Assurances of continued military support are especially critical for Ukraine now with Trump’s imminent return to Washington. The president-elect has made clear that his administration will expect Europe to take the lead in supporting Ukraine’s defense and oversee any future cease-fire deal between Kyiv and Moscow, a stark contrast to current President Joe Biden’s position. … Read more
“It is true that we spend more on defense now than we did a decade ago,” said Rutte. “But we are still spending far less than during the Cold War. Even though the threats to our freedom and security are just as big — if not bigger.” “During the Cold War, Europeans spent far more … Read more
China’s top intelligence agency has warned that open-source information poses threats to national security by making sensitive data vulnerable to exploitation by foreign spies. Sensitive data that is not properly declassified or assessed for risks can be publicly spread online and “become an important source of open-source intelligence” for overseas spy agencies, the Ministry of … Read more
Pistorius was hosting his counterparts in a new format that U.K. Defence Secretary John Healy dubbed “E5.” Russia’s invasion of Ukraine plus years of badgering by the U.S. is having an impact. France and Germany reached NATO’s spending target of at least 2 percent GDP this year, although Italy still falls short. The U.K. is over … Read more
Attacks on Ukraine’s nuclear plants would be particularly serious, said Kharchenko, the analyst. Kyiv’s reactors currently provide 60 percent of the country’s total power output and any missile strikes on the energy infrastructure supporting those plants could put them out of commission. Last month, Ukraine urged the European Union for help, fearing Russia would soon … Read more
It initially took Canada four months to get into the queue after deciding to join a plan by the United States to buy urgently needed National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) for Ukraine. Defence Minister Bill Blair insists the lag did not contribute to the slow pace of acquiring the high-tech defensive capability, which is … Read more
The ammunition total incudes shipments from EU countries that have been submitted to the European Peace Facility, as well as reimbursements for rounds bought on world markets under a Czech initiative, an EU official said. The ammunition is part of a much larger flow of military aid to Ukraine, which Borrell said now “exceeds €43 … Read more
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
The United States has approved the sale to Germany of hundreds of the latest generation of interceptor missiles for use in Patriot air defense systems. As part of the $5 billion deal covering 600 advanced PAC-3 interceptor missiles made by Lockheed Martin, the German government will also get training and spare parts, according to a … Read more
Canada definitely plans to move forward with the purchase of new submarines, the federal government announced on the margins of the NATO Summit on Wednesday. Up to now, the government has spoken only about the possibility of replacing the aging Victoria-class boats. But in the face of mounting criticism of Canada’s defence spending by allies — notably … Read more
