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Korea Herald
18 hours ago
- Business
- Korea Herald
Hegseth urges Asian allies to boost defense spending, do 'their part' in face of 'real' China threats
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called Saturday for Asian allies to increase their defense spending and do their part as "force multipliers," as he portrayed China's evolving threats as "real" and potentially "imminent," and warned against economic "entanglement" with the Asian superpower. Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue, an annual defense forum in Singapore, Hegseth also reassured allies and partners of America's commitment to the Indo-Pacific and vowed to increase the United States' focus on the region "if allies share the burden." His remarks came amid lingering concerns that President Donald Trump's America First policy might lead to a scaling back of the US' costly overseas security engagements in the midst of increasingly complicated challenges from China, North Korea, Russia and others. "It is hard to believe a little bit, after some trips to Europe that I am saying this, but thanks to President Trump, Asian allies should look to countries in Europe as a newfound example. NATO members are pledging to spend 5 percent of their GDP on defense, even Germany," he said. GDP is short for gross domestic product. "It doesn't make sense for countries in Europe to do that, while key allies and partners in Asia spend less on defense in the face of an even more formidable threat, not to mention North Korea." His remarks appeared to mark a subtle shift from the Trump administration's focus on some members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) that the president once called "delinquent." Hegseth stressed that defense spending should reflect "the dangers and threats we face today." "Deterrence does not come cheap," he said. "Time is of the essence. We must step up and move out with urgency." Speculation has persisted that the Trump administration might call for a rise in South Korea's share of the cost for stationing the 28,500-strong US Forces Korea. Trump has said that America was not sufficiently "reimbursed" for what he called its "big-time" military protection of the Asian ally. Hegseth highlighted the need for US allies to do their part to help counter Chinese threats. "We ask -- indeed, we insist -- that our allies and partners do their part on defense. Sometimes, that means having uncomfortable and tough conversations. Partners owe it to each other to be honest and realistic ... This is the essence of a pragmatic, common-sense defense policy," Hegseth said. "But you will also see that we are -- and will remain -- loyal to our allies and partners ... In fact, the only way to ensure lasting alliances and partnerships is to make sure each side does its part and see the benefit." Moreover, he said that an alliance cannot be "ironclad" if "in reality or perception," it is seen as one-sided." The secretary reiterated that "America First" does not mean "America alone," as he requested that US allies and partners work as "force multipliers" alongside the US in the midst of shared threats. "We will stand with you and work alongside you to deter Chinese aggression. And we will do so in a rational and pragmatic manner," he said. "Each day, together, creating more and more dilemmas and complications, should they decide to overturn the status quo." He went on to say that no one should doubt America's commitment to its Indo-Pacific allies and partners. "We will continue to wrap our arms around our friends and find new ways to work together -- not only our treaty allies here, but also our key defense partners in ASEAN and across the Indo-Pacific," he said. ASEAN stands for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Excoriating China's assertive behavior in the region, the secretary cautioned against the perils of economic reliance on the Asian power. "We know that many countries are tempted by the idea of seeking both economic cooperation with China and defense cooperation with the United States ... But beware the leverage the CCP seeks with that entanglement," Hegseth said. CCP is short for the Chinese Communist Party. "Economic dependence on China only deepens their malign influence and complicates our decision space during times of tension or conflict." He strongly castigated China's threats against Taiwan and in the South China Sea. "China seeks to become the hegemonic power in Asia. No doubt it hopes to dominate and control too many parts of this vibrant and vital region," he said. "Through its massive military build-up and growing willingness to use military force to achieve its goals, including gray zone tactics in hybrid warfare, China has demonstrated that it wants to fundamentally alter the region's status quo." China's behavior towards its neighbors and the world is a "wake-up" call, he noted, calling attention to Chinese President Xi Jinping's order for his military to be capable of invading Taiwan by 2027. "To be clear, any attempt by Communist China to conquer Taiwan would result in devastating consequences for the Indo-Pacific and