Europe's Ailing Defense Industry Faces a Reckoning as Russia Threat Looms
At least, that's the idea. In reality, the Future Combat Air System — including the Eurodrone and a next-generation fighter jet — have become symbols of European defense dysfunction. While Russia has fully transitioned to a war economy, Europe's projects remain bogged down by infighting. France wants a lightweight Eurodrone for African missions; Germany insists on a second engine for safer patrols over Berlin and Munich. The disputes have caused delays, and the system may not be operational until well into the 2040s.
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NBC News
an hour ago
- NBC News
Israel is in talks to possibly resettle Palestinians from Gaza in South Sudan
TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel is in discussions with South Sudan about the possibility of resettling Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to the war-torn East African country, part of a wider effort by Israel to facilitate mass emigration from the territory left in ruins by its 22-month offensive against Hamas. Six people familiar with the matter confirmed the talks to The Associated Press. It is unclear how far the talks have advanced, but if implemented, the plans would amount to transferring people from one war-ravaged land at risk of famine to another, and raise human rights concerns. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he wants to realize President Donald Trump 's vision of relocating much of Gaza's population through what Netanyahu refers to as 'voluntary migration.' Israel has floated similar resettlement proposals with other African nations. 'I think that the right thing to do, even according to the laws of war as I know them, is to allow the population to leave, and then you go in with all your might against the enemy who remains there,' Netanyahu said Tuesday in an interview with i24, an Israeli TV station. He did not make reference to South Sudan. Palestinians, rights groups, and much of the international community have rejected the proposals as a blueprint for forcible expulsion in violation of international law. For South Sudan, such a deal could help it build closer ties to Israel, now the almost unchallenged military power in the Middle East. It is also a potential inroad to Trump, who broached the idea of resettling Gaza's population in February but appears to have backed away in recent months. Israel's Foreign Ministry declined to comment and South Sudan's foreign minister did not respond to questions about the talks. A spokesperson for the State Department said it does not comment on private diplomatic conversations. Joe Szlavik, the founder of a U.S. lobbying firm working with South Sudan, said he was briefed by South Sudanese officials on the talks. He said an Israeli delegation plans to visit the country to look into the possibility of setting up camps for Palestinians there. No known date has been set for the visit. Israel did not immediately respond to a request for confirmation of the visit. Szlavik said Israel would most likely pay for makeshift camps. Edmund Yakani, who heads a South Sudanese civil society group, said he had also spoken to South Sudanese officials about the talks. Four additional officials with knowledge of the discussions confirmed talks were taking place on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss them publicly. Two of the officials, both from Egypt, told the AP they've known for months about Israel's efforts to find a country to accept Palestinians, including its contact with South Sudan. They said they have been lobbying South Sudan against taking the Palestinians. Egypt is deeply opposed to plans to transfer Palestinians out of Gaza, with which it shares a border, fearing an influx of refugees into its own territory. The AP previously reported on similar talks initiated by Israel and the U.S. with Sudan and Somalia, countries that are also grappling with war and hunger, and the breakaway region of Somalia known as Somaliland. The status of those discussions is not known. Szlavik, who has been hired by South Sudan to improve its relations with the United States, said the U.S. is aware of the discussions with Israel but is not directly involved. South Sudan wants the Trump administration to lift a travel ban on the country and remove sanctions from some South Sudanese elites, Szlavik said. It has already accepted eight individuals swept up in the administration's mass deportations, in what may have been an effort to curry favor.
The Hill
an hour ago
- The Hill
Will Trump fall into Putin's trap?
