In the flick, a damaged Soviet submarine has to put into a small New England seaport for repairs. The animosity and fear of the residents ends in friendship and gratitude as one of the Soviet sailors rescues a small child. The rest is kismet.

The movie ends with the repaired sub sailing away, guarded by a phalanx of small boats crewed by the townspeople to prevent the U.S. Navy from attacking the Soviet boat. Ah. what halcyon days the Cold War were!

Today, Russia is the "acute" threat after China. That acute has two opposite meanings, one being sharp, shrewd or astute, escaped these U.S. strategy makers. And, despite the million or so dead and wounded, this acute Russian threat has suffered in Ukraine, its army is still posed to assault Western Europe.

That Russia is stiffening defenses on its 1,400-mile border with Finland, a NATO member, is one further example of malicious intent. A small, decrepit hospital being upgraded near the border is Exhibit A. More likely, the hospital is being renovated to accommodate the hundreds of thousands of wounded Russians kept as far out of public view as possible. Yet, who in the West accepts that?

Europe is being coerced by Donald Trump and his team to perhaps double defense spending to 5% of GDP a year. These increases are meant to strengthen NATO and Europe's military power and thus demonstrate to Moscow that its aggression toward the West will not be tolerated.

Unfortunately, three realities raise ugly prospects. First, even if these increases were likely -- and short of a war, they are not -- does the strengthening of one of NATO's alliances increase the overall ability of the alliance to stop a Russian attack of the West? Of course not.

Second, is NATO capable of achieving a coordinated and integrated defense of Europe without assigning individual areas of tactical control to specific nations capable of defending them? The answer is no.

Finally, do the United States and its European allies understand the more imminent and dangerous threat posed by Russia? Again the answer is no. Why?

Rather than conducting an objective analysis of Russia and its military, the worst case is assumed -- or the case that is perceived as worst -- and can be sold politically to win public support. No better example of this is the United States' once closest ally, the United Kingdom.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called for a "defense dividend" in which spending 2.5% of GDP in 2027 on its military will turn the tide. This spending, it is argued absent analysis, will stimulate the building of military systems that will increase employment and generate economic growth.

In fact, as virtually any senior serving British officer will tell you, the U.K. military of an Army of 70,000 or so, 16 surface combatants and an air force with 140 Typhoon jets will shrink even with this so-called defense increase.

And, this spending will do nothing to address the most dangerous threat. Assuming that no one can win or fight a nuclear war and that it will take five years and probably double that time for the Russian military to recover from the thrashing it is taking in Ukraine -- using the United States as an example after Vietnam -- where then does Vladimir Putin turn? The answer is "active measures," often mischaracterized as "hybrid, asymmetric war or gray zone operations."

Active measures include espionage at an industrial level, infrastructure and cyber attacks, misinformation and disinformation; psychological operations, assassinations and intimidation, and massive propaganda among other tools of the trade straight from the Lenin playbook.

What is being done here and how much of the increases in defense spending affect "active measures?" The answer is that rather than increased spending to defend against the ongoing threat, money will go to defending a threat that at best is far distant.

Can anything be done to recognize this strategic negligence or incompetence? The answer is probably no. This threat cannot be countered with what increased defense spending will buy: more ships, aircraft, combat systems and vehicles that have virtually no value here.

What a pity. And Putin must be thinking how convenient this is for him. He can take his time in reconstituting his force as the United States and its European friends are convinced it is still a potent force. And he can run virtually unchecked in using active measures.

What will we do? Guess?

Harlan Ullman is UPI's Arnaud de Borchgrave Distinguished Columnist; senior adviser at Washington's Atlantic Council, chairman a private company, and principal author of the doctrine of shock and awe. His next book, co-written with General The Lord David Richards, former U.K. chief of defense and due out next year, is Who Thinks Wins: Preventing Strategic Catastrophe. The writer can be reached on X @harlankullman.

]]> Fri, 23 MAY 2025 02:30:31 AEST Frankfurt, Germany (AFP) May 22, 2025 - Chancellor Friedrich Merz visits Lithuania on Thursday to mark the official formation of Germany's first permanent overseas military unit since World War II, aimed at bolstering NATO's eastern flank against a hostile Russia.

