European Nations Lead Push for De-escalation in Israel-Iran War
Talks aimed at de-escalating the week-long war between Israel and Iran got under way in Geneva on Friday after US President Donald Trump signaled he would give diplomacy a chance before deciding whether to intervene militarily.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is meeting counterparts from the UK, France and Germany to discuss what he called 'nuclear and regional issues' around the ongoing conflict. French President Emmanuel Macron is among those leaders urging Iran to return to negotiations over its nuclear program.
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Newsweek
37 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Map Shows How Much Each NATO Member Contributes as Trump Touts Increase
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. President Donald Trump on Wednesday touted a plan for NATO member states to raise defense spending to 5 percent of their gross domestic product (GDP) as a "monumental win" for the United States. The agreement addresses Trump's long-standing concern about NATO members not carrying their weight. Newsweek reached out to the alliance for comment via email. Why It Matters NATO leaders committed increasing their defense spending on Wednesday following pressure from Trump, who for years has raised concerns that the U.S. was paying more than its fair share of spending. Under the plan, nearly every country in the military alliance will increase investments to the 5 percent by 2035. Leaders wrote in a declaration that the agreement is reaffirmation to their "ironclad commitment to collective [defense] as enshrined in Article 5 of the Washington Treaty," which states that an attack on one NATO member shall be treated as an attack against all. The agreement was signed with a backdrop of a world dealing with crises. The yearslong war between Russia and Ukraine continues. World leaders have been trying, but struggling, for years to broker a deal to end the armed conflict. Meanwhile, tensions have flared up in the Middle East amid the battle between Iran and Israel, with Trump striking several Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend. Iran has since retaliated against U.S. military bases, and Trump has pushed for a ceasefire. What To Know The agreement means many NATO countries will be dramatically increasing their defense investments over the coming years, as many are far from the 5 percent mark. The declaration states that the spending must be on "core defense requirements" as well as "defense-and security-related spending." "Our investments will ensure we have the forces, capabilities, resources, infrastructure, warfighting readiness, and resilience needed to deter and defend in line with our three core tasks of deterrence and defense, crisis prevention and management, and cooperative security," the declaration reads. At the moment, Poland is the NATO member state spending the most per GDP on defense investments, according to the latest data from the alliance, at 4.12 percent. Estonia follows with 3.43 percent and the U.S. places third with 3.38 percent. Conversely, Belgium, Canada, Italy and Spain each spend less than 1.5 percent. Trump celebrated the declaration in remarks to reporters on Wednesday. President Donald Trump speaks at a news conference in The Hague, Netherlands, on June 25. President Donald Trump speaks at a news conference in The Hague, Netherlands, on June 25."In a very historic milestone this week, the NATO allies committed to dramatically increase their defense spending to that 5 percent of GDP, something that no one really thought was possible, and they said, 'You did it sir, you did it.' I don't know if I did it, but I think I did," Trump said. The president said it will add more than $1 trillion per year to common defense. "This is a monument, really, to victory. But it's a monumental win for the United States because we were carrying much more than our fair share." Spain Says It's Unable to Meet Spending Requirement, Sparks Trump's Ire Some NATO member states have expressed concerns about whether it is realistic to increase defense spending so much over the next decade. Spain has already said it will not be able to do so, with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez describing the requirement as "unreasonable," the Associated Press (AP) reported. He announced a deal earlier this week that would allow Spain to remain part of NATO without having to increase defense spending to 5 percent of its GDP. "We must protect Europe. But we must also protect what makes it unique in the world: its welfare state and its commitment to diplomacy, development aid, and peace," he wrote in a post to X, formerly Twitter. However, Trump expressed frustration. "I think Spain is terrible, what they've done. They're the only country that won't pay the full—they want to stay at 2 percent. I think it's terrible. And you know, they're doing very well. Their economy is doing very well. And that economy could be blown right out of the water with something bad happening," he said. He added that he could make Spain "pay twice as much" as he negotiates a trade deal with Madrid. What People Are Saying NATO leaders wrote in their declaration: "We reaffirm our shared commitment to rapidly expand transatlantic defense industrial cooperation and to harness emerging technology and the spirit of innovation to advance our collective security. We will work to eliminate defense trade barriers among Allies and will leverage our partnerships to promote defense industrial cooperation." United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer said, per the AP: "This is the moment to unite, for Europe to make a fundamental shift in its posture and for NATO to meet this challenge head-on." What Happens Next NATO members have until 2035 to increase their spending to comply with the declaration. How Trump's negotiations play out with Spain has yet to be seen.
