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Finland, Sweden apply to join NATO as first Ukraine war crimes trial begins
Finland and Sweden on Wednesday submitted a joint application to join NATO as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine forces a dramatic reappraisal of security in Europe.
The reversal of the Nordic countries’ longstanding policy of non-alignment came as the war nears its third month and Ukraine strives to evacuate the last of its soldiers holed up at the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol.
Azovstal has become emblematic of the fierce Ukrainian resistance that has forced Russian President Vladimir Putin to reorient his military goals after a devastating campaign strewn with alleged war crimes.
In Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, the first war crimes trial of a Russian soldier since the invasion began was set to get under way at 1100 GMT.
“By this first trial, we are sending a clear signal that every perpetrator, every person who ordered or assisted in the commission of crimes in Ukraine shall not avoid responsibility,” prosecutor general Iryna Venediktova said.
At NATO headquarters in Brussels, alliance chief Jens Stoltenberg formally received the applications from the Finnish and Swedish ambassadors, calling them “an historic step”.
“All allies agree on the importance of NATO enlargement. We all agree that we must stand together and we all agree that this is an historic moment which we must seize,” he said.
The membership push could represent the most significant expansion of NATO in decades, doubling its border with Russia, and Putin has warned it may trigger a response from Moscow.
But the applications face resistance from NATO member Turkey, which has threatened to block them over accusations the Nordic neighbours act as safe havens for armed groups opposed to Ankara.
Western allies remain optimistic they can overcome Turkey’s objections and for now, several including Britain have offered security guarantees to Finland and Sweden to guard against any Russian aggression.
– Mediators for Azovstal –
On the ground, in the ruined port city of Mariupol, a unit of soldiers had been holding out in Azovstal’s underground maze of tunnels, but Moscow said Wednesday that 959 of the troops had surrendered this week.
Kyiv’s defence ministry said it would do “everything necessary” to rescue the undisclosed number of personnel still in the steelworks, but admitted there was no military option available.
“The evacuation mission continues, it is overseen by our military and intelligence,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his nightly address.
“The most influential international mediators are involved.”
Zelensky’s aide, Oleksiy Arestovich, said he would not comment further while the operation was ongoing. “Everything is too fragile there and one careless word can destroy everything,” he said.
Those who have left Azovstal were taken into Russian captivity, including 51 who were heavily wounded, the Russian defence ministry said.
The ministry, which published images showing soldiers on stretchers, said the injured were transported to a hospital in the eastern Donetsk region controlled by pro-Kremlin rebels.
The defence ministry in Kyiv said it was hoping for an “exchange procedure… to repatriate these Ukrainian heroes as quickly as possible”.
But their fate was unclear, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refusing to say whether they would be treated as criminals or prisoners of war.
Putin had “guaranteed that they would be treated according to the relevant international laws”, Peskov said.
– ‘My war is not over’ –
Despite their last-ditch resistance in places such as Mariupol, and their successful defence of Kyiv, Ukrainian forces are retreating across swathes of the eastern front.
White smoke from burning fields marks the pace of Russia’s advance around the village of Sydorove, on the approaches to the militarily important city of Slovyansk and Ukraine’s eastern administrative centre in Kramatorsk.
Army volunteer Yaroslava, 51, sat on a slab of concrete jutting out from the remains of a school in Sydorove where her husband’s unit had set up camp before it was hit by a Russian strike.
She stared at a spot where rescuers and de-miners had spotted a motionless hand reaching out from the rubble.
“We had settled in London before the war but felt like we had no choice but to come back,” Yaroslava said.
“My two sons have just signed three-year contracts with the army. We will fight. We will still fight,” she said without moving her eyes.
“My war is not over.”
The war crimes trial in Kyiv, expected to be followed by several others, will test the Ukrainian justice system at a time when international bodies are also conducting their own investigations.
Vadim Shishimarin, 21, from Irkutsk in Siberia, is accused of shooting an unarmed 62-year-old man in Ukraine’s Sumy region on February 28 — four days into the invasion.