The decision to build up a 5,000-strong armoured brigade in Lithuania over the coming years came in response to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The deployment is aimed at deterring potential Russian aggression towards Lithuania and fellow Baltic countries Estonia and Latvia, former Soviet states that have become NATO and EU members and fear they are increasingly in Moscow's crosshairs.

While Germany has joined multinational military missions, including in Afghanistan and Mali, a pacifist tradition stemming from its dark World War II history meant Berlin was generally reluctant to do more.

The establishment of a permanent brigade overseas is thus an unprecedented move for the Bundeswehr, as the German armed forces are known, in the post-war era.

Merz, who became chancellor this month, will participate in a ceremony in the capital Vilnius that officially marks the formation of the heavy combat unit, the 45th tank brigade, also known as the "Lithuania Brigade".

This will be an "important milestone on the path to the permanent stationing of a German brigade on NATO's eastern flank," deputy government spokesman Steffen Meyer said last week.

The brigade, to consist of around 4,800 troops and 200 civilian Bundeswehr employees, will be gradually deployed over the coming years and should reach full operational capability by 2027.

An advance party of around 400 Bundeswehr personnel are already in the country, according to the defence ministry.

- Bigger role -

Merz, who has vowed to build up Europe's "strongest conventional army" by ramping up defence spending, will be keen to use the trip to highlight that Berlin is taking on a bigger role on the international stage amid dizzying political upheavals.

US President Donald Trump has heaped pressure on fellow NATO members to increase defence spending, sparked fears about American commitment to Europe, and caused shock with his overtures to Russian President Vladimir Putin as he pushes for a swift Ukraine peace deal.

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, who will join Merz on the visit, said last month that the Lithuanian deployment "sends a strong message of solidarity and readiness".

"Germany is stepping up," he added during events to mark the 70th anniversary of Germany joining the 32-member NATO military alliance.

Merz is also due to meet Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda during his visit, with shared concern about Russia likely to dominate talks.

Lithuania, with a population of 2.8 million, borders both the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad and Moscow's ally Belarus, and the German defence ministry considers it to be "the most endangered state on NATO's eastern flank".

- Growing hostility -

There have been signs of Russia ramping up hostile activities, with Moscow frequently accused of using "hybrid warfare" tactics in the Baltic Sea.

Earlier this month a Russian spy plane was spotted in Belarus apparently attempting to observe a multinational NATO military exercise in Lithuania, news outlet Der Spiegel reported.

But Germany's troop deployment is not without its difficulties.

Some question whether the Bundeswehr, suffering from personnel and equipment shortages after years of underfunding, is prepared for what the defence ministry describes as "one of the most complex and ambitious projects" in its history.

While Germany has been seeking to channel more funds to the military, new equipment will take years to order and produce.

Meanwhile the Bundeswehr, which is aiming to boost its number of soldiers to 203,000 by 2031, has been struggling to recruit.

Parliament in January passed a law aimed at making the military a more attractive career, including more flexible working arrangements and greater financial incentives.

]]> Fri, 23 MAY 2025 02:30:31 AEST Brussels, Belgium (AFP) May 19, 2025 - NATO countries look on course to agree a deal on ramping up their defence spending target at a summit in The Hague next month in a bid to satisfy US President Donald Trump.

The volatile leader has been pressuring allies to spend five percent of their GDP on defence -- a level none of NATO's 32 members, including the United States, currently hit.

To make him happy, alliance chief Mark Rutte has floated a proposal for 3.5 percent of GDP on direct defence spending by 2032, and 1.5 percent of broader security-related expenditures.

That should give Trump the chance to claim a win by reaching his headline figure of five percent.

But the reality is that not all of that may need to be new spending.

- What's the real increase?

The current minimum agreed by NATO's countries for defence spending is two percent of GDP.

Under the compromise being hatched for The Hague, that amount should rise to 3.5 percent and be devoted to direct military spending -- such as troops and weaponry.

