Latest news with #Ramstein
Qatar Tribune
4 days ago
- Business
- Qatar Tribune
Ukraine seeks €5bn more for weapons amid new push for peace negotiations
DPA Kiev Kiev said on Monday that it requires the equivalent of over €5 billion ($5.84 billion) in additional military aid this year to boost its production of weapons, as Moscow responded to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's proposal for new peace talks. The funds are necessary to manufacture more remote-controlled drones, interceptor drones and long-range weapons, Defence Minister Denys Shmyhal said during an online meeting in the so-called Ramstein format. According to the Interfax-Ukraine news agency, he asked partner countries to already provide funds for 2026. Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi also called for an increase in military aid. 'We are still urgently lacking air-defence systems and associated missiles, long-range weapons, artillery shells, armoured technology, evacuation equipment, electronic warfare systems, radars, drone systems and more,' the general said, adding that only with joint efforts could Russian aggression be stopped. The 29th meeting was attended by 50 partner countries of Ukraine, led by Germany and the United Kingdom. Ukraine has been defending itself against a full-scale Russian invasion for more than three years with massive Western support. Moscow confirms interest in negotiations with Kiev The Kremlin confirmed on Monday its interest in a third round of negotiations proposed by Zelensky to end the war. At the previous meeting, both sides exchanged their position papers, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. According to Russian news agencies, he said that an exchange of views and negotiations are now pending, but so far they are completely opposing. He added that 'great diplomatic work' is still needed. On Saturday, Zelensky proposed a meeting to take place later this week. According to Peskov, there is no finalized date yet. He stated that there are no changes on the Russian side regarding the composition of the delegation. In the previous two rounds of talks in Istanbul, Russia's chief negotiator was presidential adviser and former culture minister Vladimir Medinsky. In May, Kiev and Moscow held bilateral negotiations for the first time in three years. At this meeting and a later one in June in Istanbul, both sides agreed on a large prisoner exchange and the return of fallen soldiers. However, steps towards ending the war against Ukraine, ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin in February 2022, were not discussed. Fresh wave of Russian attacks on Ukraine At least one person was killed and eight others injured as Russia launched a wave of drone attacks on Kiev overnight, Ukrainian officials said on Monday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on Monday morning on the platform X about a total of two dead and 15 injured following the attacks across the country as a whole. The attacks hit the capital and its surroundings, as well as Kharkiv in the north-east and Ivano-Frankivsk in the west of the country, near the Polish border. Referring to Ivano-Frankivsk, Mayor Ruslan Martsinkiv described it as the largest attack since the beginning of the war. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia attacked its neighbouring country overnight with 426 drones and drone decoys. Additionally, Moscow reportedly used five Kinzhal (Dagger) hypersonic missiles and 19 cruise missiles of various types. The air force stated that 403 drones and decoys were shot down or brought down by targeted jamming. The majority of the missiles and cruise missiles were also neutralized, they wrote, but did not specify an exact number. Air and rail traffic in Russia restricted due to drones The Ministry of Defence in Moscow said on Monday that 74 Ukrainian drones were shot down over Russian territory overnight. Of these, 15 were reportedly approaching the capital. The drone attacks once again affected air traffic. According to the aviation authority Rosaviatsiya, the four Moscow airports and the one in Nizhny Novgorod were closed for take-offs and landings for several hours. In the Rostov region, the drone attacks also led to restrictions in train traffic. Drone debris caused a fire at the station in the town of Kamensk-Shakhtinsky, the North Caucasus Railway Company reported. More than 50 trains were delayed as a result.
France 24
15-07-2025
- Politics
- France 24
German court rejects Yemenis' claim over US strikes
Plaintiffs Ahmed and Khalid bin Ali Jaber first brought their case to court in 2014 after losing members of their family in the strike on the village of Khashamir. The case has since been through several German courts. But the Constitutional Court on Tuesday ultimately ruled that Berlin is not required to take action against such attacks, which were not judged to be in breach of international law. Washington has for years launched drone strikes targeting suspected Al-Qaeda militants in Yemen, an impoverished country that has been torn by fierce fighting between its beleaguered Saudi-backed government and Iran-backed rebels. The two Yemeni men, supported by the Berlin-based European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR), had argued that Germany was partly responsible for the attack because the strike was aided by signals relayed via the Ramstein base in western Germany. "Without the data that flows through Ramstein, the US cannot fly its combat drones in Yemen," the group said. The ECCHR's Andreas Schueller argued that "the German government must put an end to the use of this base -- otherwise the government is making itself complicit in the deaths of innocent civilians". 'Complaint unfounded' The court found that Germany "does have a general duty to protect fundamental human rights and the core norms of international humanitarian law, even in cases involving foreign countries". However, in order for this duty to be binding, there must be "a serious risk of systematic violation of applicable international law". "Measured against these standards, the constitutional complaint is unfounded," the court said. The ECCHR said the ruling had "failed to send a strong signal" and meant that "instead, individual legal protection remains a theoretical possibility without practical consequences". However, Schueller said the verdict "leaves the door open for future cases". "Violations of international law can be subject to judicial review, even if the court imposes high hurdles. This is an important statement by the Constitutional Court in these times," he said. 'Margin of discretion' According to the ECCHR, the two Yemeni men were having dinner ahead of the wedding of a male family member in 2012 when they heard the buzz of a drone and then the boom of missile attacks that claimed multiple lives. Their case against Germany was initially thrown out, before the higher administrative court in Muenster ruled in their favour in 2019. However, the government appealed and a higher court overturned the decision in 2020, arguing that German diplomatic efforts were enough to ensure Washington was adhering to international law. In a statement shared by the ECCHR, the two men called the ruling "dangerous and disturbing". "(It) suggests countries that provide assistance to the US assassination programme bear no responsibility when civilians are killed. Our hearts are broken, and our faith in international law is shaken," they said. The German government welcomed the ruling, which it said showed that Berlin had "a wide margin of discretion in assessing whether the actions of third states comply with international law". "According to the ruling, the government has no fundamental duty to protect foreigners abroad who are affected by military action by third states if, in the government's assessment, these attacks are within the bounds of what is permissible under international law," the defence and foreign ministries said in a statement.
