Belgian navy left red-faced over botched frigate exercise
A failed naval test simulating a drone attack on the Belgian frigate Louise-Marie (F931) has resulted in the ship’s Red Sea mission being cancelled.
Defence
Latest reporting and analysis on defence.
French youth back compulsory military service amid war in Ukraine
The majority of French people aged between 18 and 25 are prepared to enlist in the armed forces to support Ukraine if the need arises, a new survey has revealed.
The Middle East is not yet at the brink of all out war – but Iran’s missile attack on Israel has certainly made it closer
Luckily for the world, most policy decisions are not made on X.
Russia has no future and China will seize this opportunity: It may not look like it now, but the two powers are destined for future conflict
The current policy of Russian President Vladimir Putin seems to be a demonstration of strength, but in reality, it is a symptom of Russian weakness.
Border firefights erupt after €270m EU aid deal for Armenia
The entire Armenia-Azerbaijan border has suffered five consecutive nights of firefights in a major escalation of conflict following a European Union announcement…
Islamic State threatens terror attack on Champions League football matches
A possible terrorist attack by the Islamic State (IS) on the Champions League football quarter-finals this week has security forces concerned following a social…
For Europe to be a world player, it needs to be a military power. The continent’s leaders may be waking up to this
The last two years of European involvement in the Ukraine war have revealed an uncomfortable truth: The EU may be a global economic and political power, but its…
‘Russia trying to sabotage European railways,’ says Czech transport minister
Czech Republic transport minister Martin Kupka said Russia was trying to sabotage European railways by hacking into their signalling systems.
Poland slams Israeli Ambassador over comments about aid workers’ deaths
Polish President Andrzej Duda has slammed Israel’s Ambassador to Poland Yacov Livne for his remarks regarding the airstrike by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF)…
Not fit for duty: Almost 50 per cent of Belgian soldiers overweight
While Europe scrambles to rebuild and strengthen its defence forces, Belgium's troops pose a hefty problem;
Polish foreign minister says NATO can outlast Russia in Ukraine war
Polish foreign minister Radosław Sikorski, speaking after a meeting of NATO foreign ministers, had a clear message for Russia: “As the North Atlantic Alliance,…
Christmas terror arrests lead police to suspected Hamas weapons cache in Bulgaria
German police has found a weapons cache in Southern Bulgaria during an investigation into four suspected Hamas terrorists who allegedly plotted terror attacks over…
French and Russians feud after ministers’ phone conversation
French and Russian officials are slinging accusations at one another in the wake of a high-profile phone call between both countries' defence ministers.
Going back to basics at 75: NATO must defend itself robustly if attacked, nothing more, nothing less
That NATO has reached its 75th anniversary this week should be a cause for genuine celebration across the West and by all free and open societies around the world.
‘Former Irish soldiers training Libyan warlord troops’, in apparent violation of UN and EU arms embargo
Media and military experts claim that a group of former Irish soldiers have been training “rogue” Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar’s troops over the past year.
EU troops depart Mali, giving Moscow free rein in the Sahel
The last EU soldier will leave Mali May 18 following a decision not to extend the mandate of the EU Training Mission (EUTM) there.
Russia ‘could attack NATO troops in Ukraine without triggering wider war’: German parliament report
In an unpublished analysis widely reported by the German media, researchers claim there is no legal issue if an individual NATO country, such as France, decides…
Ukraine switches off power exports as Russian attacks hit home
Amid a continued Russian bombardment on Ukraine's energy infrastructure that has seen its top power producer DTEK lose 50 per cent of its capacity, Kyiv sharply…
Poland says Russian missile enters its airspace as Kremlin targets Ukraine
Russia violated Poland's airspace with a cruise missile launched at targets in western Ukraine, Poland's armed forces said. "On March 24 at 4:23am (03.
EU leaders blast Russia after Kremlin declares ‘state of war’
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov justified what is a change of rhetoric by saying that Western support of Ukraine had morphed his country's so-called "special military…
Russian oil terminals ‘legitimate targets’, Kyiv insists
Olha Stefanishyna, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration, said Russian oil refineries were legitimate targets for its forces.
Pressure mounts on Ukraine to scrap ‘sponsors of war’ blacklist
Ukraine could dismantle within days its "sponsors of war" blacklist, central to Kyiv's campaign to expose companies doing business with Russia, after a backlash…
US wants Ukraine to stop hitting Russian oil refineries
The US has urged Ukraine to halt strikes on Russian energy infrastructure, warning that drone strikes risk provoking retaliation and driving up global…
Belgian ‘terror teens’ also wanted to ‘blow up the Eiffel Tower’
Three Belgian teenagers who allegedly planned to attack a Brussels concert hall are also being accused of scheming to destroy the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
The West’s limits: We should back Ukraine to the hilt with money and weapons, but – no Macron – this is not an existential war for Europe
The collective flight of reason triggered by Emmanuel Macron’s bombshell suggestion last month about a possible Western military intervention in Ukraine is only…
NATO can survive the return of Trump – and still deter Putin. It will simply mean Europe paying for more of its own defence
Much has been made recently over the prospective return of Donald Trump and his transactional style of conducting foreign relations.
No more stupid wars: The West must not allow itself to be dragged further into the Russia-Ukraine war
It would stupid for the West to get further dragged into the Russian-Ukraine war.
To have peace, Europe must prepare for war, EU council president says
Europe must strengthen its defence capabilities and shift to a "war economy" mode in response to the threat posed by Russia, European Council President Charles Michel…
Germany, France and Poland unite to use frozen Russian assets for Ukrainian weapons
French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk have resolved their differences in approach to the Russian…
US wants Hungary to ‘enter’ war in Ukraine, Orbán says
The United States wants Hungary to "enter" the war between Russia and Ukraine, Hungary's prime minister Viktor Orbán claimed.