
Germany to provide two more Patriot systems to Ukraine
Germany's defense ministry made the announcement on Friday, as Russia continues intense attacks on Ukraine using missiles and drones.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said massive Russian strikes from Wednesday through Thursday have killed at least 31 people.
Germany has already delivered three Patriot systems to Ukraine. The defense ministry says it has agreed with the US Department of Defense that Germany will be the first nation to receive newly produced Patriot systems in return from the United States.
German defense minister Boris Pistorius said in a statement, "Once again, Germany has shown that it is by far the strongest supporter of Ukraine in the field of air defense."
Germany plans to urge other countries to step up their support for strengthening Ukraine's air defense capabilities.
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Japan Times
12 hours ago
- Japan Times
Poland's next political battle starts as president takes office
Donald Tusk returned to power in Poland to great anticipation at home and among European Union allies a little over 18 months ago. Now another awkward cohabitation between the prime minister and head of state threatens to create more obstacles for his struggling government. Karol Nawrocki, the nationalist outsider who scored a shock victory in June's runoff for president, will be inaugurated on Wednesday, setting up a battle with Tusk's pro-EU administration. Instead of securing a long-awaited ally, the government is now preparing for an opponent in the presidential palace again. Backed by the Law & Justice party that Tusk ousted from government, Nawrocki is expected to wield his ability to block legislation. While the role of president is largely ceremonial, Tusk's coalition doesn't have a big enough majority in parliament to overturn a veto on issues such as abortion rights and measures to tackle the budget deficit. Tusk may find Nawrocki to be an even tougher rival than predecessor Andrzej Duda, who is also a Law & Justice ally, said Agnieszka Kasinska-Metryka, professor of political science at the Jan Kochanowski University of Kielce. Nawrocki's strong conservative beliefs and eagerness to forge his own path as a nationalist leader could make for an unpredictable presidency, she said. During the election campaign, Nawrocki openly courted the far right as he sought to win enough support to beat Rafal Trzaskowski, the mayor of Warsaw and the governing Civic Platform's pick for president. With no prior background in high political office, Nawrocki is still building his credibility, so from the beginning "he would like to be seen in the media as a strong fighter for what he believes,' said Kasinska-Metryka. "The most interesting issue for me is how long he'll be loyal to Law & Justice.' What's sure is that a clash of two very different politicians with two very different visions for Poland lies ahead. Polish President-elect Karol Nawrocki stands with participants of the Warsaw Uprising against Nazi occupation during World War II, amid celebrations marking the 81st anniversary of the beginning of the uprising, at Powazki Military Cemetery in Warsaw on Friday. | Agencja / via REUTERS Nawrocki, 42, is a former amateur boxer turned historian who led the Institute for National Remembrance, which investigates Nazi and communist-era crimes. U.S. President Donald Trump praised Nawrocki's "GREAT WIN' in a social media post on July 24 ahead of the inauguration in parliament, saying it came because "he truly loves the Polish people.' Tusk, 68, served as president of the European Council in Brussels. He was feted for defeating Law & Justice in 2023 and steering the country back to the European mainstream after years of standoffs over rule of law that threatened Poland's EU funding. But that victory turned sour when Tusk faced deadlock from Duda, who stymied attempts at judicial reform, while infighting within the governing coalition derailed efforts to improve women's rights, for example. Now, it's all about whether he can win reelection in 2027 and keep Law & Justice out of power. Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski has said having a prime minister close to the EU and a president close to Trump allows Poland to "play on two pianos at once.' But the question is who sets the music, with Nawrocki, for example, opposing NATO and EU membership for neighboring Ukraine. Tusk's three-way coalition lost its luster even more after the defeat in the presidential election. A mid-July survey by the CBOS pollster showed that 48% of Poles are dissatisfied with the government, the worst showing since it took power. The governing parties, meanwhile, have squabbled over who was to blame for the failure to take the presidency. After surviving a vote of confidence in parliament, Tusk has scrambled to assert authority over the coalition. He reshuffled his cabinet into a "team of commandos,' imploring ministers to take quick decisions and lawmakers to vote unanimously on legislation. Tusk said in July that the shake-up was aimed at "tightening the reins and telling everyone who reports to me in the government: enough pampering and no more jokes.' For his part, Nawrocki pledged to be an "active' president, ready to announce legislative proposals after he's sworn in. First among them will be moves to accelerate work on a major new airport and offer further financial support to farmers. Nawrocki has vowed to veto any attempt to increase taxes. He also said he'd propose a rise in the tax-free allowance if the government fails to deliver on its pre-election promise. However, with limited fiscal room to maneuver amid a huge boost to defense spending, Tusk said recently that increase was no longer possible. Poland was reprimanded by the European Commission last year for its excessive deficit, which currently is the biggest after Romania. The Finance Ministry's 2025 economic growth forecast, currently at 3.4%, was reduced twice. For the government, the next step is to navigate Nawrocki's first few months as president. "I don't think he seriously cares about these proposals being implemented,' Finance Minister Andrzej Domanski said in an interview with public television. "But just about torpedoing the government's work.'


