Europe

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — With its military bogged down in a grinding conflict in eastern Ukraine, Russia also lost diplomatic ground over the weekend as two more European nations moved closer to joining NATO.

Finland announced Sunday that it was seeking to join the alliance, saying Russia’s invasion of Ukraine nearly three months ago had changed Europe’s security landscape. Several hours later, Sweden’s governing party endorsed that country’s bid for membership, which could lead to an application in days.

BERLIN, May 15. /TASS/: Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba thinks that his task is to deliver as many weapons as possible to Ukraine and attain the utmost sanctions against Russia. He expressed this in an interview with Bild published on Saturday.

"My goal is to supply Ukraine with as many weapons as possible, to initiate as many sanctions as possible against Russia and help as many Ukrainians who were forced to flee abroad as possible," he said.

MOSCOW, May 15. /TASS/: The village of Sereda in Russia’s border Belgorod region came under fire from Ukraine, one civilian was injured, Governor of the Belgorod region Vyacheslav Gladkov announced on Sunday in his telegram channel.

"The village of Sereda, Shebekinsky urban district, was shelled from the territory of Ukraine. One civilian was injured, receiving a shrapnel wound," he wrote.

Shebekinsky district is located to the east of Belgorod and borders Ukraine in the south.

MOSCOW, May 15. /TASS/: Russia’s COVID-19 case tally rose by 4,956 over the past day to 18,260,293, the anti-coronavirus crisis center reported on Sunday.

In relative terms, it reached 0.03%.

As many as 1,125 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in Russia over the past day, 55% fewer than in the previous day. The number of hospitalized patients declined in 74 regions, while in seven other regions the figure increased.

VILNIUS, May 15. /TASS/: Latvia has decided to suspend rail transit of Belarusian military cargo through the country's territory to its Baltic seaports, Latvian Ministry of Transport said on Sunday.

According to Delfi news website, starting from May 10, Latvia suspended the agreement that allowed direct rail transportation of military cargo from Belarus to third countries through Latvian ports.

The intergovernmental agreement on transportation of military goods by rail from Belarus to third countries using the ports of Latvia was signed in January 1994.

BERLIN, May 15. /TASS/: All NATO member states are committed to keep the anti-Russian sanctions in place for as long as is necessary, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told a news conference on Sunday after an informal meeting of NATO top diplomats in Berlin.

BERLIN, May 15 (Reuters) - Croatia's foreign minister said on Sunday talks between Turkey with Finland and Sweden over its concerns with regard their membership to the NATO alliance were on the right track after all three met on Saturday.

"Discussions are on a good track and we hope we will have a good outcome today to show solidarity and speak with one voice," Grlic Radman told reporters at a NATO foreign ministers meeting in Berlin.

LISBON, May 14 (Reuters) - Portugal blocked the sale of a 10 million euro ($10.4 million) luxury house over a "strong conviction" it belonged to sanctions-hit Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, Foreign Minister Joao Cravinho said on Saturday.

The property registry of the mansion in the luxury Quinta do Lago resort in the Algarve was frozen - meaning it cannot be sold, rented or mortgaged - on March 25 at the request of the foreign ministry, a month after Russia's full invasion of Ukraine.

BERLIN, May 14 (Reuters) - Norway on Saturday backed Finnish and Swedish plans to join NATO against criticism from Turkey.

"We don't know what Turkey really means but from (the) Norwegian perspective, we are 100% behind Finland and Sweden if they decide to apply for membership in NATO," Norwegian Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeld said as she arrived for a meeting with her NATO counterparts in Berlin.

"This will also strengthen the Nordic cooperation because we chose differently after World War 2, so I think that this is a historic moment right now," she added.

BERLIN, May 15 (Reuters) - Russia's offensive in Ukraine is failing and its operation in the Donbass region has stalled, NATO's secretary general said on Sunday.

"Russia's war in Ukraine is not going as Moscow had planned. They failed to take Kyiv," Jens Stoltenberg told reporters by video link. "They are pulling back from Kharkiv and their major offensive in Donbass has stalled."