Shishimarin faces a possible life sentence. Prosecutors said he was commanding a unit in a tank division when his convoy came under attack.
He and four other soldiers stole a car and encountered the man on a bicycle, shooting him in cold blood, according to the prosecutors.
The International Criminal Court said Tuesday it was deploying its largest-ever field team to Ukraine, with 42 investigators, forensic experts and support staff being sent into the field to gather evidence of alleged atrocities.
The US State Department also announced it was creating a special unit to research, document and publicise Russian war crimes.
The Conflict Observatory will “capture, analyse, and make widely available evidence of Russia-perpetrated war crimes and other atrocities in Ukraine”, the department said Tuesday.
The Senate on Wednesday passed a bill seeking to amend the 1999 Constitution to establish state police services across the country, a major milestone in ongoing efforts to decentralise policing and tackle Nigeria’s worsening security challenges.
The proposed legislation introduces a dual policing framework comprising a Federal Police Service and State Police Services, effectively replacing the existing structure under which policing is exclusively controlled by the Federal Government through the Nigeria Police Force.
The bill was passed after Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, presented its general principles on the floor of the Red Chamber.
It subsequently scaled second reading, underwent a rigorous clause-by-clause consideration and was passed for third reading after securing the support of more than two-thirds of the senators.
A key provision of the constitutional amendment empowers governors to appoint Commissioners of Police for their respective states, subject to confirmation by the state Houses of Assembly.
Clause 17 of the bill provides that a State Police Service shall be headed by a Commissioner of Police appointed by the governor on the recommendation of the National Police Council and confirmed by the House of Assembly of the state.
The proposed law further defines the operational relationship between governors and state police commands, allowing governors to issue lawful written directives of a general policy nature to Commissioners of Police on matters relating to the maintenance of public safety and order within their states.
To address widespread concerns over possible abuse of the proposed policing structure, lawmakers incorporated safeguards aimed at protecting political freedoms and civil liberties.
The bill expressly states that a state Commissioner of Police shall not arrest, detain, investigate or deploy force against any individual, political party or group merely for criticising the government, except in accordance with the law.
The provision is intended to prevent state police formations from being used to intimidate political opponents, activists, journalists and other dissenting voices while ensuring that all actions taken conform with due process.
The amendment also empowers the Federal Police Service to temporarily intervene in the internal security affairs of a state where there is an actual or imminent breakdown of public order or public safety which the state police are unable or unwilling to contain.
Such intervention must be authorised in writing by the President, who is required to state the grounds, territorial scope, functions and duration of the operation.
The President must also notify the governor, the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, the National Police Council and the National Assembly within 48 hours of the commencement of the intervention.
The bill further provides that no federal intervention shall continue beyond a period to be prescribed by an Act of the National Assembly unless approved by a resolution of the Senate.
The Senate’s approval came barely a day after President Bola Tinubu transmitted the bill to the National Assembly as part of his administration’s efforts to reform Nigeria’s security architecture.
According to the President, the proposed amendment is designed to provide a legal framework for a dual policing structure that would allow states to establish and operate their own police services alongside the federal police.
Tinubu said the proposal is a critical component of ongoing efforts to reorganise the country’s policing system, enhance security and better protect citizens, adding that communities, municipalities and local government areas would play more active roles in policing responsibilities under the new arrangement.
The renewed push for state police comes amid growing concerns over insecurity, banditry and mass kidnappings across parts of the country.
Supporters of the proposal argue that decentralised policing would strengthen grassroots intelligence gathering, deepen community-based security initiatives and ensure quicker responses to crimes and emergencies.
Critics, however, have cautioned against possible political interference by governors, funding challenges and the risk of exacerbating ethnic or communal tensions.
Tinubu had earlier described state police as inevitable in addressing the nation’s security challenges and urged lawmakers to fast-track constitutional amendments aimed at bringing the proposal to fruition.