That is roughly the amount NATO estimates needs to be spent by countries to be able to counter Russia in the coming years.

To pad that out further, for the first time the alliance could then count things such as infrastructure spending, cyber protection, border security -- and even support for Ukraine.

That would make up the additional 1.5 percent, taking the overall figure to five percent.

NATO diplomats say that much of that broader spending is likely already on the books and filling it out would just be a matter of redefining it in their budgets.

"We have to make sure that we not only concentrate on the core defence spending, but also making sure that we do these defence related investments," Rutte said.

To ensure countries stick to the plan, which hasn't been made public, diplomats say Rutte has proposed a 0.2 percentage point annual increase on the direct military spending.

- Implications for each country? -

For some countries -- such as Poland and the Baltics on NATO's eastern flank -- the new 3.5-percent target would actually be lower than what they're already planning to spend.

Worried by the threat from Russia, they're already planning to dedicate five percent of their GDP to core military spending from next year.

The United States wouldn't have far to go to reach the new target as it already spent 3.19 percent of its GDP on its military last year.

For others it will be a bigger leap.

European heavyweights France and Germany are only just hovering over the two percent target and a raft of stragglers such as Italy, Spain, Canada and Belgium are still reaching that level this year.

- Is everyone on board?

Rutte's compromise deal received backing from Germany and France at a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Turkey last week.

Berlin's top diplomat Johann Wadephul said the plan would meet Trump's five percent demand -- and that Germany was willing to "follow" the US lead.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot also gave the greenlight to the 3.5 percent number.

Elsewhere there was little public dissent from other NATO members.

Even those who have struggled to reach two percent seemed open to the deal -- with Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani welcoming counting broader security spending.

- And the United States? -

Even though it doesn't necessarily satisfy Trump's original demand, Washington supports the compromise widening out the parameters to reach five percent.

US NATO Ambassador Matthew Whitaker said the Hague investment plan wouldn't cover "just missiles, tanks and howitzers".

But he warned that the broader "defence-related" spending should not just be "a grab bag for everything that you could possibly imagine".

- What's left to agree?

While allies seem generally to accept the contours of the new plan -- there is still some haggling to be done in the weeks before The Hague summit.

Diplomats say sensitive areas will include hammering out exactly what can and can't be included in the 1.5 percent.

On top of that some countries are pushing for the 2032 timeline to be extended beyond the seven years currently on the table and annual targets to be eased.

]]> Fri, 23 MAY 2025 02:30:31 AEST Washington DC (UPI) May 17, 2025 - President Donald Trump intends to call Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday to discuss ending the war in Ukraine.

"The subjects of the call will be stopping the 'bloodbath' that is killing, on average, more than 5,000 Russian and Ukrainian soldiers a week," Trump said in a Truth Social post made on Saturday.

Trade will be part of Trump's discussion with the Russian president.

"I will then be speaking to President Zelensky of Ukraine and then ... with various members of NATO," Trump said.

Zelensky will participate in the calls with the respective leaders of NATO member nations.

"Hopefully, it will be a productive day," Trump said. "A cease-fire will take place, and this very violent war, a war that never should have happened, will end."

Trump has tried to end the war in Ukraine since he took office in January and has come close to getting the two sides to agree to a cease-fire, but nothing lasting has emerged.

Russian and Ukrainian representatives met on Friday in Istanbul and agreed to a prisoner exchange but are not close to agreeing to a cease-fire, NBC News reported.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Saturday and welcomed the prisoner exchange agreement made on Friday, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said Saturday in a statement.

Rubio also "delivered President Trump's strong message: The United States is committed to achieving a lasting end to the Russia-Ukraine war," Bruce said.

"The comprehensive peace plan by the United States outlines the best way forward," Bruce added. "The secretary emphasized President Trump's call for an immediate cease-fire and an end to the violence."

Zelensky was in Rome on Saturday, where he met with Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter and thanked him for Switzerland's support of Ukraine and its ongoing peace efforts.

"We are also grateful for the humanitarian support provided by your government, especially for what matters most to us: shelters for our schools, for our children," Zelensky told Keller-Sutter.

