Latest news with #militarybuild-up
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Warning to Australia over fears China's military actions could trigger 'nuclear cascade'
Alarm bells are ringing over the Chinese-led military build up taking place in Australia's region, with fears a "nuclear cascade" could unfold as more nations seek to obtain weapons of mass destruction. Australia's Defence Minister has warned about an Indo-Pacific arms race, but at the same time has signalled Australia preparedness to increase military spending. Australia's Defence Minister Richard Marles has warned of the developing dynamic of China's arms build up and Russia's strategic ties with North Korea, saying the arms control framework previously developed by Western allies to combat nuclear proliferation during the Cold War might not be enough to meet today's challenges. The US called on Australia to increase defence spending as leaders met over the weekend at Asia's top security summit in Singapore. Mr Marles noted that Australia's defence budget will rise to about 2.3 per cent of GDP within the decade, from the two per cent it currently hovers at, saying the planned expansion represented the "single biggest peacetime increase in defence expenditure in Australia's history". "So we are beginning this journey," he said. The former Fox News host and now US Defence Secretary, Pete Hegseth, has personified the changing nature of the White House after the re-election of Donald Trump, but his message on China has been broadly the same to his predecessor, says Ely Ratner, the former Assistant Secretary of Defence for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs under the Biden administration. But he warned of a growing threat to stability in the region. "I think it is very complicated by the fact that China is undergoing the largest peacetime military build up in history," he told ABC radio on Monday. "They haven't explained why they think they need such a large arsenal of nuclear weapons and they're putting real pressure on other countries both in the region and in the world when it comes to nuclear weapons. It is quite a destabilising military build up we're seeing from China. He said the challenge is not just about how to manage nuclear armed nations like India and Pakistan which have been involved in recent skirmishes, but how to stop more nations feeling like they need to acquire them, leading to "the potential of nuclear cascades". "If China grows its nuclear arsenal to such a size that countries like South Korea … and then potentially others start thinking they might need their own nuclear weapons, then we're in a much more dangerous world," he warned this morning. When asked if allies like Australia could trust the Trump administration is committed to defence in the broader Indo-Pacific region, Mr Ratner said "I think for the time being the broad answer is yes". He added that he didn't believe China was more likely to invade Taiwan due to President Trump being in office, saying the Asian giant was in a "wait and see mode". Speaking at the summit on Saturday Mr Hegseth called on allies in the region to share the burden of deterrence by upgrading their own defences. "There's no reason to sugar coat it," he told the Shangri-La Dialogue. "The threat China poses is real, and it could be imminent", suggesting an invasion could take place within the next two years. Responding to questions from reporters on Sunday, Mr Albanese said Australia's position on Taiwan was "very clear" and included a bipartisan stance to support the status quo. China views Taiwan as its own territory, and slammed the US as the biggest "troublemaker for regional peace and stability". with AAP Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
BBC News
3 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Australia asks China to explain 'extraordinary' military build-up
Australia's defence minister Richard Marles has called on China to explain why it needs to have "such an extraordinary military build-up".He said Beijing needs to provide greater transparency and reassurance as it is the "fundamental issue" for the the Philippines defence minister Gilberto Teodoro Jr has called China "absolutely irresponsible and reckless" in its actions in the South China ministers had separately addressed reporters on the sidelines of an Asian defence summit held in has yet to respond to either Marles or Teodoro. Organised by the think tank International Institute for Strategic Studies, the Shangri-la Dialogue has traditionally been anchored by the US and China, which have been jostling for power in the year China has sent a lower-level delegation and scrapped its speech. In the absence of a strong Chinese presence, the dialogue has been dominated by criticism and questions of Beijing posed by the US and its Sunday morning, Marles asserted that "what we have seen from China is the single biggest increase in military capability and build up in conventional sense, by any country since the end of the Second World War".It is not just the size of the military build-up that concerns other countries, he told reporters."It's the fact that it is happening without strategic reassurance. It's happening without a clear strategic intent on the part of China… what we want to see is strategic transparency and strategic reassurance be provided by China, and an understanding of why it is needed to have such an extraordinary military build-up."He cited Australia as an example of such transparency, noting that Canberra makes public its national defence strategy and defence reviews, and makes it "utterly clear" that when they build up their defences it is for Australia and Asia's security."So there is total strategic clarity and