President Bola Tinubu has transmitted a Constitution Alteration Bill to the Senate seeking the establishment of state police as part of efforts to reform Nigeria’s security architecture.
The proposed legislation, contained in a communication dated June 15, 2026, was read during plenary on Tuesday by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Tinubu said the bill was aimed at providing a legal framework for a dual policing structure that would allow states to establish and operate their own police services alongside the Nigeria Police Force.
According to the President, the proposed amendment forms a key component of ongoing efforts to restructure the country’s policing system to improve security and enhance the protection of lives and property.
He explained that under the arrangement, communities, municipalities and local government areas would play more active roles in policing, enabling local authorities to detect suspicious activities and promptly relay intelligence to security agencies.
Following the presentation, Akpabio referred the bill to the Senate Committee on Constitution Review and directed it to report back on Wednesday.
Speaking on the importance of community-based policing, the Senate President said local authorities were better placed to identify security threats and support proactive responses by law enforcement agencies.
“You will know when foreigners infiltrate Nigeria and alert security agencies so they can react proactively rather than reactively,” he said.
Akpabio expressed optimism that sustained collaboration between the executive and legislative arms would ensure the successful passage and implementation of the initiative.
He disclosed that the process would be undertaken in phases through constitutional amendments and subsequent Acts of Parliament.
“We will do it in two phases through alteration and an Act of Parliament. There will be a lot of safeguards; let us come and do this important task. It is extremely important that we come tomorrow,” he said.
The Senate President also informed lawmakers that plenary would not entertain other major business following the death of a member of the House of Representatives, Yahaya Tongo of Gombe State.
Similarly, the Senate Leader urged senators to attend the next sitting, stressing the significance of the proposed state police framework.
“We need a minimum of two-thirds of members to vote on constitutional alterations. The issue of state police is non-partisan and cuts across geopolitical zones and interests,” he said.
The latest development came barely two weeks after the Senate passed an executive bill on state police for second reading.
Akpabio said the fresh Constitution Alteration Bill transmitted by the President builds on the earlier proposal and seeks to provide the constitutional foundation necessary for the establishment and operation of state police services across the country.
The family of the late veteran actor and scholar, Chief (Prof.) Adekola “Kola” Oyewo, has expressed deep appreciation to Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, among other Nigerians, for their messages of condolence and support following the death of their patriarch.
In a statement issued on Saturday by Dr. Adewale Oyewo on behalf of the family, the bereaved household said the overwhelming show of sympathy, prayers, visits and acts of kindness from across Nigeria and beyond had served as a strong pillar of comfort in their period of grief.
The family described the late Oyewo as a respected community leader, accomplished academic, devoted family man, and traditional title holder whose life was defined by service, integrity, and unwavering commitment to societal development.
According to the statement, the tributes received in his honour reflect the far-reaching impact he made on students, colleagues, cultural practitioners and the wider society.
The family particularly appreciated Governor Ademola Adeleke for his condolence message and prayers, noting that his support had been deeply comforting.
It also expressed gratitude to the Ooni of Ife, whose words of encouragement were described as uplifting and consoling during the mourning period.
The statement further acknowledged the Oloba of Oba-Ile, Oba (Prof.) Adekunle Ashamu Oyeyemi (Tewogbade I), the Oloba-in-Council, and other traditional institutions for their fatherly support and solidarity.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar was also commended for his message of sympathy, which the family said brought reassurance in their moment of loss.
The family extended appreciation to professional bodies including the National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners (NANTAP) and the Theatre Arts and Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria (TAMPAN), as well as academic communities of Obafemi Awolowo University, Redeemer’s University, Ekiti State University, and Elizade University, where the deceased served.
They also thanked friends, associates and well-wishers who stood by them with prayers and support.
“As we continue preparations to honour the life and legacy of our beloved patriarch, we humbly seek continued prayers and support,” the statement added, praying for the peaceful repose of his soul.
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