Operation Spider Web: A serious threat for Putin? – DW – 06/05/2025
The war in Ukraine is intensifying, marked by Russian airstrikes and Ukrainian drone attacks. Is it time for harsh sanctions against Russia? Our guests: Aylin Matlé (DGAP), Manfred Sapper (Eastern Europe expert), and Roman Goncharenko (DW).
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Alexandr Burilkov – Assistant Director for Research at the GLOBSEC GeoTech Center. And an expert on military and security issues in Russia, China, and the post-Soviet space.
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Roman Goncharenko – Reporter from DW's Russian desk.
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Aylin Matlé – She is Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Security and Defense at the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP).
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5 hours ago
- DW
New UK support boosts Morocco's claim on Western Sahara – DW – 06/06/2025
The UK has joined other European countries in endorsing Morocco's position in the Western Sahara conflict. Algeria and the independence-seeking Polisario are losing out. The UK has repositioned its stance in the Western Sahara conflict. According to British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, the Moroccan autonomy plan represents the "most credible" position. The proposal, which dates back to 2007, is the "most viable and pragmatic basis for a lasting resolution of the dispute," Lammy said in Morocco's capital Rabat earlier this week. These words mark a turnaround from London's previous support for the UN's decades-long call for a referendum to determine the future of what it classifies as a 'non-self-governing territory'. The new position is in line with that of a number of other, predominantly Western countries. Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita welcomed the change of course. According to media reports, the new British position "contributes significantly" to promoting the UN's path to a "final and mutually acceptable solution". In its plan, Morocco outlines an allegedly far-reaching autonomy for the Western Sahara albeit under Moroccan sovereignty. For Morocco's King Mohammed VI, the British support is good news. It comes as more and more European states support Rabat's claim on Western Sahara. Image: Alexander Shcherbak/TASS/dpa/picture alliance The change of position is likely to anger Morocco's regional rival Algeria, which backs the Polisario Front, a movement seeking an independent West Saharan state. In a statement on Sunday, Algeria said Morocco's proposal was "empty of content and incapable of contributing to a serious and credible settlement of the conflict." UK is 'showing flexibility' "The British position nevertheless leaves a door open," Isabelle Werenfels, Maghreb observer at the Berlin-based German Institute for International and Security Affairs, told DW. "When Foreign Minister Lammy describes the Moroccan proposal as the 'most credible solution,' he is not saying that it is the only solution," Werenfels said. "Unlike France, the UK is holding back in its positioning and is showing flexibility." Last summer, French President Emmanuel Macron had called the Moroccan proposal the "only basis" for resolving the conflict. In doing so, he massively angered Algeria , which is advocating for a complete independence of Western Sahara. Since then, French-Algerian relations have been strained. The move is all the more serious as France is a permanent member of the UN Security Council, political scientist Hasni Abidi from the Geneva-based think tank CERNAM told DW a few weeks ago. During his first term in office from 2017 to 2021, US President Donald Trump recognized Morocco's sovereignty over the Western Sahara. This decision ignored the UN's position on the territory, and paved the way for other countries to follow suit. The recognition also paid tribute to Morocco's willingness to establish diplomatic relations with Israel. Then in 2022, Spain, too, started backing the Moroccan autonomy plan, but it's trying to do so in a similarly balanced manner to the UK. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez describes the plan as the "most serious, realistic and credible basis." The UK on the other hand is also trying to be diplomatically considerate with regard to the UN, says expert Werenfels. "London continues to emphasize the relevance of the UN-led political process," she told DW. The UN has long been proposing a referendum in which the inhabitants of the region should vote on whether they want to be part of Morocco or independent. When Spain vacated its positions in the Western Sahara region, Morocco had already occupied the northern part Image: picture alliance/UPI Highly coveted region Up until 1976, Western Sahara was a Spanish colony. However, when Spain began to vacate its positions, Morocco had already occupied first the northern, then the southern part of Western Sahara. The Polisario movement, founded in 1973, sees itself as the representative of the Sahrawi people traditionally living in Western Sahara. The movement has been fighting for the independence of Western Sahara with the support of Algeria. In 1976, it proclaimed the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic in the interior of the territory, which is recognized by 44 countries. Shortly afterwards, armed clashes with Morocco's army began. Almost 50 years later, Morocco's de facto rule over Western Sahara has not yet been recognized under international law. Western Sahara is a coveted territory due to its mineral resources. Its phosphate deposits are estimated to be the largest in the world. Since the 2000s, Morocco has been investing in hotels, beach resorts and leisure facilities to attract tourists, particularly around the city of Dakhla in south-western Western Sahara. An airport has also been in operation there since 1993. Morocco's rising clout The British step could be considered another sign of Morocco's growing global significance. For Spain, the main issue is migration, Werenfels says. Refugees have repeatedly attempted to enter Spain and the EU irregularly via the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, located on Morocco's northern coast. For some time now, Morocco has been tightening its border