Latest news with #Estonian
DW
3 hours ago
- Business
- DW
EU backs Trump Ukraine U-Turn but wants US to 'share burden' – DW – 07/15/2025
The European bloc welcomed a shift in US rhetoric on Ukraine but pressed Washington to chip in. The EU, however, failed to agree on a new round of sanctions on Russia. The European Union's foreign affairs chief may be having something of an "I told you so" moment as US President Donald Trump reverses his past praise of Vladimir Putin and vows to ramp up pressure on Moscow. "We see from the United States that they have also realized that Russia does not really want peace," Kaja Kallas told reporters in Brussels on Tuesday. The former Estonian prime minister made a name for herself as one of Ukraine's staunchest political backers, and warned at this week's EU talks that Russia's bombing campaign had "reached record levels." Kallas and many of her EU counterparts welcomed Washington's shift in rhetoric as they filed into a meeting. "What we experienced yesterday with the new messages from Trump was very, very important," Denmark's Lars Lokke Rasmussen said. But some of the EU's top brass also had notes for the US on its latest announcements, including Washington's threat to slap 100% secondary tariffs on Russia and countries that trade with it unless a peace deal with Ukraine is reached by early September. "The 50 days that Mr. Trump has announced is rather long," Dutch foreign minister Caspar Veldkamp said on the sidelines of Tuesday's talks. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Trump also made headlines Monday with an announcement that he'd be greenlighting sales of Patriot air defense systems and other arms to European countries to send on to Ukraine, just two weeks after Washington paused some arms shipments to Kyiv. The new plan should speed up and expand deliveries of US arms which Ukraine says it needs as it faces increased Russian aerial attacks. Some European countries have already been buying and sending US-made weapons to Kyiv, though the latest scheme could offer more certainty on the permissions needed to swiftly transfer the arms. A US commitment to sell replacements for American-made weapons sent to Ukraine could also encourage European states to ship more of their own military supplies. NATO chief Mark Rutte said the deal would "work through NATO systems" and that European countries including Germany, Finland, Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands were all interested in taking part. But the US is yet to disclose more details of its new scheme and DW understands the technicalities of exactly how it will work are still being discussed. Trump was, however, quick to cast the new deal as a lucrative business opportunity for the US, stressing Europe would foot the bill. And that seems to be raising some eyebrows among his counterparts across the Atlantic. The EU's Kallas told reporters after Tuesday's meeting that she would like to see Europe and the US "share the burden" of arming Ukraine. "If we pay for these weapons, it's our support — so it's European support — and we are doing as much as we can to help Ukraine. And therefore the call is that everybody would do the same," she said. "If you promise to give the weapons then say that somebody else is going to pay for it, it's not really given by you, is it?" Kallas added. Denmark's Rasmussen made a similarly veiled allusion. "We are providing a lot of funding for Ukraine to buy whatever weapons and ammunition they need … But I mean, I would very much like to see all our partners actually also contributing if we want this war to stop," he said. While the US ranks as Ukraine's single largest donor since its full-scale invasion by Russia, the European Union as a whole has spent roughly the same amount as Washington over the same period, according to data from the Kiel Institute cited by Radio Free Europe. The EU outspends the US when the cost of hosting and assisting Ukrainian refugees is factored in. EU states may be breathing a sigh of relief after the US policy shift, but policy analyst Torrey Taussig says it's too soon to judge whether Trump's stance has changed for good. "There has been a seesaw approach to this relationship throughout the last several months of this administration, and I wouldn't be surprised if this relationship, the US-Ukrainian relationship, still has more turns that it can take," the former US government official turned Atlantic Council fellow told DW. "I'm very reluctant to call this a strategic shift in the US-Ukrainian relationship," she added, though added that the two sides' ties now seem far more "positive." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video With European countries racing to boost their own defenses amid pressure from the US and a broader rethink of the EU's geopolitical fragility, governments have been debating how much of a planned military spending splurge should go to US weapons. Arms purchases, especially those involving large weapons systems, tend to lock the buyer into a years-long relationship with the seller, from production to delivery to future repairs. Experts say ending Europe's dependency on the American-made weapons, logistics and intelligence capacities it lacks could take at least a decade — and with US foreign policy proving unpredictable, that leaves some worried. EU heavyweight France has pushed for more European-only purchases, frustrating some other states which argued this only serves to slow down the process of getting weapons into European and Ukrainian hands. The latest US-led plan may be seen by some as a blow to France's efforts, with the potential for more European money to flow toward US arms manufacturers. As Europe nudges the US to do more to support Ukraine and punish Russia, the bloc's own efforts are faltering. Kallas said she was "really sad" that ministers failed to adopt an 18th round of EU sanctions on Moscow on Tuesday due to a holdout by Slovakia. The landlocked central European state has been protesting planned EU laws to ban all sales of Russian gas, and Prime Minister Roberto Fico said in an online post on Tuesday that Slovakia had asked the EU to postpone the vote on sanctions while his government mulled its response to an exchange with the EU's executive aimed at ending the stalemate. Kallas said she was "optimistic" an agreement could be struck among EU states in the coming days.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former Wisconsin basketball forward signs professional contract
Former Wisconsin basketball forward Markus Ilver signed a deal with the University of Tartu men's basketball team on Monday. Located in Tartu, Estonia, the pro squad competes under the University of Tartu Academic Sports Club umbrella and suits up against opponents in the Estonian-Latvian Basketball League and the Korvpalli Meistriliiga. The organization is responsible for over 25 Estonian League Championships and nearly 20 Estonian cup titles. Advertisement Following a four-year stint with the Badgers in Madison, Ilver will now travel to compete in his home country. A native of Tallinn, Estonia, Ilver arrived at UW after a pair of high school seasons, one at Western Reserve Academy in Hudson, Ohio, and one at Massanutten Military Academy in Virginia. Ilver played 72 total games from 2019-25, logging a career-best 27 appearances as a junior during the 2023-24 slate. The 6-foot-9 forward averaged 1.3 points and 0.9 rebounds in 5.2 minutes off the bench in a depth role. On Dec. 22, 2024, Ilver dropped a career-best eight points in a win over Detroit Mercy. Weeks later, he played a career-high 10 minutes against Minnesota and knocked down a pair of 3-point looks in a 21-point triumph. Ilver becomes the second former Badger to sign a professional contract to play overseas this offseason, joining forward Carter Gilmore. Advertisement Several high-profile Badgers, including Nigel Hayes, have found success overseas. In Hayes' case, his EuroLeague Final Four MVP recently netted him a deal with the Phoenix Suns. Frank Kaminsky, another Badger legend, suited up in Serbia before making a return to the NBA. While Ilver may never attain an NBA contract, his upcoming experience overseas is another step in his basketball journey. Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin basketball Markus Ilver professional contract in Estonia
USA Today
11 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Former Wisconsin basketball forward signs professional contract
Proud of you Markus!#Badgers @MarkusIlver has signed a deal with @Unitartubasket! Former Wisconsin basketball forward Markus Ilver signed a deal with the University of Tartu men's basketball team on Monday. Located in Tartu, Estonia, the pro squad competes under the University of Tartu Academic Sports Club umbrella and suits up against opponents in the Estonian-Latvian Basketball League and the Korvpalli Meistriliiga. The organization is responsible for over 25 Estonian League Championships and nearly 20 Estonian cup titles. Following a four-year stint with the Badgers in Madison, Ilver will now travel to compete in his home country. A native of Tallinn, Estonia, Ilver arrived at UW after a pair of high school seasons, one at Western Reserve Academy in Hudson, Ohio, and one at Massanutten Military Academy in Virginia. Ilver played 72 total games from 2019-25, logging a career-best 27 appearances as a junior during the 2023-24 slate. The 