Zelensky updated the Swiss president on peace negotiations in Istanbul and emphasized the importance of coordinating efforts with the United States, maintaining unity and pressuring Russia to agree to a "full and unconditional cease-fire."

Zelensky, Vance meet against backdrop of first papal mass
Washington DC (UPI) May 18, 2025 - Against the backdrop of Pope Leo XIV's first papal mass Sunday, Vice President JD Vance met privately with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky about achieving a stand down in the war that has waged since Russia's 2023 invasion of Ukraine.

It's the first face to face meeting between the two leaders since the infamous February meeting in the Oval Office that erupted into verbal attacks, finger pointing and taunts by President Donald Trump.

The meeting between Vance and Zelenksy was overshadowed by Moscow's large scale drone attack on Ukraine just hours prior. There are also reports that Russia may be planning a nuclear attack as it ramps up efforts to intimidate Kyiv and its allies.

Zelensky called the meeting "good," and posted photos of smiling Ukrainian and U.S. officials gathered around an outside table.

"I reaffirmed that Ukraine is ready to be engaged in real diplomacy and underscored the importance of a full and unconditional ceasefire as soon as possible," Zelensky said.

Trump is scheduled to talk with Zelensky Monday, and Trump has also said he plans to have a similar conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Leaders of Britain, Germany, France and Poland planned to speak with Trump before the U.S. president's Monday phone call with Putin, German chancellor Friedrich Merz told reporters in Rome on Sunday.

"I spoke with Marco Rubio, including about the call tomorrow," Merz said, referring to the U.S. Secretary of State. "We agreed that we will speak again with the four state leaders and the US president in preparation for this conversation."

The latest efforts at achieving a ceasefire come as the first direct talks between Kyiv and Moscow failed to make any headway in ending the war, which started with Russia's full scale invasion of the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol in February, 2022.

]]> Fri, 23 MAY 2025 02:30:31 AEST Istanbul (AFP) May 14, 2025 - Turkey is deploying all-out diplomatic efforts to secure a Russia-Ukraine deal, to ease Syria's relations with the West and facilitate Iranian nuclear talks, its diplomatic standing burnished by Donald Trump's approval.

Russian President Vladimir Putin himself floated Istanbul as a venue for talks Thursday with Ukraine -- the city where Turkey hosted one round of talks between Moscow and Kyiv at the start of the war, with another round in Antalya.

It was in the coastal city of Antalya that NATO foreign ministers began gathering Wednesday evening on the eve of a meeting at which they will discuss ramping up defence spending.

And a new round of talks between Iran and the so-called E3 powers -- Britain, France and Germany -- is also likely to be held in Istanbul later this week.

Earlier Wednesday, Turkish President Recep Tayip Erdogan took part remotely in a landmark Riyadh meeting between Trump and Syria's new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, praising the US leader's decision to lift sanctions on Damascus.

"Today, Turkey has become one of the centres of peace diplomacy," Erdogan boasted in a speech to lawmakers from his ruling AKP.

"One of the countries whose support, assistance and mediation is sought for resolving regional and global crises is, without a doubt, Turkey."

- US-backed Turkish diplomacy -

Analysts say Washington has gravitated towards Turkey thanks to the personal connection between Trump and Erdogan.

"Trump seems to love Erdogan, he seems to have truly warm personal feelings about him," Max Abrahms, an international security professor, told AFP.

"Turkey is a very important country in the world and there are thus many reasons why strong relations with Turkey help the US geopolitically," he said.

But the personal connection between them was "unmistakable, and frequently acknowledged by Trump", he said.

During their telephone conversation last week, Trump said he wanted to work with Erdogan to end Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

"I look forward to working with President Erdogan on getting the ridiculous, but deadly, war between Russia and Ukraine ended -- NOW!" Trump posted on his Truth Social network.

Erdogan stepped up diplomatic contacts at the weekend.

He spoke by phone with Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron, who visited Kyiv with the leaders of Germany, Britain and Poland Saturday in a show of solidarity with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Together they urged Moscow to accept a 30-day unconditional ceasefire starting, with Zelensky saying he expected Putin to show up for Thursday's Istanbul talks.