the world," he said. "There is a no reason to sugarcoat it. The threat China poses is real. And it could be imminent. We hope not." However, he pointed out that Washington does not seek conflict with its Asian competitor. "The U.S, especially under President Trump, does not seek war. We do not seek to dominate or strangle China ... We do not seek regime change," he said. "Instead, we seek peace. But we must ensure that China cannot dominate us -- or our allies and partners. Maintaining the status quo requires strength. That's just a rational, common sense goal that we should all be able to live with." In another stern message to China that he views as seeking regional dominance, Hegseth underlined that America will continue to stay as an Indo-Pacific nation. "Here in the Indo-Pacific, our futures are bound together. The prosperity and security of the American people are linked to those of your people," he said. "We share your vision of peace and stability, and of prosperity and security, and we are here to stay." (Yonhap)
Mint
a day ago
- Politics
- Mint
Russia, Ukraine accuse each other of delay over Trump-backed talks
Ukraine and Russia accused each other of foot-dragging toward a second round of direct cease-fire talks backed by the Trump administration that are set to begin Monday. The U.S. urged Russia to continue peace talks and reiterated its willingness to keep Ukraine's ambition to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization off the table, in line with one of Moscow's demands. General Keith Kellogg, America's top envoy for Ukraine, said President Trump was frustrated by Russia's strikes on Ukrainian cities and its delay in producing a document listing its terms. 'He's put forward some reasonable proposals, reasonable discussions, and he's seen a level of unreasonableness that really frustrates him," Kellogg said of Trump in an interview on Thursday with ABC. Russia has proposed another round of talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on June 2, and the Kremlin on Friday said the Russian delegation was already en route to the Turkish city. Ukraine has insisted that in advance of any meeting, Moscow provide a document listing its conditions. Moscow said it hadn't received confirmation of Kyiv's participation in the Monday talks. Trump has said he would abandon efforts to broker peace in Ukraine if the two sides don't make headway. Earlier this week, he said there must be progress within two weeks for the U.S. to remain engaged. The Trump administration has also recently shown reluctance to continue as mediator, after spurring a process that led to the first direct talks between Moscow and Kyiv since 2022 earlier this month. Despite recent dialogue, Russia's and Ukraine's positions remain far apart, and they haven't agreed over even initial terms under which negotiations would take place. Each has accused the other of stalling. 'Russia is drawing the war out," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video address on Thursday. 'The so-called memorandum, which they promised and allegedly spent over a week preparing—no one has seen it yet." Zelensky accused Russia of deliberately delaying its memorandum and planning for any meetings between the two delegations to fail, while portraying Kyiv as the obstacle to peace. Russia is steadily inching forward on the battlefield. On a call earlier this month, Trump told European leaders that Russian President Vladimir Putin isn't ready to end the war because he thinks he is winning, The Wall Street Journal reported. Russia said its list of conditions wouldn't be made public. But one demand it has made repeatedly is a binding agreement stipulating that Ukraine never becomes a member of NATO. Kellogg on Thursday said that the U.S. considers this a fair demand. 'We've said that to us, Ukraine coming into NATO is not on the table, and we're not the only country that says that," he said. 'That's one of the issues that Russia will bring up." Kellogg said Ukraine had produced its own memorandum with 22 terms that the U.S. considers reasonable and he called on Russia to provide its own list of terms. The first round of direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine for years took place on May 16 and involved both sides outlining their positions. It resulted in an agreement over a swap involving 1,000 captured soldiers from either side, an exchange which began over the weekend. Kellogg said the next round would focus on trying to merge the two sides' documents and producing a list of terms they might both consider a basis for long-term peace. National security advisers of Germany, France and Britain would join discussions on the memorandum with the U.S., Kellogg said. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia also wants to agree over the safety of navigation in the Black Sea, from which Russia has removed many of its warships after Ukrainian drone and missile attacks. The two sides have continued to exchange salvos of drone strikes on each other's cities. Russia on Thursday said debris from downed Ukrainian drones had damaged several residential buildings in and around Moscow. Ukraine said Russia continues to launch record numbers of explosive munitions. Earlier this week, Zaur Gurtsyev, a Russian official and ex-serviceman who helped lead Russia's attack on Ukraine's Mariupol in 2022, was killed in an explosion in Stavropol near the border with Ukraine. Kyiv hasn't commented on Russian suggestions that it was responsible for the blast. Write to Matthew Luxmoore at
