Zelensky calls for European army to deter Russia, earn US respect

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Updated 15 February 2025
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Zelensky calls for European army to deter Russia, earn US respect

  • Zelensky said an address by US Vice President JD Vance the previous day had made clear the relationship between Europe and the United States was changing
  • “Let’s be honest — now we can’t rule out the possibility that America might say no to Europe on issues that threaten it“

MUNICH: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Saturday for the creation of a European army, saying the continent could no longer be sure of protection from the United States and would only get respect from Washington with a strong military.
He also said Kyiv would never accept any deal to end the Russia-Ukraine war made behind its back, and predicted Russian President Vladimir Putin would try to get US President Donald Trump to Moscow’s May 9 World War Two victory anniversary parade “not as a respected leader but as a prop in his own performance.”
In an impassioned speech to the annual Munich Security Conference of global policymakers, Zelensky said an address by US Vice President JD Vance the previous day had made clear the relationship between Europe and the United States was changing.
“Let’s be honest — now we can’t rule out the possibility that America might say no to Europe on issues that threaten it,” said Zelensky, speaking as the war triggered by Russia’s invasion of his country will soon enter its fourth year.
“Many, many leaders have talked about (a) Europe that needs its own military and army. An army of Europe. And I really believe the time has come, the armed forces of Europe must be created.”
He said a European army — which would include Ukraine — was necessary so that the continent’s “future depends only on Europeans — and decisions about Europeans are made in Europe.”
He continued: “Does America need Europe as a market? Yes. But as an ally? I don’t know. For the answer to be yes, Europe needs a single voice, not a dozen different ones.”
Trump administration officials have made clear in recent days that they expect European allies in NATO to take primary responsibility for their own defense as the US now had other priorities, such as border security and countering China.
They have also said, however, that they remain committed to the NATO transatlantic military alliance.
“America needs to see where Europe is heading,” Zelensky said, “and this direction of European policy shouldn’t just be promising, it should make America want to stand with a strong Europe.”
Trump shocked European allies by calling Putin this week without consulting them beforehand and declaring an immediate start to Ukraine peace talks.
Zelensky told the conference that he believed it would be “dangerous” if Trump met Putin before he and Trump meet.
Ukraine has repeatedly said it wants to come together with the United States and Europe to devise a joint strategy before any Trump-Putin meeting.
The Trump administration so far has left the impression among some European allies that it was making concessions to Putin at Ukraine’s expense before any negotiations begin, though remarks by some top US officials have raised confusion.

YOU COULD BE NEXT, ZELENSKIY WARNS
He also warned European leaders that their countries could be next to face a Russian attack.
“If this (Ukraine-Russia) war ends the wrong way, he (Putin) will have a surplus of battle-tested soldiers who know nothing but killing and looting,” he said, citing intelligence reports indicating Russia will dispatch troops to close ally Belarus, another neighbor of Ukraine, this summer.
European nations cooperate militarily primarily within NATO but governments have so far rejected various calls for the creation of a single European army over the years, arguing that defense is a matter of national sovereignty.
Zelensky argued that Europe building up military strength would be good not only for security but also for the continent’s economy. “This isn’t just about stockpiling weapons, it’s about jobs, technological leadership and economic trends for Europe.”
A senior official from an eastern member state of the European Union cast skepticism on Zelenkiy’s proposal for a European army, saying: “There is a European military force called NATO.”
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte also told Europeans to get their acts together — but on Ukraine talks.
“And to my European friends, I would say, get into the debate, not by complaining that you might, yes or no, be at the table, but by coming up with concrete proposals, ideas, ramp up (defense) spending,” he said in Munich.


German finance minister optimistic that G7 can agree joint communique on Ukraine support

Updated 5 sec ago
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German finance minister optimistic that G7 can agree joint communique on Ukraine support

“I am very positive that we will also reach a joint communique,” Klingbeil said
If Russia is not prepared to enter into serious negotiations with Ukraine, “we will consider further sanctions“

BANFF, Canada: German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil on Thursday said he was optimistic that the Group of Seven advanced economies could agree a joint communique showing support for Ukraine, amid a rift between the US and the rest of the G7 on the issue.

Sources earlier said it was unclear whether the delegations at G7 finance ministers’ consultations in Canada could agree on joint language, with one European source saying that US officials wanted to delete language describing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as “illegal.”

“I am very positive that we will also reach a joint communique,” Klingbeil said at a press conference in Banff, adding that if Russia is not prepared to enter into serious negotiations with Ukraine, “we will consider further sanctions.”