assurance that is being provided by Australia to our neighbours, to the region, to the world. That's what we would like to see," he is capable of working with international rules, noted Marles, pointing to a highly-scrutinised Chinese military exercise conducted near Australia and New Zealand's waters in it was "disruptive, and we believe that it could have been done in a better way", he said, "ultimately China was acting in accordance with international law"."The guiding light, the bedrock here, needs to be compliance with international law. That's what we keep talking about, is the rules-based order."Marles was also asked about Hegseth's call for Indo-Pacific partners to increase defence spending as a bulwark against the threat of said "we actually are taking steps down this path… we understand it, we're up for it." US President Donald Trump has called on Australia to increase its spending to 3%, but Canberra has yet to publicly commit to that added that part of that spending would come under Aukus, the defence pact between Australia, the UK and the US. He said projects under the pact were "on track" and he was "very optimistic" about the progress, including more visits of American nuclear-powered submarines to Australia and submarine rotations through a Perth-based navy base. In a separate interview with the BBC's security correspondent Frank Gardner, the Philippines defence minister Teodoro said China has been "absolutely irresponsible and reckless in appropriating most, if not all, of the South China Sea and in a way the world cannot tolerate".The two countries have repeatedly clashed over competing claims in the South China Sea, and the Philippines has complained of aggressive and violent tactics by the Chinese coast echoed the call for a preservation of the international order, saying that "the takeaway of a lot of defence ministers is that Europe and the US must continue to lead" on this."That was the call of the Philippines. That is the call of Lithuania, Latvia, the smaller countries who have a way of life that values freedom and dignity of the human with a way of life that we don't want the deep state looking over our shoulders or being scared of what we say," he said, referring to Saturday, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had warned of China's "imminent" threat towards Taiwan and accused Beijing of becoming a "hegemonic power" in the has vigorously attacked Hegseth in two separate statements, with the latest posted on its Foreign Ministry website early on said that Hegseth had "vilified China with defamatory allegations, and falsely called China a 'threat'."No country in the world deserves to be called a hegemonic power other than the U.S. itself, who is also the primary factor undermining the peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific."Earlier in the defence summit, French President Emmanuel Macron had made a pitch for Europe to be a new ally to also responded to Macron, who had compared the defence of Taiwan to the defence of Ukraine, and said the comparison was "unacceptable" as the "Taiwan question is entirely China's affair".China claims Taiwan, a self-governing island, as its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to eventually "reunify" with it.
Asharq Al-Awsat
7 days ago
- Business
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Zelenskiy Says Russia Has Gathered 50,000 Troops for Offensive on Northern Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said that Russia has gathered 50,000 troops near Ukraine's northern Sumy region, but added that Kyiv had taken steps to prevent Moscow from conducting a large-scale offensive there. The build-up comes as Russia appears to be gearing up for a summer offensive in Ukraine while Kyiv waits for Moscow to present a memorandum laying out its conditions to proceed with ceasefire talks. Sumy lies across the border from Russia's Kursk region where Ukraine previously seized and held a pocket of land for months, before being almost fully pushed out last month, although it says it still holds some areas there. "Their largest, strongest forces are currently on the Kursk front," Zelenskiy told reporters on Tuesday. "To push our troops out of the Kursk region and to prepare offensive actions against the Sumy region." Putin has said he wants a "buffer zone" along Russia's border with Ukraine. Zelenskiy said he believed Russia wanted a buffer zone of about 10 kilometers (6 miles). Russia has captured at least four border villages in the region recently, and has been creeping slowly forwards over the past several weeks on parts of the frontline in eastern Ukraine near the city of Kostyantynivka. However, Zelenskiy said that the Russians had been pushed back in that area by 4 km (2.5 miles) over two days. Ukraine and Russia swapped 1,000 captives each after a meeting of the two countries' delegations in Istanbul nearly two weeks ago which failed to produce a ceasefire sought by Ukraine, the US and Europe. Zelenskiy said that he viewed Türkiye, the Vatican and Switzerland as the most realistic venues for further negotiations with Russia. He said interest in hosting talks had also been expressed by Malta, as well as unspecified African nations. Reuters previously reported that Moscow does not see the Vatican as a serious venue for talks. Zelenskiy said that he will attend the next G7 summit after being invited by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, whose country currently holds the bloc's rotating presidency. He added that he will likely take part in the next EU summit. Speaking about Ukraine's domestic arms production, Zelenskiy said he wanted $30 billion for Ukraine to fully fund the available capacity of the rapidly expanding sector.
