US pushes back against Ukraine pleas to lift weapon restrictions – POLITICO

US pushes back against Ukraine pleas to lift weapon restrictions – POLITICO

“There are a lot of targets in Russia — a big country, obviously,” Austin added. “And there’s a lot of capability that Ukraine has in terms of UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles] and other things to address those targets.” His words represent a diplomatic pushback to pleas from Zelenskyy and his new Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha … Read more

EU mulls training soldiers inside Ukraine – POLITICO

EU mulls training soldiers inside Ukraine – POLITICO

French President Emmanuel Macron has been open to the idea of training troops in Ukraine, backed by countries like Lithuania, but others, like Germany, are fearful that would escalate tensions with Russia and endanger the lives of Western trainers sent into war-torn Ukraine. Those worries are reflected in the document, “It is highly likely that … Read more

US missiles are welcome in Germany, foreign minister says – POLITICO

US missiles are welcome in Germany, foreign minister says – POLITICO

Following the announcement, Rolf Mützenich, parliamentary leader of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democratic Party, warned that the “danger of an unintentional military escalation is considerable,” underlining that the missiles which could be stationed in Germany have “very short warning time and open up new technological capabilities.” The U.S. listed Tomahawk cruise missiles, which can travel … Read more

Ukraine’s Zelenskyy rejects Macron’s Olympic truce proposal – POLITICO

Ukraine’s Zelenskyy rejects Macron’s Olympic truce proposal – POLITICO

“We are against any truce that plays into the hands of the enemy,” Zelenskyy said. On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin told state media that he had discussed the idea of an Olympic truce with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. Asked if he would support the idea, Putin reportedly responded with a criticism of Western … Read more

Germany targets air defense ramp-up as Berlin corrals allies behind Ukraine – POLITICO

Germany targets air defense ramp-up as Berlin corrals allies behind Ukraine – POLITICO

The German defense ministry said that Denmark and the Netherlands are in discussions over financial support for IAAD. “Several other partners have also agreed to intensively examine whether they can also supply systems or provide resources,” the ministry added. While the German government has come under fire for refusing to donate Taurus cruise missiles to … Read more

Germany investigating leak in Russia of audio purportedly showing discussion of Ukraine aid – POLITICO

Germany investigating leak in Russia of audio purportedly showing discussion of Ukraine aid – POLITICO

The debate over Ukraine aid has been heating up in Berlin as Ukraine has faced setbacks on the battlefield and the latest package of U.S. military aid to Ukraine has been mired in political debate in Congress. In the controversial audio recording, released by Russia Today editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan, officials from Germany’s armed forces, the Bundeswehr, discuss … Read more

Germany’s Scholz wants European allies to up defense spending – POLITICO

Germany’s Scholz wants European allies to up defense spending – POLITICO

He said Germany, often criticized in the past for not spending enough on defense, would meet NATO’s target of spending 2 percent of GDP on the military through “the 2020s, 2030s and beyond.” Germany is, by far, Ukraine’s leading supporter in terms of military aid in Europe, according to data compiled by the Kiel Institute. … Read more