Mint
a day ago
- Business
- Mint
Sliding oil prices have reopened the door to Russian crude
Earlier this year, the Western energy industry began to calculate how it might tiptoe back into Russia if there is peace in Ukraine. One group isn't hanging around. A cadre of Greek shipping magnates has sent a stream of ships to Russian ports in recent months, stepping back into the fold as the go-to distributors of Moscow's crude to the world. The jump back into the lucrative trade follows a fall in oil prices this year. Handling Russian oil is legal under Western sanctions if the price is below $60 a barrel. The Greek moves also reflect signs of a rapprochement between the U.S. and Moscow soon after President Trump's return to office. But Trump's recent criticism of President Vladimir Putin—including a warning of further sanctions—shows why many other Western companies have been cautious about rebuilding their businesses in Russia. Greek shipping companies collectively control the world's biggest tanker fleet, giving them a powerful role in the oil market and access in Washington. Recent meetings with Trump administration officials left some Greek shipping chiefs more confident they won't be targeted for handling Russian exports, people familiar with the discussions said. 'Everyone's feeling like it's safe to go back," said Michelle Bockmann, a London-based maritime analyst. 'The mood music is Iran no, but Russia yes." A State Department spokesperson said the U.S. wanted to give diplomacy a chance and that there were 'a range of measures available" if Trump 'determines that Putin is not interested in negotiating." Greek ships moved 26% of Russian crude shuttled from Baltic and Black Sea ports in April and 30% in March, more than double their market share in 2024, according to Vortexa, a firm that tracks ships. Most other European and U.S. tanker companies have avoided ferrying Russian oil. They see risks in operating in a country at war with an ally of Western governments and whose economy is under a patchwork of sanctions. Greek tanker owners mostly stopped ferrying Russian crude in late 2023 when oil prices rose above the $60 cap, a measure introduced to limit Moscow's profit from a key export. That left most of Russia's crude to be handled by the 'shadow fleet" of aging tankers with obscure owners, which was assembled by Moscow to sidestep the sanctions. Greece is a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the European Union, and agreed to enforce measures to isolate Russia's economy after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. But this year, a surge in Saudi output, coupled with concerns that the trade war will hurt the world economy, has dragged the price of benchmark Brent crude down 14% to about $64 a barrel. Russian barrels fetch closer to $50, reflecting the discount attached to the country's oil since the start of the war. At the same time, oil traders have called on Greek tankers to replace dozens of shadow-fleet ships that have effectively been put out of action by new Western sanctions. Among the tanker owners sending their ships back to Russian ports are Ioannis Alafouzos, Andreas Martinos and George Prokopiou, according to shipping data and industry executives. The Alafouzos family controls more than a dozen tankers through Okeanis Eco Tankers, which is listed in New York. At the request of its Scandinavian investors, the company stopped handling Russian oil in 2023, soon after the sanctions took effect. But the family kept moving Russian petroleum with tankers it owns privately. Mostly named after islands in the Cyclades, the ships have picked up Russian crude nine times this year, according to the shipping data. In all, Alafouzos-controlled vessels have called at Russian ports about 140 times since the war started, the data show. Several dozen of the trips were to transport Kazakh crude exported from Russia's Black Sea coast. Alafouzos is a prominent figure in Greece, where he owns the soccer club Panathinaikos as well as a newspaper and TV station among other assets. His son, Aristidis Alafouzos, is Okeanis's chief executive. Alafouzos Jr. told analysts last year that sailing in the Black Sea was no riskier than the Arabian Gulf. 