Latest news with #Euro-Atlantic
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
Russia will no longer play 'one-sided' games with the West: Vladimir Putin
Russia will no longer engage in "one-sided" games with the West, President Vladimir Putin stated while addressing journalists on the sidelines of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) summit in Minsk, RT reported. According to RT, Putin said that Western nations have repeatedly betrayed Russia by not honouring their promises regarding Nato expansion and resolving the Ukraine conflict. He emphasised that Nato is using alleged Russian "aggressiveness" to justify plans to increase defence spending to 5 per cent of member states' GDP and bolster military presence in Europe. "They [the West] are turning everything upside down," Putin said at a press conference on Friday. "No one is saying a word about how we've come up to the Russian special military operation," he continued, asserting that the Ukraine conflict's origins date back decades, when Moscow was "blatantly lied to" about Nato's intentions. "What followed was one expansion wave after another," he added. RT further quoted Putin as saying that Russia's repeated security concerns regarding Nato's activities were ignored by the West. "Isn't it aggressive behavior? That is precisely aggressive behaviour, which the West does not want to pay attention to," he said. The Russian President also accused Western nations of supporting separatist and terrorist movements as long as they targeted Russia. "Everything was good as long as it was against Russia. Haven't we seen this? They [the West] saw it as well. Yet, they only talk about our aggressiveness," he said, as per RT. Putin's remarks came just days after the Nato summit in The Hague, where the alliance's members committed to increasing defence expenditure to 5 per cent of GDP by 2035. Nato's recent decision to ramp up military spending will not significantly impact Russia's security, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday, according to a report by Russia Today. Speaking at a press conference, Lavrov dismissed the West's claim of a Russian threat as unfounded and reiterated Moscow's openness to peace talks if the core issues behind the Ukraine conflict are addressed. His remarks came after the Nato summit in The Hague, where member states pledged to increase defence expenditure to 5 per cent of GDP by 2035, citing the "long-term threat posed by Russia to Euro-Atlantic security." US President Donald Trump described the agreement as a "monumental win," having long urged European allies to contribute more to their defense. Responding to a question on whether Russia views the Nato buildup as a threat, Lavrov stated, "I don't think it will have any significant effect." He added, "We know what goals we are pursuing; we don't hide them, we state them openly, and they are absolutely legitimate in terms of any interpretation of the UN Charter and international law. We know by what means we will always ensure these goals." RT reported that Moscow has consistently denied any plans to attack Nato countries, calling such accusations "nonsense" used by Western officials to justify increased military budgets. Lavrov also said Russia remains willing to engage in dialogue if Nato addresses root concerns, including its expansion toward Russia's borders and continued military support for Ukraine's Nato ambitions. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
India.com
5 hours ago
- Politics
- India.com
Russia Will No Longer Play One-Sided Games With West: Russian President Putin
New Delhi: Russia will no longer engage in "one-sided" games with the West, President Vladimir Putin stated while addressing journalists on the sidelines of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) summit in Minsk, RT reported. According to RT, Putin said that Western nations have repeatedly betrayed Russia by not honouring their promises regarding NATO expansion and resolving the Ukraine conflict. He emphasised that NATO is using alleged Russian "aggressiveness" to justify plans to increase defence spending to 5 per cent of member states' GDP and bolster military presence in Europe. "They [the West] are turning everything upside down," Putin said at a press conference on Friday. "No one is saying a word about how we've come up to the Russian special military operation," he continued, asserting that the Ukraine conflict's origins date back decades, when Moscow was "blatantly lied to" about NATO's intentions. "What followed was one expansion wave after another," he added. RT further quoted Putin as saying that Russia's repeated security concerns regarding NATO's activities were ignored by the West. "Isn't it aggressive behavior? That is precisely aggressive behaviour, which the West does not want to pay attention to," he said. The Russian President also accused Western nations of supporting separatist and terrorist movements as long as they targeted Russia. "Everything was good as long as it was against Russia. Haven't we seen this? They [the West] saw it as well. Yet, they only talk about our aggressiveness," he said, as per RT. Putin's remarks came just days after the NATO summit in The Hague, where the alliance's members committed to increasing defence expenditure to 5 per cent of GDP by 2035. NATO's recent decision to ramp up military spending will not significantly impact Russia's security, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday, according to a report by Russia Today. Speaking at a press conference, Lavrov dismissed the West's claim of a Russian threat as unfounded and reiterated Moscow's openness to peace talks if the core issues behind the Ukraine conflict are addressed. His remarks came after the NATO summit in The Hague, where member states pledged to increase defence expenditure to 5 per cent of GDP by 2035, citing the "long-term threat posed by Russia to Euro-Atlantic security." US President Donald Trump described the agreement as a "monumental win," having long urged European allies to contribute more to their defense. Responding to a question on whether Russia views the NATO buildup as a threat, Lavrov stated, "I don't think it will have any significant effect." He added, "We know what goals we are pursuing; we don't hide them, we state them openly, and they are absolutely legitimate in terms of any interpretation of the UN Charter and international law. We know by what means we will always ensure these goals." RT reported that Moscow has consistently denied any plans to attack NATO countries, calling such accusations "nonsense" used by Western officials to justify increased military budgets. Lavrov also said Russia remains willing to engage in dialogue if NATO addresses root concerns, including its expansion toward Russia's borders and continued military support for Ukraine's NATO ambitions.