6-foot-9 forward averaged 1.3 points and 0.9 rebounds in 5.2 minutes off the bench in a depth role. On Dec. 22, 2024, Ilver dropped a career-best eight points in a win over Detroit Mercy. Weeks later, he played a career-high 10 minutes against Minnesota and knocked down a pair of 3-point looks in a 21-point triumph. Ilver becomes the second former Badger to sign a professional contract to play overseas this offseason, joining forward Carter Gilmore. Several high-profile Badgers, including Nigel Hayes, have found success overseas. In Hayes' case, his EuroLeague Final Four MVP recently netted him a deal with the Phoenix Suns. Frank Kaminsky, another Badger legend, suited up in Serbia before making a return to the NBA. While Ilver may never attain an NBA contract, his upcoming experience overseas is another step in his basketball journey. Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
Arab Times
a day ago
- Sport
- Arab Times
Triple signing boosts Sulaibikhat squad for new season
KUWAIT CITY, July 14: Sulaibikhat Handball Club has completed a significant triple signing, acquiring Abdullah Al-Hammadi, Hussein Jarkhi, and Bader Khalil to reinforce its first team ahead of the 2025–2026 season. With ambitions to surpass last season's achievements, the club has focused on recruiting talented players who can help drive the team toward its goals. Earlier, Sulaibikhat renewed the contract of first-team coach Walid Salmeen, following his commendable leadership that ensured the team's continued presence in the Premier League. Additionally, the club brought on Ahmed Abdul Latif as the new goalkeeper coach. The club also extended contracts for foreign professionals Karl Thom (Estonia) and Nouri Ben Halima (French-Algerian). However, the contract with Estonian player Denir Janima was not renewed, and the club is actively searching for a third foreign professional to complete the squad. Training will commence in early August, with two weeks of local preparation followed by an overseas training camp planned in Bosnia or Montenegro. The camp will feature several friendly matches as part of the club's comprehensive preparations for the upcoming season.
Belfast Telegraph
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Belfast Telegraph
Ott Tanak can stake World claim, says his leading Northern Ireland engineer Jamie McMillan
Tanak triumphed on a gruelling Acropolis Rally Greece recently to end his, and Hyundai Motorsport's, eight-month-long wait for a Rally1 victory. The Estonian kept his cool in extreme conditions at the 'Rally of the Gods' to finish with a 32.8-second lead over the Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 of eight-time champion Sebastien Ogier, despite his i20 N Rally1 being struck down with transmission problems right at the death. The result has significantly boosted his title credentials and moves him to within 12 points of Elfyn Evans and three adrift of Ogier who has only signed up for a partial programme. Crucial to the result was the work of Tanak's mechanics during service halts, with these operations orchestrated by the 37-year-old's top engineer — Ballyclare's Jamie McMillan. McMillan feels the manner of the Acropolis performance fuels Tanak's victory hopes going to his home fixture next week. 'For Ott to win in Greece in the fashion he did, in such a positive way, and swing the odds a little bit back in our favour in the World Rally Championship fight is really great,' he said. 'It is definitely nice to get a victory for the team because it has been a long and super busy first six months and, ultimately, having a victory to celebrate in Greece is a big boost. 'The morale is an improvement on where it has been, and our attention has already turned to Estonia. 'We are trying to get the car in as good a window as possible for his home event.' He added: 'Ott is fast and usually competitive in Estonia, although the high-speed gravel roads are going to be a challenge with the updated 'Evo' car and we are going to have to work hard to pull the package together, to make it work, if we want him to fight for the victory there. 'If we can, then we have Estonia to look forward to and then Finland where the roads are similar.' McMillan hopes Tanak's run of bad luck in the first half of the campaign is now at an end and those who feed into the No.8 car can pull out all the stops to keep him in the title fight until the final round in November. 'We are not in too bad a position now and hopefully we can take advantage of Seb's absence in Estonia and take some good points and close the gap on Elfyn,' he added. 'If we do that, then the rest of the season should be really interesting — especially as Ott's pace has just always been there.'