'And the AG is somewhere where everyone goes," he said. Prokopiou's Dynacom Tankers has loaded Russian crude six times this year, shipping data show. Martinos's Minerva, meanwhile, sent its first tanker to pick up Russian crude in more than a year this March. Another Minerva ship is due to load in the Baltic port of Primorsk within days. Both companies have also moved Russian products, including diesel and Kazakh crude, from Russian ports dozens of times this year. Spokespeople for Dynacom and Minerva didn't respond to requests for comment. Tanker owners can demand higher freight rates to charter their ships to traders moving Russian oil than for mainstream voyages. The premium partly reflects the legal and compliance costs of working in Russia. There is also less competition as many Western tanker companies consider Russia off limits. To be sure, not all Greek tanker owners think freight rates are high enough to compensate for the risks associated with ferrying Russian crude. One of them is George Economou, who controls a fleet through TMS Tankers. Economou moved huge amounts of Russian crude after the price cap first took effect in late 2022 but is sitting out the current rush, according to people familiar with the matter. TMS is instead limiting its Russian business to a type of fuel oil. 'It's a fluid market situation," said Basil Karatzas, chief executive of U.S.-based Karatzas Marine Advisors. 'Many shipowners have a different risk assessment." Write to Joe Wallace at and Costas Paris at
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Business Standard
2 days ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
Russia backs RIC revival, Lavrov says India-China ties show improvement
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Thursday (local time) said that Moscow is 'genuinely interested' in the relaunching of operations within the framework of the Russia-India-China (RIC) format. Lavrov made these remarks in his opening speech at the plenary session of the international public and political conference on forming a single and equitable system of security and cooperation in Eurasia, TASS reported. He added, 'I would like to confirm our genuine interest in the earliest resumption of the work within the format of the troika — Russia, India, China — which was established many years ago on the initiative of (former Russian prime minister) Yevgeny Primakov, and which has organised meetings more than 20 times at the ministerial level since then, not only at the level of foreign policy chiefs, but also the heads of other economic, trade and financial agencies of the three countries.' During his address, Lavrov also alleged that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato) has been trying to lure India into anti-China intrigues. He said, 'I have no doubts that our Indian friends, and I say this based on confidential conversations with them, obviously see this trend that can be deemed as a large provocation.' The RIC troika has been paused since the Galwan clashes between India and China in 2020. Commenting on the border situation between India and China, Lavrov noted, 'As of today, as I understand, an understanding has been reached between India and China on how to ease the situation on the border, and it seems to me that the time has come for the revival of this RIC troika.' India-China ties Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping in October 2024 on the sidelines of the Brics Summit in Russia's Kazan. The meeting between the two leaders was seen as a thaw, during which they expressed a need to improve bilateral relations. The relations between India and China were strained following the Galwan clashes of 2020, leaving 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese soldiers dead. Following the clashes, India and China stopped patrolling several points along the border in Ladakh to avoid new confrontations.
Mint
2 days ago
- Politics
- Mint
Putin Worries NATO Much More Than You Think
(Bloomberg Opinion) -- In debates over Russia, the argument often comes down to a simple proposition: Having struggled for three years and seen his forces mauled in Ukraine, is it really plausible that President Vladimir Putin would take on the combined might of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization? It's time to put that question to bed.I spent a day this week a large group of generals and other officers in uniform from around 20 countries. They had collected at the UK's Royal United Services Institute to talk about the recreation of army corps as the primary organizational unit for fighting wars. These are the large, combined service formations we thought redundant once the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, but are now – largely thanks to Putin – back in I walked away with was the understanding that those who would have to do any fighting aren't asking if the threat of a Russian attack on a NATO member is real, but rather where, when and in what form it comes. Nor are they speculating over what US President Donald Trump might or might not do. Their biggest concern is how little time they may have to prepare. At the start of the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, NATO commanders were as surprised as anyone else by the ineptness of the Russian assault on Kyiv, a debacle that saw the cream of Moscow's combat troops and equipment destroyed. But any complacency that followed has now gone. Rather than 5-10 years, as once thought, the working estimate for when Putin might have the capabilities to take on NATO once he's done in Ukraine is now multi-layered and comes from a Danish intelligence assessment earlier this year: six months for a localized attack, two years for a regional