-'Trump likes Erdogan'-

With little sign of Putin coming, it remains unclear who Moscow will send in his stead.

Trump said on Wednesday he would go if Putin also went.

Aaron Stein, head of the US-based Foreign Policy Research Institute, agreed that Ankara was now "the beneficiary of Donald Trump".

"He is the one that has forced discussions about a ceasefire that align with Ankara, therefore creating a need for a Turkish or Saudi venue for Ukraine talks," he told AFP.

On Iran, it's more or less the same vibe, he said.

Trump, he said, was "trying to undo his own policy error" of walking away from a landmark 2015 agreement between major powers and Iran that gave it sanctions relief in return for UN-monitored restrictions on its nuclear activities.

"Trump is very clear: he likes Erdogan."

A Turkish official, who requested anonymity, confirmed warm ties between the two leaders. But he added: "It's Trump who sets the degree of this warmth.

"The latest statements made by Trump carried the relationship to a more sincere level," the official told AFP. "Both leaders are looking to matters from a win-win perspective."

- 'Increasing room for manoeuvre' -

For Nigar Goksel of the International Crisis Group, Turkey's geography and its positioning itself over years of careful balancing gave it an upper hand.

"Ankara's advancing defence sector also increased its manoeuver space," she said.

NATO member Turkey has maintained good relations with both Ukraine and Russia. It has supplied Kyiv with drones while shying away from Western-led sanctions on Moscow.

"Success in these roles also reinforces Turkey's international stature and is popular domestically, serving the political interests of the government," Goksel told AFP.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga, who met his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan in Antalya, praised Turkey's role.

"The epicentre of world diplomacy is now in Turkey, which is playing an active mediation role. We appreciate it," he said.

]]> Fri, 23 MAY 2025 02:30:31 AEST Washington (AFP) May 15, 2025 - Big tech companies are increasingly waving the US flag in Washington where President Donald Trump is back in charge, pushing his America First agenda.

Leading this performance of nationalism are Meta, OpenAI and, more predictably, Palantir, the AI defense company founded by Peter Thiel, the conservative tech billionaire who has played a major role in Silicon Valley's rightward shift.

But the full-throated call to defend the nation -- often paired with warnings about communist China or Europe's regulation -- raises concerns about alienating international partners who represent a significant portion of big tech's business.

In the defense industry, US companies have historically balanced pro-American positioning with patriotic discretion to attract international business.

But Trump and Vice President JD Vance routinely denigrate close allies, all while promoting a nationalist agenda that many US companies feel little choice but to endorse.

While Saudi Arabia and other oil-rich Arab states largely escape Trump's ire, they are investing billions in US AI projects and building their own ventures with White House backing.

Perhaps most surprising is ChatGPT maker OpenAI's embrace of American exceptionalism.

The company now actively lobbies for US tech to become the global platform for generative AI, has adjusted policies to allow defense contracts, and is helping build AI for the Pentagon in partnership with drone maker Anduril, another Thiel-connected company.

"I don't want to live in Europe either," OpenAI CEO Sam Altman told a Senate panel on US AI dominance last week.

"I think America is just an incredible and special thing, and it will not only be the place where the AI revolution happens, but all the revolutions after."

Meta has similarly swung to the right since Trump's return.

CEO Mark Zuckerberg appointed a prominent Republican lobbyist to lead public policy, who regularly criticizes European regulations and aligns Meta's positions with conservative viewpoints.

The company has also touted AI models like its own as "essential for the US to win the AI race against China and ensure American AI dominance."

The most vocal proponent is likely Palantir, whose market valuation has soared based on expectations that its technology will transform security, surveillance and defense.

Tech "is more of a metier or an art form than a science. And all the artists are in America," said Palantir CEO Alex Karp at Washington's Hill and Valley tech conference earlier this month.

Palantir executives largely believe this can only be achieved through overwhelming American military and technological dominance, ensuring global peace through a Pax Americana.

