the conflict in Ukraine, said Russian authorities "highly appreciate" China's balanced position on the issue and "have no right to come up with any advice" on whether the two should meet. "The Chinese leader himself decides the appropriateness of certain contacts," Peskov said during his daily conference call with reporters Wednesday. In Washington, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the United States supports talks between Xi and Zelenskyy, "and my goodness, we've been saying that for weeks." Xi's Russia visit last week raised the prospect that Beijing might be ready to provide Moscow with the weapons and ammunition it needs to refill its depleted stockpile. But Xi's trip ended without any such announcement. Days later, Putin announced that he would be deploying tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, which neighbors Russia and pushes the Kremlin's nuclear stockpile closer to NATO territory. Zelenskyy suggested Putin's move was intended to distract from the lack of guarantees he received from China. "What does it mean? It means that the visit was not good for Russia," Zelenskyy speculated.  

A senior Russian diplomat said Wednesday that Moscow has suspended sharing information about its nuclear forces with the United States, including notices about missile tests. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said in remarks carried by Russian news agencies that Moscow has halted all information exchanges with Washington after previously suspending its participation in the last remaining nuclear arms pact with the U.S. Last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin suspended the New START treaty, charging that Russia can't accept U.S. inspections of its nuclear sites under the agreement at a time when Washington and its NATO allies have openly declared Russia's defeat in Ukraine as their goal. Moscow emphasized that it wasn't withdrawing from the pact altogether and would continue to respect the caps on nuclear weapons. The Russian Foreign Ministry initially said Moscow would keep notifying the U.S. about planned test launches of its ballistic missiles. Meanwhile, The Russian military was conducting drills of its strategic missile forces Wednesday, deploying mobile launchers in Siberia in a show of the country's massive nuclear capability amid the fighting in Ukraine. As part of the drills, the Yars mobile missile launchers will maneuver across three regions of Siberia, Russia's Defense Ministry said. The movements will involve measures to conceal the deployment from foreign satellites and other intelligence assets, the ministry said. The Defense Ministry didn't say how long the drills would last or mention plans for any practice launches. The Yars is a nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missile with a range of about 11,000 kilometers (over 6,800 miles). It forms the backbone of Russia's strategic missile forces. The Defense Ministry released a video showing massive trucks carrying the missiles driving out from a base to go on patrol. The maneuvers involve about 300 vehicles and 3,000 troops in eastern Siberia, according to the ministry. The massive exercise took place days after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a plan to deploy tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, Russia's neighbor and ally. Tactical nuclear weapons are intended for use on the battlefield and have a relatively short range and a much lower yield compared to the long-range strategic missiles fitted with nuclear warheads that are capable of obliterating whole cities. Putin's decision to put the tactical weapons in Belarus followed his repeated warnings that Moscow was ready to use "all available means" — a reference to its nuclear arsenal — to fend off attacks on Russian territory. Russian officials have issued a barrage of hawkish statements since their troops entered Ukraine, warning that the continuing Western support for Ukraine raised the threat of a nuclear conflict. In remarks published Tuesday, Nikolai Patrushev, the secretary of Russia's Security Council, which Putin chairs, warned the United States and its allies against harboring hopes for Russia's defeat in Ukraine. Patrushev alleged that some American politicians believe the U.S. could launch a preventative missile strike on Russia to which Moscow would be unable to respond, a purported belief that he described as "short-sighted stupidity, which is very dangerous." "Russia is patient and isn't trying to scare anyone with its military superiority, but it has unique modern weapons capable of destroying any adversary, including the United States, in case of a threat to its existence," Patrushev said.  

