logo
German Navy inspector says Russian Navy increasingly aggressive

German Navy inspector says Russian Navy increasingly aggressive

Yahoo14-05-2025
German Navy Inspector Jan Christian Kaack has warned of increasingly aggressive behaviour by the Russian Navy in the Baltic Sea.
This increases "the risk of escalation," the vice admiral said in Berlin during the presentation of plans for higher operational readiness of the German naval forces.
"The threat has increased significantly, and we are all certain that we must be ready for defence and deterrence before '29 to prevent any further escalation," said Kaack, without going into detail about recent incidents.
As examples of the increasingly tense situation, the inspector pointed to "massive armament, war production in Russia, sabotage, intrusion and espionage attempts in Germany on ships and bases." He also mentioned drone overflights and the destruction of sea cables.
Kaack explained plans for new and additional weapon systems and the use of automated systems and artificial intelligence.
Two threat areas - the North Atlantic and adjacent sea areas, as well as the Baltic Sea - play a particularly important role, he said. It is necessary to respond decisively, swiftly, and with steps "that are also understood by Russia, now until 2029 and into the 30s and 40s."
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Russia questions Zelensky's ‘legitimacy,' calls security guarantees ‘hopeless'
Russia questions Zelensky's ‘legitimacy,' calls security guarantees ‘hopeless'

The Hill

time11 minutes ago

  • The Hill

Russia questions Zelensky's ‘legitimacy,' calls security guarantees ‘hopeless'

Russia questioned the legitimacy of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday and said the security guarantees under discussion for a potential peace deal are 'hopeless.' Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a press conference that Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to meet with Zelensky — a move backed by President Trump — but only if certain conditions are met first. 'Our president has repeatedly said that he is ready to meet, including with Mr. Zelensky, with the understanding that all issues that require consideration at the highest level will be well worked out,' Lavrov said, according to a translation of his remarks in The Associated Press. 'And, of course, with the understanding that when and if the matter — I hope when — comes to signing future agreements, the issue of the legitimacy of the person who will sign these agreements with the Ukrainian side will be resolved,' he continued. Putin has repeatedly suggested Zelensky is not a legitimate president, since his term was due to expire last year and martial law delayed elections. The Russian leader has claimed Zelensky lacks legal standing to sign any formal agreements. Lavrov has been noncommittal about whether Putin would join a bilateral meeting with Zelensky, saying on Tuesday that any summit between the leaders should be prepared 'step by step, gradually, starting from the expert level and then going through all the necessary stages.' Lavrov also said Thursday that security guarantees for Ukraine should be based on the terms discussed in the talks in Istanbul in 2022. Ukraine has rejected that proposal. 'All the different (ideas), all the unilateral (moves) are an absolutely hopeless venture,' Lavrov said, according to Reuters. 'As the current discussions between the West and the Ukrainian side are essentially linked to providing guarantees in the form of the foreign military intervention of a certain part of the Ukrainian territory,' he continued. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in charge of a new joint commission, made up of the U.S., European and Ukrainian officials, that will craft a security guarantees draft for Ukraine. Lavrov said Wednesday that discussions about potential Western security guarantees for Ukraine as part of a broader peace deal to end the war are a 'road to nowhere' unless Moscow is involved in the talks. 'We have already explained more than once that Russia does not overstate its interests, but we will ensure our legitimate interests firmly and harshly,' Lavrov said Wednesday. 'And I am sure that in the West and above all in the United States they understand perfectly well that seriously discussing security issues without the Russian Federation is an utopia, a road to nowhere.'

Donald Trump Compares Himself to Richard Nixon in New Post
Donald Trump Compares Himself to Richard Nixon in New Post

