Why Zelensky is so desperate for German Taurus missiles; all features explained
Amid rising Russia-NATO tensions, Germany's potential supply of the advanced Taurus KEPD-350 missile to Ukraine is triggering a fresh flashpoint. The TAURUS missiles can significantly boost Kyiv's ability to strike deep into Russian territory, including strategic targets like the Crimea Bridge. With its long range, precision guidance, and bunker-busting power, the missile is a key factor in escalating NATO-Russia tensions amid the ongoing conflict. All the details on this missile here
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Hindustan Times
42 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Most G7 members ready to lower Russian oil price cap without US
BRUSSELS/PARIS, - Most countries in the Group of Seven nations are prepared to go it alone and lower the G7 price cap on Russian oil even if U.S. President Donald Trump decides to opt out, four sources familiar with the matter said. G7 country leaders are due to meet on June 15-17 in Canada where they will discuss the price cap first agreed in late 2022. The cap was designed to allow Russian oil to be sold to third countries using Western insurance services provided the price was no more than $60 a barrel. The European Union and Britain have been pushing to lower the price for weeks after a fall in global oil prices made the current $60 cap nearly irrelevant. The sources, who declined to be named, said the EU and Britain are ready to lead the charge and go it alone, backed by the other European G7 countries and Canada. They said it is still unclear what the U.S. will decide, though the Europeans are pushing for a united decision at the meeting. Japan's position also remains uncertain, they said. "There is a push among European countries to reduce the oil price cap to $45 from $60. There are positive signals from Canada, Britain and possibly the Japanese. We will use the G7 to try to get the U.S. on board," one of the sources said. The White House had no immediate comment. During the G7 finance ministers meeting in the Canadian Rockies last month, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent remained unconvinced there was a need to lower the cap, according to sources. However some U.S. Senators may endorse the idea, including Lindsay Graham, who in recent weeks told reporters he supports lowering the cap. Graham is pushing a hard-hitting new set of Russia sanctions that could impose steep tariffs on buyers of Russian oil. The EU has proposed lowering the price to $45 a barrel in its latest 18th package of sanctions. The package must have unanimity from member states in order for it to be adopted, which could take several weeks. Russia's largest export grade, Urals, trades at around a $10 a barrel discount to the Dated Brent benchmark out of Baltic ports. Brent futures have been trading below $70 a barrel since early April. Sources said Washington's buy-in was not essential to lower the cap owing to Britain's dominance in global shipping insurance, and the EU's influence on the Western rules-abiding tanker fleet. The U.S., however, does matter when it comes to dollar-denominated payments for oil and its banking system. The EU and its Western allies have been progressively cracking down on Russia's shadow fleet of tankers and related actors, which work to circumvent the cap. The pressure has started to hurt Moscow's revenues and Western allies hope this will push more of the oil trade back under the cap. Russia's state-owned oil producer Rosneft reported a 14.4% slump in profits last year.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Germany, France back expanding joint TV channel
HighlightsBerlin and Paris plan to expand the Arte television channel into a major European platform to combat disinformation from rival powers. The long-term goal of Arte executives is to transform the channel into a multilingual streaming service that includes news, films, and series. German Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer emphasized the need for Europe to amplify its voice of freedom in response to Russian and Chinese disinformation efforts. Berlin and Paris want to expand the TV channel Arte into a major European platform amid concerns about rival powers spreading disinformation, Germany's culture minister said Wednesday. The publicly funded French and German language channel is known for covering cultural events and producing highbrow dramas. The long-term goal is to expand it into a streaming service in numerous languages that reaches new audiences, with offerings ranging from news to films and series, according to Arte executives. Russian and Chinese efforts to spread disinformation, combined with the US administration's moves to gut government-funded international media, meant that Europe must "make its voice of freedom heard more loudly in the world," German Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer said. During discussions at a meeting of European culture ministers in Paris on Wednesday, French Culture Minister Rachida Dati said the platform could contribute to countering foreign influence and populist tendencies. The idea of expanding the channel has been mooted for some time, and French President Emmanuel Macron backed the idea during a state visit to Germany last year.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Nato chief hopeful of spending deal as meets allies in Rome
AI- Generated Image Nato chief Mark Rutte said Thursday he was "pretty confident" of getting a deal on boosting defence spending at a summit later this month, as he met European allies in Rome. He joined foreign ministers and diplomats from Italy, France, Germany, Britain, Poland, Spain, Ukraine and the EU to discuss defence spending and their support for Kyiv, as Russia escalates its bombardments. The meeting of the so-called "Weimar+" group comes ahead of a G7 summit in Canada on June 15-17, where allies will push US President Donald Trump to be more aggressive in punishing the Kremlin. It will be followed by a Nato meeting in The Hague on June 24-25, where the focus will be reaching a deal that satisfies Trump's demands to spend five percent of GDP on defence. Rutte is urging Nato members to commit to 3.5 percent of GDP on direct military spending by 2032, and an additional 1.5 percent on broader security-related expenditure. "We are discussing the final decisions we will take in The Hague. I'm pretty confident indeed... that we will get to a joint position, all 32 (members)", he told reporters heading into the talks in Rome. He praised Trump's efforts to reach a peace deal in Ukraine by talking directly to Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying "he broke the deadlock" -- even if the discussions are stalled. Russia has fired record numbers of drones and missiles at Ukraine over recent weeks, escalating three years of daily bombardments as it outlines hardline demands -- rejected by Kyiv as "ultimatums" -- to halt the war. Rutte noted that Russia had sent a historian to talks in Istanbul, "explaining more or less that Ukraine is at fault here. I think that's not helpful, but at least, step by step, we try to make progress". Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, the meeting host whose country spends 1.5 percent of GDP on defence, said he was "very happy" with Rutte's spending plan. "For Italy it's important to spend more but we need more time, 10 years, I think it is more or less possible to achieve this goal," he said.
