All posts tagged: Defense budgets

AUKUS unveils undersea drone project to deepen defense partnership – POLITICO

AUKUS unveils undersea drone project to deepen defense partnership – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

AUKUS is a trilateral security partnership established in 2021 by Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. It focuses on countering China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific region by enhancing the three countries’ military capabilities through the deployment of nuclear-powered submarines, what is known as the “Pillar One” of the alliance. The three countries also are cooperating to develop advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, cyber capabilities, and other undersea and defense systems — referred to as “Pillar Two.” The alliance encompasses Australia’s acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines from the United States, the joint development of a new AUKUS-class submarine, and the creation of facilities to host U.S. and British submarines on Australian territory. In mid-2025, the U.K. and Australia scrambled to reassure Washington of their commitment to AUKUS after the Pentagon ordered a review of the pact, fueling fears that the United States could retreat from the agreement. Those concerns eased in October, when U.S. President Donald Trump reaffirmed his backing for the alliance. “The United States, as we’ve said from the beginning, and …

Czech president admits rocky relationship with PM – POLITICO

Czech president admits rocky relationship with PM – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Babiš and Pavel have been at loggerheads for years, including on defense policy, with the relationship turning adversarial after the former returned to power in 2025. The prime minister, a self-proclaimed Trump fan, and the president, a pro-Western former top NATO military official, have also repeatedly clashed on various other issues, from democratic norms to Babiš’s long-standing business conflict-of-interest controversies. One fight that remains very much open: Who will attend NATO’s summit in Ankara in early July. Babiš insists the president cannot participate in the official government delegation, even though Pavel has attended all NATO summits since he became president in 2023. The Czech government said it will decide on the matter on June 8. “So far, I have come with a compromise. I hope that it will be understood and accepted,” he told POLITICO Speakeasy. Asked if he would take legal action if barred from attending, the Czech president replied: “I believe it will be necessary, because it is to protect the Constitution. I cannot allow the reduction of constitutional powers of a president.” …

Czech president, prime minister clash over NATO summit attendance – POLITICO

Czech president, prime minister clash over NATO summit attendance – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

The Czech constitution gives the president the authority to “represent the state externally” under Article 63, but presidential decisions that are taken under that provision require government approval — leaving it unclear whether Pavel can force his way onto the official delegation without backing from Babiš. Since Babiš returned to power last year, his relationship with Pavel has been adversarial, shaped by deep political and personal differences. Pavel, a pro-Western former NATO general, has repeatedly clashed with the populist Babiš over everything from foreign policy to democratic norms and the PM’s long-standing business conflict-of-interest controversies. The duo also went head-to-head in the 2023 presidential election, which Pavel won by almost a million votes, a substantial margin in this country of 10.9 million. Pavel — who has also represented Czechia at the U.N. General Assembly and, more recently, at the May 13 Bucharest Nine and Nordic Allies Summit, a gathering of NATO allies — has even offered to cover the costs of his attending the NATO summit, and is considering legal proceedings against Babiš for blocking …

Poles blindsided by US troop move say they are a ‘proven ally’ – POLITICO

Poles blindsided by US troop move say they are a ‘proven ally’ – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

“I understand that the reorganization process is under way, but it cannot come at the expense of such a staunch ally as Poland,” Kosiniak-Kamysz added. “We are a proven and reliable ally, which is why we expect partnership, friendship and a good exchange of information.” Kosiniak-Kamysz and Poland’s top military commander, Gen. Wiesław Kukuła, are due to meet this week with Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, the commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Europe. Poland is a close political and military ally of the U.S., and is one of Europe’s largest buyers of American weapons for its fast-growing armed forces. Kosiniak-Kamysz underlined that Trump had earlier pledged that the U.S. would not pull any forces from Poland, saying Poland would “not lose out.” Tusk’s government and MAGA-aligned President Karol Nawrocki are normally deeply divided but both sides scrambled to insist that Washington has allies in Poland. “It is not Poland’s role to review new strategies or a different type of diplomacy, but it is …

In defense of Germany’s Merz – POLITICO

In defense of Germany’s Merz – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Merz has not shirked away from public discussion across Europe about a more confident and militarily resilient Germany either, as the move inevitably caused some bemusement in Paris — in keeping with Gaullist tradition, French President Emmanuel Macron has been talking of “strategic autonomy” for years now — and was met with consternation in Warsaw. Late in the day though it may be for his country, Merz has shouldered this responsibility. And like many embattled leaders, while the chancellor is often criticized for devoting a disproportionate amount of his time to international affairs, this charge has little merit given that every aspect of global tensions is affecting the lived experience of voters — from food shortages to gasoline prices and terrorism. Still, by his own admission, progress on the domestic front has been slow. Asked in a revealing interview with Der Spiegel to rate his government’s performance so far on a scale of 1 to 100, Merz responded: “Below 50.” He didn’t shy away from repeated questions about arguments within the unpopular coalition, or about …

