US Should Hold Line on Russia: Volker
Kurt Volker, Former US Ambassador to NATO and Former US Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations, discusses what the United States is asking for from both Ukraine and Russia in attempts to create a peace deal and weighs whether or not the concessions are more than what each country would agree to. He speaks with Kailey Leinz and Joe Mathieu on the late edition of Bloomberg's "Balance of Power." (Source: Bloomberg)
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Boston Globe
an hour ago
- Boston Globe
New German leader plans to discuss Ukraine and trade with Trump in Oval Office visit
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Advertisement Keeping Ukraine's Western backers together Merz has thrown himself into diplomacy on Ukraine, traveling to Kyiv with fellow European leaders days after taking office and receiving Zelensky in Berlin last week. He has thanked Trump for his support for an unconditional ceasefire while rejecting the idea of 'dictated peace' or the 'subjugation' of Ukraine and advocating for more sanctions against Russia. The White House official said Trump on Thursday will stress that direct peace talks must continue. In their first phone call since Merz became chancellor, Trump said he would support the efforts of Germany and other European countries to achieve peace, according to a readout from the German government. Merz also said last month that 'it is of paramount importance that the political West not let itself be divided, so I will continue to make every effort to produce the greatest possible unity between the European and American partners.' Under Merz's immediate predecessor, Olaf Scholz, Germany became the second-biggest supplier of military aid to Ukraine after the United States. Merz has vowed to keep up the support and last week pledged to help Ukraine develop its own long-range missile systems that would be free of any range limits. Military spending At home, Merz's government is intensifying a drive that Scholz started to bolster the German military after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In Trump's first term, Berlin was a target of his ire for failing to meet the current NATO target of spending 2 percent of gross domestic product on defense, and Trump is now demanding at least 5 percent from allies. The White House official said the upcoming NATO summit in the Netherlands later this month is a 'good opportunity' for Germany to commit to meeting that 5 percent mark. Advertisement Scholz set up a 100 billion euro ($115 billion) special fund to modernize Germany's armed forces — called the Bundeswehr — which had suffered from years of neglect. Germany has met the 2 percent target thanks to the fund, but it will be used up in 2027. Merz has said that 'the government will in the future provide all the financing the Bundeswehr needs to become the strongest conventional army in Europe.' He has endorsed a plan for all allies to aim to spend 3.5 percent of GDP on their defense budgets by 2032, plus an extra 1.5 percent on potentially defense-related things like infrastructure. Germany's economy and tariffs Another top priority for Merz is to get Germany's economy, Europe's biggest, moving again after it shrank the past two years. He wants to make it a 'locomotive of growth,' but Trump's tariff threats are a potential obstacle for a country whose exports have been a key strength. At present, the economy is forecast to stagnate in 2025. Germany exported $160 billion worth of goods to the U.S. last year, according to the Census Bureau. That was about $85 billion more than what the U.S. sent to Germany, a trade deficit that Trump wants to erase. The U.S. president has specifically gone after the German auto sector, which includes major brands such as Audi, BMW, Mercedes Benz, Porsche and Volkswagen. Americans bought $36 billion worth of cars, trucks and auto parts from Germany last year, while the Germans purchased $10.2 billion worth of vehicles and parts from the U.S. Trump's 25 percent tariff on autos and parts is specifically designed to increase the cost of German-made automobiles in hopes of causing them to move their factories to the U.S., even though many of the companies already have plants in the U.S. with Volkswagen in Tennessee, BMW in South Carolina and Mercedes-Benz in Alabama and South Carolina. 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The Hill
an hour ago
- The Hill
NATO set to approve new military purchases as part of a major defense spending hike
BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO defense ministers are set Thursday to approve plans to buy more weapons and military equipment to better defend Europe, the Arctic and the North Atlantic, as part of a U.S. push to ramp up security spending. The 'capability targets' lay out plans for each of the 32 nations to purchase priority equipment like air and missile defense systems, artillery, ammunition, drones and 'strategic enablers' such as air-to-air refueling, heavy air transport and logistics. 'Today we decide on the capability targets. From there, we will assess the gaps we have, not only to be able to defend ourselves today, but also three, five, seven years from now,' NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said. 'All these investments have to be financed,' he told reporters before chairing the meeting at NATO's Brussels headquarters. U.S. President Donald Trump and his NATO counterparts will meet on June 24-25 to agree to new military spending targets. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that 'to be an alliance, you've got to be more than flags. You got to be more than conferences. You need to keep combat ready capabilities.' The targets are assigned by NATO based on a blueprint agreed upon in 2023 — the military organization's biggest planning shakeup since the Cold War — to defend its territory from an attack by Russia or another major adversary. Under the plans, NATO would aim to have up to 300,000 troops ready to move to its eastern flank within 30 days, although experts suggest the allies would struggle to muster those kinds of numbers. The member countries are assigned roles in defending NATO territory across three major zones — the high north and Atlantic area, a zone north of the Alps, and another in southern Europe.
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
NATO set to approve new military purchases as part of a major defense spending hike
BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO defense ministers are set Thursday to approve plans to buy more weapons and military equipment to better defend Europe, the Arctic and the North Atlantic, as part of a U.S. push to ramp up security spending. The 'capability targets' lay out plans for each of the 32 nations to purchase priority equipment like air and missile defense systems, artillery, ammunition, drones and 'strategic enablers' such as air-to-air refueling, heavy air transport and logistics. 'Today we decide on the capability targets. From there, we will assess the gaps we have, not only to be able to defend ourselves today, but also three, five, seven years from now,' NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said. 'All these investments have to be financed,' he told reporters before chairing the meeting at NATO's Brussels headquarters. U.S. President Donald Trump and his NATO counterparts will meet on June 24-25 to agree to new military spending targets. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that 'to be an alliance, you've got to be more than flags. You got to be more than conferences. You need to keep combat ready capabilities.' The targets are assigned by NATO based on a blueprint agreed upon in 2023 — the military organization's biggest planning shakeup since the Cold War — to defend its territory from an attack by Russia or another major adversary. Under the plans, NATO would aim to have up to 300,000 troops ready to move to its eastern flank within 30 days, although experts suggest the allies would struggle to muster those kinds of numbers. The member countries are assigned roles in defending NATO territory across three major zones — the high north and Atlantic area, a zone north of the Alps, and another in southern Europe. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