In today's issue: ▪ Trump wants peace. Does Putin? ▪ The Hill interview: Newsom defends redistricting fight ▪ Progressives take center stage in mayoral contests ▪ Israel steps up Gaza offensive President Trump heads to Alaska on Friday for a make-or-break summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin to talk about ending the war in Ukraine, while the world holds its breath. Trump has provided few details on his goals for the meeting, telling reporters Monday he's using the summit as an opportunity to 'feel out' Putin, who has so far rebuffed all his calls for a ceasefire and increased the pace of attacks on Ukraine. The White House on Tuesday downplayed its expectations for the meeting, referring to it as a 'listening exercise' for the president. Trump said his version of a peace agreement would include 'good stuff, not bad stuff, also some bad stuff for both.' 'We're going to change the lines, the battle lines,' he added. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who will not attend the summit, said Tuesday after a phone call with Trump, White House special envoy Steve Witkoff and European leaders that Russia is showing signs it may want to end the war. Zelensky, Trump, European leaders and Vice President Vance will meet virtually today in a series of calls to discuss the summit. Zelensky told NewsNation on Tuesday that Ukraine is supportive of a trilateral track of negotiations, to establish a ceasefire, an 'all-for-all exchange' of prisoners of war and the return of Ukrainian children taken by Russia. But foreign policy experts warn the summit itself constitutes a victory for Putin. 'Putin has already won. He is the leader of a rogue state, and he'll get a picture on U.S. soil with the president of the United States,' former national security adviser John Bolton told The Atlantic. 'Trump wants a deal. And if he can't get one now, he may walk away from it entirely.' ▪ Politico: 'Trusting Trump's instincts': The White House sets modest expectations ahead of the Putin summit. ▪ CNN: Trump will meet Putin at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, on the northern edge of Anchorage, though the White House had hoped to avoid the optics of hosting the Russian leader and his entourage on a military installation. CEDING GROUND? Trump's sharp criticism of Zelensky is sending chills across Europe, where leaders are working to guard against the worst-case scenario: Trump aligning with Putin to force a bad deal on Kyiv. Last week, Trump blew past a deadline to impose punishing sanctions on Russia and its primary trading partners in exchange for the face-to-face meeting with Putin. And while the president has expressed increased frustration with Putin and Russia's attacks on Ukraine, he this week reverted to criticisms that Zelensky is to blame for starting the war. '[Trump] is very unpredictable,' Lesia Zaburanna, a member of the Ukrainian Parliament in Zelensky's Servant of the People party and the deputy chair of the budget committee, told The Hill's Laura Kelly. 'We highly appreciate all American support, and we highly appreciate all military, financial support. But if we talk about the situation with Trump's negotiation, we are not sure what we will have on Friday.' LAND SWAPS: Trump confirmed Monday that he and Putin will discuss 'land swapping' when they meet on Friday in Alaska. But the president expressed frustration with Zelensky for putting conditions on such a potential agreement — including a national referendum on any peace deal that stipulates Russian control over territory that Ukraine occupied during the war. Russia occupies about a fifth of Ukraine, from the country's northeast to Crimea, which Moscow annexed illegally in 2014. 'I was a little bothered by the fact that Zelensky was saying I have to get constitutional approval,' Trump said on Monday. 'He has approval to go to war and kill everybody but he needs approval to do a land swap. Because there will be some land swapping going on. I know that through Russia and through conversations with everybody.' ▪ The New York Times: Russia is at least in part responsible for a recent hack of the computer system that manages federal court documents. NOBEL ASPIRATIONS: International leaders, GOP lawmakers and White House officials have publicly advertised support for Trump to receive a Nobel Peace Prize, an honor awarded each year on Dec. 10 by a committee elected by the Norwegian Parliament. Trump has been upfront about his desire to capture the award and argues that 'wars' have ended and peace deals resulted on his watch. A successful summit with Putin, followed by lasting peace in Ukraine, could mark a first step toward just that. POINTS FOR RUSSIA: But the road ahead is tricky, and full of opportunities for Putin. Exiled Russian opposition politician Dmitry Gudkov told DW that the Alaska meeting will provide a unique opportunity for Putin to shake hands with one of the leaders of the West. 'The mere fact that Putin has the chance to meet Trump is already a huge plus' for the Russian president, Gudkov said. 'Trump is basically legitimizing a war criminal and allowing Putin to participate in negotiations with the West.' Smart Take with Blake Burman President Trump has not raised expectations for the outcome of his upcoming summit with Vladimir Putin, calling it a 'feel-out' meeting. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the commander in chief needs to sit down with the Russian leader 'face-to-face' to assess the situation. I asked former KGB undercover agent Jack Barsky where he thinks things stand at this moment. 'The bottom line is that both Ukrainians as well as Russians — the people — still support the war. Now, what Donald Trump can do from our perspective does not change that situation,' Barsky told me. Rubio said the scheduled meeting is not a concession to Putin. The way this is framed over the next few days from all sides is one thing we'll be watching. Burman hosts 'The Hill' weeknights, 6p/5c on NewsNation. 