Time for a different kind of NATO – POLITICO

Time for a different kind of NATO – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Some of the U.S. president’s hostility was to be expected. Trump has been disparaging U.S. security alliances for decades, dating all the way back to his famous Playboy interview in 1990, when he called on allies to pay the U.S. for the security it was providing. As a real-estate mogul, Trump felt the burden of having allies outweighed the benefits, and that has remained his view as president. In 2017, he entered the White House declaring NATO “obsolete.” More recently, he’s called it a “paper tiger,” “useless,” and with NATO allies now refusing to join his attack on Iran — and some even denying the U.S. military access to their airspace and bases — the president has gone even further. For Trump, the Iran war was a test for NATO, and it failed. “We will remember,” he said, insisting that “we’ll come to their rescue but they will never come to ours.” And when asked whether he would consider withdrawing from the alliance earlier this month, he said it was “beyond reconsideration.” Still, commentators assume …

Trump’s Iran showdown is becoming Europe’s political nightmare – POLITICO

Trump’s Iran showdown is becoming Europe’s political nightmare – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

“Energy costs are cascading into food, transport and housing, hitting lower- and middle-income households hardest,” Seamus Boland, president of the European Economic and Social Committee, which brings together trade unions from across Europe and advises the European Commission on economic and labor policy, told POLITICO. “Politically, that creates space for distrust — not just of national governments, but of European institutions’ ability to shield citizens from external shocks. It risks accelerating support for more protectionist or inward-looking approaches.” France is the biggest prize. But it is not the signal in Europe that the center is crumbling. In Bulgaria, the April 20 victory of Kremlin-friendly ex-president Rumen Radev has set incumbents around Europe on edge. In Romania, a coalition crisis could soon sweep pro-EU Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan from power. In Germany, the far-right Alternative for Germany is eyeing gains in September’s Saxony-Anhalt state election, having already broken into parts of western Germany far from its traditional eastern power base. The Iran war will be in focus on Monday as deputy finance ministers from the EU’s …

Paris and Athens exchange mutual defense pledges amid geopolitical turmoil – POLITICO

Paris and Athens exchange mutual defense pledges amid geopolitical turmoil – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

“France is Greece’s true ally,” Mitsotakis said, adding that “the highlight of the Greece-France agreements is the commitments to mutual assistance.” On top of a broader “enhanced comprehensive strategic partnership,” the two governments signed agreements in areas from education to scientific research to nuclear energy. During the visit, French defense giant MBDA also signed a contract to continue support for the Greek army’s Mica missiles. In parallel, the two leaders insisted on the need to clarify how the EU’s mutual defense clause — Article 42.7 of the Treaty on the EU — would work in practice, while stressing that the clause should not be seen as a replacement for NATO’s Article 5 security guarantee. Earlier on Saturday, at the Piraeus port, Macron and Mitsotakis visited a Greek frigate built by France’s Naval Group with French Defense and Armed Forces Minister Catherine Vautrin and the company’s CEO Pierre-Eric Pommelet. Source link

Hungary’s Tisza party widens parliamentary majority as final votes are counted – POLITICO

Hungary’s Tisza party widens parliamentary majority as final votes are counted – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Orbán’s Fidesz party came in a distant second with only 52 seats in the parliament. “Here are the results of the 2026 parliamentary election: an unprecedented majority, an unprecedented mandate — and, at the same time, an unprecedented responsibility,” Magyar wrote in an X post on Saturday. He added that he could be officially sworn in as prime minister in mid-May. Magyar’s supermajority could facilitate the swift approval of democratic reforms necessary to unlock €17 billion of EU funds that were frozen over rule-of-law shortcomings under Orbán’s tenure. Under the current rules, the Hungarian government has to fulfill 27 EU-mandated conditions — officially known as “super milestones” — that will reform the country’s procurement rules, and increase judicial independence and academic freedom as a precondition to claim any funding. Over the weekend, Magyar and his future ministers held talks in Budapest with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s chief of staff, Bjoern Seibert, and several director-generals. The goal was to outline a roadmap to release the money and discuss a €90 billion loan to Ukraine that was …

More Europeans see US as threat than China – POLITICO

More Europeans see US as threat than China – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Country-level differences were pronounced. In Germany (40 percent), France (44 percent) and Spain (43 percent), respondents said defense spending should increase. In Italy, 39 percent said spending was too high — the highest level among the countries polled. Poland stood apart, with a majority (56 percent) saying current spending levels are about right. Those views broadly track current spending levels. Poland plans to spend 4.8 percent of GDP on defense this year, the highest in NATO and far more than the other countries polled. Ukraine support fractures The data highlighted divisions over Europe’s support for Ukraine. Across the six countries, 34 percent said Europe is not providing enough support to Ukraine, 31 percent said the current level is about right, and 30 percent said Europe is doing too much. National differences again stood out. In Germany, by far the largest European aid-giver to Ukraine, 45 percent said Europe is not doing enough. In Italy, which gives the lowest share of its GDP to Ukraine in civilian and military aid of the six countries polled, according …