Latest news with #FrankWalterSteinmeier
Russia Today
2 days ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
German president calls for universal military conscription
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has urged a nationwide debate about reinstating military conscription, stressing that Berlin needs to strengthen its armed forces amid what he described as escalating security threats in Europe. Compulsory military service was suspended in Germany in 2011. Although inactive, the legal framework for a draft remains intact and can be reactivated by a simple parliamentary majority. A full-scale return, including women, however, would require changes to the constitution. Speaking to ZDF on Sunday, Steinmeier said Germany must prepare for the possibility that voluntary enlistment will fall short of staffing requirements for the army. 'I am an advocate of conscription because I believe that with the changing security situation in Europe, with the fact that a war is taking place, and with the conclusions we have drawn from it to better protect ourselves, the personnel equipment of the Bundeswehr also needs to be adapted,' he said. He expressed support for Defense Minister Boris Pistorius' proposal to expand troop numbers and create a backup draft system. The plan aims for around 5,000 volunteer recruits annually, rising to 30,000 by 2029. Legislation which is being prepared for cabinet review in August with possible enactment by early 2026 includes provisions to automatically reintroduce conscription if volunteer numbers fall short. 'We need this debate now, preferably with a positive outcome, so that if there are not enough volunteers, we will probably return to a different form of conscription than the one we have already abolished,' Steinmeier said. Since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022, Germany has been working to strengthen its military, citing what it sees as a security threat from Russia. Moscow has rejected claims that it plans to attack NATO nations, dismissing them as 'nonsense' and accusing Western leaders of intentionally alarming their citizens to justify increased defense budgets.
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
German president slams US anti-science populism at youth award
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier called on Sunday for academic freedom to be protected, pointing to populist policies in the United States as a threat to scientific achievement. Speaking in Hamburg at an award ceremony for young researchers, Steinmeier said: "The best recognized and high-performing academic and university system of the US threatens to be carelessly pulverized in the mill of populism and the battle against the so-called establishment." Speaking as patron of the Young People Research competition, he appealed for Germany to oppose a declaration of hostility to academic freedom. At the ceremony, Oskar Rost, 17, and Marius Strauss, 18, received an award for developing software based on artificial intelligence (AI) to assess schoolwork in a more transparent and fair way. It spots mistakes, subtracts marks and makes proposals for grades. A prize for originality went to Louis Schwarzlose, 17, who built a research buoy to record environmental data. The buoy can guide itself autonomously and draws power from the elements. More than 167 young people participated in the final competition after being selected from 16 separate earlier rounds in the different states. The competition began in Hamburg in 1966.
Russia Today
29-05-2025
- General
- Russia Today
African state remembers first genocide of 20th century
Namibia will never forget the brutal massacre of thousands of its people by German soldiers during colonial rule, the Southern African country's president, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, has declared. President Nandi-Ndaitwah made the remarks in an emotional speech on Wednesday, the country's first Genocide Remembrance Day. German colonial forces massacred an estimated 100,000 OvaHerero and Nama people between 1904 and 1908 in what was then known as German South West Africa. Launched in response to a series of uprisings against German rule, the killings are recognized by the UN as the first genocide of the 20th century. 'Many people from the two communities were forced into concentration camps where they were starved to death and their skulls were taken to Germany for so-called scientific research,' Nandi-Ndaitwah said at the commemoration event held at Parliament Gardens in Windhoek, the capital. She said while Namibia is now free and focused on building the nation, it 'shall never forget the emotional, psychological, economic, and cultural scars' left by the colonial-era atrocities. In 2021, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier apologized for the colonial-era crime and pledged €1.1 billion ($1.2 billion) in development aid to Namibia. This offer, however, fell short of the reparations demanded by leaders of the affected communities. President Nandi-Ndaitwah noted that while Berlin's response may not fully satisfy the demands for justice, its formal admission of having perpetrated the genocide is a meaningful and necessary step forward. 'We may not agree on the final quantum, but that is part of the complex negotiations we have been engaged in with the German Government since 2013. We must remain committed that as a nation, we shall soldier until the ultimate conclusion is reached,' she said. In a statement released ahead of the Windhoek event, Berlin described the 'crimes of German colonial rule' as the 'darkest chapter' in German–Namibian relations. 'The German government acknowledges Germany's moral and political responsibility and emphasizes the importance of reconciliation,' it stated on Wednesday.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Germany confirms Zelensky's Berlin visit for high-level talks
The German government has confirmed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will visit Berlin on Wednesday for talks with Chancellor Friedrich Merz, focusing on military support and efforts to achieve a ceasefire. Zelensky will be received with military honours at the Chancellery, government spokesman Stefan Kornelius said. The two leaders will hold talks followed by a working lunch and a joint press conference. Later in the day, Zelensky is expected to meet with German business representatives before heading to Bellevue Palace for a meeting with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. The visit had been widely reported in local media, though neither Kiev nor Berlin had confirmed it earlier, as Zelensky's trips are often kept confidential for security reasons. It is Zelensky's first visit to Berlin since Merz became chancellor. His last trip to the German capital was in October 2024.
New York Times
28-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Zelensky Heads to Berlin in Latest Sign of a Warming Relationship
Three weeks after Chancellor Friedrich Merz took over as the leader of Germany, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine will visit him in Berlin on Wednesday. The Ukrainian leader's visit will be his third meeting with Mr. Merz in as many weeks and underscores Mr. Merz's focus on the war in Ukraine, as he seeks to reestablish German leadership among European allies in the face of weakening U.S. commitments to NATO. Mr. Zelensky will meet with Mr. Merz in the Chancellery, Germany's executive office, and the two men will hold a joint news conference in the afternoon. Later, the Ukrainian leader is expected to have talks with President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Bellevue, the presidential palace. Large sections of the government district in Berlin are expected to be cordoned off by the police on Wednesday, as was the case during previous visits by the Ukrainian president. Mr. Merz's warm embrace of Mr. Zelensky stands in stark contrast to the initially cool relationship that Olaf Scholz, the previous German chancellor, had with the Ukrainian leader. Mr. Scholz did not visit Ukraine until a year after Russia invaded. But just three days after being sworn in this month, Mr. Merz traveled to Ukraine with his French and Polish counterparts. Discussions between Mr. Merz and Mr. Zelensky are expected to focus on continued military assistance, especially as the United States, the biggest donor to Ukraine, appears ready to wind down its support. Of particular interest to the Ukrainian leader is the long-range Taurus missile system, which Germany developed with Sweden. During the election campaign, Mr. Merz said he was open to exporting the Taurus system. Mr. Merz has reiterated his continued support both for Ukraine and for using sanctions to force President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia to agree to a cease-fire. 'In Ukraine, nothing less than the peace order of our entire continent is at stake,' Mr. Merz told lawmakers in his first speech in Parliament after assuming office earlier this month. 'In this historic moment of decision, Europe must stand together more closely than ever before.'
