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Added on the 07/03/2024 17:41:32 - Copyright : AFPTV - First images
US President Joe Biden, under intense scrutiny over his fitness to serve, accidentally introduces Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as Russian strongman Vladimir Putin at a NATO ceremony before correcting himself. SOUNDBITE
Polish minister of defence Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz and Parliament speaker Szymon Holownia attend a ceremony in Warsaw celebrating 25 years since Poland's accession to NATO. A day earlier, President Andrzej Duda urged NATO members to increase their defence spending to three percent of GDP in response to Russia's aggression against Ukraine. IMAGES
The NATO flag is hoisted at a military base in the Swedish capital Stockholm, symbolising the Nordic country's accession into the military alliance. On 7 March 2024, Sweden became the 32nd member of NATO in the shadow of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, turning the page on two centuries of non-alignment. IMAGES
Sweden joining NATO shows Russian President Vladimir Putin "failed" in his Ukrainian war strategy of weakening the alliance, its chief Jens Stoltenberg says. The Kremlin's invasion not only prompted formerly non-aligned nations Sweden and Finland to come under NATO's defence umbrella, but now "Ukraine is closer to NATO membership than ever before," Stoltenberg adds. SOUNDBITE
Swedish Defence Minister Pal Jonson says the "northern flank of NATO is more complete" as he holds a press conference with his Norwegian and Finnish counterparts in Troms, Norway. Swedish troops are taking part in a vast NATO military exercise to simulate repelling an invasion of neighbouring Norway. SOUNDBITE
Supporters of Zambian President Lungu hold a rally in Lusaka during a tense presidential race, which has been marked by clashes between rival supporters. The presidential election will take place on Thursday. IMAGES.