Latest news with #armsdeliveries
Irish Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Times
Germany divided over plan to limit weapons for Israel
Chancellor Friedrich Merz was supposed to be on his summer holiday but on Sunday afternoon he was in a Munich television studio in full damage-limitation mode. In a hastily-arranged interview, Merz insisted his decision on Friday to halt German arms deliveries to Israel did not mark a major policy shift. 'We have a dissent with the Israeli government involving Israel's approach to the Gaza Strip ,' said Merz on ARD public television explaining Friday's decision, 'but we continue to stand, without any doubt, at the side of this country'. Merz said he and his officials had been grappling for weeks with how best to stand by Israel while responding to its effective aid blockade and the growing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. READ MORE The Israeli decision to expand its war in Gaza, Merz said, came as a 'surprise' and forced him to act. 'We cannot supply weapons in a conflict that is now being fought exclusively to be resolved by military means and which could claim hundreds of thousands of civilian victims,' he said. For the 69-year-old, Sunday's 11-minute interview was a belated attempt to escape from a very German post-October 7th trap. For nearly two years many politicians such as Merz and his centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) have conflated the state of Israel and the Netanyahu government's Gaza strategy – denouncing critics of the latter as enemies of the former. For Merz and his allies, this strategy went beyond defending Israel's right to self-defence: it was about defending Germany 's six decades of post-Holocaust bilateral relations. [ Israel has 'no choice but to finish the job and complete the defeat of Hamas', says Netanyahu Opens in new window ] As a frame for this narrative they used a 2007 remark by ex-chancellor Angela Merkel, in a speech about Iran's nuclear programme, that Israel's security was part of German 'Staatsräson', or 'reason of state'. After months denouncing those who questioned the Netanyahu government's Gaza strategy, Sunday's interview saw Merz hoist by his own petard. The CDU leader said he was anxious to 'prevent misunderstandings' about what halting arms deliveries means – and doesn't mean. But his interview came 48 hours too late – and after an unprecedented weekend assault. His right-wing Bavarian coalition sister party, the Christian Social Union, insisted it 'wasn't involved in' and 'wouldn't support' this 'questionable decision'. That was mild compared with the response of the Israel-friendly Springer media group, whose journalists sign up to an ethos that includes 'supporting the right of Israel to exist'. Since October 7th, 2023, Springer's Bild tabloid has consistently described Israel critics as 'Jew haters' and, on Saturday, accused the chancellor on its front-page of 'caving'. On Sunday it argued Merz had 'torn down overnight a decades-old CDU [political] pillar without telling anyone, then gone back to his holiday'. In Sunday's interview, Merz insisted his shift was motivated by strategic and humanitarian concerns and not popular opinion. Yet three recent opinion polls tell their own story. Just 36 per cent of Germans say they hold a positive view of Israel, according to a Bertelsmann Foundation survey, down 10 points from the same survey in 2021. Meanwhile a second poll for Stern magazine last week suggested three-quarters of Germans want a tougher German stance towards Israel over Gaza. Meanwhile a third survey released on Sunday indicated 54 per cent of Germans now favour recognising Palestinian statehood, while 31 per cent remain opposed. After three months as German leader, and nearly two years pushing one line on Israel, Merz now faces a revolt among CDU party members who refuse to accept his new memo. CDU foreign policy spokesman Roderich Kiesewetter described the weapons pause as 'a serious political and strategic mistake' that saw Merz yielding to Hamas propaganda and 'the anti-Semitic mob on the streets'.