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Canada announces new aid to Ukraine worth approximately US$25.5 million
Canada is providing Ukraine with military aid worth over 35 million Canadian dollars (approximately US$25.5 million). Source: Canada's Defence Ministry press service, as reported by European Pravda Details: Canadian Defence Minister David J. McGuinty took part in the 28th meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (also known as the Ramstein Format). At the meeting, McGuinty announced that Canada is providing Ukraine with military aid worth 35 million Canadian dollars. He said that 30 million Canadian dollars (US$21.9 million) will be spent on Coyote and Bison armoured personnel carriers, as well as new equipment and ammunition from Canadian companies. This is in addition to the previous transfer of 64 Coyote armoured vehicles, which arrived in Ukraine in December 2024. Another 5 million Canadian dollars (US$3.6 million) will go towards electronic warfare kits from the Canadian defence industry. Background: At the 28th Ramstein meeting, held at NATO headquarters, Ukraine and its partner countries agreed to create a defence production mechanism. The US secretary of defence ignored the Ramstein meeting for the first time. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Transfer of Ramstein leadership to UK and Germany was planned by US
The United States' decision to relinquish leadership of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group in the Ramstein format to the United Kingdom and Germany was planned from the outset of the new US administration. Source: US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced this following a meeting of NATO defence ministers in Brussels on 4 June, as reported by a European Pravda correspondent Details: Hegseth told reporters that the transfer of leadership of the Ramstein format to Germany and the UK had been planned by the United States since President Donald Trump's administration took office. "From the very beginning of this administration, we worked with our British and German counterparts for them to take the lead of that contact group, which they have done. And I appreciate that," Hegseth said. He added that the United States continues to participate in the Ramstein format, noting that the US was represented at the 4 June meeting by US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker. "I believe you were at the meeting?" Hegseth asked Whitaker. "I'm at all the meetings, yes," the diplomat replied. "We've definitely been at that meeting and made a contribution," the US defence secretary concluded. Background: It was previously reported that Hegseth did not attend the Ramstein format meeting at NATO Headquarters on 4 June. On 4 June, US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker, commenting on the potential threat to US forces from enemy drones and Ukraine's special operation Spider's Web, stated that the United States was learning lessons from Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Germany starts hunt for more air defences as Zelenskiy pleads for Patriots
By Sabine Siebold, Andrew Gray and Makini Brice BRUSSELS (Reuters) -Germany launched a fresh bid on Wednesday to chase down more air defence systems for Ukraine, which in past weeks has suffered some of the heaviest Russian attacks since the full-scale invasion in 2022. Berlin aims to potentially surpass the sum of 1 billion euros which it collected with a similar initiative last year, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius told reporters in Brussels. He was speaking before a meeting of the Ramstein group of some 50 nations set up by the U.S. to coordinate military aid. It has been co-chaired by Germany and Britain since Washington decided to no longer lead the group. Washington was represented by its NATO Ambassador Matthew Whitaker, with U.S. Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth expected to join a day later for a meeting with his NATO counterparts. Addressing the gathering at NATO's Brussels headquarters online, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy repeated his calls for more air defences to protect Ukrainians, in particular for Patriot or similar systems. "The stronger our air defence is, the less value (Russian President Vladimir) Putin sees in attacking our cities and villages, so please let's continue strengthening our air shield," he said. "This is the most effective way to force Russia to stop its missile strikes and terror," he added. British Defence Secretary John Healey said Moscow was routinely firing over 300 drones a day into Ukraine, a rate of fire that could be sustained throughout 2025. "President Putin continues to prove he's not for peace, he remains set on death, destruction and destabilisation," he said. Pistorius said Berlin had asked the United States and other allies to donate more Patriots or similar air defences. "We have also offered, on a case-by-case basis, to look into paying for such systems that could be freed up. We cannot wait for industrial deliveries, this simply takes too long," he said.
