Latest news with #EuropeanSolidarity
New York Times
08-07-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Trump's U-Turn on Weapons Leaves Ukrainians Hopeful but Cautious
Ukrainians on Tuesday welcomed President Trump's announcement that he would send additional weapons to fend off Russian attacks, even if it was the latest in a series of flip-flops on his approach to the war. Lawmakers and analysts in Kyiv, Ukraine's capital, said they were not expecting a full turnaround on military assistance, given Mr. Trump's skepticism of U.S. spending on Ukraine and his fickleness on continuing military aid already funded by Congress. When Mr. Trump's administration last week decided to pause some already-approved arms transfers to Ukraine, officials said that the reason was to review weapons levels in American stockpiles. But on Monday, Mr. Trump said that Moscow's recent attacks on Ukrainian cities had left him no choice. 'We're going to send more weapons,' Mr. Trump told reporters, noting that he had become unhappy with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, who has been foot-dragging in cease-fire talks that began in February. 'We have to,' Mr. Trump added. 'They have to be able to defend themselves.' Iryna Gerashchenko, a member of the Ukrainian Parliament for the opposition European Solidarity Party, wrote on social media that the announcement was 'a signal of political change.' 'The increasing intensity of Russian attacks and growing pressure from allies in Europe, particularly Germany and France, are forcing the White House to change,' she added. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Free Malaysia Today
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Macron visits Greenland in show of support after Trump's threats
Greenland is not part of the European Union but is on the list of overseas territories associated with the bloc. (Ritzau Scanpix/AP pic) PARIS : French President Emmanuel Macron will travel to Greenland today carrying a message of 'European solidarity and support' for the Danish autonomous territory coveted by US President Donald Trump, located at the crossroads of the Atlantic and the Arctic. Macron will be the first foreign head of state to set foot on the vast territory – roughly nine times larger than the UK, with 80% of its area covered in ice – since Trump's annexation threats. Trump has repeatedly said the US needs the strategically located, resource-rich Arctic island for security reasons, and has refused to rule out the use of force to secure it. The deep sea, Greenland and Antarctica are 'not for sale', Macron said Monday at a UN oceans summit, remarks clearly directed at Trump's expansionist claims. 'I'm going to say: 'We're here, and we're ready to reinvest ourselves so that there is no preying'' on it, Macron said a few days ahead of his trip. Following his arrival in Greenland's capital Nuuk at 11.30am, the French leader will visit a glacier, a hydroelectric power plant and a Danish frigate. He will be accompanied throughout his visit by Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen. Macron's trip will be 'a signal in itself made at the request of Danish and Greenlandic authorities', his office said. 'Not for sale' The Danish invitation to Macron contrasts sharply with the reception granted to US vice-president JD Vance, whose one-day trip to Greenland in March was seen as a provocation by both Nuuk and Copenhagen. During his visit to the US Pituffik military base, Vance castigated Denmark for not having 'done a good job by the people of Greenland', alleging they had neglected security. The Pituffik base is an essential part of Washington's missile defence infrastructure, its location putting it on the shortest route for missiles fired from Russia at the US. Polls indicate that the vast majority of Greenland's 57,000 inhabitants want to become independent from Denmark – but do not wish to become part of the US. Denmark has also repeatedly stressed that Greenland 'is not for sale'. The Arctic has gained geostrategic importance as the race for rare earths heats up and as melting ice caused by global warming opens up new shipping routes. As a result, Copenhagen in January announced a US$2 billion plan to boost its military presence in the Arctic region. Nato also plans to set up a Combined Air Operations Centre (CAOC) in Norway above the Arctic Circle, as Russia aims to bolster its military presence in the region. During his visit, Macron plans to discuss Arctic security and how to include the territory in 'European action' to contribute to its development, while 'respecting its sovereignty', his office said. Mount Nunatarsuaq Macron will also see first-hand the effects of climate change when he visits a glacier on Mount Nunatarsuaq, about 30km from Nuuk. Greenland's ice sheet melted 17 times faster than the historical average during a May 15-21 heatwave in Greenland, a recent report showed. France intends to 'massively reinvest in the knowledge of these ecosystems', following the footsteps of famed French explorer Paul-Emile Victor who carried out multiple expeditions to Greenland, Macron's office said. Greenlandic authorities recently designated Victor's hut, built in 1950 in Quervain Bay in the north, as an historic structure. At a hydroelectric power station in Buksefjorden, located 600m inside a mountain and funded by the European Union, the three leaders will discuss Greenland's decarbonisation and energy supply. Unlike Denmark, Greenland is not part of the European Union but is on the list of overseas territories associated with the bloc.