controls on the two enclaves. According to Werenfels, Spain's support for Morocco's position on Western Sahara may well be due to that. The UK, on the other hand, is likely to have economic interests above all, Werenfels said. "In 2024, [the UK and Morocco] expanded their trade relations enormously," she added. According to a report by the Moroccan state press agency MAP, London is said to consider "supporting projects in the Sahara." In general, Morocco is becoming increasingly successful as gateway to Africa, Werenfels states. It is also becoming more and more attractive as a production location. Despite good relations with UN Security Council states such as Russia and China, Algeria is neither widely nor publicly supported in their Western Sahara position. Image: Guidoum Fateh/AP Photo/picture alliance Are Algeria and the Polisario left powerless? Europe's growing support of Morocco's plans, as well as the deviation from the UN position, affect Algeria's position in the conflict. Algiers' support for the Polisario is likely to become less important. Algeria's increased economic importance as a gas supplier does not appear to have significantly strengthened its position on the Western Sahara issue. Despite Algeria's close relations with member states of the UN Security Council, particularly Russia and China, not much support on the Western Sahara issue has been voiced. The Chinese presence in Morocco indicates that Beijing in particular seems to have economic interests in the region. According to Werenfels, this trend is also evident in Algiers' reaction to the latest UK turnaround. "The Algerian government reacted surprisingly cautiously to the British statements. When Spain positioned itself, [Algeria] had still recalled its ambassador in Madrid," she said, adding that "now there was only verbal disapproval." In her view, the ongoing dispute with France, on the other hand, has to do with the former colonial relations between the two countries. As it seems, Morocco's claim is also increasingly endorsed across Africa. Only a few days ago, Kenya said it started supporting Rabat's autonomy plan. Ceuta: Spain's North African exclave sees migration surge To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video This article was originally published in German.
DW
5 hours ago
- DW
Trump-Musk feud: What's at stake for world's richest man – DW – 06/06/2025
Elon Musk bet around $300 million on Donald Trump's campaign, gaining unprecedented access to the Republican president's administration. After their public fallout, DW asks what the row means for Musk's empire. How did Musk and Trump get so close? Once a vocal critic of Donald Trump during his 2016 United States election campaign, Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, pivoted from his Democratic Party roots to embrace Trump's policies during the Republican's second term. Frustrated by Obama-era regulations stifling his ventures, Musk embraced Trump's agenda of tax cuts and deregulation. Their bond grew from mutual respect to a robust political alliance, which saw Musk last year back Trump's reelection campaign to the tune of nearly $300 billion (€263 billion). When Trump returned to the White House in January, the world's richest man took on an advisory role in the administration, leading the controversial Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Tasked with slashing public spending, Musk's role stirred controversy, impacting Tesla's stock price and auto sales. After months of pressure from investors, Musk agreed last month to scale back his work in Trump's government. Trump and Musk on the outs over Big Beautiful Bill To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video What sparked the public feud between Trump and Musk? On Thursday, wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the "The Dogefather," Musk was given an initially cordial farewell by the president in the Oval Office. But Trump could not contain his frustration at Musk's earlier criticism of his administration's sweeping tax and spending bill, which the Tesla founder called fiscally reckless and a "disgusting abomination." After Musk then accused the US president of alleged ties to child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the news conference ended with Trump threatening to revoke Musk's government contracts, which could cost his business empire billions of dollars. Over the next few hours, the row spilled over to social media, where both men repeated their White House remarks, prompting the SpaceX owner to announce an immediate decommissioning of its Dragon spacecraft, before appearing to back down. How did markets react to the Trump-Musk fallout? Tesla stock lost about $150 billion in market value on Thursday — the largest single-day decline in its history. The stock closed down over 14%. However, news outlet Politico reported Friday that the two men were scheduled to speak later in the day in the hope of defusing the situation, which caused a sharp reversal in the stock's fortunes. Tesla stock was up 5% in pre-market trade. Tesla shares have been on a wild rollercoaster ride this year after a strong performance around the US election. Having peaked at $428 in January, shares in the electric vehiclemaker plummeted by almost half in March as investors reacted negatively to Musk's involvement in the Trump administration. Tesla stock then rallied when Trump paused his unprecedented tariffs on the rest of the world and after US regulators eased rules on self-driving vehicles. Trump came to Musk's aid when Tesla vehicles and dealerships were attacked Image:What's at stake for Musk's empire? The public spat, as well as Trump's budget plans, have left the fortunes of Musk's companies hanging in the balance. Tesla, Musk's most profitable firm, could be severely impacted by Trump's plans to cut a subsidy on new electric vehicles that is worth up to $7,500 for buyers. Despite Musk's aggressive criticism and lobbying by Tesla, Trump plans to eliminate the credit by the end of the year, seven years before it was due to expire. News agency Bloomberg cited JP Morgan analysts as saying that the cut would reduce Tesla's full-year profit by $1.2 billion. Cuts to state-level credits could further impact the EV maker's bottom line this financial year. It could, however, encourage