Irish Times
7 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Zelenskiy says Russia has gathered 50,000 troops for offensive on northern Ukraine
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said that Russia has gathered 50,000 troops near Ukraine's northern Sumy region, but added that Kyiv had taken steps to prevent Moscow from conducting a large-scale offensive there. The build-up comes as Russia appears to be gearing up for a summer offensive in Ukraine while Kyiv waits for Moscow to present a memorandum laying out its conditions to proceed with ceasefire talks. Sumy lies across the border from Russia's Kursk region where Ukraine previously seized and held a pocket of land for months, before being almost fully pushed out last month, although it says it still holds some areas there. 'Their largest, strongest forces are currently on the Kursk front,' Mr Zelenskiy told reporters on Tuesday. 'To push our troops out of the Kursk region and to prepare offensive actions against the Sumy region.' READ MORE Putin has said he wants a 'buffer zone' along Russia's border with Ukraine. Zelenskiy said he believed Russia wanted a buffer zone of about 10 kilometres (6 miles). Russia has captured at least four border villages in the region recently, and has been creeping slowly forwards over the past several weeks on parts of the frontline in eastern Ukraine near the city of Kostyantynivka. However, Zelenskiy said that the Russians had been pushed back in that area by 4 km (2.5 miles) over two days. Ukraine and Russia swapped 1,000 captives each after a meeting of the two countries' delegations in Istanbul nearly two weeks ago which failed to produce a ceasefire sought by Ukraine, the U.S. and Europe. Zelenskiy said that he viewed Turkey, the Vatican and Switzerland as the most realistic venues for further negotiations with Russia. He said interest in hosting talks had also been expressed by Malta, as well as unspecified African nations. Reuters previously reported that Moscow does not see the Vatican as a serious venue for talks. Zelenskiy said that he will attend the next G7 summit after being invited by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, whose country currently holds the bloc's rotating presidency. He added that he will likely take part in the next EU summit. Speaking about Ukraine's domestic arms production, Zelenskiy said he wanted $30 billion for Ukraine to fully fund the available capacity of the rapidly expanding sector. (Reporting by Max Hunder; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan) (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2025
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Putin is building new force to take on Nato
Russia is building bases and expanding its military footprint near the Finnish border, in a sign of where its swollen army could be moved after a ceasefire in Ukraine. New satellite imagery has revealed columns of new troop tents, expanding military bases and renovated Arctic airfields, all opposite Nato's northeastern flank in what could be a harbinger of a future war. The signals are elsewhere too. The Kremlin is expanding military recruitment, increasing weapons production and upgrading logistical infrastructure along Russia's borders with Norway, Finland and the Baltics. Finnish defence officials say the new build-up is small-scale, but is likely being done in preparation for tens of thousands of troops as well as military assets to be redeployed to their border and further north to the Arctic. While not imminent, they told The Telegraph that the threat is very real. The officials believe they have up to five years until Moscow can beef up its forces to concerning levels if the full-scale war in Ukraine comes to and end. 'We joined Nato, so we anticipated this,' said Major General Sami Nurmi, chief of strategy of the Finnish defence forces. The military, he said, is 'watching very closely and preparing accordingly'. 'What we are seeing are the preparations for the future' when Russia will bring back the forces fighting in Ukraine, he told The Telegraph. 'But the troops on our borders will grow.' He added: 'We do not see any immediate threat towards Finland.' Donald Trump said the same on Tuesday. Responding to Russia's military manoeuvres, the US president claimed he was 'not worried at all' and that Finland and Norway would be 'very safe'. Finland, which was forced to cede territory to the Soviet Union in the Second World War, spent decades persuing a policy of neutrality until it decided to join Nato in 2023 in the wake of Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine. The country's accession to the alliance extended Nato's frontier with Russia by 835 miles, changing the military strategic situation in northern Europe. Maj Gen Nurmi is clear-eyed, but pragmatic about the new infrastructure and Russia's troop movement plans. 