Russia Today
16-07-2025
- Business
- Russia Today
Trump sprang Ukraine surprise on NATO states
Several NATO member states were not notified in advance that they would be asked to fund new arms deliveries to Ukraine under US President Donald Trump's latest proposal, Reuters has reported, citing European officials. On Monday, Trump pledged to provide more US-made weapons to Kiev through a new scheme funded by European NATO members. 'We're not buying it,' Trump said during an Oval Office meeting with the bloc's secretary-general, Mark Rutte. 'We will manufacture it, and they're going to be paying for it.' Trump noted that the plan is seen by Washington as a business opportunity. Rutte said six countries – Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, and Canada – were willing to take part in the arms procurement scheme. However, high-ranking sources at the embassies of two of those countries told Reuters they only learned of their supposed participation when the announcement was made. 'It is my clear sense that nobody has been briefed about the exact details in advance,' one European ambassador told Reuters. 'And I also suspect that internally in the administration they are only now beginning to sort out what it means in practice.' Several countries have already distanced themselves from Trump's plan. According to Politico and La Stampa, France and Italy will not be financially supporting the effort. Hungary and the Czech Republic have also declined to participate, with Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala saying Prague is focusing on other projects. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, on the other hand, has welcomed the proposal but emphasized that Washington should 'share the burden,' stating that if European countries pay for the weapons, it should be considered as 'European support.' Since taking office in January, Trump has renewed pressure on NATO members to increase defense spending and warned that the US may not defend allies who do not meet their obligations. Russia has repeatedly condemned Western arms supplies to Ukraine, arguing that it only prolongs the bloodshed and does not change the course of the conflict. The Kremlin maintains that foreign military aid is being used to escalate the hostilities rather than seek a diplomatic resolution.
Al Mayadeen
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Mayadeen
Trump to speak with Putin, may call Zelensky amid arms halt
US President Donald Trump announced he would hold a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, raising speculation about the topics to be discussed amid rising tensions in Eastern Europe and a US pause on arms deliveries to Ukraine. 'Will be speaking to President Putin of Russia at 10:00 A.M. Thank you!' Trump posted on his social media platform, without providing further details on the nature of the conversation. Meanwhile, a Ukrainian source told Reuters that Trump is also expected to speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday. The Financial Times reported that the two leaders are likely to address the recent suspension of key US weapons shipments to Ukraine. According to sources familiar with the matter, Zelensky plans to press Trump on potential future arms deals during the call, though the timing could still change. The US decision to pause certain weapons transfers to Kiev, reportedly due to diminishing stockpiles, has sparked alarm in Ukraine. Ukrainian officials summoned the acting US envoy to Kiev on Wednesday to stress the critical need for continued military assistance. Kiev warned that any disruption in US military aid would significantly weaken its defenses against intensified Russian air assaults and ground operations. The Pentagon has halted shipments of critical air defense missiles and precision munitions to Ukraine due to mounting concerns that US weapons stockpiles have "fallen too low," Politico reported on Wednesday at dawn. The move, reportedly spearheaded by Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby, follows an internal review of US military reserves. The review concluded that current stockpiles of Patriot interceptors, Hellfire missiles, precision-guided artillery rounds, and other vital munitions have fallen to levels considered insufficient for America's national defense priorities. White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly confirmed the decision, stating it was made 'to put America's interests first' following a Department of Defense reassessment of global military aid commitments. 'The strength of the United States Armed Forces remains unquestioned — just ask Iran,' she said in a statement. Ukrainian officials on Wednesday urgently requested clarification from the United States following its announcement of a halt in the delivery of air defense ammunition, as the country faces unprecedented waves of Russian aerial attacks. According to media reports, Ukrainian officials either remained silent or declined to comment when questioned about the US decision, suggesting they were caught off guard. A senior Ukrainian official, speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of the matter, stated that Kiev is 'now verifying with the Americans what exactly is happening.' Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday that any reduction or suspension in Western weapons supplies to Ukraine would contribute significantly to ending the conflict.
