Latest news with #FrankfurterAllgemeineSonntagszeitung
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Using Russian assets for Ukraine aid needs 'closer look,' German official says
A German official has called on the European Union to take a "closer look" at the issue of frozen Russian assets and using them to support Ukraine, stressing the need to take a harder stance against the Kremlin. Thorsten Frei, Head of the German Chancellery, stated in an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung on May 31 that the EU should "take a much closer look at the issue of Russian state funds than we have so far." He also urged the EU to take a more assertive position against Moscow, adding that "we must not allow the game that Russia is playing with us to go unchallenged." The question of frozen Russian assets, and what to do with them, has been discussed by the EU and other Western countries since the start of the full-scale invasion. Recently, the Group of Seven – including Germany – pledged to keep Russian assets frozen until the end of the war. Frei's comments suggest that Germany's new Chancellor Friedrich Merz may be open to the idea of seizing the approximately €200 billion ($227 billion) in Russian state assets in the EU. Frei also mentioned the 18th package of EU sanctions currently under preparation, citing them as an example of tougher measures against Russia. According to Frei, the upcoming sanctions are a response to Russian President Vladimir Putin's refusal to comply with demands for a ceasefire. "Measures are being prepared that are tougher than before, and which some European states have therefore shied away from so far," Frei said, stressing that the sanctions package will have "far-reaching punitive measures." Frei added that the sanctions package will target Russia's shadow fleet, energy sector, financial sector, and Nord Stream pipelines. "If you want to achieve a ceasefire by peaceful means, then your tools are limited," Frei said. "That is why I am very much in favor of using the tools at your disposal." Read also: Senate to 'start moving' Russia sanctions bill next week, Graham says We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Local Germany
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Local Germany
Military service 'could be made mandatory' says German Defence Minister
In an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung (FAS) on Sunday, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius discussed the likelihood of reintroducing compulsory military service in Germany. Pistorius, who was also defence minister in Germany's previous traffic light coalition, said the new government was currently working on a compulsory military service law, and added that he hoped the legislation would come into force in January 2026. Speaking just a few days after the permanent deployment of a German tank brigade in Lithuania , which represents Germany's biggest foreign military mission since World War II, Pistorius said, 'Our model is initially based on voluntary participation." He added, "If the time comes when we have more capacity available than voluntary registrations, a decision may be made to make recruitment mandatory. That is the roadmap." How will conscription be rolled out? Under current plans, compulsory questionnaires would be sent to all German men and women when they turn 18. The questionnaire is intended to collect information on all citizens of military age, allowing the state to decide who should be called up (and in what order) in the event of a military emergency. It will be mandatory for men to complete the questionnaire and register on a new military registration database, whereas participation for women will be voluntary. The government estimates that around 400,000 young people will submit their information each year – and that as many as 40,000 will voluntarily sign up each year for a period of military service (from a minimum of six months up to 23 months). Provided they fall into the right age bracket, newly naturalised Germans and foreign dual citizens will also be included in the military service scheme. READ ALSO: What will Germany's new military service look like - and who will it include? Advertisement Will Germany reintroduce compulsory military service? Compulsory military service was scrapped in Germany in 2011. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, however, the country has been attempting to boost both its defence spending and capabilities. To meet its obligations as part of the NATO alliance, Germany needs to add around 100,000 soldiers to the Bundeswehr. In the lead-up to their coalition negotiations with the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD), the conservative Union parties (CDU/CSU) were openly in favour of reintroducing military conscription in Germany. Defence Minister Pistorius (SPD) had advocated in favour of a voluntary system. Now, his comments suggest he fears a voluntary system may not be enough to supply the army with an adequate number of new recruits: 'If the time comes when we have more capacity than voluntary enlistments, then a decision may be made to make military service compulsory.' From a legal point of view, reintroducing conscription would be relatively straightforward, as Germany's old universal conscription law was deactivated, rather than removed from the constitution, in 2011. As it stands, the law only applies to men. A decision to conscript women would require a two-thirds majority in a vote in the Bundestag.
DW
24-05-2025
- Health
- DW
Gaza: 9 children of doctor couple killed in Israeli strike – DW – 05/24/2025
The strike occured in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis. Meanwhile, Germany's antisemitism chief questioned the "proportionality" of Israeli's military actions in Gaza. Gaza's civil defense agency said an Israeli strike in the southern city of Khan Younis on Friday killed nine of the 10 children of a married doctor couple. Agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal said Saturday that civil defense "crews transported the bodies of nine child martyrs, some of them charred, from the home of Dr. Hamdi al-Najjar and his wife, Dr. Alaa al-Najjar, all of whom were their children." In a statement, Israel's military said it struck suspects operating from a structure near to its forces and described the area of Khan Younis as a "dangerous war zone." The military said it had evacuated civilians from the area and that "the claim regarding harm to uninvolved civilians is under review." What do we know about the incident? Alaa al-Najjar, a pediatrician at Nasser Hospital, was on duty when she ran home and found her family's house on fire, Ahmad al-Farra, head of the hospital's pediatrics department told the Associated Press. Muneer Alboursh, director general of the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, said on X that the strike happened shortly after Hamdi Al-Najjar drove his wife to work. "Just minutes after returning home, a missile struck their house," he said, adding the father was "in intensive care." Farra said that the couple's only surviving child, an 11-year-old son, was in critical condition after the strike. The dead children ranged in age from seven months to 12 years old. Challenges for creating a 'sterile zone' in Gaza To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Germany's antisemitism chief urges debate on Israel support The latest strike in Gaza come as European counties such as the UK and France grow increasingly critical of Israel's military operations there. Felix Klein, the German government's antisemitism commissioner, told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung that, while protecting Israel and defending its right to exist are fundamental to German policy, support can only go so far. "We must do everything in our power to preserve the security of Israel and Jews worldwide," he said. "But we must also make it clear that this does not justify everything." Israel faces criticism over Gaza aid plan To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Protecting Israel's security and supporting its interests in international organizations is one of Germany's "Staatsräson" ('Reason of state'). The policy is tied to Germany's historical responsibility to Israel after the Holocaust during World War II, in which 6 million Jews were killed. Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza in response to a Hamas terror attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. Hamas' attack on Israel killed some 1,200 people, with Hamas and other Palestinian groups also taking 251 hostages. Gaza's health authorities say nearly 54,000 people have died in the Gaza Strip amid Israeli attacks. Although Israel and the US have criticized this death toll figure, the UN and other international bodies have viewed the Gaza Health Ministry figures as broadly reliable. We cannot accept an Israeli occupation of Gaza: Jürgen Hardt To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video "The humanitarian situation in Gaza is catastrophic. A country that occupies a territory must ensure that the population is adequately fed, that relief supplies get through and that medical care can take place," Klein said. He emphasized that Israel is entitled to defend itself against Hamas, whom he accused of "genocidal hatred," but he questioned the "proportionality" of Israel's military action. Edited by: Wesley Dockery
