Engels airbase in Russia is on high alert
Engels airbase in Russia is on high alert due to a large-scale Ukrainian drone attack targeting Russian airbases. Drones are still being spotted over Russia's Murmansk Oblast.
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Nahar Net
14 hours ago
- Nahar Net
Britain to get defense boost aimed at sending message to Moscow, Trump
The United Kingdom will build new nuclear-powered attack submarines, get its army ready to fight a war in Europe and become "a battle-ready, armor-clad nation," Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Monday, part of a boost to military spending designed to send a message to Moscow — and Washington. Starmer said Britain "cannot ignore the threat that Russia poses" as he pledged to undertake the most sweeping changes to Britain's defenses since the collapse of the Soviet Union more than three decades ago. "The threat we face is more serious, more immediate and more unpredictable than at any time since the Cold War," Starmer told workers and journalists at a navy shipyard in Scotland. A new era of threats Like other NATO members, the U.K. has been reassessing its defense spending since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The government announced military plans in response to a strategic defense review commissioned by Starmer and led by George Robertson, a former U.K. defense secretary and NATO secretary general. It's the first such review since 2021, and lands in a world shaken and transformed by Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and by the re-election of President Donald Trump last year. Months after Britain's last major defense review was published in 2021, then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson said with confidence that the era of "fighting big tank battles on European landmass" are over. Three months later, Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine. Starmer's center-left Labour Party government says it will accept all 62 recommendations made in the review, aiming to help the U.K. confront growing threats on land, air sea and in cyberspace. Submarines and weapons The measures include increasing production of submarines and weapons and "learning the lessons of Ukraine," which has rapidly developed its drone technology to counter Moscow's forces and even hit targets deep inside Russia. The government said the U.K, will also establish a cyber command to counter "daily" Russia-linked attacks on Britain's defenses. Monday's announcements include building "up to 12" nuclear-powered, conventionally armed submarines under the AUKUS partnership with Australia and the United States. The government also says it will invest 15 billion pounds in Britain's nuclear arsenal, which consists of missiles carried on a handful of submarines. Details of those plans are likely to be kept secret. The government will also increase conventional Britain's weapons stockpiles with up to 7,000 U.K.-built long-range weapons. Starmer said rearming would create a "defense dividend" of thousands of well-paid manufacturing jobs — a contrast to the post-Cold War "peace dividend" that saw Western nations channel money away from defense into other areas. Deterring Russia comes at a cost Defense Secretary John Healey said the changes would send "a message to Moscow," and transform the country's military following decades of retrenchment, though he said he does not expect the number of soldiers — currently at a two-century low — to rise until the early 2030s. Healey said plans for defense spending to hit 2.5% of national income by 2027 a year are "on track" and that there's "no doubt" it will hit 3% before 2034. Starmer said the 3% goal is an "ambition," rather than a firm promise, and it's unclear where the cash-strapped Treasury will find the money. The government has already, contentiously, cut international aid spending to reach the 2.5% target. Starmer said he wouldn't make a firm pledge until he knew "precisely where the money is coming from." Even 3% falls short of what some leaders in NATO think is needed to deter Russia from future attacks on its neighbors. NATO chief Mark Rutte says leaders of the 32 member countries will debate a commitment to spend at least 3.5% of GDP on defense when they meet in the Netherlands this month. Bolstering Europe's defenses It's also a message to Trump that Europe is heeding his demand for NATO members to spend more on their own defense. European countries, led by the U.K. and France, have scrambled to coordinate their defense posture as Trump transforms American foreign policy, seemingly sidelining Europe as he looks to end the war in Ukraine. Trump has long questioned the value of NATO and complained that the U.S. provides security to European countries that don't pull their weight. Starmer said his government would make "Britain's biggest contribution to NATO since its creation." "We will never fight alone," he said. "Our defense policy will always be NATO-first." James Cartlidge, defense spokesman for the main opposition Conservative Party, welcomed more money for defense but was skeptical of the government's 3% pledge, "All of Labour's strategic defence review promises will be taken with a pinch of salt unless they can show there will actually be enough money to pay for them," he said.