"AI is scary (and) can be abused" by great powers, "which is why we have to win this in America," Karp stated.

- 'Tightrope' -

Professor Sarah Kreps, director of Cornell University's Tech Policy Institute, notes that defense technology companies like Palantir must balance US allegiance with respect for national sovereignty abroad.

"It's a diplomatic tightrope. When the political rhetoric becomes too parochial or polarizing-especially tied to specific administrations-it risks undermining" US companies' appeal overseas, she explained.

Trump's nationalism is pressuring companies to adopt patriotic positions that Silicon Valley traditionally avoided, but this "can create friction abroad, especially in Europe, where concerns about sovereignty, data localization, and technological dependence are growing," Kreps added.

Taking a more measured approach is Microsoft, the 50-year-old tech giant that-like rivals Google and Amazon Web Services-serves both the US government and foreign markets where American nationalism might deter potential customers.

For decades, co-chairman and president Brad Smith has navigated this complex terrain, aligning with Washington's political climate while reassuring global customers of Microsoft's trustworthiness. While co-founder Bill Gates, who now serves as an advisor to Microsoft, spoke out against Trump's tariffs this week, Smith walks the line more carefully.

"We need to remember that as a country, only four and a half percent of the world's people live in the United States," Smith told the same Senate panel where OpenAI's Altman advocated for US leadership in AI.

The risks extend beyond lost sales opportunities.

Microsoft's business, like all US tech giants, depends on agreements allowing transatlantic data flows-arrangements repeatedly challenged in EU courts.

Professor Susan Ariel Aaronson of George Washington University warns these arrangements are precarious.

"American AI will not be successful if it is not trusted. And how do you build trust? You don't become the world's disrupter," she told AFP.

]]> Fri, 23 MAY 2025 02:30:31 AEST Beijing (AFP) May 15, 2025 - China said Thursday it was ready to "expand practical cooperation" with the Russian army, after President Xi Jinping's recent visit to Moscow for a lavish World War II Victory Day parade.

The two countries have drawn closer in recent years, including since Moscow launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Xi's trip to Russia last week drew ire from Kyiv's allies, who have accused Beijing of giving Moscow economic and political cover to wage a war of aggression.

Beijing says it is a neutral party to the conflict and has made indefatigable efforts for peace.

On Thursday, in response to a question linked to Xi's visit asking how China would promote military-to-military ties with Russia, the defence ministry said the relationship was "operating at a high level".

"The Chinese military stands ready to work with the Russian side to further deepen strategic mutual trust, step up strategic communication, and expand practical cooperation," defence ministry spokesman Jiang Bin said in a response posted to social media platform WeChat.

The moves would "enrich the content of China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era", Jiang said.

He added that they would also "contribute to maintaining and strengthening global strategic stability".

After a lengthy meeting with President Vladimir Putin on his trip, Xi said China's ties with Russia brought "positive energy" to a turbulent world.

He added that both nations stood firm against "hegemonic bullying" -- an apparent swipe at the United States.

Putin, for his part, told reporters he and Xi had held "traditionally warm, friendly" talks and addressed the Chinese leader as his "dear friend".

]]> Fri, 23 MAY 2025 02:30:31 AEST Berlin (AFP) May 14, 2025 - German Chancellor Friedrich Merz pledged Wednesday to build up "the strongest conventional army in Europe" as the continent faces a hostile Russia while the Ukraine war rages on.

"This is appropriate for Europe's most populous and economically powerful country," Merz told parliament. "Our friends and partners also expect this from us. Indeed, they practically demand it."

In his first major address to the Bundestag since his government was inaugurated last week, Merz vowed to "provide all financial means necessary" for the long-underfunded defence forces.

Germany, with its dark World War II history, has long been reluctant to spend big on its military and funding dropped off sharply after the Cold War as European countries relied on NATO heavyweight the United States for security.

US President Donald Trump has demanded that Germany and other allies spend more on common defence and thrown into doubt Washington's future commitment to the transatlantic military alliance.

Merz has pledged a greater diplomatic and security role for Berlin in Europe at a time of high geopolitical tensions.

