logo
Germany will stop reporting arms deliveries to Ukraine, Merz says

Germany will stop reporting arms deliveries to Ukraine, Merz says

Indian Express10-05-2025
The German government will stop publishing details of military aid to Ukraine, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Saturday during a visit to Kyiv.
Sources with knowledge of the matter had earlier told Reuters that public information about the delivery of weapons systems to Ukraine was to be reduced to achieve 'strategic ambiguity' and prevent Russia gaining any strategic advantages.
'Under my leadership, the debate about arms deliveries, caliber, weapons systems and so on will be taken out of the public eye,' Merz told RTL/ntv broadcasters in Kyiv.
Following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Germany's government initially reported sporadically on military aid to Kyiv. Under pressure from parliamentarians and media, it later started publishing an updated list of systems and goods supplied.
Merz, who took office on Tuesday, said Germany's commitment to supporting Ukraine in the fight against Russia's invasion would not change.
'Germany will continue to expand its financial support. I am counting on you (…) to do the same with us,' Merz said, addressing other European leaders at a meeting in Kyiv.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

‘Netanyahu has lost the plot': New Zealand PM Luxon says Gaza attacks ‘utterly unacceptable'
‘Netanyahu has lost the plot': New Zealand PM Luxon says Gaza attacks ‘utterly unacceptable'

First Post

time11 minutes ago

  • First Post

‘Netanyahu has lost the plot': New Zealand PM Luxon says Gaza attacks ‘utterly unacceptable'

'I think he (Netanyahu) has lost the plot. What we are seeing overnight, the attack on Gaza City, is utterly, utterly unacceptable,' said Prime Minister Christopher Luxon As New Zealand weighs up whether to recognise a Palestinian state, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on Wednesday said that Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had 'lost the plot'. Luxon condemned the lack of humanitarian aid, the forced displacement of civilians, and the annexation of Gaza as deeply appalling, stating that Netanyahu had gone far beyond acceptable limits. 'I think he has lost the plot,' Reuters quoted Luxon, who heads the centre-right coalition government, as saying. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'What we are seeing overnight, the attack on Gaza City, is utterly, utterly unacceptable,' he added. Earlier this week, Luxon said New Zealand was considering whether to formally recognise a Palestinian state. On Monday, close ally Australia announced it would support recognition at a UN conference in September, joining Canada, the UK, and France. Meanwhile, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached what several Western nations described as 'unimaginable levels.' In a joint statement on Tuesday, Britain, Canada, Australia, and several European allies urged Israel to allow unrestricted humanitarian aid into the conflict-ravaged enclave. Israel has rejected blame for the worsening hunger in Gaza, accusing Hamas of diverting aid shipments, an allegation Hamas denies. Meanwhile, ahead of Wednesday's parliamentary session, a small group of protesters gathered outside the national parliament, banging pots and pans in a show of dissent. According to local outlet Stuff, demonstrators chanted, 'MPs grow a spine, recognise Palestine.' Tensions inside the chamber were also high. On Tuesday, Green MP Chlöe Swarbrick was ejected from Parliament after refusing to apologise for a remark suggesting government MPs lacked courage for not backing a bill to sanction Israel over alleged war crimes. Swarbrick was again ordered to leave the chamber on Wednesday for repeating her refusal to apologise. When she declined to comply, the government moved to formally suspend her. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Sixty-eight members of this House were accused of being spineless," House speaker Gerry Brownlee said. 'There has never been a time where personal insults like that delivered inside a speech were accepted by this House and I'm not going to start accepting it.' As Swarbrick left, she called out 'free Palestine.' With inputs from agencies

France's Macron says Trump wants to achieve ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia at upcoming Alaska summit
France's Macron says Trump wants to achieve ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia at upcoming Alaska summit

Hindustan Times

time11 minutes ago

  • Hindustan Times

France's Macron says Trump wants to achieve ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia at upcoming Alaska summit

