Biden Signs NATO Membership Protocols for Finland and Sweden
Andres Picon | POLITICO
President Joe Biden on Tuesday signed NATO accession protocols for Finland and Sweden, moving the defense alliance closer to adding two wealthy, militarily advanced members amid Russia’s ongoing assault on Ukraine. Biden’s approval followed overwhelming support from both chambers of Congress earlier this summer, with the Senate ratifying the agreement last week. Efforts to welcome the two Nordic countries to the treaty have received bipartisan support, with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell last week calling their admission a “slam dunk” for national security.
China, South Korea Clash over THAAD Anti-missile Systems
Kim Tong-Hyung | DefenseNews
South Korea’s government stressed Wednesday it will make its own decisions in strengthening its defenses against North Korean threats, rejecting Chinese calls that it continue the policies of Seoul's previous government that refrained from adding more U.S. anti-missile batteries that are strongly opposed by Beijing.
Japan's New Industry Minister Vows to Boost Use of Nuclear Power Amid Energy Challenges
The Japan Times
New industry minister Yasutoshi Nishimura has pledged to secure stable energy supplies for Japan, including through an increased use of nuclear power. Japan appears to have enough energy to get through the scorching summer, but the reserve rate of electricity will dwindle further this winter, as most of the nuclear power plants in the country remain offline due to stricter safety regulations introduced after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster.
Satellite Images Show War Dangerously Near Key Parts of Ukrainian Nuclear Plant
Geoff Brumifel, Julian Hayda, Daniel Wood | NPR
Over the weekend, Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant — the largest such plant in Europe — came under fire…An NPR analysis of satellite imagery and posts to Twitter, Telegram and YouTube over the past month show how an escalating conflict at the plant is drawing ever closer to critical safety systems and radioactive materials, ratcheting up the chance of a nuclear disaster.
Russia Is at War With NATO: Kremlin Official
Zoe Strozewski | Newsweek
NATO has been fighting a war with Russia on Ukrainian territory, Sergey Kiriyenko, the first deputy chief of the Russian presidential staff, said Wednesday. Kiriyenko, whose comments were reported by the Russian state-owned news agency TASS, alleged during the opening ceremony of the Digoria forum for young political scientists that the West was conducting a "hot military operation" against Russia.
Shell Companies Purchase Radioactive Materials, Prompting Push for Nuclear Licensing Reform
Bryant Harris | DefenseNews
Late last year, government employees forged a copy of a license to buy hazardous, radioactive material. They created shell companies, then placed orders, generated invoices and paid two U.S.-based vendors. The scheme worked. The employees successfully had the material shipped…But the workers were actually investigators from the Government Accountability Office.