Canada Standard
8 hours ago
- Business
- Canada Standard
European NATO states wary of buying US arms Bloomberg
Allies are reportedly put off by Trumps coercive rhetoric and rapprochement with Russia European NATO members have expressed growing unease about increasing their reliance on US weapons amid a sweeping rearmament push, Bloomberg has reported on Friday. During a summit in The Hague this week, NATO states committed to raising military spending to 5% of GDP by 2035 to counter what they described as a "long-term threat posed by Russia to Euro-Atlantic security" - a claim that Moscow has repeatedly denied. Concerns have reportedly emerged about deepening dependence on the American defense industry, particularly under the leadership of President Donald Trump. According to Bloomberg, leaders fear they could be exposed to greater risks, especially in light of Trump's efforts to improve ties with Russia and past threats to annex allied territory. Boosting reliance on US arms has become "an increasingly hard sell at home," the outlet noted. French President Emmanuel Macron has long championed the idea of securing greater defense autonomy for European NATO states, urging the development of a self-sufficient military industrial base. Canada, a key NATO ally, is reportedly reconsidering its involvement in the US-led F-35 fighter jet program and may switch to Swedish alternatives. "We should no longer send three-quarters of our defense capital spending to America," Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney stated earlier this month. Copenhagen has also displayed some resistance, telling Washington that American arms deals have become "politically difficult" given Trump's suggestion that the US annex Greenland, which is currently controlled by Denmark, Bloomberg reported. READ MORE: NATO summit grim sign for Kiev NYT Unease in the alliance has also been stoked by Trump's move to cut intelligence sharing with Ukraine earlier this year. According to unnamed officials cited by Bloomberg, this decision "alarmed allies," as it raised concerns over how much control the US might wield over weapons exports in the event of a crisis. Nevertheless, a lack of viable domestic alternatives continues to bind European nations to US suppliers, according to the outlet. Decades of underinvestment have left Europe's defense manufacturing capacity underdeveloped. As a result, countries will likely keep buying American equipment to meet rearmament targets, particularly as stockpiles have been depleted by shipments of military aid to Ukraine. Moscow has condemned the EU's militarization trend and arms transfers to Kiev, characterizing the conflict as a NATO proxy war. President Vladimir Putin has dismissed NATO's concerns of Russian aggression as "nonsense," instead blaming the alliance's expansion and "aggressive behavior" for escalating tensions. (
Canada News.Net
8 hours ago
- Business
- Canada News.Net
European NATO states wary of buying US arms Bloomberg
Allies are reportedly put off by Trumps coercive rhetoric and rapprochement with Russia European NATO members have expressed growing unease about increasing their reliance on US weapons amid a sweeping rearmament push, Bloomberg has reported on Friday. During a summit in The Hague this week, NATO states committed to raising military spending to 5% of GDP by 2035 to counter what they described as a "long-term threat posed by Russia to Euro-Atlantic security" - a claim that Moscow has repeatedly denied. Concerns have reportedly emerged about deepening dependence on the American defense industry, particularly under the leadership of President Donald Trump. According to Bloomberg, leaders fear they could be exposed to greater risks, especially in light of Trump's efforts to improve ties with Russia and past threats to annex allied territory. Boosting reliance on US arms has become "an increasingly hard sell at home," the outlet noted. French President Emmanuel Macron has long championed the idea of securing greater defense autonomy for European NATO states, urging the development of a self-sufficient military industrial base. Canada, a key NATO ally, is reportedly reconsidering its involvement in the US-led F-35 fighter jet program and may switch to Swedish alternatives. "We should no longer send three-quarters of our defense capital spending to America," Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney stated earlier this month. Copenhagen has also displayed some resistance, telling Washington that American arms deals have become "politically difficult" given Trump's suggestion that the US annex Greenland, which is currently controlled by Denmark, Bloomberg reported. READ MORE: NATO summit grim sign for Kiev NYT Unease in the alliance has also been stoked by Trump's move to cut intelligence sharing with Ukraine earlier this year. According to unnamed officials cited by Bloomberg, this decision "alarmed allies," as it raised concerns over how much control the US might wield over weapons exports in the event of a crisis. Nevertheless, a lack of viable domestic alternatives continues to bind European nations to US suppliers, according to the outlet. Decades of underinvestment have left Europe's defense manufacturing capacity underdeveloped. As a result, countries will likely keep buying American equipment to meet rearmament targets, particularly as stockpiles have been depleted by shipments of military aid to Ukraine. Moscow has condemned the EU's militarization trend and arms transfers to Kiev, characterizing the conflict as a NATO proxy war. President Vladimir Putin has dismissed NATO's concerns of Russian aggression as "nonsense," instead blaming the alliance's expansion and "aggressive behavior" for escalating tensions.