Malay Mail
15-06-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
France says ‘non' to Trump's Greenland grab as Macron visits the Arctic
PARIS, June 15 — French President Emmanuel Macron will visit Greenland on Sunday, in a show of solidarity with Denmark meant to send a signal of European resolve after US President Donald Trump threatened to take over the island. Greenland is a self-governing part of the Kingdom of Denmark with the right to declare independence. Both the Greenland and Danish governments say it is not for sale and only Greenlanders can determine their future. President Donald Trump has said he wants the United States to take over the mineral-rich, strategically located Arctic island, and has not ruled out force. His vice president, JD Vance, visited a US military base there in March. Macron, the first foreign leader to visit Greenland since Trump's explicit threats to 'get' the island, was invited by the prime ministers of Greenland and Denmark. He has said his visit is meant to prevent any 'preying' on the territory. 'France has stood by us since the first statements about taking our land emerged. This support is both necessary and gratifying,' Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen wrote on Facebook days ahead of Macron's visit. Asked if Macron would deliver an explicit message to the United States during his visit, an adviser to Macron told reporters: 'The trip is a signal in itself,' without mentioning Trump. Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told RTL radio on Sunday: 'Greenland is a European territory and it is normal that Europe and notably France show their interest.' According to an IFOP poll for published on Saturday, 77 per cent of the French and 56 per cent of Americans disapprove of an annexation of Greenland by the US and 43 per cent of the French would approve using French military power to prevent a US invasion. Macron will visit the capital Nuuk, as well as a hydropower station funded by the EU and a glacier, and discuss Arctic security and climate change with his hosts. Though Denmark is an EU member, Greenland is outside the bloc. The French adviser said the visit would be an opportunity to discuss how to give Greenland's association partnership with the EU a 'new dimension'. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen made several visits to Paris after Trump's threats to seek French and European backing, and has placed orders for French-made surface-to-air missiles, in a shift of focus for Copenhagen. Enlisting the EU's only nuclear power is a way for Denmark, long one of Washington's most loyal allies in Europe, to project a form of hard power towards a suddenly more aggressive United States, said Florian Vidal of the Paris-based IFRI think tank. 'The Trump administration's more aggressive posture is a shock that makes the French vision of Europe, one that is more autonomous, appear more reasonable for Denmark,' he said. 'From a Nordic point of view, France is a military power that counts.' — Reuters
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ukraine plays surprise card in Trump's ceasefire push
Odesa, UKRAINE — Ukraine's audacious drone attacks on Russian air bases this weekend gave Kyiv a much-needed morale boost amid growing frustration in the country over President Trump's approach to the war. Ukraine claimed it destroyed dozens of Russia's long-distance and nuclear-capable bombers with explosive drones smuggled across the border, although open-source reporting has not confirmed all of Ukraine's claims. The stunning military maneuver counters Trump's narrative that Ukraine is on the brink of defeat, but it 'doesn't change everything,' said Oleksiy Goncharenko, a member of Ukraine's Parliament in the opposition European Solidarity party. 'I hope maybe after such operation Russians will also realize that they also need ceasefire. Maybe from this point of view it will help. For the moment it's great operation, but I don't feel it immediately changes a lot,' he told The Hill. The Hill traveled to Ukraine's southern port city Odesa last week, interviewing officials, volunteers in the war effort, and people on the street about their feelings of the course of the war and relations with the U.S. Volodymyr Dubovyk, professor of international relations at Odesa Mechnikov National University, said that while Ukrainians are worn down from three years of war, they are not prepared to swallow Russia's conditions for a ceasefire — such as recognizing Russian sovereignty over occupied territories and restrictions on their military. 'Exhaustion in Ukraine is very real,' he said. 