Germany bets on volunteers to fix a hollowed-out army โ but will it work?
As troop numbers stagnate and Russiaโs threat looms, Berlin is betting on a voluntary service model to rebuild the military โ but time is running out.
reservists
‘Paul Simon, the painter of Buchenwald’: Papers commemorate camp’s liberation
PRESS REVIEWย โ Friday, April 11: Papers react to the news that Chinese nationals are being recruited by Russia on social media to fight in Ukraine. In Israel, hundreds of reservists who denounced the war in Gaza have been fired. Next, the world commem…
Belgium to follow Dutch example and introduce voluntary military service
To increase reservists, 18-year-olds in Belgium will soon receive letters informing them about voluntary military service, following a recently announced initiative in the Netherlands.
Europe needs roadmap from US on any troop pullout, says Finnish defense minister
Any American withdrawal poses dangers for the continent, Antti Hรคkkรคnen warned.
Poland gears up for war
Warsaw is already spending big on defense. Now it needs the manpower.
Poland plans military training for every adult male amid growing European security fears
PM Donald Tusk says country needs army of 500,000 and backs withdrawal from treaty banning landminesPolandโs prime minister, Donald Tusk, has said his government is working on a plan to prepare large-scale military training for every adult male in resp…
Do Syriaโs liberators still deserve the terrorist label?
Assadโs downfall was met with unbridled joy and relief among Syrians and Syriaโs expatriate community.
UK army would be destroyed in โsix months to a yearโ in war, says minister
Veterans’ Minister Alistair Carns says British forces would be ‘expended’ in 12 months under current Russian casualty rate.
Target Iran: Israel seizes its moment to reshape the Middle East
Prime Minister Netanyahu warns Iran’s clerics their days are numbered and boasts there is “nowhere” Israel cannot target.
Latviaโs defense minister wants to conscript women by 2028
Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine prompts some EU countries to rethink mandatory military service.
Lockheed Martin gears up for laser wars
SNEAK PEEK โ Lockheed Martin is working on laser technology, a top executive told Josh. โ Dassault Aviation CEO รric Trappier is troubled by the uncertainty of Franceโs political situation. โ European Parliament: Renew Europeโs Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann will lead the SEDE subcommittee and the EPPโsย Borys Budka will head ITRE. Good morning, and welcome to Morning [โฆ]
Israelโs ultra-Orthodox headache
The Haredim now find themselves the target of anger, not only from a broad swathe of the public but even from their traditional allies in the religious-right coalition.
Germans gear up for war with more paperwork
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius looks to ramp up the Bundeswehr’s ability to recruit and train young Germans.
Suspected vandals of Paris Holocaust memorial traced back to Bulgaria
Russian security services were previously tied to another act of vandalism with antisemitic undertones.
Iran ramps up threats against Israel following consulate airstrike
โWith Godโs help we will make the Zionists repent,โ Ali Khamenei warned.
A snap election may well be an option for โBibi the magicianโ
With pressure mounting at home and abroad, the Israeli prime minister and his trusted aides are considering whether an early election might be the best tactic to keep him in power.
How the US broke Kosovo and what that means for Ukraine
Washington’s track record suggests it’s better at fighting wars than dealing with what follows.
Deadly, cheap and widespread: how Iran-supplied drones are changing the nature of warfare
Attacks using Shahed drones have been carried out by militias in the Middle East and Russia in UkraineAfter an estimated 165 attacks on US bases in the Middle East since 7 October, it was inevitable one would eventually get through. For the first time,…
Putin’s latest challenge? Protesting military wives
A group of Russian women are making rare public demands for reservists to return from the front line.
Netanyahu trapped by clashing demands from war cabinet and hawks
Israeli leader’s war cabinet wants a cease-fire to secure the return of hostages, but his Likud party wants unrelenting war.
Israeli divisions over war aims hamper Gaza peace prospects
Government is split between prioritizing return of hostages and pressing on with total annihilation of Hamas.
Taiwan at election crossroads as war threat looms
As voters in Taiwan head to the polls to select their next president, the stakes could hardly be higher.
Israel begins partial drawdown of troops from Gaza
A lull in fighting in Gaza’s north and faltering economic prospects for 2024 are driving the shift.
Russia-Ukraine war at a glance: what we know on day 676
Russia launches overnight air assault targeting Kyiv, Ukraine says; Moscow reports 21 dead after Ukrainian strike on BelgorodRussia launched a bombardment on Ukrainian regions in the hours leading into New Yearโs Eve, targeting Kyiv and inflicting dama…
Benny Gantz eyes his moment to topple Israelโs Netanyahu
The former defense minister is emerging as the most likely candidate to call time on Netanyahu’s long political career.
ESA agrees on space cargo mission
SNEAK PEEK โ After the European Space Agency agreed on a plan to launch a cargo spaceflight mission by 2028, thereโs a space-focused Competitiveness Council today. โ Russia reported damage to a telecommunications cable connecting St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad, and the Finnish Coast Guard suspects it could be linked to damage sustained by other Baltic [โฆ]
European politicos plan American tour to press for Ukraine support
SNEAK PEEK โ European politicians plan to engage directly with American voters over whether to continue to provide military aid to Ukraine. โ A combined โฌ800 million for intelligence and cyber in the next annual French budget is just about enough according to the chief of the defense staff. โ Polandโs potential next defense minister [โฆ]
Former Estonia army chief boosts Europeโs defense industry
SNEAK PEEK โ The former chief of Estoniaโs defense forces, now an MEP, is working on how to help Europeโs defense industry. โ France wants its security and defense think tanks to become more influential. โ Germany wants to make its armed forces more attractive for women amid recruitment challenges. Good morning, and welcomeย to Morning [โฆ]
The dogs of war are howling in the Middle East
A redoubled sense of dread and foreboding is gripping the Levant in the wake of the fatal Gaza hospital explosion.
Breton wants more time on EU defense investment plan
SNEAK PEEK โ Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton will tell the College of Commissioners today that he needs a bit more time to draft up a long-term financing scheme for Europeโs military. โ Retired U.S. General Ben Hodges sees significant progress being made by Ukraine, despite the fact theyโve not gotten long-range strike capabilities from [โฆ]
Ground invasion of Gaza โimminent,โ Israeli officials say
The operation was expected following Hamasโ brutal terrorist attack and has been seen as likely after Israel ordered an evacuation of northern Gaza.
Ex-Finnish PM Alexander Stubb warns of attempts to โintimidateโ NATO allies after pipeline leak
Presidential candidate and ex-PM said the Finland-Estonia pipeline was a ‘natural target’ for NATO’s adversaries.
Reservists abroad rush to Israel following Hamas bloodshed
Some were on their honeymoon, others were studying abroad, many were building new lives in foreign countries. But when Israel called up its reservists and declared war this week, the response was swift and overwhelming.