NATO agrees ambitious defense spending expansion
NATO leaders agreed their most ambitious military expansion since the Cold War.
The US and NATO leadership are pushing to increase the alliance's spending target from 2% of each member country's GDP to 5%, including 1.5% on related defense expenditures such as logistics and cybersecurity.
While major countries such as the UK are holding out on the higher target, arguing that the priority should be pushing all allies to meet their existing commitment, the deal is expected to be finalized in a summit this month.
The alliance also pledged a five-fold increase in surface-to-air defense systems, and set out a detailed list of each country's specific contributions to NATO's military capabilities.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
White House tries to water down Russia sanctions
Donald Trump is pressuring a US senator to weaken a Bill that would impose sweeping sanctions on Russia. White House officials hoping to mend relations with Moscow have been quietly contacting senator Lindsey Graham's office urging him to water down his Bill, which aims to cripple Vladimir Putin with huge sanctions. The Bill, backed by nearly the entire Senate, would impose 500 per cent tariffs on countries that continue to buy Russian oil and gas, which bankrolls Putin's war effort. Officials have been demanding the Bill include waivers that would allow Mr Trump to choose who or what was sanctioned, congressional aides told the Wall Street Journal. Other attempts to weaken the legislation include softening the language, replacing 'shall' with 'may' to avoid making the reprimands mandatory. Removing the mandatory nature of the sanctions would render the Bill effectively toothless and do little to hamper Putin's war machine, aides fear. 'We're moving ahead and the White House is included in our conversations,' Richard Blumenthal, senator and lead Democratic co-sponsor of the Bill, told the paper. Russia's war effort is funded by fossil-fuel exports. Moscow has adapted to existing sanctions with relative ease, turning to North Korea and China for support. Fearing the impact on pump prices, Joe Biden, former president, was unwilling to crack down on Russian energy exports. Mr Trump, has threatened to impose sanctions on Ukraine, as well as Russia, if the two sides fail to reach a peace agreement. 'Any sanction package must provide complete flexibility for the president to continue to pursue his desired foreign policy,' a White House official said. They added that the constitution 'vests the president with the authority to conduct diplomacy with foreign nations'. Speaking in the Oval Office alongside Friedrich Merz, German chancellor, on Thursday, the US president said that the Bill should not move forward without his express approval. 'They'll be guided by me. That's how it's supposed to be,' he told reporters. 'They're waiting for me to decide on what to do.' Last week, Mr Graham and Mr Blumenthal visited Ukraine where they applauded the country's drone attack that destroyed 40 aircraft deep inside Russian territory. However, they were ridiculed and accused of 'stirring up' the conflict by key allies of Mr Trump, including Steve Bannon. 'By trying to engage Putin – by being friendly and enticing – it's become painfully clear [Putin's] not interested in ending this war,' Mr Graham said earlier this week. '[Putin] needs to see and hear that message as well from us, from the American people,' said Mr Blumenthal. Both said that failing to act now could pull the US deeper into the conflict later. If Putin isn't stopped in Ukraine, Mr Blumenthal said, Nato treaty obligations could compel US troops into battle. Earlier this week, Russian negotiators tabled a long memorandum, resembling a complete capitulation for Ukraine, in a second round of direct talks with Kyiv in Istanbul. They demanded Ukraine must withdraw its troops from four eastern regions that Russia only partially occupies and that international recognition of Russian sovereignty over them and Crimea must be granted. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Politico
3 hours ago
- Politico
Trump and Musk cool it — for now
Welcome to POLITICO's West Wing Playbook: Remaking Government, your guide to Donald Trump's unprecedented overhaul of the federal government — the key decisions, the critical characters and the power dynamics that are upending Washington and beyond. Send tips | Subscribe | Email Sophia | Email Irie | Email Ben LATEST: The Supreme Court this afternoon gave the Department of Government Efficiency unfettered access to the Social Security records of millions of Americans, our JOSH GERSTEIN reports. The justices granted the Trump administration's emergency request to lift a lower court ruling that blocked a DOGE team assigned to the Social Security Administration from viewing or accessing the personal information in the agency's systems. In a separate order from the high court today, the justices gave DOGE another win, limiting access to its records from outside groups, Josh reports. TGIF: This week started with a question: Will DONALD TRUMP have a call with Chinese President XI JINPING to deescalate a trade war that could prove mutually ruinous to the world's largest economies? And now, it's ending with a new one: Will the president have a call with ELON MUSK to deescalate a war of words that could prove mutually destructive? While the White House is billing today's relative quiet as a détente, Trump allies, ill at ease about the possibility of another blowup at any minute, are calling it something else. 