'We do not want to be too alarmist,' he said. Watching developments across the border 'has been our daily business for hundreds of years'. Satellite imagery has revealed that over 130 new troop tents have been erected in Kamenka, less than 40 miles from Finland and 140 miles from Helsinki. The base, which was unused before 2022, should now be able to house 2,000 troops. Russia is also expanding military infrastructure around the city of Petrozavodsk, 100 miles from the borders of Finland and Norway, which could serve as a new headquarters for Moscow's northwestern troops in a possible conflict with Nato. The photographs also show intensifying activity at the Soviet-era Arctic air bases at Severomorsk-2 as well as Olenya, where nuclear-capable Tu-22 and Tu-95 strategic bombers have been moved. Russian helicopters have also been spotted in the Arctic city of Murmansk for the first time in two decades. Russia has been forced to move expensive military assets north to get them out of the range of Ukraine's drones, which target air bases across Russia. But Nato fears that Moscow is expanding its military footprint further and further north to extend its control over resources in the Arctic region, which is at the centre of a new geopolitical rivalry. 'The Arctic is the important theatre of the future,' said Maj Gen Nurmi. 'This will not change. We are working very closely with our Arctic allies to assess Russia's plans.' But changes are also happening at an organisational level as the Russian military restructures itself to face its perceived growing threat of Nato to the north-west. Last year, Moscow re-established the huge military district of Leningrad to increase its military presence next to Finland, Estonia and Latvia. Small brigades that were stationed there before the Ukraine war, will nearly triple in size to become divisions of over 10,000 troops. That process has already started. In Kamenka, where the rows of tents have been built, the 138th Motor Rifle Brigade there has become the 69th Motor Rifle division. 'This is a continuation of military plans before 2022 and response to new geopolitical developments of Sweden and Finland joining Nato,' said Emil Kastehelmi, an analyst at the Black Bird Group, a Finnish organisation that tracks Russian military movements. It is difficult, he said, to interpret Russia's actions as strictly either defensive or offensive. 'There a multitude of scenarios and uncertainties.' In February, Danish intelligence warned that Russia could launch a major land war in Europe within five years if the war freezes in Ukraine. Others have suggested it would take just two years for Moscow to be ready. There are other signs that Russia's military is not preparing for peace. Putin has ordered his military to increase its ranks to up to 1.5 million troops, up from a million before the invasion of Ukraine, while its military spending will reach 6pc of GDP this year, while Nato countries on average spend 2.71pc. Tanks are being built at an increasing rate, but not being sent to Ukraine. Russia's hybrid attacks on Finland, like other Nato states, are also increasing, including GPS jamming along the border, the cutting of undersea cables and other sabotage attacks inside the country, which are seen as Moscow's attempt to destabilise the West and retaliate for its backing of Ukraine. On Finland's eastern border, the first 22 miles of a planned 124-mile fence — 15ft-high and fortified with barbed wire, cameras and sensors — was completed on Wednesday after Helsinki last year accused Moscow of directing migrants to Finland in a 'hybrid operation'. What is happening on the other side of that border is 'high priority', Jarmo Lindberg, a Finnish MP and chief of defence from 2014 to 2019, told The Telegraph. But echoing the characteristic level-headedness of other Finnish officials towards the manoeuvres, he said: 'The latest movements and signs of construction are just one more tactical or operational change in a long line of Russian activities.' The former general agrees with estimates it will take up to five years to reconstitute Russia's military capabilities in the north after they were plundered for the war in Ukraine. But the process is happening, he said. The 'billion euro question', however, will be what Russia does next. If there is a peace agreement in Ukraine, Finns 'will be watching where troops will be relocated across Russia? Will the same units return to our borders or will new ones be brought. Will it just be troops? Or will they bring air defences, radar systems, electronic warfare systems?' Mr Lindberg said. Is Finland ready for what is to come? 'We know Russia will always be a threat for us. We will be ready. We are ready already.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
