Page 58 - Ukraine

China's action against Philippine vessels threatens global security: Sweden

Sweden's defense chief has expressed alarm over Beijing's repeated dangerous maneuvers against Philippine vessels in the South China Sea, saying such actions threaten security, undermine stability and underscore the need to invest for our security and freedom. Defense Minister Pl Jonson spoke Thursday night in a diplomatic reception in Manila for Sweden's national day after meeting his Philippine counterpart, Gilberto Teodoro Jr., on expanding defense relations. Sweden is one of the possible sources of supersonic fighter jets that the Philippines plans to acquire as its military shifts focus from decades of fighting communist and Muslim insurgencies to territorial defense. Let me express my deep concern on the repeated dangerous maneuvers against Philippines vessels that have been taking place in the West Philippine Sea and the South China Sea, Jonson said. He did not mention China in his speech but drew applause from an audience that included top Philippine military and security ...

France to provide Mirage fighter jets to fend off Russian attacks: Macron

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that France will provide Ukraine with its Mirage combat aircraft to be able to defend their country against Russian aggression. Macron said in an interview with French public broadcaster that he will announce on Friday a new cooperation" with Ukraine and the sale of Mirage 2005, the French-made combat aircraft which will allow Ukraine to protect its soil, its airspace against Russian attacks. France will also start training Ukrainian pilots, Macron said. He reiterated that Ukraine should be allowed to use weapons provided by its Western allies to target Russian military targets and neutralise the points from which (the country) is being attacked.

European Parliament elections begin today; check out the issues at stake

Nearly 400 million European Union citizens can go to the polls over the coming days to elect members of the European Parliament, or MEPs, in one of the biggest global democratic events. Far-right parties are seeking to gain more power amid a rise in the cost of living and farmers' discontent, while the wars in Gaza and Ukraine stay on the minds of voters. One of the biggest questions is whether European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will remain in charge as the public face of the EU. Here is a look at the election, which runs Thursday to Sunday, and the biggest issues at stake: WHEN IS THE VOTE? EU elections are held every five years across the 27-member bloc. This year marks the 10th parliamentary election since the first polls in 1979, and the first after Brexit. The vote takes place from June 6-9. Initial results can only be revealed on the evening of June 9, once polling stations have closed in all member states. HOW DOES VOTING WORK? The elections started on Th

Russia could provide weapons to others to strike Western targets: Putin

Taking questions from international journalists for the first time since his inauguration last month to a fifth term, Putin also said nothing will change in terms of Russia-US relations

Ukraine using German weapons to strike Russia 'dangerous step' warns Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Germany on Wednesday that use of its weapons by Ukraine to strike targets in Russia would mark a dangerous step" and ruin relations between Berlin and Moscow. Germany joined the United States recently in authorizing Ukraine to hit some targets on Russian soil with the long-range weapons they are supplying. Putin said that the deliveries of German tanks to Ukraine came as a shock to many in Russia. Now if they use missiles to strike facilities on the Russian territory it will completely ruin Russian-German relations, he said.

European Union prepares for foreign disinformation ahead of elections

Voters in the European Union are set to elect lawmakers starting Thursday for the bloc's parliament, in a major democratic exercise that's also likely to be overshadowed by online disinformation. Experts have warned that artificial intelligence could supercharge the spread of fake news that could disrupt the election in the EU and many other countries this year. But the stakes are especially high in Europe, which has been confronting Russian propaganda efforts as Moscow's war with Ukraine drags on. Here's a closer look: WHAT'S HAPPENING? Some 360 million people in 27 nations from Portugal to Finland, Ireland to Cyprus will choose 720 European Parliament lawmakers in an election that runs Thursday to Sunday. In the months leading up to the vote, experts have observed a surge in the quantity and quality of fake news and anti-EU disinformation being peddled in member countries. A big fear is that deceiving voters will be easier than ever, enabled by new AI tools that make it easy t

Efforts should be recognised in Russia-Ukraine peace measures, says China

China has never "fanned fire or fuelled the flames", said Mao Ning, addressing a question on a peace summit

China, Russia trying to undermine peace summit on Ukraine war: Zelenskyy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was in the Philippines on Monday in a rare Asian trip to urge regional leaders to attend a Swiss-organised global peace summit on the war in Ukraine that he accuses Russia, with China's help, of trying to undermine. Zelenskyy arrived unannounced and under heavy security in Manila late Sunday after speaking over the weekend at the Shangri-La defence forum in Singapore. He had planned but failed to meet with Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr on the sidelines of that annual defence gathering and decided to fly here to personally invite Marcos to attend the summit in Switzerland, two Filipino officials told AP. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of a lack of authority to discuss details of Zelenskyy's secretive trip to Manila. Both leaders spoke critically of China at the defence forum in Singapore, which was attended by top defence and government officials from around the world, including from Washington and Beijing. Th

Zelenskyy accuses China of pressuring countries to skip Ukraine peace talks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused China of helping Russia to disrupt a Swiss-organised peace conference on the war in Ukraine, speaking at Asia's premier security conference on Sunday. In a news conference at the Shangri-La defense forum in Singapore, Zelenskyy said that China is pressuring other countries and their leaders not to attend the upcoming talks. Russia, using Chinese influence in the region, using Chinese diplomats also, does everything to disrupt the peace summit, he said, according to a simultaneous translation of his remarks. Regrettably this is unfortunate that such a big independent powerful country as China is an instrument in hands of Putin. In a speech earlier in the day, Zelenskyy urged top defence officials to attend the upcoming summit, saying he was disappointed at the failure of some countries to commit to joining. Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun spoke earlier in the day at the Shangri-La conference but he did not appear to be in the room wh