News24
an hour ago
- News24
All you need to know about the G20 summit and why it matters to you
For the first time, South Africa is taking centre stage in global affairs in 2025 as we host the G20 Summit in November. The G20, or Group of Twenty, is an international forum for governments and policymakers from 19 countries and two economic regions: the European Union (EU) and the African Union (AU). Established in 1999, the forum brings together the world's major economies to discuss and coordinate policies on global economic challenges. 'This is a moment for Africa – and for South Africans – to shape the future, not just respond to it,' says Shadi Chauke, Sanlam's Group Executive for Corporate Affairs and Sustainability. Chauke says the G20 is a meeting based on diplomacy. Bringing the world's most influential leaders together on the biggest pressing global matters. The meeting doesn't make laws or regulations. 'Think of it as a forum where countries try to find common ground on shared global challenges – from inequality to energy security.' Paul Martin, former Canadian Prime Minister, describes the purpose of the G20 as 'recognition that countries cannot solve the problems of globalisation alone. Globalisation is a reality, climate change is a reality, and poverty in certain countries cannot be allowed to fester. We need to solve these together'. Read more | 'This is about shifting perceptions' – Khosi Nkosi heads to Milan and Paris fashion week 10 Things You Should Know About the G20 – And Why They Matter to You It's incredibly powerful The G20 countries, including the EU and AU represent 85% of the world's GDP, 75% of global trade and approximately two-thirds of the world's population. Decisions made here ripple out to every corner of the globe – including South Africa. Africa is under-represented – but that's changing South Africa is the only African nation with permanent membership in the G20. However, under this year's presidency, President Cyril Ramaphosa advocated for greater African inclusion, and formally invited Algeria, Egypt and Nigeria to participate as guest countries in this year's G20 proceedings. It was born out of necessity The G20 evolved from the older G7 group (seven major economies), which was seen as too exclusive to address today's complex global challenges. The G7 found out the hard way that countries would not implement solutions that were dictated to them rather than workshopped with them. The G20 was created to be more representative – including both developed and developing nations. It began with finance but has grown in scope The G20 started in 1999 in Berlin as a meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors. Its original focus was on global financial stability, but today it covers a wide range of topics such as – climate change, health, education, technology and social development. It's more informal than it seems Unlike the United Nations or World Health Organisation, the G20 is not a rules-based institution. Countries don't sign treaties, but they make commitments – and it's up to each country to implement them. This flexible structure allows for faster collaboration, but it also means accountability depends on individual governments. Read more | Cassie Ventura testifies about 'freak offs' in P Diddy case It shapes real-world outcomes Even though it's not a legislative body, the G20 sets the tone for global cooperation. For example, it agreed on measures to fight financial instability, committed to keeping global warming below 2°C, and pushed for reforms to benefit developing nations. South Africa is setting the agenda this year As hosts, we've chosen the theme: Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability. We're making sure African issues like inequality, food security, the debt crisis, digital inclusion and climate resilience are front and centre – and that the global conversation includes the realities of the Global South. It impacts your everyday life The G20 influences everything from the price of fuel and groceries to how we deal with global pandemics. For instance, during COVID-19, the G20 launched the Debt Service Suspension Initiative to help poorer countries survive economically. It also pushes for fairer tax systems and stronger financial regulation. Every year we have a new President The host country of the G20 is called the President because it holds the G20 Presidency for the year, leading and coordinating the agenda, meetings, and priorities. It refers to the country chairing the G20, not an individual leader. Many ideas and voices feed into the G20 Even though G20 decisions are made by governments, many people are involved in the G20 through a range of engagement groups where ideas from business, civil society, women, youth, and labour are gathered and shared with government leaders. These include: B20 – Business, C20 – Civil Society, W20 – Women, L20 – Labour, Y20 – Youth, to name a few.