Japan Times
13 hours ago
- Japan Times
Switzerland's go-it-alone approach tested by Trump tariff shock
The two-minute video isn't subtle. Wielding a medieval halberd, the president of the conservative Swiss People's Party lays out the choice Switzerland faces: a simpler life that the country's founders spelled out in a one-page declaration more than 700 years ago or a 2,000 page treaty with the European Union. It's a choice between "freedom and serfdom,' Marcel Dettling says before tossing the treaty documents onto a bonfire. The trouble for Dettling and Switzerland's other EU naysayers is that the alternative vision of a nimble nation trading freely with the rest of the world isn't looking so good anymore. On the day the video was released — Aug. 1, Switzerland's national day — the White House delivered a bombshell by announcing the country would face tariffs of 39% on all exports to the U.S., among the highest anywhere in the world. President Karin Keller-Sutter arrived in Washington on Tuesday as she and her colleagues race to get Donald Trump to reconsider. They don't have much time, with the levies due to kick in on Thursday. Helene Budliger, one of the chief negotiators for Switzerland, held a phone call with business representatives on Monday. She told them that Switzerland's main goal is to get the overall tariff number down, but didn't reveal any potential concessions it might make, according to people briefed on the call. Budliger also received a clear message from businesses: there's no substitute for the U.S. market. EU tension While the Swiss try to figure out how to deal with Trump and the U.S., the episode has cast a new light on the country's relationship with the EU. That's long been a divisive issue, with arguments about trade and economic benefits clashing with concern about immigration and sovereignty. For the pro-EU voices, the chaotic back and forth with the U.S. will give them fresh reason to push the benefits of ties with the bloc, particularly as it secured a far better 15% rate. "This will undoubtedly strengthen the camp of those who argue that Switzerland needs to move closer to the EU,' said Rene Schwok, a professor of political science at the University of Geneva. "Their argument is that the EU is a much more reliable partner than the U.S. and China.' Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter is in a race against time to negotiate with U.S. President Donald Trump about tariffs of 39% on all exports to the U.S. before they kick in on Thursday. | REUTERS Keller-Sutter and her officials had expressed confidence right up until late last week that they'd secured a far better deal with the U.S. But it all fell apart at the end during a phone call with Trump. Critics say she didn't have anything to offer and came unprepared to the negotiation table. The U.S. president sees his country's $39 billion trade deficit with Switzerland as tantamount to theft, and didn't appreciate being told otherwise by Keller-Sutter. 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Switzerland's decision to embrace EU sanctions on Russia shortly after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 was a watershed moment. The European Commission had urged Switzerland to follow its lead on punishing the Kremlin, noting that although not an EU member state, it's still "part of Europe.' Switzerland took the hint. Then last August, an independent panel recommended the government deepen military cooperation with the EU and NATO. That prompted a backlash from Dettler's party, which called it an attempt to "destroy Swiss neutrality.' Jacob Funk Kirkegaard, a senior fellow at the Bruegel think tank, says the shift away from strict neutrality is a sign of the times. "NATO might be a stretch, but this might push Swiss to pursue an even closer economic relationship with the EU,' he said. Banking All this is happening as Switzerland's flagship financial-services sector is under pressure after the collapse of Credit Suisse, as well as growing competition from other financial hubs in Asia and the Middle East. There have also been painful reforms in the wake of the collapse. These are seen as necessary by the government, but viewed by the one remaining first-tier lender, UBS Group AG, as so detrimental that it has considered moving its headquarters out of the country. To be sure, Switzerland's low unemployment, low inflation economy is robust enough that it could withstand the 39% tariff hit. If pharmaceutical exports were included at the unchanged rate, this would translate to a hit of at least 0.7-percentage point hit to the economy, according to Hans Gersbach at KOF economic research institute in Zurich. If drug exports were excluded, the hit would be between 0.3 and 0.6 percentage points. That would be a harsh blow but not enough to tip the economy into recession. Still, that would jeopardize "tens of thousands of jobs' in key manufacturing industries, said Stefan Brupbacher, director of trade group Swissmem. However Keller-Sutter's last-minute bid in Washington works out, the lesson for Switzerland is that it needs to realize it's not in the same league as the U.S., China or the EU but a small player. This may push the Swiss to reconsider the advantages of "splendid isolation,' Kirkegaard said. "When the elephants are dancing, the mice get trampled and that's a little bit of what's happened here.'