French President Emmanuel Macron says U.S. President Donald Trump was 'very clear' in a meeting with European leaders that the U.S. wants to achieve a ceasefire at the summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. France's President Emmanuel Macron (L) and European Council President Antonio Costa, sitting next to France's Foreign Minister and France's Minister of Armed Forces (both unseen), attend a video conference on Ukraine from the Fort de Bregancon presidential holidays residence in Bormes-les-Mimosas, in southern France on August 13, 2025. (Photo by PHILIPPE MAGONI / POOL / AFP)(AFP) Speaking after the virtual meeting between Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other European leaders, Macron said Trump was prioritizing a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia. He added that Trump had been clear that 'territorial issues relating to Ukraine ... will only be negotiated by the Ukrainian president.' Following his meeting with the Russian leader, Trump will also 'seek a future trilateral meeting' — one involving Trump, Putin and Zelenskyy, Macron said. 'I think that's a very important point in this regard. And we hope that it can be held in Europe, in a neutral country that is acceptable to all parties,' Macron said. Zelenskyy had 'constructive' discussion with Trump European leaders and Zelenskyy had a 'constructive' discussion with U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday, two days ahead of Trump's planned meeting in Alaska with Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said. Speaking alongside Zelenskyy, Merz said after the videoconference that 'important decisions' could be made in Anchorage, but stressed that 'fundamental European and Ukrainian security interests must be protected' at the meeting. Merz convened the virtual meetings in an attempt to make sure European and Ukraine's leaders are heard ahead of the summit, where Trump and Putin are expected to discuss a path toward ending Moscow's war in Ukraine. Zelenskyy and the Europeans have been sidelined from that summit. German government spokesperson Steffen Meyer said the intention of Wednesday's meetings was to 'make clear the position of the Europeans.' Zelenskyy is due to meet with European leaders first, in preparation for a virtual call with Trump and Vice President JD Vance about an hour later. A call among leaders of countries involved in the 'coalition of the willing' — those who are prepared to help police any future peace agreement between Moscow and Kyiv — will take place last. The Ukrainian leader on Wednesday said his government has had over 30 conversations with partners ahead of the summit in Alaska, but reiterated his doubt that Putin would negotiate in good faith. Writing on his official Telegram channel, Zelenskyy said there was 'currently no sign that the Russians are preparing to end the war,' and urged Ukraine's partners in the United States and Europe to coordinate efforts and "force Russia to peace.' "Pressure must be applied on Russia for an honest peace. We must take the experience of Ukraine and our partners to prevent deception by Russia,' Zelenskyy said.

U.S. national debt soars past $37 trillion — now bigger than the economy; is Trump's record tariff windfall enough as deficit hits historic highs? Key numbers inside
U.S. national debt soars past $37 trillion — now bigger than the economy; is Trump's record tariff windfall enough as deficit hits historic highs? Key numbers inside

Time of India

time11 minutes ago

  • Time of India

U.S. national debt soars past $37 trillion — now bigger than the economy; is Trump's record tariff windfall enough as deficit hits historic highs? Key numbers inside

