Latest news with #Nato
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
More than £1bn earmarked for battlefield tech
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) will spend more than £1bn to develop technology to speed up decisions on the battlefield. The funding will be one of the results of the government's long-awaited strategic defence review which is due to be published in full on Monday. The government has committed to raising defence spending to 2.5% GDP from April 2027 with an ambition to increase that to 3% in the next parliament. In February, the prime minister said cuts to the foreign aid budget would be used to fund the military boost. Announcing the results of the review, the MoD said a new Digital Targeting Web would better connect soldiers on the ground with key information provided by satellites, aircraft and drones helping them target enemy threats faster. Defence Secretary John Healey said the technology announced in the review - which will harness Artificial Intelligence (AI) and software - also highlights lessons being learnt from the war in Ukraine. Ukraine is already using AI and software to speed up the process of identifying, and then hitting, Russian military targets. The review had been commissioned by the newly formed Labour government shortly after last year's election with Healey describing it as the "first of its kind". The government said the findings would be published in the first half of 2025, but did not give an exact date. Healey made the announcement on a visit to the MoD's cyber headquarters in Corsham, Wiltshire. The headquarters is where the UK military co-ordinates their cyber activities to both prevent and to carry out cyber-attacks. Defence officials said over the last two years the UK's military had faced more than 90,000 cyber-attacks by potential adversaries. Attacks have been on the rise, as has their level of sophistication, they added. Staff at Corsham said they had recently helped identify and block malware sent to UK military personnel who recently returned from working abroad. They said the source of the malware was from a "known Russian actor". Both Russia and China have been linked to the increase in cyber-attacks. Defence officials have confirmed that the UK military has also been conducting its own offensive cyber-attacks. Healey said it showed the nature of warfare was changing. "The keyboard is now a weapon of war and we are responding to that," he said. He said the UK needed to be the fastest-innovating military within the Nato alliance. As part of the strategic defence review, the UK's military cyber operations will be overseen by a new Cyber and Electromagnetic Command. The MoD said the Command would also take the lead in electronic warfare, from co-ordinating efforts to intercept any adversaries communications, to jamming drones. Healey said the extra investment being made was possible because of the government's "historic commitment" to increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027. However, the Nato Secretary-General, Mark Rutte, is calling on allies to increase defence spending by more than 3.5% of GDP. The terrifying new weapon changing the war in Ukraine 'It's going to be ugly': Westminster braces for Spending Review UK announces further £450m military support to Ukraine
Spectator
4 hours ago
- Business
- Spectator
Germany's Bundeswehr bears no resemblance to an actual army
Confusion abounded this week when the new German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that Ukraine could use western missiles to hit targets deep within Russia. 'There are no more range limitations for weapons delivered to Ukraine. Neither from the Brits, nor the French, nor from us. Not from the Americans either,' he said. The problem was twofold. Firstly, that is not the official policy of western allies. Secondly, Germany has not provided Ukraine with any long-range missiles. Partly that is a political choice by Germany, but there is also the fact of the inherent weakness of the Bundeswehr itself. Merz's new government has recognised the limited nature of his military, vowing to build 'the strongest conventional army in Europe'. For that to happen, the Bundeswehr will need more than money. It needs to know what it is and what it's fighting for. Is Germany – still deeply scarred by its Nazi past – ready to build a military ethos fit for the 21st century? Independent thinking has never been a priority for the Bundeswehr general staff. Rock-solid trust in US leadership was part of its very foundations. With those foundations eroding, Merz is trying to build his own as quickly as possible. He has promised to spend 5 per cent of GDP on the military and related infrastructure; this amounts to some €200 billion, four times what Britain spends on defence in any given year. There is an irony in this promised military expansion: it's the result of Donald Trump's demands that Nato allies meet their obligations under the treaty. Even when it comes to greater German self-reliance, it seems that Washington is still calling the shots.