Japan Times
15 hours ago
- Japan Times
Russia weighs Ukraine air-truce offer to Trump without ending war
The Kremlin is weighing options for a concession to U.S. President Donald Trump that could include an air truce with Ukraine to try to head off the threat of secondary sanctions, even as Russia remains determined to continue its war. Officials recognize that U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff's visit to Russia this week offers a late opportunity for agreement with Trump even if expectations for success are low, people familiar with the situation said, asking not to be identified discussing sensitive matters. A pause on airstrikes involving drones and missiles as a deescalation gesture may be one potential proposal provided that Ukraine also signed up, one of them said. Still, Russian President Vladimir Putin won't agree to a general ceasefire in Ukraine as his forces continue steady advances on the battlefield, and Russia's war aims remain unchanged. It's unclear whether any offer of restraint would include conditions that effectively made it unacceptable to Kyiv and its allies. "We consider such meetings to be very important,' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, in response to a request to comment on Russian proposals for Witkoff's visit. "But we don't comment on them in advance.' Trump has said Witkoff is expected to go to Russia as soon as Wednesday for the fifth time this year, and the Kremlin has said a meeting with Putin may take place. The U.S. president is threatening to impose heavy tariffs from Friday on countries including China and India that buy Russian oil and other goods, in an effort to intensify pressure on Putin to call a halt to the war that's now in its fourth year. "Trump needs some kind of a 'gift,' a concession from Russia,' said Sergei Markov, a Moscow-based political consultant close to the Kremlin. "An air truce could be such a gift.' Trump ramped up criticism of India on Tuesday, saying he'd "very substantially' raise tariffs on Indian exports to the U.S. over the next 24 hours to punish New Delhi for buying Russian oil and "fueling the war machine.' India has called the move unjustified. Having returned to the White House pledging to bring a rapid end to the war, Trump has grown increasingly frustrated at Putin's refusal to agree to a ceasefire during six phone calls with the Russian leader since February. He told reporters last week that they have "such respectful and nice conversations, and then people die the following night in a — with a missile going into a town.' Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko raised "an air truce' in remarks alongside Putin on Friday, though the Russian leader didn't comment on it. Lukashenko met Trump's Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg in June, the highest-level U.S. official to visit Belarus since 2020. "I say, yes, Russia is interested in this, President Putin, but you don't want it,' Lukashenko told reporters, referring to the talks. "Tell Zelenskyy to go along with it.' Kellogg is expected to visit Kyiv later this week for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrayinska Pravda reported Monday, citing people in the presidential office that it didn't identify. Zelenskyy said he held "productive' phone talks with Trump on Tuesday, including on sanctions against Russia. The U.S. president was "fully informed' about Russian strikes on Kyiv and other cities and communities, Zelenskyy said in a social media post. Russia has stepped up air attacks on Ukraine in recent weeks, including with record numbers of drones, as Putin maintains hard-line demands in return for a deal to end the war. Those include Kyiv's acceptance of neutral status and recognition of Russia's annexation of Crimea and of four regions of eastern and southern Ukraine that his troops only partly occupy. Ukraine rejects these conditions, while calling for Russia to agree to a ceasefire to allow space for negotiations on a peace accord. Putin has repeatedly spurned U.S. and European calls to abide by a 30-day ceasefire, though he declared a 72-hour truce as Russia marked the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in May. In March, Ukraine and Russia said they'd observe a 30-day moratorium on strikes against energy infrastructure, following calls with Trump, though each accused the other of breaching the accord. Two-thirds of Russians favor ending the war at the current positions, while a quarter want to continue fighting, according to Denis Volkov, director of the independent Levada Center pollster in Moscow. "For most Russians, the end of the war, but not a return to the former borders, is a welcome scenario,' he said.