3 Things to Know Today National Guard troops appeared in parts of Washington, D.C., Tuesday night. Their orders: Protect 'federal assets, provide a safe environment for law enforcement officers to make arrests and deter violent crime' — with deployment until Sept. 25. Odds of a Federal Reserve interest rate cut next month are on the rise, analysts said Tuesday following the release of the government's tamer-than-expected inflation report for July. Smithsonian museum exhibitions must align with Trump's interpretation of American history, and the White House plans to achieve that ahead of America's 250th anniversary, according to a Tuesday letter. Leading the Day 'FIGHT FIRE WITH FIRE': During an exclusive interview, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) explained what he calls a 'no regrets strategy' to 'fight fire with fire' while countering partisan redistricting efforts led by Trump in Texas. The president says his party can retain the House GOP majority after next year's midterm elections by creating five new Republican-dominated districts in the reliably red Lone Star State. On Monday in a discussion with The Hill's Amie Parnes, Newsom said he feels 'very confident' about his efforts to block the president and Republicans using a Democratic redistricting plan that leans on the California Legislature to checkmate Texas when it gavels into session next week. '[The] biggest risk is not taking one,' Newsom told The Hill. 'Democracy demands we at least try, eyes wide open, recognize the stakes. ' Meanwhile on Tuesday, the Texas Senate passed a GOP-friendly map that moved a step closer to final passage in the state Legislature. The upper chamber overwhelmingly voted to approve a new set of congressional lines that would give the GOP five pickup opportunities, basically mirroring the map the Texas House is working to pass with the president's encouragement. Democrats are laboring to explain how their political support for independent redistricting comports with a sudden appetite to emulate the GOP with gerrymandered congressional districts. Newsom defended his about-face by quoting Abraham Lincoln: 'The facts are new, we must think anew, we must act anew.' The governor is not alone. Common Cause, a nonpartisan watchdog group that previously told The Hill it opposed blue states conducting mid-decade redistricting, signaled new openness to the tactic. 'We will not sit idly by while political leaders manipulate voting maps to entrench their power and subvert our democracy,' Common Cause President and CEO Virginia Kase Solomón said in a statement. ' But neither will we call for unilateral political disarmament in the face of authoritarian tactics that undermine fair representation.' POLITICS OF LAW AND ORDER: Trump is pressuring Democrats to outline their positions on law and order and crime, issues that proved troublesome with voters in recent elections. Trump's decision to federalize the Washington, D.C., police and deploy the National Guard on the streets of the nation's capital put Democrats on defense. Trump during his first term took aim at crime in cities run by Democrats. His latest pro-policing narrative handed conservatives in Congress who favor more federal control over the District of Columbia an opening to talk up public safety as a GOP strength. Republicans say Trump will leverage federal funding for Washington to try to get Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) and members of the D.C. Council to bend to his will when it comes to battling crime, clearing out homeless encampments and beautifying the city. Capitol Hill conservatives want Congress to end Washington's era of home rule, a push few observers believe will succeed. Bowser during a 'Breakfast Club' interview said Washington should be the nation's 51st state. 'Our partnership with the federal government is welcome on issues that we share,' she added. Where and When The president will visit the Kennedy Center at 11 a.m. for an announcement about its annual honorees. 'GREAT Nominees for the TRUMP/KENNEDY CENTER, whoops, I mean, KENNEDY CENTER, AWARDS. They will be announced Wednesday,' Trump wrote on Truth Social late Tuesday. At 4 p.m., Trump will sign executive orders at the White House. The House will hold a pro forma session on Friday at noon and will return to work in Washington on Sept. 2. The Senate will hold a pro forma session on Friday at 10:15 a.m. Zoom In MAYORAL RACES PUT DEMOCRATS CENTER STAGE: Progressives are making inroads in mayoral contests in large cities, giving the left flank a new shot in the arm as the Democratic Party struggles to determine its future. Seattle community activist Katie Wilson (D) surprised some political observers last week by finishing ahead of moderate incumbent Mayor Bruce Harrell (D) in a nonpartisan blanket primary. Wilson is almost 10 points ahead of Harrell in primary results as of the latest vote count. Coming in the aftermath of Zohran Mamdani's upset win in the New York City Democratic primary and as a left-wing challenger seeks to oust the current Minneapolis mayor, progressives are hoping it's a sign of the tide turning in their favor. OHIO SENATE: Former Sen. Sherrod Brown (D), 72, is expected to launch a comeback Senate bid in Ohio next year, multiple outlets reported. Brown's decision, described by labor leaders to whom he's spoken, gives Ohio Democrats perhaps their best hope of unseating incumbent Sen. Jon Husted, a Columbus-area Republican appointed earlier this year to the Senate. Brown has not officially announced a campaign. Brown is viewed by Democrats as one of the few members of their party who could put the seat in play in the red-trending state next year when the party in power in Washington may face headwinds. After serving three terms in the Senate, Brown lost reelection by 3.5 points last year as Trump carried Ohio by 11 points. Roll Call adjusted its Inside Elections rating for the Ohio race to 'Lean Republican' from 'Solid Republican' on Tuesday based on the reported Brown decision. ▪ The Hill: Six people have zipped through the IRS commissioner turnstile this year. What's up with that? ▪ Bloomberg Businessweek: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent spoke about tariffs, deficits, Trump's economic plan and his own role on the president's economic team during an interview. ▪ The Hill: The Department of Government Efficiency can access sensitive government data about millions of Americans, a federal appeals court ruled on Tuesday. 