The Diplomat
19 hours ago
- Politics
- The Diplomat
Why Did Japan Skip the NATO Summit?
On June 23, Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru canceled his attendance at the NATO summit held in The Hague from June 24 to 25. Ishiba had originally planned to attend to 'reaffirm with NATO allies and others the recognition that the security of Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific is inseparable,' according to an announcement from the Foreign Ministry. The Foreign Ministry cited 'various circumstances' for Ishiba's cancelation, which came a day after the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. Japan – along with the other Indo-Pacific 4 (IP4) countries, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand – were invited to the annual NATO summit, as they have been every year since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This year was the first time since then-Prime Minister Kishida Fumio attended in 2022 that the Japanese prime minister skipped the NATO summit. Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi attended the summit instead. During his 30-minute meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, the two sides welcomed the progress in Japan-NATO relations since Rutte's visit to Tokyo in April, and 'concurred to work together to elevate the Japan-NATO cooperation to a new height in various fields, including the defense industry.' In a notable setback for this goal, however, a NATO official confirmed that NATO was not currently discussing opening a Tokyo liaison office. Japan had been pursuing such an office to strengthen ties with NATO at least since spring 2023, but France had opposed it due to concerns about China's backlash. Germany was also cautious. Also at the NATO summit, Iwaya had a 10-minute meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, where they both agreed to support the ministerial-level negotiations on tariffs between the two countries and confirmed that they would communicate closely to maintain the Israel-Iran ceasefire. The 'various circumstances' alluded to with regards to Ishiba's cancelation likely included the U.S. strike on Iran – which would make a Japan-U.S. bilateral summit meeting difficult to schedule – and the decisions of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung to not attend – which made an IP4-U.S. summit meeting impossible. (New Zealand's prime minister was the only top leader from the IP4 countries present.) Another consideration is the upper house elections in Japan, now scheduled for July 20. Some in Japan have criticized Ishiba for not attending, arguing that the prime minister should have tried harder to get other regional countries to attend. Even with hindsight, it can be difficult to know what the right course of action was, but the limited amount of time between the U.S. strikes on Iran and the start of the summit would have severely constrained Ishiba's freedom of maneuver, even if Albanese and Lee would have been receptive to foreign interference. Such criticism also seems to miss how dramatically the world has changed since the NATO summit of 2022, when Japan was shoulder-to-shoulder with its sole ally rallying international opinion against Russia's war. The NATO summit of 2025 occurred in a context where the U.S. has backtracked on support for Ukraine, and Japan faced a dilemma over how to respond to its ally's actions in Iran. Another possible reason that Ishiba stayed home was continued disagreement between the United States and Japan over Tokyo's defense spending and ample signals that allies' defense spending would be a key theme at the NATO summit. Japan is on track to meet its stated goal of spending 2 percent of its GDP on national security-related spending by 2027. According to a June 20 Financial Times report, however, a sudden demand from Washington for Tokyo to increase defense spending still further led Japan to cancelled the annual '2+2' security dialogue between the Japanese and U.S. foreign affairs and defense chiefs scheduled for July 1 in Washington, DC. However, it is unclear whether the meeting was 'canceled' or 'postponed.' From Japan's perspective, part of the problem is the ever-shifting goalposts for defense spending. U.S. officials have at times urged different benchmarks for defense spending, from 3 percent to 3.5 percent or even 5 percent of GDP. Earlier, in his written response to questions from U.S. senators, then-nominee for under secretary of defense for policy Elbridge Colby (who has since been confirmed) had answered that Japan should spend 'at least 3 percent of GDP on defense as soon as possible.' Following the agreement at the NATO summit that members will increase their defense and related spending to 5 percent of GDP, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt answered a reporter's question about U.S. Asia-Pacific allies: 'If our allies in Europe and our NATO allies can do it, I think our allies and our friends in the Asia-Pacific region can do it as well.' Following the NATO summit, a senior Japanese government official acknowledged, 'There's no doubt that the United States will step up its demands.' An expert panel is currently reviewing the next Defense Buildup Program within the Ministry of Defense, and there is a widespread view within the ministry that increasing Japan's defense spending is inevitable given the severe security environment. However, it is still unclear where the additional funding would come from. The previous Kishida Cabinet had decided to raise income taxes to achieve the 2 percent target yet the timing for the tax hike has not been determined yet.