Baltic war, and five for any wider European conflict. The combat force Putin has in the field is by now twice as large as when he ordered the invasion in 2022, and he continues to recruit. Production of arms and munitions has soared. Exposure to the advanced Western weaponry — think HIMARS — has allowed the Russians time to figure out how to neutralize them. The absolute advantage Ukraine once held in battlefield innovation has evaporated. The Russian air force, built to fight NATO, is modern and has been preserved and again, I heard something approaching admiration for the speed at which Russian forces have learned and adapted in terms of drone and electronic warfare, Russia is probably ahead of NATO. The war has proved that having a small number of exquisitely capable unmanned aircraft can't compete for impact with sheer quantity and adaptability. Less well understood is that Russia also has been improving the accuracy and survivability of its cruise and ballistic missiles. The Iskander — a rough equivalent to US ATACMS — has become difficult even for US-made Patriot batteries to intercept, and it's getting used to hit everything from HIMARS launchers to Ukrainian command sobering for Western generals is the continued demonstration of Russia's near total indifference to casualty rates, creating a latitude for Putin and his generals that their NATO counterparts wouldn't have. One speaker after another at RUSI's conference spoke of the need to shift their own priorities toward force protection, and the expectations of Europe's political leaders and populations toward high casualty Russia's ability to attack nor it goals were subjects of dispute. The presumption was that Putin aims to reestablish Russia as a great power in Europe and so will continue trying to subjugate former Russian colonies and break NATO. To achieve that, there's no cause to invade Poland, which is how skeptics often pose the question. Breaking NATO is best done by discrediting the Article 5 collective defense clause that lies at its commitment gives Europe's small nations the confidence to defy dictates and demands from Moscow, but it's based on trust in the willingness of others to act and is therefore fragile. To undermine that trust would require only a messy attack on, say, Estonia, something Putin would have the capacity to do even now. The European leaders deciding how to respond would have to take into account some considerable risks before the new corps aren't ready. The US has four, of which one — the 18th Airborne — would be able to deploy quickly to the outbreak of a Russia-NATO conflict. It includes two infantry and two airborne divisions (the storied 82d and 101st), as well as intelligence, medical, signals, artillery and military police brigades. But even the 18th is still experimenting, as it tries to figure out how to win dominance in the new kind of war that's being waged in Ukraine, in which tens of thousands of drones make it difficult to hide or Allied Rapid Reaction Corps, a UK-led NATO equivalent is still being assembled, with up to a year to go until it can mirror the range of capabilities America's 18th can or not, US, British, French, German, Italian and other forces would all have to get to the eastern front across a spider's web of bottlenecks, national transit license requirements and inadequate infrastructure. NATO has a team working hard on that, but the exercises to demonstrate to Moscow that the alliance can rush forces to the east aren't scheduled until concerning still is that, unlike Ukraine, whose long logistical tail is strung across countries at peace to the west and is therefore protected, NATO's would be attacked from the outset. Every European port, warehouse, factory and railway siding involved in the war's supply chain would become a legitimate target for Russian missile isn't all bad news. Critically, there is now a stronger consensus within Europe on the issue of whether Putin should be stopped in Ukraine, even if there are exceptions such as Viktor Orban's Hungary. Money's being made available to rearm. The UK's new Strategic Defence Review, due next week, is expected to allocate £1 billion ($1.35 billion) to buy drones and speed battlefield decisions. Yet the clock is ticking. Europe's still moving at peacetime's too-bureaucratic pace, while the US has been kicking into reverse. Both need to change. It's Putin who will decide what he does and when, and the hesitancy of the West simply creates a window for him to act, whether in Ukraine or beyond. As Rupert Smith, a retired British General and former Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe put it, 'you fight with what you've got in your hand on the day.' On current trajectories, that may not be enough to deter the Kremlin from pressing on with its great power plans. More From Bloomberg Opinion: This column reflects the personal views of the author and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Marc Champion is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering Europe, Russia and the Middle East. He was previously Istanbul bureau chief for the Wall Street Journal. More stories like this are available on