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned Tuesday that unless his nation wins a drawn-out battle in a key eastern city, Russia could begin building international support for a deal that could require Ukraine to make unacceptable compromises. He also invited the leader of China, long aligned with Russia, to visit. If Bakhmut fell to Russian forces, their president, Vladimir Putin, would “sell this victory to the West, to his society, to China, to Iran,” Zelenskyy said in an exclusive interview with The Associated Press. “If he will feel some blood — smell that we are weak — he will push, push, push," Zelenskyy said in English, which he used for virtually all of the interview. The Ukrainian leader spoke to the AP aboard a train shuttling him across Ukraine, to cities near some of the fiercest fighting and others where his country’s forces have successfully repelled Russia’s invasion. The AP is the first news organization to travel extensively with Zelenskyy since the war began just over a year ago. Since then, Ukraine — backed by much of the West — has surprised the world with the strength of its resistance against the larger, better equipped Russian military. Ukrainian forces have held their capital, Kyiv, and pushed Russia back from other strategically important areas. But as the war enters its second year, Zelenskyy finds himself focused on keeping motivation high in both his military and the general Ukrainian population — particularly the millions who have fled abroad and those living in relative comfort and security far from the front lines. Zelenskyy is also well aware that his country's success has been in great part due to waves of international military support, particularly from the United States and Western Europe. But some in the United States — including Republican Donald Trump, the former American president and current 2024 candidate — have questioned whether Washington should continue to supply Ukraine with billions of dollars in military aid. Trump's likely Republican rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, also suggested that defending Ukraine in a “territorial dispute” with Russia was not a significant U.S. national security priority. He later walked that statement back after facing criticism from other corners of the GOP. Zelenskyy didn't mention the names of Trump or any other Republican politicians — figures he might have to deal with if they prevailed in 2024 elections. But he did say that he worries the war could be impacted by shifting political forces in Washington. “The United States really understands that if they stop helping us, we will not win,” he said in the interview. He sipped tea as he sat on a narrow bed in the cramped, unadorned sleeper cabin on a state railway train. The president's carefully calibrated railroad trip was a remarkable journey across land through a country at war. Zelenskyy, who has become a recognizable face across the world as he doggedly tells his side of the story to nation after nation, used the morale-building journey to carry his considerable clout to regions close to the front lines. He traveled with a small cadre of advisers and a large group of heavily armed security officials dressed in battlefield fatigues. His destinations included ceremonies marking the one-year anniversary of the liberation of towns in the Sumy region and visits with troops stationed at front-line positions near Zaporizhzhia. Each visit was kept under wraps until after he departed. Zelenskyy recently made a similar visit near Bakhmut, where Ukrainian and Russian forces have been locked for months in a grinding and bloody battle. While some Western military analysts have suggested that the city is not of significant strategic importance, Zelenskyy warned that a loss anywhere at this stage in the war could put Ukraine’s hard-fought momentum at risk. “We can’t lose the steps because the war is a pie — pieces of victories. Small victories, small steps,” he said. Zelensky’s comments were an acknowledgement that losing the seven month-long battle for Bakhmut – the longest of the war thus far – would be more of a costly political defeat than a tactical one. He predicted that the pressure from a defeat in Bakhmut would come quickly — both from the international community and within his own country. “Our society will feel tired,” he said. “Our society will push me to have compromise with them.” So far, Zelenskyy says he hasn't felt that pressure. The international community has largely rallied around Ukraine following Russia’s Feb. 24, 2022, invasion. In recent months, a parade of world leaders have visited Zelenskyy in Ukraine, most traveling in on trains similar to the ones Zelenskyy uses to crisscross the country. In his AP interview, Zelenskyy extended an invitation to Ukraine to one notable and strategically important leader who has not made the journey — Chinese President Xi Jinping. "We are ready to see him here,” he said. “I want to speak with him. I had contact with him before full-scale war. But during all this year, more than one year, I didn’t have.” China, economically aligned and politically favorable toward Russia across many decades, has provided Putin diplomatic cover by staking out an official position of neutrality in the war. Xi visited Putin in Russia last week, raising the prospect that Beijing might be ready to provide Moscow with the weapons and ammunition it needs to refill its depleted stockpile. But Xi’s trip ended without any such announcement. Days later, Putin announced that he would be deploying tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, which neighbors Russia and pushes the Kremlin’s nuclear stockpile closer to NATO territory. Zelenskyy suggested Putin’s move was intended to distract from the lack of guarantees he received from China. “What does it mean? It means that the visit was not good for Russia,” Zelenskyy speculated. The president makes few predictions about the biggest question hanging over the war: how it will end. He expressed confidence, however, that his nation will prevail through a series of “small victories" and "small steps" against a “very big country, big enemy, big army” — but an army, he said, with “small hearts.” And Ukraine itself? While Zelenskyy acknowledged that the war has “changed us,” he said that in the end, it has made his society stronger. “It could’ve gone one way, to divide the country, or another way — to unite us,” he said. “I'm so thankful. I’m thankful to everybody — every single partner, our people, thank God, everybody — that we found this way in this critical moment for the nation. Finding this way was the thing that saved our nation, and we saved our land. We are together.”