'But at the same time, people are not having any appetite for capitulation and surrender, because, after all, so much being lost already, so many lives lost — what for? Then to give to Russia what it wanted from the very beginning? That doesn't make sense for a lot of Ukrainians.' Trump has neither criticized nor endorsed Ukraine's cross-border operation, but he said it was discussed during his call Wednesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who he said promised a Russian response to the attacks. On Tuesday, Ukraine's internal security service also announced it had carried out a special operation bombing Kerch Bridge, the main artery connecting Russia to the occupied Crimean Peninsula and a Putin pet project. The symbolism of these attacks has boosted spirits across Ukraine but don't address wider concerns about the future of the war. One soldier in a special forces unit, who asked for anonymity because he's not allowed to speak to journalists, said Russia still had a clear edge with its relentless firepower. 'They [Russia] are stronger; they have the great weapons — not like our weapons are better or worse, but they have more weapons, more people and they can be in the war five years, maybe seven years. I think we are almost sick after three years,' the soldier said. He said Ukraine could still save most of its territory, but he added Ukraine would 'never get back Crimea.' 'Some of the borders I hope we save, and for that, I think we must fight,' he said. There's also the looming challenge of dwindling U.S. support to Ukraine. At the Black Sea Security Forum, an international security conference that seeks to highlight Odesa as a linchpin of Ukraine's defense, attendees conceded that Europe is not yet capable of replacing American weapons or financial assistance. Former Ohio Rep. Bob McEwen (R) was a rare voice defending Trump's approach to brokering a ceasefire. 'I wish that this could have been resolved in the first 100 days, but it's going to take a little bit more energy,' McEwen said on a panel Saturday, expressing confidence that Trump's diplomatic push would ultimately succeed. 'I would encourage you to focus — as much frustration that you have with our current president — with those who allowed us to get into this problem in the first place,' he added. Earlier, he repeated a common White House argument criticizing former President Biden as weak and failing to deter Russia from launching the full-scale invasion in February 2022. Ukrainians are increasingly critical of Trump, with polls showing a major change in attitudes from when he was initially elected and promised to end the war within 24 hours. Oleksandr Prokudin is the head of the Kherson Regional Military Administration. Russia occupies about 70 percent of the region and pounds the territory under Ukrainian control daily with rockets and artillery. A United Nations commission found Russia's use of attack drones in the region amounts to crimes against humanity for deliberately targeting civilians. Prokudin is supportive of a ceasefire but isn't convinced it would lead to lasting peace, especially given Trump's antagonism toward Ukraine and favoring Russia. 'Even if a ceasefire happens and there will be a 30-day or 60-day peace, we understand that Russia will not stop at this point,' Prokudin said through a translator. 'And we will use this time to prepare ourselves for a future harder attack, which is definitely going to happen.' He said Kherson was hit hard by Trump's decision to effectively eliminate the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and terminate grants in the region for energy resilience and irrigation repair for a region highly dependent on agriculture. 'This was a bad situation for our region,' Prokudin said of the USAID cuts. At a community center in one of Odesa's working-class neighborhoods, volunteers have shown up consistently for three years to hand-knit camouflage nets for front-line service members — a tedious task that gives them a sense of purpose in the war effort. The center also 3D prints mortar casings and small boxes that can be fitted with electronics to use for drone surveillance. Konstantin Zador, its executive director, said Sunday in a text to The Hill that 'Operation Spider Web' — the name of Ukraine's weekend drone attack — has raised spirits. 