'Reminds me of the Cold War: mutual assured destruction,' said one Trump ally. Even as both men appeared to walk away from the edge, some White House officials and allies are privately acknowledging an uncomfortable truth: Trump is the most politically powerful man in the world, Musk is the wealthiest man in the world, and their fates have become inextricably linked. Musk needs U.S. contracts to support his businesses, and the U.S. needs the services Musk's companies provide. Trump, who overwhelmingly won the popular vote last year and a sizable social media following, has a singular platform he has shown willing to use at any moment to devastate Musk's businesses and send stocks crashing. And Musk, not only as owner of the social media platform X but the top GOP political donor last year, wields immense power to scramble the president's legislative agenda — with vast implications for the country's economic future, Trump's legacy and Republicans' majorities in Congress. Those factors are, at least in part, why Trump allies say the fight hasn't escalated. 'Of course,' the Trump ally added, 'the MAD deterrence worked — there was no nuclear war.' By today, mutual friends had pulled both back from the brink after a spat over the Trump-backed megabill and who should get credit for Trump winning the 2024 presidential election quickly escalated into a firestorm of personal insults and accusations. Musk on Thursday called for Trump's impeachment and suggested he has more links to a well known sex offender than previously known, while Trump threatened to cancel the billions of dollars in government contracts that form the foundation of Musk's businesses. Emblematic of Trumpworld's intervention, hedge fund manager BILL ACKMAN in a post on X urged the men to 'make peace for the benefit of our great country,' adding that 'we are much stronger together than apart,' a point that Musk in a separate post conceded was 'not wrong.' Trump, meanwhile, in multiple telephone interviews with reporters over the last 24 hours, including POLITICO, claimed he 'wasn't even thinking about Elon' and that the two wouldn't speak 'for awhile.' Amid rampant speculation about whether a call between the two men would happen, one White House official told POLITICO it was 'very possible' the two wouldn't speak today, adding that it was the 'most predictable schism ever.' Musk on Thursday night was hinting at his desire to call a truce after a dive in Tesla's stock price and Trump's threats to cancel his SpaceX contracts made clear the financial stakes. As for Trump, advisers and Hill leaders are likely to push him to refocus on passing his megabill — an effort that's likely to be far more difficult if he continues to goad Musk and the billions of dollars at his disposal. Read the full story here. MESSAGE US — West Wing Playbook is obsessively covering the Trump administration's reshaping of the federal government. Are you a federal worker? A DOGE staffer? Have you picked up on any upcoming DOGE moves? We want to hear from you on how this is playing out. Email us at westwingtips@ Did someone forward this email to you? Subscribe! POTUS PUZZLER In 1979, what tennis scandal embroiled JIMMY CARTER? (Answer at bottom.) Musk Radar SOMEBODY THAT I USED TO KNOW: JAMES FISHBACK, the chief architect behind the proposal to send 'DOGE checks' to Americans, told Sophia today that he's stepping back from the movement after Musk trashed the president. 'The truth is that Elon set expectations that he relayed to the president, me, and the country that he did not come close to fulfilling. That's disappointing, but okay,' Fishback said. 'What's not okay is his baseless personal attacks against President Trump.' Fishback, the founder of an investment firm, made headway in conservative circles after proposing sending $5,000 payments to taxpayers funded by a share of DOGE's projected savings. Though Fishback never formally joined DOGE, the idea gained support from Musk and the president. CAN WE TAKE A STEP BACK? Republicans in Congress really want this détente between Trump and Musk, our GISELLE RUHIYYIH EWING, RACHAEL BADE, NICHOLAS WU and MEREDITH LEE HILL report. 'I just hope it resolves quickly, for the sake of the country,' said Speaker MIKE JOHNSON on CNBC's 'Squawk Box' this morning. 'Oh, it's OK,' Trump told POLITICO in a brief telephone call on Thursday when asked about the breakup. 'It's going very well, never done better.' A senior administration official and person close to the White House said Trump had been convinced that continuing to brawl with Musk would be counterproductive and a distraction from a host of good news the White House should be focused on, including his talks with the Chinese leader. Still, the president has continued his subtle jabs at Musk. He told ABC News this morning that the billionaire had 'lost his mind' and that he is 'not particularly' interested in engaging with him. Trump also told CNN that 'the poor guy's got a problem.' DOGE caucus chair Rep. AARON BEAN (R-Fla.) said he was 'shocked and dismayed' to see his 'two friends fighting,' but remains optimistic that the two men can mend relations. 