Latest news with #SecurityChallenges
CNA
23-07-2025
- Politics
- CNA
Israel, Ukraine launch dialogue on Iranian threat
KYIV: Israel and Ukraine on Wednesday (Jul 23) announced they would begin formal talks on countering what they described as the growing threat posed by Iran, signalling closer ties between the two countries amid shared security concerns. Speaking at a joint press conference in Kyiv, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga said the two nations had decided to launch 'a separate dialogue on the Iranian threat.' 'Our countries face common security challenges,' Sybiga said, describing Iran as an 'existential threat' to global stability. Israel has long accused Iran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons, a charge Tehran denies. Ukraine, meanwhile, has regularly been targeted by Iranian-designed drones used by Russian forces in the ongoing war. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, the most senior Israeli official to visit Ukraine since 2023, said any steps to limit Tehran's access to weapons and technology would benefit European and Ukrainian security. 'I thank President (Volodymyr) Zelensky and the Ukrainian government for its position that Iran must not have nuclear weapons,' Saar said. Kyiv has previously expressed frustration over Israel's neutral stance on Russia's invasion, but the two governments share common ground on Iran's military ties with Moscow. Ukraine has repeatedly accused Iran of supplying arms to Russia.
Al Jazeera
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Chancellor Friedrich Merz calls for renewed Franco-German cooperation
Friedrich Merz says a reset in relations is vital to help Europe overcome its security and economic 'challenges'. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has called for a renewed partnership with France to help Europe confront its 'enormous' security and economic challenges. At a joint news conference with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Wednesday, Merz outlined a joint vision for deeper European integration, calling for a 'new push for Europe' grounded in closer Franco-German cooperation. 'We will only be able to meet these challenges if France and Germany stand even more closely together than in the past,' Merz said. 'That is why Emmanuel Macron and I have agreed on a new Franco-German push for Europe.' Among the initiatives discussed was the strengthening of the Franco-German Defence and Security Council, Merz said. 'We want to better coordinate our support for Ukraine within this framework, align our national defence planning and procurement projects even more closely, and also find new answers to strategic questions of security and defence policy,' Merz added. The meeting comes at a time of mounting concern across Europe about the reliability of US security guarantees amid Russia's war in Ukraine. Advertisement In a joint op-ed published in Le Figaro, Merz and Macron affirmed their shared commitment to 'contribute to a just and lasting peace [in Ukraine], with the support of the United States on security, and strong security guarantees'. Sign up for Al Jazeera Breaking News Alert Get real-time breaking news alerts and stay up-to-date with the most important headlines from around the globe. Subscribe Your subscription failed. Please try again. Please check your email to confirm your subscription By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy protected by reCAPTCHA Macron said the two countries would fast-track new defence capabilities. The visit to Paris follows a rocky start to Merz's chancellorship after he needed an unprecedented two rounds of voting in the Bundestag to be elected Chancellor, suggesting underlying divisions within the new governing coalition between his centre-right CDU/CSU alliance and the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD). But in a potential shift towards a more unified German foreign policy, Merz now presides over a government in which both the chancellery and foreign ministry are held by the same party for the first time in years. He has also pledged to establish a national security council within the chancellery, aimed at improving coordination across foreign, development, and defence policy. Later on Wednesday, Merz is due to travel to Poland. Speaking to German state broadcaster ZDF, Merz added that he intended to work with Macron and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk to shape a tougher EU-wide migration framework.