Nahar Net
14 hours ago
- Nahar Net
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland's presidential election
by Naharnet Newsdesk 02 June 2025, 16:53 Conservative Karol Nawrocki won Poland's weekend presidential runoff election, according to the final vote count on Monday. Nawrocki won 50.89% of votes in a very tight race against liberal Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski, who received 49.11%. The race had Poland on edge since a first round of voting two weeks earlier, revealing deep divisions in the country along the eastern flank of NATO and the European Union. An early exit poll released Sunday evening suggested Trzaskowski was headed to victory before updated polling began to reverse the picture a couple of hours later. The outcome suggests that Poland can be expected to take a more populist and nationalist path under its new president, who was backed by U.S. President Donald Trump. Trzaskowski conceded defeat and congratulated Nawrocki on Monday, thanking all those who voted for him. "I fought for us to build a strong, safe, honest, and empathetic Poland together," he wrote on X. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to convince the majority of citizens of my vision for Poland. I'm sorry we didn't win together." Congratulations from different corners Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was among the leaders offering their congratulations to Nawrocki on Monday morning, an acknowledgment of Poland's key role as a neighbor, ally and hub for Western weapons sent to Kyiv. He called Poland "a pillar of regional and European security," and said, "by reinforcing one another on our continent, we give greater strength to Europe in global competition and bring the achievement of real and lasting peace closer. I look forward to continued fruitful cooperation with Poland and with President Nawrocki personally." Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who shares Nawrocki's national conservative worldview, hailed Nawrocki's "fantastic victory." Meanwhile, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen offered measured congratulations, emphasizing continued EU-Poland collaboration rooted in shared democratic values: "We are all stronger together in our community of peace, democracy, and values. So let us work to ensure the security and prosperity of our common home." The role of a president in Poland Most day-to-day power in the Polish political system rests with a prime minister chosen by the parliament. However, the president's role is not merely ceremonial. The office holds the power to influence foreign policy and to veto legislation. Nawrocki will succeed Andrzej Duda, a conservative whose second and final term ends on Aug. 6. Under the Polish constitution, the president serves a five-year term and may be re-elected once. A headache for Tusk Prime Minister Donald Tusk came to power in late 2023 with a coalition government that spans a broad ideological divide — so broad that it hasn't been able to fulfill certain of his electoral promises, such as loosening the restrictive abortion law or passing a civil partnership law for same-sex couples. But Duda's veto power has been another obstacle. It has prevented Tusk from fulfilling promises to reverse laws that politicized the court system in a way that the EU found to be undemocratic. Now it appears Tusk will have no way to fulfill those promises, which he made both to voters and the EU. Some observers in Poland have said the unfulfilled promises could make it more difficult for Tusk to continue his term until the next parliamentary election scheduled for late 2027, particularly if Law and Justice dangles the prospect of future cooperation with conservatives in his coalition. A former boxer, historian and political novice Nawrocki, a 42-year-old amateur boxer and historian, was tapped by the Law and Justice party as part of its push for a fresh start. The party governed Poland from 2015 to 2023, when it lost power to Tusk's centrist coalition. Some political observers predicted it would never make a comeback, and Nawrocki was chosen as a new face who would not be burned by the scandals of the party's eight years of rule. The election outcome vindicated party leader Jarosław Kaczyński's strategy but on Monday many were also blaming the increasingly unpopular Tusk and Trzaskowski. Nawrocki has most recently been the head of the Institute of National Remembrance, which embraces nationalist historical narratives. He led efforts to topple monuments to the Soviet Red Army in Poland, and Russia responded by putting him on a wanted list, according to Polish media reports. Nawrocki's supporters describe him as the embodiment of traditional, patriotic values. Those who oppose secular trends, including LGBTQ+ visibility, have embraced him, viewing him as a reflection of the values they grew up with. Nawrocki's candidacy was clouded by allegations of past connections to criminal figures and his participation in a violent street brawl. He denies the criminal links but was unapologetic about the street fight, saying he had taken part in various "noble" fights in his life. The revelations did not seem to hurt his support among right-wing voters, many of whom see the allegations as politically motivated. The Trump factor Trump made it clear he wanted Nawrocki as Poland's president. He welcomed Nawrocki to the White House a month ago. And last week the conservative group CPAC held its first meeting in Poland to give Nawrocki a boost. Kristi Noem, the U.S. Homeland Security Secretary and a prominent Trump ally, strongly praised Nawrocki and urged Poles to vote for him. The U.S. has about 10,000 troops stationed in Poland and Noem suggested that military ties could deepen with Nawrocki as president. A common refrain from Nawrocki's supporters is that he will restore "normality," as they believe Trump has done. U.S. flags often appeared at Nawrocki's rallies, and his supporters believed that he offered a better chance for good ties with the Trump administration. Nawrocki has also echoed some of Trump's language on Ukraine. He promises to continue Poland's support for Ukraine but has been critical of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, accusing him of taking advantage of allies. He has accused Ukrainian refugees of taking advantage of Polish generosity, vowing to prioritize Poles for social services such as health care and schooling.
Al Manar
16 hours ago
- Al Manar
Turkish Foreign Minister Says Ceasefire, Prisoner Swap to Come Up at Ukraine Talks
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the second round of talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul will include discussions on a ceasefire and prisoner exchanges. 'I would like to thank you all once again for the results-oriented and constructive approach you demonstrated at the first meeting on May 16. The sides took very important steps, with an exchange of thousands of people completed in a short time. As promised, both sides defined their positions on a ceasefire and the next steps. As agreed, they came together today and demonstrated their will to mutually assess the positions. At today's meeting, we intend to continue assessing the conditions and prospects for a ceasefire. At the same time, we intend to move forward on the issue of exchanging prisoners of war, including out of humanitarian considerations,' he said during an opening speech before the start of the talks. 'Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan maintains regilar communication with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky,' Fidan said. 'At the direction of our president, we had trips to Moscow and Kiev last week, which provided an opportunity to prepare for today's meeting. We discussed this issue [settlement prospects] sincerely and in detail with both sides.' He expressed hope that both sides 'will benefit from the communication and achieve concrete results that will bring everyone closer to peace.' 'I hope that your talks will bring good results for the peoples of Ukraine and Russia,' Fidan said.