'I believe there's a Diet Coke in their future, that they can settle it and cooler heads will prevail,' Bean said. 'We need them together. We need to be united, and we're stronger together.' In the Courts HELP US OUT: The Trump administration today asked the Supreme Court to green light its mass firings at the Department of Education, Gerstein reports. In an emergency appeal filed this morning, Solicitor General JOHN SAUER asked the high court to lift a preliminary injunction issued last month. While Trump has pledged to eliminate the department in its entirety, Sauer insisted that the reductions in force only target 'inefficiency' and are not an attempt to tear down the agency. Sauer said Boston-based U.S. District Judge MYONG JOUN's order was part of a pattern of federal judges overstepping their role. Agenda Setting CALIFORNICATION: The Trump administration is preparing to cancel a large swath of federal funding for California as soon as today, CNN's ANNIE GRAYER and GABE COHEN report. Agencies are being told to start looking for grants the administration can withhold from the state. On the Hill, at least one committee was told recently by a whistleblower that all research grants to California are going to be terminated. DANCING ON MY OWN: The fallout between Trump and Musk has left Tesla on a political life float, our DAVID FERRIS reports. Trump on Thursday threatened to pull all subsidies for his companies and just like that, Tesla's stock suffered its largest one-day drop in history. The share price fell more than 14 percent, lopping off more than $150 billion from its market value. According to Bloomberg, it tanked Musk's personal net worth by $34 billion. ONE WINNER: THE MOON … The U.S. moon mission suddenly has a brighter future following Musk and Trump's fallout, our SAM SKOVE reports. Musk has argued against returning astronauts to the moon. But the forced exit of Musk's handpicked nominee to lead NASA, JARED ISAACMAN, and Musk's rupture with the president, has landed moon backers in Congress and industry an opening. 'Elon was the main reason for the fork in the road for NASA's human exploration plans,' said CLAYTON SWOPE, a former congressional adviser on space. 'With his exodus from D.C., there's a good chance NASA will refocus back to the moon with the plan: moon then Mars.' A number of major space companies, excluding SpaceX, are now launching a television ad campaign going big on the moon. What We're Reading Elon Musk goes on a warpath against Trump and the GOP (POLITICO's Andrew Howard and Adam Wren) MAGA Faithful Shrug Off the Trump-Musk Dust-Up (POLITICO's Ben Jacobs) Trump races to fix a big mistake: DOGE fired too many people (WaPo's Hannah Natanson, Adam Taylor, Meryl Kornfield, Rachel Siegel and Scott Dance) Silicon Valley isn't joining Musk's Trump-bashing — yet (POLITICO's Chase DiFeliciantonio and Christine Mui) POTUS PUZZLER ANSWER When Carter first arrived in Washington, he played tennis 'more than any other single thing.' But that became a source of controversy after former White House speechwriter JIM FALLOWS said that requests to use the tennis court on the White House grounds needed to be approved directly by the president, according to the White House Historical Association. 'I have never personally monitored who used or did not use the White House tennis court,' Carter said of the accusation. He did admit to letting his secretary, SUSAN CLOUGH, receive requests from White House staff 'so that more than one person would not want to use the same tennis court simultaneously.'
CNN
3 hours ago
- CNN
Why ‘Good Night, and Good Luck's' 1950s story of media intimidation is eerily relevant in Trump's America
The historical echoes in 'Good Night, and Good Luck' are extraordinary. Some might even say they're eerie. On Saturday at 7pm ET, viewers around the world can see for themselves when CNN televises the blockbuster hit Broadway play starring George Clooney. The play transports viewers back to the 1950s but feels equally relevant in the 2020s with its themes of unrestrained political power, corporate timidity and journalistic integrity. Add 'Good Night, Good Luck' on CNN to your calendar: Apple / Outlook or Google The real-life drama recounted in the play took place at CBS, the same network that is currently being targeted by President Donald Trump. That's one of the reasons why the play's dialogue feels ripped from recent headlines. Clooney plays Edward R. Murrow, the iconic CBS journalist who was once dubbed 'the man who put a spine in broadcasting.' Murrow helmed 'See It Now,' a program that pioneered the new medium of television by telling in-depth stories, incorporating film clips and interviewing newsmakers at a time when other shows simply relayed the headlines. Get Reliable Sources newsletter Sign up here to receive Reliable Sources with Brian Stelter in your inbox. In the early '50s, Murrow and producing partner Fred Friendly were alarmed by what Friendly called in his 1967 memoir the 'problem of blacklisting and guilt by association.' At the time, the country was gripped by Cold War paranoia, some of it stoked by Senator Joseph McCarthy's trumped-up claims about communist infiltration of the government, Hollywood and other sectors. In a later era, McCarthy would have been accused of spreading misinformation and attacking free speech. Murrow and Friendly thought about devoting an episode to the senator and his investigations, but they wanted a dramatic way to illustrate the subject. They found it with Milo Radulovich, an Air Force reserve officer who was fired over his relatives' alleged communist views. Radulovich was a compelling, sympathetic speaker on camera, and Murrow's report on him not only stunned viewers across the country, but it also led the Air Force to reverse course. 