XINHUA-PICTURES OF THE YEAR 2023-WORLD NEWS

XINHUA-PICTURES OF THE YEAR 2023-WORLD NEWS

(240105) -- BEIJING, Jan. 5, 2024 (Xinhua) -- Finnish President Sauli Niinisto speaks at a ceremony marking Finland's accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, April 4, 2023. Finland on April 4 formally became the 31st member state of the NATO, ending its military non-alignment in the fastest accession procedure in record time. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong)

BELGIUM-BRUSSELS-FINLAND-NATO MEMBERSHIP

BELGIUM-BRUSSELS-FINLAND-NATO MEMBERSHIP

(230405) -- BRUSSELS, April 5, 2023 (Xinhua) -- The national flag of Finland flies after a ceremony for Finland's accession to NATO at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, April 4, 2023. Finland on Tuesday formally became the 31st member state of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), ending its military non-alignment in the fastest accession procedure in record time. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong)

BELGIUM-BRUSSELS-FINLAND-NATO MEMBERSHIP

BELGIUM-BRUSSELS-FINLAND-NATO MEMBERSHIP

(230405) -- BRUSSELS, April 5, 2023 (Xinhua) -- Delegates attend a ceremony for Finland's accession to NATO at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, April 4, 2023. Finland on Tuesday formally became the 31st member state of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), ending its military non-alignment in the fastest accession procedure in record time. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong)

BELGIUM-BRUSSELS-FINLAND-NATO MEMBERSHIP

BELGIUM-BRUSSELS-FINLAND-NATO MEMBERSHIP

(230405) -- BRUSSELS, April 5, 2023 (Xinhua) -- Finland's President Sauli Niinisto speaks at the ceremony for Finland's accession to NATO at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, April 4, 2023. Finland on Tuesday formally became the 31st member state of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), ending its military non-alignment in the fastest accession procedure in record time. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong)

BELGIUM-BRUSSELS-FINLAND-NATO MEMBERSHIP

BELGIUM-BRUSSELS-FINLAND-NATO MEMBERSHIP

(230405) -- BRUSSELS, April 5, 2023 (Xinhua) -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks at the ceremony for Finland's accession to NATO at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, April 4, 2023. Finland on Tuesday formally became the 31st member state of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), ending its military non-alignment in the fastest accession procedure in record time. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong)

BELGIUM-BRUSSELS-FINLAND-NATO MEMBERSHIP

BELGIUM-BRUSSELS-FINLAND-NATO MEMBERSHIP

(230405) -- BRUSSELS, April 5, 2023 (Xinhua) -- Finland's President Sauli Niinisto (L) and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg meet the press at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, April 4, 2023. Finland on Tuesday formally became the 31st member state of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), ending its military non-alignment in the fastest accession procedure in record time. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong)

BELGIUM-BRUSSELS-FINLAND-NATO MEMBERSHIP

BELGIUM-BRUSSELS-FINLAND-NATO MEMBERSHIP

(230405) -- BRUSSELS, April 5, 2023 (Xinhua) -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks at the ceremony for Finland's accession to NATO at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, April 4, 2023. Finland on Tuesday formally became the 31st member state of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), ending its military non-alignment in the fastest accession procedure in record time. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong)

BELGIUM-BRUSSELS-FINLAND-NATO MEMBERSHIP

BELGIUM-BRUSSELS-FINLAND-NATO MEMBERSHIP

(230405) -- BRUSSELS, April 5, 2023 (Xinhua) -- The national flag of Finland and emblem of NATO are seen at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, April 4, 2023. Finland on Tuesday formally became the 31st member state of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), ending its military non-alignment in the fastest accession procedure in record time. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong)

BELGIUM-BRUSSELS-FINLAND-NATO MEMBERSHIP

BELGIUM-BRUSSELS-FINLAND-NATO MEMBERSHIP

(230405) -- BRUSSELS, April 5, 2023 (Xinhua) -- Finland's President Sauli Niinisto speaks to the press at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, April 4, 2023. Finland on Tuesday formally became the 31st member state of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), ending its military non-alignment in the fastest accession procedure in record time. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong)

NATO expansion root cause of Ukraine crisis: former senior French official

STORY: NATO expansion root cause of Ukraine crisis: former senior French official DATELINE: May 17, 2022 LENGTH: 0:02:35 LOCATION: GENEVA, Switzerland CATEGORY: POLITICS SHOTLIST: 1. various of NATO's Headquarters and military exercises 2. SOUNDBITE (French): PIERRE CONESA, Former French Defense Ministry official STORYLINE: Finland and Sweden have both announced decisions to apply for the NATO membership. If the two countries join the military alliance, it would end their long-standing policy of military non-alignment. Pierre Conesa, a former French Defense Ministry official, says that all the developments contribute to a missed opportunity to propose an inclusive European security architecture to Russia, wherein lies the source of the ongoing Ukrainian crisis. SOUNDBITE (French): PIERRE CONESA, Former French Defense Ministry official We know this provokes a crisis. For example, Russia's sensitivity towards Sweden and Finland is that today Swedish and Finnish neutrality allows Russia to access the port