NATO Members Close to Establishing Joint Force to Clear Mines in Black Sea

NATO members Turkey, Romania, and Bulgaria are close to finalizing an agreement to establish a joint force to clear mines drifting into their portions of the Black Sea due to the fallout from Russia's invasion of Ukraine. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss the battlefield and ammunition needs of Ukraine. President Joe Biden assured Finland that the United States would remain committed to NATO despite political instability in the country. The NATO summit in Vilnius saw Finland's membership activated and Sweden's membership on track, but Ukraine did not receive a formal invitation to join NATO.