'The Radulovich program was television's first attempt to do something about the contagion of fear that had come to be known as McCarthyism,' Friendly recalled. That's where 'Good Night, and Good Luck' begins — with a journalistic triumph that foreshadowed fierce reports about McCarthy's witch hunts and attempted retaliation by the senator and his allies. Clooney first made the project into a movie in 2005. It was adapted for the stage last year and opened on Broadway in March, this time with Clooney playing Murrow instead of Friendly. Both versions recreate Murrow's actual televised monologues and feature McCarthy's real filmed diatribes. 'The line between investigating and persecuting is a very fine one,' Murrow said in a pivotal essay about McCarthy, uttering words that could just as easily apply to Trump's campaign of retribution. A moment later, Murrow accused McCarthy of exploiting people's fears. The same charge is leveled against Trump constantly. 'This is no time for men who oppose Senator McCarthy's methods to keep silent, or for those who approve,' Murrow said, sounding just like the activists who are urging outspoken resistance to Trump's methods. In April, Trump issued an executive order directing the Justice Department to investigate Miles Taylor, a former Trump homeland security official who penned an essay and a book, 'Anonymous,' about the president's recklessness. This week Taylor spoke out about being on Trump's 'blacklist,' using the same language that defined the Red Scare of the '50s and destroyed many careers back then. 'People are afraid,' Taylor said on CNN's 'The Arena with Kasie Hunt.' He warned that staying silent, ducking from the fight, only empowers demagogues. Murrow did not duck. Other journalists had excoriated McCarthy earlier, in print and on the radio, but Murrow met the medium and the moment in 1954, demonstrating the senator's smear tactics and stirring a severe public backlash. Afterward, McCarthy targeted not just Murrow, but also the CBS network and Alcoa, the single corporate sponsor of 'See It Now.' McCarthy threatened to investigate the aluminum maker. 'We're in for a helluva fight,' CBS president William Paley told Murrow. The two men were friends and allies, but only to a point. Paley had to juggle the sponsors, CBS-affiliated stations across the country, and government officials who controlled station licenses. In a Paley biography, 'In All His Glory,' Sally Bedell Smith observed that two key commissioners at the FCC, the federal agency in charge of licensing, were 'friends of McCarthy.' The relationship between Paley and Murrow was ultimately fractured for reasons that are portrayed in the play. Looking back at the Murrow years, historian Theodore White wrote that CBS was 'a huge corporation more vulnerable than most to government pressure and Washington reprisal.' Those exact same words could be written today, as CBS parent Paramount waits for the Trump-era FCC to approve its pending merger with Skydance Media. Billions of dollars are on the line. The merger review process has been made much more complicated by Trump's lawsuit against CBS, in which he baselessly accuses '60 Minutes' of trying to tip the scales of the 2024 election against him. While legal experts have said CBS is well-positioned to defeat the suit, Paramount has sought to strike a settlement deal with Trump instead. Inside '60 Minutes,' 'everyone thinks this lawsuit is an act of extortion, everyone,' a network correspondent told CNN. In a crossover of sorts between the '50s and today, Clooney appeared on '60 Minutes' in March to promote the new play. He invoked the parallels between McCarthyism and the present political climate. 'ABC has just settled a lawsuit with the Trump administration,' Clooney said. 'And CBS News is in the process…' There, Jon Wertheim's narration took over, as the correspondent explained Trump's lawsuit. 'We're seeing this idea of using government to scare or fine or use corporations to make journalists smaller,' Clooney said. He called it a fight 'for the ages.' Trump watched the segment, and he belittled Clooney as a 'second-rate movie 'star'.' On stage, Clooney as Murrow challenges theatergoers to consider the roles and responsibilities of both journalists and corporate bosses. Ann M. Sperber, author of a best-selling biography, 'Murrow: His Life and Times,' found that Murrow was asking himself those very questions at the dawn of the TV age. Murrow, she wrote, sketched out an essay for The Atlantic in early 1949 but never completed it. He wrote notes to himself about 'editorial control' over news, about 'Who decides,' and whether the television business will 'regard news as anything more than a saleable commodity?' Murrow wrote to himself that we 'need to argue this out before patterns become set and we all begin to see pictures of our country and the world that just aren't true.' Seventy-six years later, the arguments are as relevant and necessary today.
