Bloomberg Russia is testing NATO’s willingness to respond to provocation ahead of an expected meeting between President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump, according to Estonian Defense Minister Margus Tsahkna. Russia’s build-up of forces and violations of international law, including in Ukraine, show the need for members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to increase spending on …

  MOSCOW / AP Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has reacted angrily to comments of US Secretary of Defense James Mattis who on Wednesday spoke of the need to negotiate with Russia “from a position of strength. The statement came just hours before Gen. Joe Dunford and Gen. Valery Gerasimov, the US and Russian Chiefs of Staff, were to hold …

  BRUSSELS / AP Germany has signed a series of agreements with its NATO partners to jointly buy transport aircraft and submarines and develop new weapons. Details of the agreements seen by The Associated Press Thursday show Germany aims to buy eight Airbus A330 transport planes along with the Netherlands and Luxembourg if Norway and Belgium also sign up. NATO …