Newsweek

time12 minutes ago

  • Newsweek

Donald Trump Compares Himself to Richard Nixon in New Post

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. President Donald Trump drew comparisons with former Republican President Richard Nixon when he posted a photo of himself pointing at Russian President Vladimir Putin in a side-by-side with Nixon doing the same with Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. Trump has previously compared himself publicly to Nixon in interviews, saying he learned from Nixon and contrasted his own political support to what he described as Nixon's lack of backing during his downfall, according to Forbes. Newsweek reached out to the White House by email on Thursday for comment. Why It Matters Trump met with Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, last week to discuss the invasion of Ukraine and seek a way towards a peace deal. Many criticized the president both for his red carpet rollout to greet the Russian president as well as the aftermath, which saw Trump walk away without a deal after saying that he would see such a result as a failure. The two world leaders spoke for two-and-a-half hours and addressed details of a potential ceasefire, and they took no questions immediately after the talks ended. US President Donald Trump smiles during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on August 18, 2025. US President Donald Trump smiles during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on August 18, 2025. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images What To Know Trump has vigorously defended his summit with Putin, writing on Truth Social on Sunday: "It's incredible how the Fake News violently distorts the TRUTH when it comes to me. There is NOTHING I can say or do that would lead them to write or report honestly about me. I had a great meeting in Alaska on Biden's stupid War, a war that should have never happened!!!" However, the criticism has persisted even as Trump works towards a potential trilateral meeting that would bring Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky face-to-face for the first time since the invasion started in 2022. Trump again defended his "peace through strength" approach by posting a picture of himself and Putin in a mirror to one of Nixon and Khrushchev. He wrote nothing in the post. Photo comparison posted by President Donald Trump on Truth Social showing himself and Russian President Vladimir Putin in juxtaposition with a photo of President Richard Nixon meeting Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. Photo comparison posted by President Donald Trump on Truth Social showing himself and Russian President Vladimir Putin in juxtaposition with a photo of President Richard Nixon meeting Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. via President Donald Trump Truth Social On Truth Social, the president's native platform, many praised Trump with their own meme responses, with many of those posts repeating the "peace through strength" line that the president has used in the past while also denigrating former Democratic Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden. On X, opinions varied more, with some finding the comparison unflattering – not because of Nixon's history, which saw him resign from the presidency after his involvement in the Watergate scandal emerged, but because of the way Nixon and Trump have each approached their respective Russian counterparts. Phillips P. Obrien, a professor of Strategic Studies at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, wrote that the "remarkable thing about these pictures Trump just tweeted is that he thinks people won't see the difference between Nixon and Khrushchev disagreeing and he and Putin joking. Putin is clearly laughing." Another user highlighted that Khrushchev and Putin themselves are representative of different geopolitical approaches, with Khruschev responsible for returning Crimea to Ukraine while Putin annexed the region in 2014. What People Are Saying President Donald Trump, in a subsequent Truth Social message, wrote: "It is very hard, if not impossible, to win a war without attacking an invader's country. It's like a great team in sports that has a fantastic defense, but is not allowed to play offense. There is no chance of winning! It is like that with Ukraine and Russia. Crooked and grossly incompetent Joe Biden would not let Ukraine FIGHT BACK, only DEFEND. How did that work out? Regardless, this is a war that would have NEVER happened if I were President - ZERO CHANCE. Interesting times ahead!!! President DJT." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on X, in part: "Now, each day carves out the contours of future security architecture for Ukraine. Weapons, funds, cooperation with partners, forces on the ground, in the air, and at sea. And every day, there will be new steps taken by partners to support Ukraine. Thank you to everybody helping." French President Emmanuel Macron earlier this week wrote on X: "In Washington, alongside President Zelensky and with our partners, we reiterated to President Trump our commitment to continue uniting our efforts for a strong and lasting peace that preserves Ukraine's interests and the security of Europeans. This peace will necessarily involve providing Ukraine with robust security guarantees, on which we have decided to work very concretely with the United States. It is also clear in our minds that pressure on Russia must continue as long as this peace has not been established."

Germany to ease burden on electricity consumers from 2026
Germany to ease burden on electricity consumers from 2026

Yahoo

time39 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Germany to ease burden on electricity consumers from 2026

German electricity consumer prices are set to ease next year due to a €6.5 billion ($7.55 billion) government subsidy to finance transmission costs, sources in the Economics Ministry said on Thursday. The aim is to soften the impact of network charges on electricity consumers, the sources said, adding that the ministry has introduced a draft bill for internal government consultation. Structurally high electricity prices are a significant challenge for Germany's embattled economy and a burden on consumers. The subsidy is to be financed from a special government fund for climate and energy transformation. The subsidy for transmission network costs will now be implemented for the year 2026, with further relief in future years to be funded to the tune of €6.5 billion from the government pot, according to the ministerial sources. Details of how the relief will be passed on to consumers are still to be discussed by the conservative-led government coalition under Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The coalition agreement states that the goal is to permanently cap network charges. The reduction of network charges is part of a package of government measures. The Cabinet has already set plans in motion to relieve gas customers. Specifically, companies and consumers are to be exempted from the cost of building up gas reservoirs, the so-called gas storage levy. There are also proposals to make an electricity tax reduction for the manufacturing industry, agreed earlier this year, permanent from 2026. However, a reduction in electricity taxes for all, as pledged in the new government's coalition agreement, is not to come for now. The decision to limit the tax reduction to industry, due to budgetary constraints, sparked widespread criticism. Network charges, which help finance the costly expansion of electricity networks, have risen significantly as a component of the electricity price. The charges are incurred for the use of the electricity transmission network. They are then passed on to consumers by energy suppliers. The subsidy for transmission network costs is intended to dampen the increase in network charges related to the transition to green energy sources, according to the draft bill. "The relief must be passed on to customers through the network operators," Economic Affairs Minister Katherina Reiche told dpa last month of the planned measure. "My clear expectation of the industry is: The relief must reach the customer." Solve the daily Crossword

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store