Biden partially lifts ban on Ukraine using US arms in strikes on Russia

President Joe Biden has given Ukraine the go-ahead to use American weaponry to strike inside Russia for the limited purpose of defending Kharkiv, according to two US officials familiar with the matter. The officials, who requested anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter, underscored that the US policy calling on Ukraine not to use American-provide long-range missiles and other munitions to strike inside Russia offensively has not changed. The move comes as Ukrainian officials have stepped up calls on the US administration to allow its forces to defend itself against attacks originating from Russian territory. Biden's decision was first reported by Politico. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday assailed Russian attempts to sow discord in democracies with misinformation after hinting the Biden administration may soon allow Ukraine to use American-supplied munitions to strike inside Russia. With an increasing number of officials saying Ukraine must be able to defend its

Sweden will donate $1.23 billion in military aid to Ukraine as war rages

The Swedish government said Wednesday that it will donate military aid to Ukraine worth 13 billion Kronor (USD 1.23 billion) in the largest help package Sweden has so far donated. It consists of equipment that is at the top of Ukraine's priority list, Deputy Prime Minister Ebba Busch said. It included air defense, artillery ammunition and armored vehicles. Sweden's Defense Minister Pal Jonsson reiterated that the country has ruled out for now sending any Swedish-built JAS 39 Gripen jets to Ukraine, saying the focus on the Ukrainian side is on implementing the F-16 program. Several countries have said they want to donate F-16 fighter jets. On Tuesday, Belgium pledged 30 F-16 jets to Ukraine. Jonsson said Sweden is still working on possibly being able to contribute with the Gripen system later. The support package will be the 16th from Sweden since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began.

US Treasury official visits Ukraine to discuss sanctions on Russia

A senior US Treasury official is in Kyiv this week to talk with government officials about US financial support for Ukraine, efforts to tighten sanctions on Russia and plans to use immobilized Russian sovereign assets for the benefit of Ukraine as it fends off Russian forces. Deputy Secretary Wally Adeyemo's trip comes as Russia gains territory on the battlefield after an especially lengthy delay in US military aid left Ukraine at the mercy of Russia's bigger army and as the outlook for Ukraine's state finances is on shakier ground. Adeyemo is set to meet with officials in Ukraine's finance ministry and president's office. He's also planning a stop at the Kyiv School of Economics to speak with faculty and civil society groups working on sanctions policy and ways to make sanctions on Russia more effective. President Joe Biden signed legislation in April that allows the administration to seize the roughly USD5 billion in Russian state assets located in the US. However, a majority of t

China needs to know risks outweigh rewards in attacking Taiwan: US lawmaker

Taiwan has for the last two years complained of delays to deliveries of US weapons, such as Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, as manufacturers supply Ukraine to support its defence against Russia

Amid Russian gains in the Ukraine war, Putin overhauls defence ministry

The timing of Putin's recent moves is most likely a sign that he has greater confidence about his battlefield prospects in Ukraine and his hold on political power as he begins his fifth term as prez

Ukraine's Zelenskyy urges world leaders to join Global Peace Summit

He further said that Ukraine has the world's largest experience of lies from Russia in terms of dialogue and negotiations

G7 to explore ways of using frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine

The G7 and its allies froze some $300 billion of Russian assets shortly after Moscow invaded its neighbour in February 2022

Two-day G7 finance summit kicks off seeking unity on Ukraine, China

The G7 will also address a proposed global wealth tax on billionaires, promoted by Brazil and France among the broader Group of 20 developed countries

US to provide Ukraine with $275 mn in military aid amid Russian advances

This marks the fourth installment of military assistance for Ukraine since the passing of a long-awaited foreign aid bill by Congress last month

With Ukraine losing ground, allies debate how to squeeze cash for Kyiv

Ukraine's allies are wrestling with how to squeeze money out of frozen Russian assets to support Kyiv's war effort, a debate that is ever more urgent as Russia gains territory on the battlefield and as the outlook for Ukraine's state finances looks shakier. What to do with the Russian central bank reserves frozen in response to the invasion of Ukraine is at the top of the agenda as finance officials from the Group of Seven rich democracies meet Thursday through Saturday in Stresa, Italy, on the shores of scenic Lago Maggiore. The issue: While Ukraine and many of its supporters have called for the confiscation of USD 260 billion in Russian assets frozen outside the country after the February 24, 2022, invasion, European officials have resisted, citing legal and financial stability concerns. Most of the frozen assets are located in Europe. Yet a European plan to merely use the interest on the Russian funds would provide only a trickle of money every year some USD 2.5 billion-USD 3 ..

Russia starts nuclear drills amid West's deepening role in Ukraine

Russia's Defense Ministry said Tuesday it began a round of drills involving tactical nuclear weapons. The exercises were announced by Russian authorities this month in response to remarks by senior Western officials about the possibility of deeper involvement in the war in Ukraine. It was the first time Russia has publicly announced drills involving tactical nuclear weapons, although its strategic nuclear forces regularly hold exercises. According to the ministry's statement, the first stage of the new drills envisioned practical training in the preparation and use of non-strategic nuclear weapons, including nuclear-capable Kinzhal and Iskander missiles. The maneuvers are taking place in the Southern Military District, which consists of Russian regions in the south, including on the border with Ukraine; Crimea, illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014; and four Ukrainian regions that Russia illegally annexed in 2022 and partially occupies. The drills were announced on May 6, with the