Pope aligns with left-wing Sachs and ends up standing with right-wing Trump
In March, Pope Francis made headlines by suggesting that Ukraine should muster the courage to wave the "white flag" and negotiate a peaceful end to the ongoing war…
Defence
Latest reporting and analysis on defence.
Ukraine aims to recruit nationals living abroad
Ukraine has established a new military unit called the "Ukrainian Legion," members of which will be trained in Poland, to help defend against the Russian invasion.
Russia reportedly planned assassination of Rheinmetall boss
Western intelligence services foiled a Russian plot to murder Armin Papperger, the chief executive of Rheinmetall, Germany's leading arms manufacturer, CNN reported.
Zelensky ‘ready for second peace summit with Russia’
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would be willing to hold a second peace summit, with Russia present this time, according to a leak from a Ukrainian official,…
NATO raises its tone against China: for America the front is in the East
NATO has raised its tone against China at the current summit in Washington in contrast to the conference held in Madrid on June 29-30, 2022.
Nuclear weapons spending tops $90 billion in 2023
NGOs monitoring the sector say there has been a one-third increase in weapons spending over the past five years by the nine nuclear-armed states modernising their…
Poland mulls shooting down Russian missiles over Ukraine
A security agreement signed by Poland and Ukraine has laid out plans for Polish air defences to shoot down Russian missiles suspected of approaching Poland even…
Russia sanctions ‘barely affecting’ Kremlin war effort: researchers
Sanctions targeting Russia are "barely affecting" the country's ability to wage war in Ukraine, according to research funded by the German Government.
Orbán’s ‘peace trips’ annoy Brussels leaders
EU leaders have expressed annoyance over "peace trips" to Ukraine, Russia and China undertaken by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
NATO could mobilize up to 350,000 more troops to fulfill new defence plan
NATO is set to expand its military capabilities to counter potential threats from Russia, with plans to add between 35 and 50 additional brigades, a military source…
NATO agree on €40 billion financial pledge for Ukraine
NATO allies have agreed to fund military aid for Ukraine with 40 billion euros next year, two Western European diplomats told Reuters on Wednesday July 3, a week…
Labour and Tories are both Ukraine hawks, despite Left’s old ties with Moscow allies
“If you poke the Russian bear with a stick, don’t be surprised if he responds.
EU leaders sign new security deal with Ukraine
European Union leaders reaffirmed their support for Ukraine during the European Council summit in Brussels by signing a new security agreement.
EU leaders to agree on top jobs, strategic agenda with focus on defence
European Union leaders are to agree on Thursday on the strategic course for the EU and on the people to run its institutions for the next five years, with a special…
Trump advisers plan to halt US military aid to Ukraine unless Kyiv sues for peace with Moscow
Keith Kellogg and Fred Fleitz, two key advisers to US presidential hopeful Donald Trump, have presented the former president with a plan to end Russia's war in Ukraine…
Russian saboteurs ‘suspected’ over German factory fire
A fire at a factory in Berlin was possibly started by Russian saboteurs, according to security experts.
EU to fund aid to Ukraine with €1.4 billion of frozen Russian assets
European Union governments have agreed to allocate €1.4 billion in profits from frozen Russian assets for arms and other aid to Ukraine.
Cardinal goes to Ukraine to push for ceasefire, Zelensky won’t be keen
Volodymyr Zelensky is a man who knows what he wants: air defence interceptors, artillery, ATACMS long-range precision-guided missiles, more Stinger anti-aircraft…
Hamas hostages and mass slaughter mean Israelis must pursue and destroy
Wassem Mahmoud is dead. He was killed in action at the age of twenty in Rafa in Gaza on June 24th.
Peace summit fails but Zelensky says conflict could be ended ‘tomorrow’
World leaders gathered in Switzerland for a summit seeking peace in Russia’s war Ukraine have come away enpty-handed.
Kremlin chief targets West while Ukraine rejects Putin’s ceasefire demands
Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of Russia's Security Council and former president of Russia, called for the mass mobilisation of Russian society to inflict "maximum…
World leaders to seek solutions to Ukraine war without Russia or China
A number of world leaders will meet in Switzerland to look for possible solutions to the conflict in Ukraine, but without Russia.
NATO takes over military aid programme for Ukraine
NATO will assume control over the co-ordination of arms deliveries to Ukraine from the US, the alliance's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has announced.
‘NATO ready to crack down on Russian spies,’ chief Stoltenberg says
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg says the organisation is prepared to go all-out against Russian spies following the latest acts of sabotage and cyberattacks…
Arrogant Macron wants to bait Russia with his ‘military trainers’
French President Emmanuel Macron caused a stir recently when he announced he was considering sending hundreds of troops – in the guise of “military trainers”…
French President delays sending military instructors to Ukraine
French President Emmanuel Macron has delayed sending military instructors to Ukraine but announced further military aid.
France arrests Ukraine-Russia national with explosives on terror charges
French police have arrested a 26-year-old Ukrainian-Russian man after he blew himself up with explosive materials in a hotel room north of Paris, a source at the…
EU gives ‘full support’ to Biden’s Gaza ceasefire plan
The European Union has given its "full support" to an Israel-Gaza ceasefire deal floated by US President Joe Biden, officials have confirmed.
German army to boost Rheinmetall artillery shell order by 200,000, document shows
The German army intends to order 200,000 more artillery shells from arms maker Rheinmetall than it had planned, a letter seen by Reuters on June 4 from the Defence…
Swedish security service says Iran uses criminal networks in Sweden
Sweden's security service said on Thursday that the Iranian government had been using criminal networks within Sweden to carry out violent acts against other states,…