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Donald Trump likens U.S. strike on Iran to WWII atomic strikes on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
An American intervention likened to the atomic bombs dropped on Japan in World War II has set back Iran's nuclear program by 'decades,' U.S. President Donald Trump claims. Speaking at a gathering of NATO leaders in The Hague, Trump disputed reports that the bunker buster bombs dropped by American war planes during the Israel-Iran war had failed to completely destroy the Iranian nuclear facilities. CNN, which first reported on the confidential Pentagon assessment, said that the attacks had delayed Iran's nuclear production efforts by just a few months. The report contradicts statements from U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the status of Iran's The report contradicts statements from U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the status of Iran's Describing as 'scum' those journalists who reported on the assessment that there had been only limited damage to Iran's nuclear program, Trump said that the intelligence was 'very inconclusive' and concluded that the damage 'could have been very severe.' Saying that there had since been additional intelligence reports as well as physical visits, he insisted Wednesday that Iran's nuclear ambitions had instead been set back by 'basically decades.' 'They just went through hell. I think they've had it. The last thing they want to do is enrich,' he said, adding that the American bomb strike 'ended the war.' 'I don't want to use an example of Hiroshima, I don't want to use an example of Nagasaki, but that was essentially the same thing. That ended that war. This ended the (Israeli-Iran) war. If we didn't take that out, they'd be fighting right now.' Iran has enriched uranium to 60 per cent purity, just short of the 90 per cent required to make a nuclear weapon. About 400 kilograms of that highly enriched uranium is currently unaccounted for, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. Trump said that American officials would be meeting with the Iranians next week, but brushed off the notion that Iran would try to restart its nuclear program or that he wanted a new formal deal to limit the country's atomic ambitions. Asked if he would order more strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities if nuclear enrichment activities continued or resumed, Trump said: 'Sure, but I'm not going to have to worry about that.' 'It's gone for years, years. It's very tough to rebuild because the whole thing has collapsed. In other words, inside it's all collapsed. Nobody can get in to see it because it's collapsed. You can't go in to see a room that's got 10 million tonnes of rock in it.' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that his country's military efforts had sent Iran's nuclear program 'down the drain.' There were more modest impact assessments from the IAEA, which monitors nuclear facilities programs around the world. On Tuesday, Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi said in a statement that there has been 'extensive damage at several nuclear sites in Iran' as well as 'some localized radioactive as well as chemical release inside the affected facilities that contained nuclear material.' But he said there has been no reports of increased radiation levels outside of the nuclear facilities. Grossi said the Fordow nuclear site, which was build deep underground, beneath a mountain, has likely suffered damage to access roads close to the facility and at one of its entrances. The strikes to the Natanz nuclear facility, used to enrichment activities and storage of enriched uranium, 'may have caused localized contamination and chemical hazards.' Iran's Parliament voted Wednesday to suspend nuclear safety co-operation with the IAEA, though a formal decision to cut ties has not yet been taken. In a June 22 statement in response to the U.S. attacks, the head of the Atomic Energy Agency of Iran, Mohammad Reza Kardan, said that officials had anticipated attacks on its nuclear facilities and taken defensive measures. 'Due to the previously planned measures and the measures taken, no radiation contamination or nuclear radiation has been observed outside these sites and facilities.' Trump provided no details on negotiations between Israel and Iran that might result in a longer-term peace deal between the bitter enemies, but he suggested that the American strikes on Iran had resulted in 'great progress being made on Gaza.' 'Because of this attack that we made, I think we're going to have some very good news.' Israel is still seeking the return of hostages taken by Hamas in the attack of Oct. 7, 2023. United Nations officials are managing a humanitarian catastrophe affecting Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Earlier this week, in a briefing for journalists, the head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Jonathan Whitall, said that more than 400 Palestinians have been killed, most of them 'shot or shelled trying to reach U.S.-Israeli distribution sites purposefully set up in militarized zones.' 'Just a few days ago more than 60 people were killed and hundreds injured when a tank opened fire on a crowd of people waiting for food trucks to arrive,' he said. 'It shouldn't be this way. There shouldn't be a death-toll associated with accessing the essentials for life.'