He warned Wednesday that "anyone who seriously believes that Russia would be satisfied with a victory over Ukraine or with the annexation of parts of the country is mistaken".

His government has already cleared the way for a spending "bazooka" worth hundreds of billions of euros in extra funding for defence and infrastructure by getting a fiscal plan passed by the previous parliament.

"Strengthening the Bundeswehr (armed forces) is our top priority," Merz said. "The German government will provide all the financial resources the Bundeswehr needs to become Europe's strongest conventional army."

"Strength deters aggressors, while weakness invites aggression," he added.

He also emphasised continued support for Ukraine but also said that "we are not a party to war, and we don't want to become one".

- 'Strong together' -

"Our goal is a Germany and a Europe that are so strong together that we never have to use our weapons," Merz said. "To achieve this, we will have to assume more responsibility within NATO and the EU."

For now, the challenges are huge. In recent years, Germany's Bundeswehr has been mocked for equipment failures, including helicopters that cannot fly and rifles that do not shoot straight.

Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine over three years ago jolted the centre-left former chancellor Olaf Scholz into action.

He announced 100 billion euros ($112 billion) in extra defence spending, which has allowed Germany to meet the NATO target of two percent of GDP.

But much remains to be done, and the parliamentary commissioner for the armed forces, Eva Hoegl, recently warned that the military still had "too little of everything".

Major orders have been placed, including for new German-built submarines, but they will take years to build and deliver.

Germany halted military conscription under chancellor Angela Merkel, but Merz said steps would be taken to rebuild troop strength.

"We will create a new, attractive voluntary military service," he said.

"There are many young people in our country who want to take responsibility for Germany, its defence capability, and its security. We want to and we will promote this."

Defence Minister Boris Pistorius later suggested in parliament that the recruitment drive may not stay voluntary.

"We have agreed that we will initially rely on voluntary participation, creating a military service that is initially based on voluntary participation and is intended to encourage young people to serve their country," he said.

"And I say quite deliberately and honestly, the emphasis is on 'initially' in case we cannot recruit enough volunteers."

]]> Fri, 23 MAY 2025 02:30:31 AEST Phnom Penh (AFP) May 14, 2025 - Cambodia and China on Wednesday began their largest-ever joint military exercises, involving advanced Chinese military hardware including artillery, warships and robot battle dogs.

Cambodia has long been a staunch ally of China, receiving billions of dollars in investments, and Washington has voiced concerns that Beijing is using a Cambodian naval base it renovated on Gulf of Thailand to expand its influence in the region.

Nearly 900 Chinese military personnel and more than 1,300 Cambodian soldiers are taking part in the drills that will last until May 28, the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) said in a statement.

The drills will feature advanced Chinese military hardware, including armoured vehicles, helicopters, warships, reconnaissance drones and robot battle dogs, the statement said.

It said the annual exercises were to "develop deeper ties and cooperation" between the two armies.

"The exercises are bigger than last year in term of both personnel and equipment," RCAF spokesman Thong Solimo told AFP.

He said a large Chinese naval vessel, the Changbai Shan, docked at Cambodia's Beijing-renovated Ream Naval Base on Monday with the military equipment for the drills.

Cambodian political analyst Ou Virak told AFP that "China does want to flex its muscle" and to send a message that "it's a superpower" through the exercises, dubbed Golden Dragon.

"Definitely China is trying to... grow its influence within the region," he said.

"Beyond just flexing the muscle, it needs to build confidence amongst its partners to say to the partners that China is growing, China is expanding, China is also getting stronger, both in size but also in technological advancement, as well as military might," Ou Virak added.

Cambodia is also expected to receive two warships from China.

The first Golden Dragon drills were held in 2016, and in early 2017 Cambodia scrapped a similar joint exercise -- "Angkor Sentinel" -- which had been held for the preceding seven years with US forces.

The drills follow a two-day visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to Cambodia in April to deepen ties between the two countries.