U.S. debt hits $37 trillion as President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs pump billions into federal coffers, yet the nation's deficit keeps growing. Treasury figures confirm America is adding roughly $1 trillion to its debt every five months — a pace unseen in modern history. In July alone, tariffs brought in a record $21 billion, but rising interest payments and entitlement costs still pushed the monthly deficit to $291 billion. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads The $37 trillion milestone arrived years early Trump's tariffs deliver record customs revenue Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Deficit still up nearly 20% in July Debt now bigger than the U.S. economy Who actually owns America's debt? Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Interest costs now bigger than defense spending Tariffs bring in record cash — but is it enough? Will tariffs really shrink the deficit? What this means for Americans The political and economic crossroads FAQs: The United States has just crossed a fiscal threshold many economists once thought was years away. As of August 12, 2025, Treasury data shows the gross national debt has reached— an all-time record and more than double the country's total economic output. What makes this moment more complex is that it comes during a period when federal revenues, especially from tariffs, are soaring under President Donald Trump's aggressive trade policies. Yet the deficit is still debt figure wasn't supposed to appear until after 2030, according to earlier Congressional Budget Office projections. Instead, a mix of pandemic-era borrowing, expanded social spending, and tax changes has pushed the timeline forward by at least five pace is startling: the U.S. is adding about, twice the average rate of the past quarter-century. For comparison, it took the countryto accumulate its first $1 trillion in debt, a milestone reached in Wendy Edelberg, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, warns that 'this kind of debt growth is not sustainable without crowding out investment and pushing borrowing costs higher.' The government's interest payments are already consuming more than, surpassing even national defense this backdrop, Trump's latest tariff package — which imposes steep duties on a broad range of imports, from Chinese electronics to European luxury goods — has delivered a short-term revenue spike. Treasury figures show, bringing in roughlyfor the trade hawks in the administration, this is proof that tariffs can be a 'revenue weapon' as well as a geopolitical lever. A senior White House economic adviser, speaking on background, said importers had accelerated shipments to beat upcoming tariff hikes, temporarily inflating with this windfall, the U.S. ran a— up nearly 20% from the same month last year. Over the first ten months of fiscal 2025, the deficit has totaled, a 7% rise from the same period in reason is simple: spending growth is outpacing income. Social Security obligations, Medicare costs, and higher interest payments on the existing debt have more than offset tariff revenue gains. 'It's like getting a raise but increasing your lifestyle spending even faster,' one Treasury official before Congress approved President Donald Trump's sweeping tax and domestic spending package, the federal government was already barreling toward one of the largest deficits in modern history. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) had projected that Washington would spendthis fiscal year — a shortfall now set to deepen Trump's so-calledsigned into law, the CBO warns the legislation will add nearlyover the next decade. The measure also raised the federal debt ceiling by $5 trillion to $41.1 trillion, but even that lifeline may prove short-lived. The CBO forecasts the nation's debt will smash throughAs of, already surpassing the size of America's entire $30.3 trillion economy. The debt-to-GDP ratio — a measure economists use to gauge fiscal health — has climbed to, up from pre-pandemic levels near 80% and not far from the 2020 record of 132.8%.Debt growth has surged during three major periods: the Reagan-Bush deficits of the 1980s and early 1990s, the Great Recession of 2008–09, and the COVID-19 pandemic. The current wave is being driven byPrivate investors hold the largest share — about— while federal trust funds like Social Security and Medicare hold another. The Federal Reserve ownsin ownership remains substantial, with, followed by theand. Mutual funds, pension funds, banks, and state governments also hold significant fastest-growing line item in the federal budget isn't Medicare or the Pentagon — it's. In fiscal 2024, the U.S. paidin net interest, surpassing bothandThat burden is rising fast as the Federal Reserve's higher interest rates push up borrowing costs. The average rate on federal debt has more than doubled since January 2022, jumping fromas of July pumped billions into federal coffers, including, yet the deficit continues to balloon. Treasury data shows the U.S. is adding about— a pace unseen in modern fiscal Congressional Budget Office estimates Trump's tariffs could reduce deficits by— but that projection assumes steady import flows and no major trade retaliation. Many economists are Bown of the Peterson Institute for International Economics points out that tariffs also act as a tax on consumers and businesses, potentially slowing economic growth and dampening other tax receipts. 'You might get a sugar high in revenue,' he said, 'but the long-term diet is less healthy.'For most households, the impact of Washington's fiscal numbers feels abstract — until it isn't. Higher debt can influence mortgage rates, credit card interest, and the stability of the U.S. dollar. Tariffs, meanwhile, can push up the price of everything from smartphones to home essence, Americans are facing a two-sided squeeze: fiscal policies that raise costs in the short term (tariffs) and debt growth that could raise borrowing costs in the long into the 2026 midterms, fiscal policy is shaping up as a defining battleground. Trump is betting that voters will see tariffs as a tool of economic nationalism and revenue recovery. Democrats argue the policy is a hidden tax and that runaway deficits risk undermining the economy's debt climbing and deficits persisting despite record tariff revenues, the U.S. is entering uncharted territory — one where fiscal discipline and political will may soon be tested in ways not seen for heavy borrowing, pandemic spending, and rising interest costs accelerated debt growth years ahead of yet — tariff revenue is rising, but overall spending still far outpaces income.

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