Latest news with #NorthAtlanticAlliance
Budapest Times
26-06-2025
- Business
- Budapest Times
FM: NATO commitment to increase spending is a great opportunity for Hungary
Minister Szijjártó said it was important that allied countries now made a commitment to spend 5 percent of GDP on defense in two categories within 10 years, also in line with Trump's proposal. Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said a new commitment by NATO members to increase their defense spending to at least 5 percent of GDP within ten years is a great opportunity for Hungary. On the first day of a NATO summit in The Hague, Minister Szijjártó noted that it had been eight years ago that US President Donald Trump first attended a NATO meeting. 'Since that time, theoretically all members fulfilled the target to spend at least 2 percent of GDP on defense, and Hungary has met the target three years ago,' he said, according to a ministry statement. Minister Szijjártó said it was important that allied countries now made a commitment to spend 5 percent of GDP on defense in two categories within 10 years, also in line with Trump's proposal. In recent years, Hungary invested heavily in its defense industry, with demand in the sector expected to increase in the near future, he said. As a result, the commitment offers an opportunity for significant economic development for Hungary, he added. He said NATO countries also had an obligation to spend 20 percent of defense spending on development and procurement, with Hungary being among the leaders in this area. 'Last year, Hungary's 45 percent rate put it at fourth place in the alliance. And this also means that Hungary spends nearly half of its defense spending on modernisation, new equipment and development in order to guarantee the security of the country, Hungarian people and families in an extremely uncertain international environment, an an era of crises,' he said. Minister Szijjártó said this was the first occasion since 2022 that the meeting of the military organisation was not focused on stronger support for Ukraine, but on solidifying collective defense. He welcomed that for the first time Ukraine's NATO membership had been'openly and clearly' removed from the agenda, and that the Ukrainian president had not been invited to the official meeting, only an informal dinner. 'I am convinced that by removing Ukraine's NATO membership from the agenda, the world has become a safer place … Because if Ukraine had become a NATO member, it would have resulted in direct confrontation between the North Atlantic Alliance and Russia, and such direct confrontation would obviously equal the outbreak of a third world war,' he added. He praised the US president's efforts for peace and expressed hope that NATO will finally close ranks in support of this policy. He also said that Hungary was making efforts not only for its own security but also for its allies. He cited as an example the Hungarian air forces carrying out air policing activities in the airspace of Slovakia, Croatia and Slovenia, and a Hungarian contingent with four aircraft and eighty staff to return to the Baltic states for the fourth time from August.
LeMonde
24-06-2025
- Politics
- LeMonde
The three lives of NATO, born from a gamble, now deemed obsolete by Trump
What if the North Atlantic Alliance ceased to exist tomorrow? Until recently, for most European observers, the hypothesis was so unimaginable that it was not even worth considering. In 2020, Robert Zoellick, who served as US secretary of state from 2005 to 2006 under Republican president George W. Bush, wrote in his book America in the World that forging alliances was one of the five pillars of his country's foreign policy, essential to the proper functioning of the international system. June 24-25 summit in The Hague.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Zelenskyy: There would have been no Spider's Web if Russia had agreed to ceasefire
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that if Russia had agreed to a ceasefire, Ukraine would not have carried out a special operation codenamed Pavutyna (Spider's Web), which targeted Russian strategic aviation aircraft. Source: Zelenskyy at a briefing on 4 June Quote: "A ceasefire could have been declared before the operation we carried out [Spider's Web]… Would the operation have taken place then? No." Details: Zelenskyy added that Ukraine would not leave Russia's actions unanswered. Quote: "That does not mean we are doing nothing while seeking a ceasefire. That is our approach… We must set the rules. I believe that if ceasefire rules apply to everyone, then they apply to everyone. If they are violated [by Russia – ed.], then we also can violate them." Details: During the briefing, Zelenskyy noted that he had signed a classified decree to decorate officers from the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) for their role in conducting Spider's Web on Russian territory. He said that as a result of the operation, 41 aircraft had been damaged, half of which are beyond repair. Background: On 1 June 2025, the SSU carried out a special operation codenamed Pavutyna (Spider's Web), one of the largest and most complex sabotage operations against Russian military aviation. The SSU reported that the operation resulted in the destruction of 41 Russian strategic aircraft, including Tu-95, Tu-22M3 and Tu-160 strategic bombers, as well as an A-50 long-range radar detection aircraft. The North Atlantic Alliance has hailed the SSU's operation targeting Russian strategic aircraft as highly successful. NATO reported that at least 40 aircraft had been damaged. Between 10 and 13 aircraft were completely destroyed. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
NATO hails Ukraine's Operation Spider's Web as most successful and estimates Russian aircraft losses
The North Atlantic Alliance has hailed the Security Service of Ukraine's operation targeting Russian strategic aircraft as highly successful. Source: a senior NATO official, speaking anonymously, cited by European Pravda correspondent Details: The official described the operation as "the most successful" based on NATO's independent calculations, which largely align with Ukrainian estimates. Quote: "We see that at least 40 aircraft were damaged. Between 10 and 13 aircraft were completely destroyed." More details: NATO has identified 15 Tu-95 strategic bombers, 20 Tu-22 aircraft and at least one A-50 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) – a scarce asset in Russia's arsenal – among the damaged assets. The Alliance estimates that the attack has destroyed 34% of Russia's existing missile carriers. "This has a critical impact on Russian capabilities," the person noted. NATO acknowledges that some damaged or destroyed aircraft may serve as "spare parts donors" rather than active combat assets, but it lacks data to distinguish their operational status, the official explained. "We cannot confirm that all were fully operational," they added. "It does not eliminate Russian forces' ability to launch airstrikes, but it significantly reduces their capacity for missile strikes, including those early-morning attacks familiar to Ukrainians." The person also highlighted that the operation demonstrates Ukraine's ability to target Russian military assets anywhere in Russian territory. Background: NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has previously commented on Ukraine's Operation Spider's Web targeting airfields housing Russian strategic aircraft. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy informed leaders of several NATO states that Operation Spider's Web demonstrated Ukraine's advanced strike capabilities. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, commenting on the Ukrainian attack that destroyed and damaged Russian strategic bombers, said that Ukraine is successfully defending itself. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kremlin satisfied with US statements that Ukraine will not join NATO
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has said that reports from Washington suggesting that Ukraine will not join NATO are in line with Russia's stance and that the Kremlin is pleased about this. Source: Russian news agency Interfax Quote from Peskov: "We have heard from Washington at various levels that NATO membership for Ukraine has been ruled out. And of course this is something that brings us satisfaction and coincides with our position that Ukraine should not be a member of NATO and should not have prospects of integration with the North Atlantic Alliance." Details: Peskov reiterated the Russian narrative that Ukraine's accession to NATO would supposedly pose a threat "to Russia's national interests". He added that Ukraine's NATO aspirations were supposedly one of the root causes of the war. However, Peskov declined to comment on media reports that the United States is apparently prepared to recognise Russian control over Crimea as part of a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. Quote from Peskov: "There are currently many such reports and many discussions. Clearly, the work of finding ways to reach a peaceful settlement cannot and should not take place in the public domain. It must be conducted in an absolutely discreet manner, and therefore one should be very, very cautious about such anonymous information leaks." Background: US President Donald Trump has said that he sees no possibility of Ukraine joining NATO given Russia's position. Trump considers Ukraine's non-membership of NATO to be part of any diplomatic settlement of the war. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