The Journal
9 hours ago
- Politics
- The Journal
German chancellor pledges to help Ukraine develop long-range missiles
GERMAN CHANCELLOR FRIEDRICH Merz has pledged to help Ukraine develop its own long-range missile systems that would be free of any Western-imposed limitations on their range and target options as the Kyiv government fights to repel Russia's invasion. Some of the advanced weapon systems that Kyiv's Western partners have supplied to Ukraine during the more than three-year war were subject to range and target restrictions. The limits have been a fraught political issue, stemming from fears that if the weapons struck Russia, the Kremlin might retaliate against the country that provided them and suck Nato into Europe's biggest conflict since the Second World War. Merz said in Berlin, alongside visiting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, that under an intensified cooperation agreement Germany 'will strive to equip the Ukrainian army with all the capabilities that truly enable it to successfully defend the country', including upgraded domestic missile production. Germany has been the second-biggest supplier of military aid to Ukraine after the United States. 'Ukraine will be able to fully defend itself including against military targets outside its own territory' with its own missiles, Merz said at a joint news conference. The German leader's pledge came as the past few months of intense US-led peace efforts have brought no significant breakthrough, and with analysts saying Russia is poised to launch a major summer offensive. German foreign minister Johann Wadephul is set to meet in Washington with US secretary of state Marco Rubio later today. Advertisement Merz greeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Berlin. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Merz declined to say whether Germany will supply its advanced Taurus long-range cruise missile to Ukraine – a longstanding request by Kyiv, and a step that Berlin has resisted. Asked about Germany's offer to fund long-range missile production in Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded that the move was an obstacle to reaching a peace agreement. Both Merz and Zelenskyy criticised the Kremlin's effective rejection of an unconditional ceasefire proposed by the US, which Kyiv accepted, and its delay in responding to proposals for a settlement. Merz said last Monday that Germany and other major allies were no longer imposing range limits on weapons they send to Ukraine , though he indicated their use was limited to Russian military targets. The Kremlin called the move 'dangerous'. Then-US president Joe Biden late last year authorised Ukraine to use US-supplied missiles to strike deeper into Russia. The decision allowed Ukraine to use the Army Tactical Missile System, known as ATACMS, against Russia. In Berlin, Zelenskyy called for deeper defence cooperation across Europe and with the United States, stressing the need for long-range capabilities and sustained military funding to ensure Ukraine's resilience. 'We need sufficient long-range capabilities. That's why we must be certain of the financing of our army and the stability of Ukraine,' he said. He added that the cooperation projects already exist. 'We simply want (the missiles) to be produced in the quantity we need,' Zelenskyy told the news conference. The Kremlin has said that Russia is grateful to Trump for his mediation efforts. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo On Tuesday, the Ukrainian President said he is ready to hold peace talks at the highest level, including a trilateral meeting with himself, Russian leader Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump. Related Reads Kremlin says Trump 'emotional' after US President called Putin 'absolutely crazy' over Ukraine strikes Russia says West's decision to lift range limits on weapons sent to Ukraine is 'dangerous' At least 12, including three children, killed in Russian drone-and-missile attack on Ukraine 'We are ready to meet at the level of leaders. Both the American side knows this, and the Russian side knows this,' he said. Zelenskyy said he would accept any configuration of talks, whether that includes one trilateral meeting or separate meetings with Trump. Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, said that Russia is grateful to Trump for his mediation efforts. 'At the same time, there is a big number of nuances to be discussed that can't be neglected and which neither party is going to sacrifice, because of its national interests,' Peskov told reporters. 'Just like the United States, Russia has its national interests that are of primary importance to us.' He said that Moscow will 'soon' deliver its promised memorandum on a framework for a peace settlement. Meanwhile, fighting has continued along the roughly 620-mile front line, where Ukraine's army is shorthanded against its bigger adversary. Zelenskyy claimed Russia is mobilising up to 45,000 men every month, while Ukraine mobilises between 25,000-27,000. Both sides are continuing to conduct deep strikes. Russia launched its biggest drone attack of the war against Ukraine on Sunday. Russian air defences downed 296 Ukrainian drones over 13 Russian regions late on Tuesday and early today, Russia's defence ministry said, in what appeared to be one of the biggest Ukrainian drone assaults of the war.
Belfast Telegraph
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Belfast Telegraph
German leader offers to help Ukraine develop long-range missiles to hit Russia
Some of the advanced weapon systems that Kyiv's Western partners have supplied to Ukraine during the more than three-year war were subject to range and target restrictions. The limits have been a fraught political issue, stemming from fears that if the weapons struck Russia, the Kremlin might retaliate against the country that provided them and suck Nato into Europe's biggest conflict since the Second World War. Mr Merz said in Berlin, alongside visiting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, that under an intensified cooperation agreement Germany 'will strive to equip the Ukrainian army with all the capabilities that truly enable it to successfully defend the country', including upgraded domestic missile production. Germany has been the second-biggest supplier of military aid to Ukraine after the United States. 'Ukraine will be able to fully defend itself including against military targets outside its own territory' with its own missiles, Mr Merz said at a joint news conference. The German leader's pledge came as the past few months of intense US-led peace efforts have brought no significant breakthrough, and with analysts saying Russia is poised to launch a major summer offensive. German foreign minister Johann Wadephul is set to meet in Washington with US secretary of state Marco Rubio later on Wednesday. Mr Merz declined to say whether Germany will supply its advanced Taurus long-range cruise missile to Ukraine – a longstanding request by Kyiv, and a step that Berlin has resisted. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Asked about Germany's offer to fund long-range missile production in Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded that the move was an obstacle to reaching a peace agreement. Both Mr Merz and Mr Zelensky criticized the Kremlin's effective rejection of an unconditional ceasefire proposed by the US, which Kyiv accepted, and its delay in responding to proposals for a settlement. Mr Merz said last Monday that Germany and other major allies were no longer imposing range limits on weapons they send to Ukraine, though he indicated their use was limited to Russian military targets. Then-US president Joe Biden late last year authorised Ukraine to use US-supplied missiles to strike deeper into Russia. The decision allowed Ukraine to use the Army Tactical Missile System, known as ATACMS, against Russia. In Berlin, Mr Zelensky called for deeper defence cooperation across Europe and with the United States, stressing the need for long-range capabilities and sustained military funding to ensure Ukraine's resilience. 'We need sufficient long-range capabilities. That's why we must be certain of the financing of our army and the stability of Ukraine,' he said. He added that the cooperation projects already exist. 'We simply want (the missiles) to be produced in the quantity we need,' Mr Zelensky told the news conference. On Tuesday, the Ukrainian President said he is ready to hold peace talks at the highest level, including a trilateral meeting with himself, Russian leader Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump. 'We are ready to meet at the level of leaders. Both the American side knows this, and the Russian side knows this,' he said. Mr Zelensky said he would accept any configuration of talks, whether that includes one trilateral meeting or separate meetings with Trump. Mr Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, said that Russia is grateful to Trump for his mediation efforts.'At the same time, there is a big number of nuances to be discussed that can't be neglected and which neither party is going to sacrifice, because of its national interests,' Peskov told reporters. 'Just like the United States, Russia has its national interests that are of primary importance to us.' He said that Moscow will 'soon' deliver its promised memorandum on a framework for a peace settlement. Meanwhile, fighting has continued along the roughly 620-mile front line, where Ukraine's army is shorthanded against its bigger adversary. Mr Zelensky claimed Russia is mobilising up to 45,000 men every month, while Ukraine mobilises between 25,000-27,000. Both sides are continuing to conduct deep strikes. Russia launched its biggest drone attack of the war against Ukraine on Sunday. Russian air defences downed 296 Ukrainian drones over 13 Russian regions late on Tuesday and early Wednesday, Russia's defence ministry said, in what appeared to be one of the biggest Ukrainian drone assaults of the war.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Carney says he wants Canada to join major European defence plan
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he wants his country to join a major European plan to bolster defences by 1 July. Speaking to CBC on Tuesday, Carney said he hoped Canada would sign on to ReArm Europe - a plan to dramatically increase defence spending on the continent to in the next five years - in a bid to reduce reliance on the US. "Seventy-five cents of every (Canadian) dollar of capital spending for defence goes to the United States. That's not smart," Carney told the public broadcaster. His remarks come amid tension with the US after threats from President Donald Trump - though Carney has also previously said he is open to joining a missile defence project proposed by Trump. A day after Carney's remarks, Canada's defence minister told a military trade show that his country wanted to quickly boost defence capacity in the face of growing global threats. "The global security environment is today volatile and uncertain," said defence minister David McGuinty on Wednesday, citing Russia's war in Ukraine, as well as a more assertive China. McGuinty said there would be a future focus on the Arctic, where competing nations were challenging Canada's sovereignty. Defence also featured on Tuesday in the Speech from the Throne - an event that opened the new parliament and outlined the sitting government's agenda. The address was read in person by King Charles III, Canada's monarch, as part of a royal visit that was designed to highlight Canada's identity and sovereignty. The speech - which was written by both the King with his advisers and the Canadian government - contained commitments to "rebuilding, rearming, and reinvesting" in Canada's military. It also outlined the government's goal of strengthening defence relationships with European allies, and made mention of joining the ReArm Europe plan. Canada 'strong and free' and other takeaways from King's throne speech King's Canadian speech doesn't mention you-know-who The remarks by Canadian officials come after Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte said he expected members of his Western defence alliance - including Canada - to grow their annual defence spending to a level equivalent to 5% of each nation's GDP. The Nato target was previously 2% of GDP, but Rutte said members must prepare to defend themselves from increasingly powerful adversaries like Russia and China. "Russia has teamed up with China, North Korea and Iran," Rutte told a Nato forum in the US on Monday. "They are expanding their militaries and their capabilities. They are preparing for long-term confrontation." The plan to increase Nato's spending target still has to be approved by member-country leaders, who are set to meet in the Netherlands in late June. Canada has long faced pressure for failing to meet Nato targets, and was accused last year by US House Speaker Mike Johnson of "riding on America's coattails". Canadian business leaders have also called on their government to majorly boost spending in the defence industry, touting this as a way to boost the economy. In Wednesday's remarks, McGuinty told defence industry representatives that Carney's government would prioritise procuring military technology and equipment from Canadian companies. Last week, Carney said that "high-level" talks were also taking place with the US about joining Trump's Golden Dome missile defence system. The King's throne speech noted that Canada wanted to continue talks with the US on security on trade. The US president posted on his Truth Social network later on Tuesday evening that the Golden Dome project would cost Canada US$61bn "if they remain a separate, but unequal, Nation." "But will cost ZERO DOLLARS if they become our cherished 51st State," he added, repeating his often-repeated view that Canada should be absorbed by the US. "They are considering the offer!" he claimed. In response, Carney's office said in a statement that the prime minister "has been clear at every opportunity, including in his conversations with President Trump, that Canada is an independent, sovereign nation, and it will remain one". Carney says Canada in talks to join Trump's Golden Dome defence system Canada faces pressure at Nato summit for riding on 'coattails'