]]> Fri, 23 MAY 2025 02:30:31 AEST Paris (AFP) May 13, 2025 - President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday that Europeans would slap Russia with more sanctions if it did not agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine, and said that Paris was ready to discuss deploying its nuclear-armed warplanes in other European countries.

Appearing on the TF1 channel, Macron stressed that France stood by Ukraine amid a new push to force Russian leader Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table, but added that the West did not want a "Third World War".

"Our intention is to impose sanctions" if Russia fails to comply with a ceasefire in Ukraine proposed by Kyiv's European allies, Macron said.

In recent months France has taken a leading role seeking a coordinated European response to defending Ukraine, with Macron using his cordial relationship with US President Donald Trump in talks over ending the three-year war.

On Saturday, the leaders of France, Britain, Germany and Poland called on Russia to accept a 30-day unconditional ceasefire starting Monday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on Putin to personally attend Russia-Ukraine talks in Turkey on Thursday, but Moscow has so far not said who will go.

The European Union has already imposed 16 rounds of sanctions on Russia since Putin invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

A 17th round is to be adopted next Tuesday. The financial sector and hydrocarbons have been largely spared by the sanctions.

Macron also stressed that "no legal framework" existed to seize frozen Russian assets, and it was "not a good solution".

The French president said that Ukraine acknowledged it could not retake all the territory seized by Russia since 2014.

"We must help Ukraine defend itself but we do not want to unleash a Third World War," Macron said. "The war must cease and Ukraine must be in the best possible situation to go into negotiations," he added.

"Even the Ukrainians have the clear-sightedness to say they do not have the capacity to retake everything that has been taken since 2014," he added.

Ahead of the 2022 full-scale invasion, Russia in 2014 annexed the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea and backed forces which seized parts of two eastern Ukrainian regions.

- 'Ready to open discussion' -

Macron also said that France was ready to start discussing with other European countries on deploying French warplanes armed with nuclear weapons on their territory, as the United States does in certain nations.

"The Americans have the bombs on planes in Belgium, Germany, Italy, Turkey," Macron said.

"We are ready to open this discussion. I will define the framework in a very specific way in the weeks and months to come."

Macron also listed three conditions for such a move, namely that "France will not pay for the security of others" and it "will not come at the expense of what we need."

"The final decision will always rest with the president of the republic, as the head of the armed forces," he added.

The United States is believed to have around 50 nuclear bombs stored at the Incirlik air base in the south of NATO member Turkey.

France is the EU's only nuclear armed nation and discussion is growing after the Russian invasion of Ukraine over extending the French nuclear deterrent to its partners.

Poland, like France a key ally of Ukraine and an increasingly significant force in the EU, has already made clear it would be eager to benefit from France's nuclear deterrent.

Macron added: "There has always been a European dimension in the consideration of what we call vital interests. We do not elaborate on this because ambiguity goes hand in hand with the deterrent."

Brazil's Lula says to push Putin to negotiate with Zelensky in Istanbul
Beijing (AFP) May 14, 2025 - Brazil's president said Wednesday he will press Vladimir Putin in person to attend negotiations with Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky in Turkey, adding to calls on the Russian leader to enter talks and end Moscow's invasion.

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will stop over in the Russian capital on the way back to Brazil following the conclusion of a regional forum in China.

"I'll try to talk to Putin," Lula said at a press conference in Beijing ahead of his departure.

"It costs me nothing to say, 'hey, comrade Putin, go to Istanbul and negotiate, dammit'", he said.

The negotiations scheduled for Thursday in Istanbul would be the first direct talks between Kyiv and Moscow since 2022, shortly after Russia's full-scale invasion of its neighbour.

Lula's comments come after the Ukrainian foreign minister on Tuesday urged Brazil to use its influence with Russia and make a meeting between Putin and Zelensky happen.

They also come after Brazil and China issued a joint statement Tuesday calling for direct negotiations as the "only way to end the conflict".

Zelensky on Tuesday urged US President Donald Trump -- currently on a tour of Middle Eastern countries -- to also visit Turkey and participate in talks.

The Kremlin has not yet specified whether Putin will attend in person, stating only that the "Russian delegation will be present".

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