埼玉英語会 英検１級・準１級　コミュのTurkey says it will veto Finland and Sweden's Nato membership

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has said Swedish and Finnish delegations
should not bother to come to Turkey.

The incumbent members of Nato said earlier on Monday that they would send
diplomats to Turkey to try to overcome the country's objections to their plan to
join the military alliance.

But President Erdogan has stated Turkey will not approve their bids to join Nato.

He has labelled Sweden a "hatchery" for terrorist organisations, claiming there are
terrorists within parliament.

Turkey accuses Sweden and Finland of sheltering people it says are linked to groups
it deems terrorists, namely the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group and
followers of Fethullah Gulen, whom Ankara accuses of orchestrating the 2016 coup
attempt against President Erdogan and his government.


************

Azovstal - symbol of Ukrainian resistance


Azovstal steelworks has become a symbol of Ukrainian resistance against Russia's
invasion.

Hundreds of fighters have been holed up in the tunnels beneath the massive
industrial plant, defending the last Ukrainian stronghold in the besieged city of
Mariupol.

The strategically located port city came under massive bombardment from Russian
forces early in the invasion.

Taking the city would allow them to complete a land bridge between Crimea and
the Donbas region, as well as giving Russia full control of more than 80% of
Ukraine's Black Sea coastline.

Ukraine says the Russian bombardment and siege of the city killed tens of
thousands of people, with reports of bodies lying in the streets. Moscow denies
having targeted civilians.

Pummelled with artillery, rockets and missiles, 90% of the city has been damaged
or destroyed, Ukrainian officials say.

Only Azovstal held out.

Its defenders had said they were "buying time" for the rest of Ukraine to battle
Russian forces and secure Western arms needed to withstand Russia's assault.

Until 10 days ago, there were also hundreds of civilians sheltering at the steel plant,
with food, water and medicine in short supply.

It took about a week to evacuate the women, children and the elderly who had
been trapped there for more than a month, in an operation coordinated by
the UN and the Red Cross, which concluded on 7 May.

Since then, it's believed only the fighters remain - many having vowed to die
fighting rather than surrender.