The Guardian
15-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
First Thing: Trump does deal with Nato allies to arm Ukraine and warns Russia of severe sanctions
Good morning. Donald Trump said he had sealed an agreement with Nato allies that will lead to large-scale arms deliveries to Ukraine, including Patriot missiles, and warned Russia that it will face severe sanctions if it does not make peace within 50 days. After a meeting with the Nato secretary general, Mark Rutte, Trump said they had agreed 'a very big deal' under which 'billions of dollars' worth of military equipment is going to be purchased from the United States, going to Nato … And that's going to be quickly distributed to the battlefield.' The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said he was 'grateful to President Trump' in his nightly video address. What does it mean for the war? The US will sell weapons to Ukraine, the president said, with other Nato countries paying the bill. Otherwise, specifics were scant. No sums of money were mentioned, making it hard to calibrate how much of a difference the proposed weapon supply will make to Kyiv. What about sanctions? Nothing new right now. Trump did promise to levy a 100% tariff on Russia if Putin did not agree a deal to halt the fighting within 50 days. So what's the significance? Make no mistake: tonally, Trump's statements are a significant U-turn on his approach to the war. 'We're very unhappy – I am – with Russia,' he said. A feud has broken out between the Israeli government and the military over the cost and impact of a planned camp for Palestinians in southern Gaza, as politicians criticized the former prime minister Ehud Olmert for warning that the project would create a 'concentration camp' if it goes ahead. The row came as Israeli strikes across Gaza killed at least 31 people, according to local hospitals. Twelve people were killed by strikes in southern Gaza, including three who were waiting at an aid distribution point, according to Nasser hospital in Khan Younis, which received the bodies. Meanwhile, Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, hailed a 30-nation conference aimed at ending Israel's occupation of Palestine as 'the most significant political development in the past 20 months'. How have Hamas negotiators reacted to the news? It has become a sticking point in ceasefire talks with Hamas, which is pushing for a more comprehensive withdrawal. Husam Badran, a senior member of the group, said the camp plans were a 'deliberatively obstructive demand' that would complicate talks, the New York Times reported. Undocumented farm workers feel they are being 'hunted like animals', they told the Guardian, as Donald Trump's administration ramps up its crackdown on immigration. Raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) have caused workers to lose hours and income and forced them into hiding at home, according to interviews. An Ice raid at a cannabis farm in the county last week resulted in a worker suffering fatal injuries after falling from a greenhouse. What did workers tell the Guardian? An undocumented farm worker in Ventura County, California, said: 'You can't go out peacefully to do things, or go to work with any peace of mind any more. We're stressed out and our kids are stressed out. No one is the same since these raids started.' Who was the man who died after an Ice raid? Jaime Alanís died a day after a frenzied immigration raid of Glass House Farms in Ventura County where authorities arrested at least 200 workers. The 57-year-old, who was from the town of Huajúmbaro in Michoacán, Mexico, was described as a 'hard-working, innocent farmer'. The former New York governor Andrew Cuomo will run independently for New York City mayor, after losing in the Democratic primary to Zohran Mamdani. Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces killed nearly 300 people in attacks in North Kordofan state that began on Saturday, according to Sudanese activists. The French government has signalled a willingness to discuss reparations for colonial massacres in Niger, more than a century after French troops burned villages and looted cultural artefacts. The week after its Grok chatbot identified itself as 'MechaHitler' and generated antisemitic posts, Elon Musk's xAI firm announced a contract with the Department of Defense worth nearly $200m. The deal is for developing and implementing artificial intelligence tools for the agency. Zohran Mamdani, the 33-year-old state assembly member who won the Democratic primary for New York City mayor last month, campaigned on a platform of affordability, including proposals for free childcare for children aged six weeks and older. He plans to fund it by raising taxes on corporations and the city's richest residents. How would it work? In July 1987, the Guadalupe River in Texas rose nearly 30ft during a ferocious rainstorm, which led 10 children to drown. On 4 July this year, another flash flood hit the Guadalupe: the death toll is now nearly 130 people. One survivor asked: 'Why didn't they learn from this?' Cameras have started rolling for HBO's Harry Potter TV series at Warner Bros Studios Leavesden in the UK. HBO has provided a first glimpse of the new series, which promises to be a 'faithful adaptation' of JK Rowling's novels – 'full of the fantastic detail, much-loved characters and dramatic locations that Harry Potter fans have loved for over 25 years', according to HBO's announcement in 2023. First Thing is delivered to thousands of inboxes every weekday. If you're not already signed up, subscribe now. If you have any questions or comments about any of our newsletters please email newsletters@ Editor's note: due to an editing error, you may be receiving today's newsletter later than usual. We apologise for the delay.
Washington Post
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Ukrainians welcome US aid but see Trump's 50-day ultimatum to Putin as too long
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainians welcomed President Donald Trump's pledge of more U.S.-made weapons in their fight against Russia's invasion , even though it is unclear what exactly they will get and how quickly. The time frame for further arms deliveries that European countries have agreed to pay for is crucial.