'Maybe it did not allow us to strengthen our position in the negotiation in Istanbul [on Monday], but it has definitely shown the whole world that Ukraine is strong and unconquerable!' he wrote after news of the operation broke. Galina, 67, is one of the volunteers who was at the center when The Hill visited last week. She is a refugee from the city of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine, a strategic Ukrainian supply hub that has been fiercely contested since Russian forces first invaded in 2014. She wasn't ready to give up on Trump. 'You can have different attitudes toward Donald Trump and what he says, but he is president of friendly nation to us and so we hope this friendliness would remain,' she said. 'Of course he is emotional, expressive, but the thing is we really need American support, so we need to accept the words as they are said, and not be the ones to judge.' Also visiting the center that day was Andriy, 35, who said he is a member of Ukraine's special forces and in the country's growing Navy. He had come to collect one of the camouflage nets, along with some emergency medical supplies and small presents to boost morale at the front line — chocolate, cookies and children's drawings. 'There's no time for exhaustion,' Andriy said through a translator. 'There's too much work.' Andriy said he worked with underwater explosives, part of Ukraine's arsenal that is not impacted by waning U.S. support. Asked if Ukraine will take down the Kerch Bridge, he laughed and responded: 'We are working on it right now. It would be something huge.' A few days later, explosions rocked the bridge. Disclosure: The Black Sea Security Forum paid for the flight and arranged transportation for The Hill. Some interviews were facilitated by the conference organizers. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
04-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Ukraine plays surprise card in Trump's ceasefire push
Odesa, UKRAINE – Ukraine's audacious drone attacks on Russian air bases this weekend gave Kyiv a much-needed morale boost amid growing frustration here over President Trump's approach to the war. Ukraine claimed it destroyed dozens of Russia's long-distance and nuclear-capable bombers with explosive drones smuggled across the border, although open-source reporting has not confirmed all of Ukraine's claims. The stunning military maneuver counters President Trump's narrative that Ukraine is on the brink of defeat, but 'doesn't change everything,' said Oleksey Goncharenko, a member of Ukraine's parliament, in the opposition European Solidarity party. 'I hope maybe after such operation Russians will also realize that they also need ceasefire. Maybe from this point of view it will help. For the moment it's great operation but I don't feel it immediately changes a lot,' he told The Hill. The Hill traveled to Ukraine's southern port city Odesa last week, interviewing officials, volunteers in the war effort and people on the street about their feelings of the course of the war and relations with the U.S. Volodymyr Dubovyk, professor of international relations at Odesa Mechnikov University, said that while Ukrainians are worn down from three years of war, they are not prepared to swallow Russia's conditions for a ceasefire – such as recognizing Russian sovereignty over occupied territories and restrictions on their military. 'Exhaustion in Ukraine is very real,' he said. 'But at the same time, people are not having any appetite for capitulation and surrender, because, after all, so much being lost already, so many lives lost – what for? Then to give to Russia what it wanted from the very beginning? That doesn't make sense for a lot of Ukrainians.' Trump has neither criticized nor endorsed Ukraine's cross-border operation, but said it was discussed during his call Wednesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who he said promised a Russian response to the attacks. On Tuesday, Ukraine's internal security service also announced it had carried out a special operation bombing Kerch bridge, the main artery connecting Russia to the occupied Crimean Peninsula and a Putin pet project, The symbolism of these attacks have boosted spirits across Ukraine, but don't address wider concerns about the future of the war. One soldier in a special forces unit, who asked for anonymity because he's not allowed to speak to journalists, said Russia still had a clear edge with its relentless firepower. 'They [Russia] are stronger, they have the great weapons – not like our weapons are better or worse, but they have more weapons, more people and they can be in the war five years, maybe seven years. I think we are almost sick after three years,' the soldier said. He said Ukraine could still save most of its territory, but added Ukraine would 'never get back Crimea.' 