EV buyers to bring forward their plans and spur demand for Tesla's vehicles in the short term. Tesla is already being impacted by Trump's tariffs as the firm relies on Chinese parts for its Cybercab robotaxi and Semi electric truck. Starlink satellite system shaping modern warfare To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video However, it is unclear whether Trump can unilaterally make good on his threat to tear up federal contracts with Musk's firms like SpaceX. Since 2000, SpaceX has received more than $22 billion in contracts from the US Defense Department and space agency NASA. If Trump were to terminate the contracts, it would have a huge financial impact on SpaceX and disrupt the US government's space ambitions. SpaceX's Crew Dragon is currently the only US spacecraft certified to carry crew to the International Space Station (ISS). Any ending of Pentagon contracts involving Musk's Starlink satellite internet service would also be a lose-lose for both Musk and the government. Starlink provides broadband services to rural areas. Terminals are also deployed on US military bases, ships, aircraft, and armored vehicles. The satellite internet service is often used for disaster response. Edited by: Uwe Hessler
Int'l Business Times
5 hours ago
- Int'l Business Times
UK Charts Own Course on Human Rights and Sanctions Amid EU Reform Push
The UK this week failed to join nine European countries that called for reforms to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), despite Attorney-General Lord Hermer recently urging Britain to take the lead in updating international legal frameworks that affect immigration. In a joint open letter , Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland urged the 46 member states of the ECHR to support reforms that would 'restore the right balance' between protecting human rights and allowing countries to manage immigration and national security more effectively. But Britain was not among the signatories, even as migrant arrivals across the Channel hit a new record. On Saturday alone, 1,195 people arrived in small boats, marking the highest single-day total so far in 2025, according to the Home Office . The UK government said it had not been invited to join the initiative, which may have emerged from discussions in an EU forum, despite the ECHR being governed by the Council of Europe, not the European Union. The government's position contrasts with comments made just a week earlier by Attorney-General Lord Hermer, who said the UK 'must be ready to reform' international agreements such as the ECHR to preserve the rules-based order. Shadow Lord Chancellor Robert Jenrick criticised Hermer's remarks, calling them 'a cynical ploy to give the impression Labour want to be part of the solution, when really they're helping to defend a broken system that stops us controlling our borders.' Human rights lawyer David Haye echoed the calls for tougher action, urging Britain to either 'reform or leave' the ECHR, arguing that the country 'cannot regain control of its borders' under the current system. Divergence The ECHR dispute reflects broader differences between the UK and EU legal systems, particularly in areas such as human rights and sanctions. Since Brexit, the UK has introduced its own independent sanctions regime, though it often mirrors the EU's initial listings. 'Our preference is to act with others where we can, but where there is a case for the UK to act alone via the use of our autonomous sanctions, we will do so,' the UK government stated in its policy paper , 'Cross-government review of sanctions implementation and enforcement,' published on 15 May. This divergence creates increasing compliance challenges for businesses. Even if an individual is removed from the EU sanctions list, businesses may still face penalties if that person remains sanctioned in the UK, causing confusion, driving up legal costs and complicating cross-border operations. The same issue affects individuals. Some have been delisted by the EU after legal reviews found sanctions were no longer justified, yet they remain on the UK list due to the absence of a formal review mechanism. For example, former Russian official Dmitrii Ovsiannikov was removed from the EU list in 2023 but is still sanctioned by the UK. In April 2025, he was sentenced to 40 months in prison for attempting to leave the UK on a private jet in breach of sanctions. Another notable example is the case of Gulbakhor Ismailova and Saodat Narzieva , sisters of sanctioned businessman Alisher Usmanov. Both successfully challenged their EU sanctions after legal reviews concluded the measures were based on false media reports . Although the EU delisted them in 2022 and 2025 respectively, and both were initially designated in the UK under the so-called 'emergency procedure,' which mirrored the EU's reasoning, they remain on the UK sanctions list, which lacks a formal process for regular review. A similar pattern can be seen in the case of Mikhail Degtyarev , a longtime loyalist of Russian President Vladimir Putin. As the country's sports minister and head of the Olympic Committee, Degtyarev is the highest-ranking Russian official to have been removed from the EU sanctions list. Despite this, he remains sanctioned in the UK. Commitment To Revision While each sanctions case is handled on an individual basis and countries follow their own legal procedures, the lack of alignment in how human rights are considered or how companies need to comply with the sanctions regime create friction in coordinated responses. In particular, indefinite UK sanctions imposed without clear procedures for review or appeal raise questions about proportionality and the absence of effective judicial mechanisms. But given that the current sanctions mechanism is relatively new, it would be reasonable to expect it to evolve in response to changing realities, especially as the UK has acknowledged its commitment to revision when necessary. 'Sanctions are often developed in response to real-time events, and in concert with allies, or the wider international community. We keep our sanctions powers, regimes, designations and measures under review to respond to new developments and changing circumstances,' the UK government's 15 May policy paper said. Originally published on IBTimes UK
