Latest news with #EUdefense
Reuters
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Greece says Turkey must lift war threat to get access to EU defence funds
ATHENS, May 22 (Reuters) - Turkey must lift a 30-year old war threat against Greece if it wants Athens to consent to Ankara accessing European Union defence funds, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Thursday. Greece and Turkey, NATO allies but historic foes, have been at odds for decades over a range of issues from airspace to the extent of their maritime boundaries and ethnically-split Cyprus. In 1995, the Turkish parliament declared a "casus belli", or cause for war, if Greece unilaterally expanded its territorial waters beyond six nautical miles in the Aegean Sea. "If Turkey wishes access into European defence financing tools, the legitimate concerns of both Greece and Cyprus should be taken into account," Mitsotakis said, referring to projects such as the EU's new flagship arms-buying fund, Security Action for Europe (SAFE). "It has been 30 years since the Turkish National Assembly voted on the infamous casus belli. I think that 30 years later, the time has come to directly ask our Turkish friends to take it off the table," he told Skai radio. Mitsotakis said he would convey the message to Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan soon, citing improved bilateral ties. The Turkish government was not immediately available for comment. Asked about Greece trying to keep Turkey away from EU defence projects, a Turkish defence ministry source said earlier that any attempts to disregard Turkey's importance for European security were bound to fail. "Carrying bilateral disputes to multilateral platforms and putting forth an approach aimed at excluding our country is both a step that is not taken with good intentions, and not a smart one," the source said. Ankara and Athens have been exploring whether they can start talks aimed at demarcating their maritime zones. Mitsotakis said that a high-level meeting between the two countries will take place in the coming months.
Russia Today
21-05-2025
- Business
- Russia Today
EU agrees €150 billion militarization plan
EU ambassadors have approved a €150 billion ($169 billion) debt program to provide for the bloc's rapid militarization efforts. The passing of the so-called SAFE (Support for Ammunition, military Financing and European defense) initiative was first announced on Wednesday by the Polish presidency of the EU Council. The agreement will allow EU states to bypass standard voting procedures in the European Parliament to allow members leverage low-interest debt to spend on military equipment including drones, ammunition and air defense systems. Non-EU countries, including the UK and Ukraine will also be able to participate in the program. Some member states have also been considering using the loans to provide additional military assistance to Kiev, Euronews has reported. At least 65% of the components for any weapon systems must be produced within the EU, Ukraine or the European Economic Area/European Free Trade Association. The other 35% can come from third countries. The new debt plan comes as a number of EU states, such as France, Germany and Belgium, have cut spending on social support programs, citing budget deficits and rising debt. Announcing the passing of SAFE, the Polish presidency account on X stated that it is 'first major EU programme to increase investment in European defense capabilities,' adding that it would enter into force after being formally adopted by the EU Council on May 27. The new debt-for-militarization scheme comes as Western European leaders push for reducing dependence on US weapons and called for increased military spending, justifying it by a supposed threat being posed by Russia. Moscow has repeatedly condemned the EU's increasing militarization and has dismissed claims that it plans to attack the bloc as 'nonsense,' accusing the West of 'irresponsibly stoking fears' of a fabricated threat. Russian officials have also warned that the EU's military spending hikes amount to an 'incitement of war on the European continent.' Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has also claimed that the bloc 'has degraded into an openly militarized entity.'
