However, “calls for increased military cooperation with NATO and the EU will very likely stir lots of debate within Switzerland,” he added, agreeing with assessments that the report is potentially “explosive” domestically. The experts stop short of suggesting that Switzerland entirely scrap its neutrality and join NATO, but they do urge deeper ties with the … Read more
“On a totally selfish personal note, I’d be delighted to be able to continue the good cooperation we’ve established with Sébastien Lecornu, there’s a lot to do. Defense policy has never been so important,” Pistorius told reporters when asked whether he was worried about the impact of a National Rally victory in the two-round election … Read more
Pistorius wants to move quickly and have at least 5,000 fresh troops signed up next year, but rather than rushing bodies into active service, he proposes first to whip the state into shape to be able to hire, train and house recruits at scale. “It’s a start,” Pistorius said modestly of his plan, which will … Read more
Green Economy Minister and German Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck acknowledged that the deal was “unusual” but reflected the reality of a “different, more threatening world” where companies like Rheinmetall have gained prominence as arms suppliers to Ukraine, where Kyiv uses Western munitions to fend off Russian President Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion. Despite dominating parts of the … Read more
Sweden will also donate an undisclosed number of Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) used in ground-based and air defense systems, 155mm artillery ammunition and resources to maintain previously donated equipment, as well as its entire stock of PBV 302 armored tracked personnel carriers to support the formation of new Ukrainian units. The Swedish Defence Research … Read more
“We have allowed all those production facilities to be closed down after the end of the Cold War,” Sikorski said. “It costs money to persuade companies to keep production lines in reserve. We just didn’t pay the money. That was part of the peace dividend. And with hindsight it looks like a mistake,” he said. … Read more
‘Our own homework’ Some European leaders seized on the U.S. vote to call on Europe not to get complacent and lose momentum now that Washington’s new support is expected to be on the way to Kyiv soon. “Hope this vote encourages all allies to look through their warehouses and do more,” Estonia’s Prime Minister Kaja … Read more
The vaccine procurement program is often cited as a possible example for this. During the Covid-19 pandemic, EU member countries ceded sovereignty to the Commission for the purchase of vaccines. The Commission was then given a budget and tasked with procurement, which enabled the EU to secure vaccines quickly, in large quantities and to distribute … Read more
Facing the potential return of Donald Trump to the White House, the head of the European Union’s biggest political grouping is calling for Europeans to prepare for war without support from the United States and to build its own nuclear umbrella. Manfred Weber, leader of the center-right European People’s Party (EPP) — the political grouping … Read more
This story was originally published in German by WELT, a sister publication of POLITICO in the Axel Springer Group. Nate Lin wants to be prepared for war. On a Saturday morning in November, Lin, a 35-year-old Taiwanese man, practices how to apply a tourniquet to his right arm. In this fictive scenario, he’s been shot and … Read more
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