🍎 FRESH OR FROZEN: The Trump administration supports freshly cooked school lunch meals that would require more employees and ingredients to serve to students. That's unrealistic without additional federal K-12 resources, advocates say. Elsewhere GAZA: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hinted Tuesday that ceasefire efforts in Gaza have focused on a comprehensive deal that would release the remaining hostages all at once, instead of in phases. Mediators in Egypt and Qatar are preparing a new framework for a deal that would include the withdrawal of Israeli forces. Hamas leader Khalil Al-Hayya traveled to Cairo to try to salvage the talks. Meanwhile, Gaza City has come under intense air attack as Israeli forces prepare to occupy the city in what Netanyahu has called the next steps for a 'complete takeover' of the enclave. On Tuesday, the Israeli military said it was 'at the beginning of a new state of combat.' ▪ Der Spiegel: Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is sharply critical of his successor Netanyahu and the war in Gaza. ▪ The Times of Israel: Israel is said to be in talks with war-torn South Sudan about taking in Palestinians from Gaza. The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached 'unimaginable levels,' the foreign ministers of Britain, Canada, Australia and several of their European allies said on Tuesday. They called on Israel to allow unrestricted aid into the war-torn enclave. 'Famine is unfolding before our eyes. Urgent action is needed now to halt and reverse starvation,' the foreign ministers of 24 countries said in a joint statement. 'We call on the government of Israel to provide authorization for all international NGO aid shipments and to unblock essential humanitarian actors from operating.' ▪ The Washington Post: Israel must give the United Nations full access to Gaza to halt starvation, allies say. ▪ CNN: Opinion The Closer And lending new meaning to 'finally' … More states are clearing the way for a burial process that turns dead bodies into soil that can be used to nurture plants and gardens. Human composting is among new trends that tackle death and what comes after. 'I knew immediately this was the path for me,' said Nina Schoen, 54, of Washington state, who quickly added she wasn't planning on going anywhere anytime soon. She's a prepaid member of Recompose, a Seattle funeral home that offers the slow-acting composting service. Laws regulating after-death care vary from state to state, according to the National Funeral Home Alliance. A wave of legislation in recent years has made human composting burials legal for millions of Americans.
NBC News
an hour ago
- NBC News
Europe and Ukraine launch last-ditch diplomatic drive ahead of Trump-Putin summit
MUNICH — President Donald Trump will Wednesday join a video call with European leaders and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who will implore him not to capitulate to Russia's demands during Friday's high-profile summit with Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Despite Russia's invasion impacting them most directly, European powers and Ukraine have not been invited to the Trump-Putin summit at Anchorage's Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. There is growing alarm in Europe that the leaders from Washington and Moscow could emerge with an agreement disastrous for Ukraine and the continent's vulnerability to future Russian attack. In a week of frantic diplomacy, the virtual summit will include Trump alongside the leaders of Ukraine, Germany, France, Britain, Finland, Italy, Poland and the European Union and NATO, said the German government, which has organized the call. Zelenskyy will be in Berlin, where he will also sit down with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, the latest of what he said Wednesday had been more than 30 conversations with world leaders this week. The digitally linked gaggle of leaders 'will address, among other things, further options for exerting pressure on Russia,' the German government spokesperson said, adding that 'peace negotiations and related issues of territorial claims and security' would be on the agenda. Most European leaders fear that Russia will not stop at the 20% of Ukraine it currently occupies following its 2022 full-scale invasion, and instead may use this landgrab from which to launch further attacks on Moscow's former Soviet vassals. Putin has described the fall of the USSR as a historic tragedy, and believes the Baltic states, which are now members of the E.U. and NATO, should be brought back within his sphere of influence. Wednesday's calls are a show of European unity behind Ukraine and other Russian neighbors who fear its next move. E.U. leaders will hold separate telephone discussions before and after the call with Trump, the latter including Canada, indicating the level of coordination between them. European powers say that there must be a ceasefire before peace talks can begin — something rejected by Russia — and that negotiations cannot happen without Ukraine. They argue Ukraine must have 'security guarantees,' perhaps in the form of Western peacekeepers, so the Kremlin does not use the pause to regroup and attack again. 'There is currently no sign that the Russians are preparing to end the war,' Zelenskyy said in a statement Wednesday. 'Our coordinated efforts and joint steps — by Ukraine, the United States, Europe, and all countries that want peace — can definitely force Russia to peace. Thank you to everyone who helps!' In reality, it is unclear how much leverage Europe will have. They have regularly been frozen out of discussions between U.S.-Russia discussions. And the once unified position they shared with former President Joe Biden — who agreed Russia posed a threat not just to Ukraine but the West — has been replaced by the current administration's far more Kremlin-receptive stance, albeit with several verbal diatribes by Trump toward Putin in recent months. Trump has 'deep respect for all parties that are involved in this conflict,' White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told a briefing Tuesday, describing the war as something that 'broke out' between Russia and Ukraine — rather than characterizing it as an unprovoked invasion. 'I think the president of the United States getting in the room with the president of Russia — sitting face to face, rather than speaking over the telephone — will give this president the best indication of how to end this war and where this is headed,' Leavitt said, calling it a 'listening exercise.'
