Russians remove Polish military symbols from Katyń Memorial in Smolensk
The Russian authorities in Smolensk have ordered the removal of symbols depicting Polish military awards at the Katyń Memorial.
Defence
Latest reporting and analysis on defence.
German Reservist Association open to sending troops to Ukraine
The Reservist Association of the German army has said it was open to German soldiers taking part in a potential peacekeeping mission in Ukraine.
Poland conspicuous by its absence from Washington meeting on Ukraine
Neither the Polish President nor anyone from the Polish Government was present at the meeting held in the White House at which US President Donald Trump met Ukrainian…
Tusk humiliated by Trump demanding President Nawrocki represent Poland on Ukraine
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s declared stance that it is he and not the opposition Conservatives (PiS)-backed President Karol Nawrocki who represents Poland…
Zelensky arrives in Berlin for surprise video meet with EU leaders and Trump
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Berlin for a previously unannounced meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Yes, borders can be changed by force
President Donald Trump’s planned meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin has the Ukrainian government on high alert.
Chatbot Grok stirs confusion over suspension after Gaza claims
AI chatbot Grok on August 12 offered conflicting explanations for its brief suspension from X after accusing Israel and the United States of committing "genocide"…
The sheer evil of the Hamas attack means Israel has become an international pariah
This is a column I hoped never to write. The terrible truth is that Hamas has already won its Gaza war.
Europe and Ukraine: defeat of Moscow a miscalculation of Napoleonic proportions
History has a way of mocking those who ignore its lessons.
Vance says US working to ‘schedule’ Trump-Putin-Zelensky meeting
The United States is working to "schedule" a meeting between Donald Trump and his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts, Vice President JD Vance said, as Ukraine's…
Germany halts weapons exports to Israel
The German government has banned all exports of military equipment to Israel which could be used in Gaza, effective immediately.
€800bn arms without armies? All dead steel and no soldiers
Once the European Commission opened the €800 billion defence spending honeypot and Germany moved to exclude defence spending from deficit calculations, the big…
Dutch are first to buy US arms for Ukraine under NATO scheme
The Netherlands will buy €500 million of US weapons for Ukraine, becoming the first NATO member to fund a full package under a new scheme to speed deliveries from…
Ukraine: Russians understand ‘the longer term,’ the West does not
When, as they have done, the Visegrad Four talk about events in central Europe, wise folk listen.
Slovenia ‘first EU nation’ to ban weapons trade with Israel
Slovenia said it will ban all weapons trade with Israel over the war in Gaza in what it said was a first by a European Union nation.
Iran growing threat to the West, governments warn
Iran was accused of increasing its hostile operations in the West by the US, several NATO allies and Austria.
Will Gazans be relocated to Europe?
What I am about to outline is quite disturbing. So much so, in fact, that I sincerely hope to be mistaken in the connections being drawn.
Germany says no plans to recognise a Palestinian state ‘in short term’
Germany said on July 25 it had "no plans to recognise a Palestinian state in the short term," after President Emmanuel Macron said France intended to do so in September.
Macron announces France will recognise Palestinian State
France will recognise a Palestinian State in September at the UN general assembly, President Emmanuel Macron said.
Kyiv pushes for direct talks between Zelensky and Putin as US boosts Ukraine military aid
Ukraine has proposed direct talks within weeks between its President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russia's Vladimir Putin but Moscow tempered prospects for progress at…
‘AFP reporters face starvation’ in Gaza, warns journalists association
The Agence France Presse (AFP) association of journalists (SDJ) said reporters posted in Gaza working for the news agency were facing starvation due to food shortages…
Terrorist Hamas applauds call by 28 western governments for end to Gaza conflict
Islamic terrorist organisation Hamas has welcomed a joint statement by 28 foreign ministers, including those of 17 European Union member states and the UK, calling…
Ukraine announces new talks with Russia as French minister Barrot visits Kyiv
Russia and Ukraine will hold new peace talks in Turkey as a follow-up to two rounds in Istanbul that made little progress on ending their war, President Volodymyr…
Needs money, weapons and loyalty: Zelensky reshuffles government
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has completed a major government reshuffle, replacing his prime minister and defence minister and nominating a new ambassador…
Russia slammed for attack by 28 drones on Polish factory in Ukraine
Poland has accused Moscow of breaching international law after Russian drones hit a Polish-owned factory in Ukraine’s city of Vinnytsia.
Why isolationism is the wave of the future
With a trillion dollar budget now finally in sight for the United States military, with Europe, too, formally committing to hundreds of billions of new defence…
Gdańsk exhibition about ‘Our Boys’ serving Third Reich causes uproar
An exhibition in Gdańsk on Poles who served in the German army during the Second World War has caused outrage in Poland.
US recycling ‘old, unsafe equipment’ for Ukraine
A large share of US military aid for Ukraine is not only old but in some cases dangerous for soldiers to use, a conference heard last week.
Dodging a proxy war with China in Iran: Trump’s gambit and Europe’s irrelevance
Trump’s swift halt to the 12-day Iran war in June 2025 wasn’t just about Tehran’s nukes.
Trump’s airstrikes ‘did not destroy Iran’s nuclear capability’, says US Defence Agency as NATO summit kicks off
US airstrikes did not destroy Iran's nuclear capability and only set it back by a few months, according to one initial US intelligence assessment.