'Some of the borders I hope we save, and for that, I think we must fight,' he said. There's also the looming challenge of dwindling U.S. support to Ukraine. At the Black Sea Security Forum, an international security conference that seeks to highlight Odesa as a linchpin of Ukraine's defense, attendees conceded that Europe is not yet capable of replacing American weapons or financial assistance. Former Ohio congressman Bob McEwen (R) was a rare voice defending Trump's approach to brokering a ceasefire. 'I wish that this could have been resolved in the first 100 days but it's going to take a little bit more energy,' McEwen said on a panel on Saturday, expressing confidence that Trump's diplomatic push would ultimately succeed. 'I would encourage you to focus – as much frustration that you have with our current president – with those who allowed us to get into this problem in the first place,' he added. Earlier, he repeated a common White House argument criticizing President Biden as weak and failing to deter Russia from launching the full-scale invasion in Feb. 2022. Ukrainians are increasingly critical of Trump, with polls showing a major change in attitudes from when he was initially elected and promised to end the war within 24 hours. Oleksandr Prokudin is the Head of the Kherson Regional Military Administration. Russia occupies about 70 percent of the region and pounds the territory under Ukrainian control daily with rockets and artillery. A United Nations commission found Russia's use of attack drones in the region amounts to crimes against humanity for deliberately targeting civilians. Prokudin is supportive of a ceasefire, but isn't convinced it would lead to lasting peace, especially given to Trump's antagonism toward Ukraine and favoring Russia. 'Even if a ceasefire happens and there will be a 30-day or 60-day peace, we understand that Russia will not stop at this point,' Prokudin said through a translator. 'And we will use this time to prepare ourselves for a future harder attack, which is definitely going to happen.' He said Kherson was hit hard by Trump's decision to effectively eliminate the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and terminate grants in the region for energy resilience and irrigation repair for a region highly dependent on agriculture. 'This was a bad situation for our region,' Prokudin said of the USAID cuts. At a community center in one of Odesa's working-class neighborhoods, volunteers have shown up consistently for three years to hand-knit camouflage nets for frontline troops – a tedious task that gives them a sense of purpose in the war effort. The center also 3-D prints mortar casings and small boxes that can be fitted with electronics to use for drone surveillance. Konstantin Zador, its executive director, said Operation Spider Web has raised spirits, in a text to The Hill on Sunday. 'Maybe it did not allow us to strengthen our position in the negotiation in Istanbul [on Monday], but it has definitely shown the whole world that Ukraine is strong and unconquerable!' he wrote after news of the operation broke. Galina, 67, is one of the volunteers who was at the center when The Hill visited last week. She is a refugee from the city of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine, a strategic Ukrainian supply hub that has been fiercely contested since Russian forces first invaded in 2014. She wasn't ready to give up on Trump. 'You can have different attitudes toward Donald Trump and what he says, but he is president of friendly nation to us and so we hope this friendliness would remain,' she said. 'Of course he is emotional, expressive, but the thing is we really need American support, so we need to accept the words as they are said, and not be the ones to judge.' Also visiting the center that day was Andriy, 35, who said he is a member of Ukraine's special forces and in the country's growing Navy. He had come to collect one of the camouflage nets, along with some emergency medical supplies and small presents to boost morale at the frontline – chocolate, cookies and children's drawings. 'There's no time for exhaustion,' Andriy said through a translator. 'There's too much work.' Andriy said he worked with underwater explosives, part of Ukraine's arsenal that is not impacted by waning U.S. support. Asked if Ukraine will take down the Kerch Bridge, he laughed and responded: 'We are working on it right now. It would be something huge.' A few days later, explosions rocked the bridge. Disclosure: The Black Sea Security Forum paid for the flight and arranged transportation for The Hill. Some interviews were facilitated by the conference organizers.