The EU and Britain this week announced new sanctions against Russia without waiting for Washington to join them, a day after President Donald Trump’s phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin brought about neither a ceasefire in Ukraine nor fresh US sanctions.

European leaders have been lobbying intensely for the Trump administration to join them in imposing new sanctions if Russia rejected a ceasefire.

Klingbeil said that G7 finance ministers and their Ukrainian counterpart had concluded in a meeting that the conflict was “a brutal war” initiated by Russian President Vladimir Putin and that support for Ukraine continued unabated.

“I am optimistic that in the end such formulations will also be included in the communique, but please wait for the exact wording, as I want to leave that to the Canadian presidency this afternoon,” he said.

TRADE SOLUTIONS

Klingbeil earlier on Wednesday met United States Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent for a bilateral conversation and the two agreed to meet again in Washington.

“We have always discussed forward, how we can take steps together to find solutions,” Klingbeil said about the meeting, adding that Bessent’s invitation was a good sign.

Klingbeil warned, however, that if no agreement can be found with the United States on tariffs, “then we can expect turbulence on the markets again very quickly.”

The Trump administration has imposed a 25 percent tariff on US imports of steel, aluminum and cars, as well as a baseline 10 percent tariff on almost all countries, with additional “reciprocal” tariffs — making for a combined 20 percent in the EU’s case — lined up if negotiations during a 90-day pause fail.

France condemns Israeli minister’s accusations of inciting hatred

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar claimed that European governments were inciting hatred against his country. (File/AFP)
Updated 54 min 24 sec ago
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France condemns Israeli minister’s accusations of inciting hatred

  • “These are completely outrageous and completely unjustified remarks,” foreign ministry spokesman Christophe Lemoine said

PARIS: France on Thursday dismissed claims by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar that European governments were inciting hatred against his country.
“These are completely outrageous and completely unjustified remarks,” foreign ministry spokesman Christophe Lemoine said.
“France has condemned, France condemns and France will continue to condemn, always and unequivocally, any act of anti-Semitism.”
In Washington on Wednesday, two Israeli embassy staffers were shot dead outside a Jewish museum by a gunman who shouted “free Palestine” as he was arrested.
US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu led global condemnation of the attack, each of them blaming anti-Semitism.
Israel’s foreign minister said: “There is a direct line connecting anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli incitement to this murder.”
He added: “This incitement is also done by leaders and officials of many countries and international organizations, especially from Europe.”
Tensions have risen in recent days between Israel and European governments over Israel’s military offensive in Gaza and the plight of civilians in the territory.
Speaking in the southern French city of Nice, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot reiterated that France had condemned the killing as “a horrific attack targeting Israeli diplomats.”
He said he had sent a message to his Israeli counterpart “to tell him how saddened I was by what had happened, how much I was thinking of the families of these diplomats but also of all their colleagues at the Israeli foreign ministry.”
“This blind violence is obviously unjustifiable,” he added.
“We deplore an explosion of anti-Semitic acts that we have seen on our territory in recent years, but we are fighting this explosion with the utmost determination,” he said.
France’s Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau told police earlier Thursday to “step up surveillance at sites linked to the Jewish community.”
On Monday, the leaders of Britain, France and Canada condemned Israel’s “egregious actions” in Gaza and warned of joint action if it did not halt a heightened military offensive on the Palestinian territory.
Last week France’s President Emmanuel Macron accused Netanyahu of “unacceptable” behavior in holding up aid to the Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel is fighting to crush the militant group Hamas.
Netanyahu accused Macron of siding with a “murderous Islamist terrorist organization.”


Suspected Houthi fighter arrested in Germany

A Yemeni man suspected of having fought with the country’s Iran-backed Houthis was arrested in Germany on Thursday. (File/AFP)
Updated 22 May 2025
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Suspected Houthi fighter arrested in Germany

  • The man, partially named as Hussein H., was detained by police in the southern town of Dachau
  • Prosecutors said the man had briefly fought for the militia in clashes in Yemen’s central Marib province in 2023

BERLIN: A Yemeni man suspected of having fought with the country’s Iran-backed Houthis was arrested in Germany on Thursday, prosecutors said.
The man, partially named as Hussein H., was detained by police in the southern town of Dachau, the federal prosecutor’s office said in a statement.
He is suspected of “being a member of a terrorist organization” after allegedly joining the Houthis in October 2022.
Prosecutors said the man, after receiving ideological and military training, had briefly fought for the militia in clashes in Yemen’s central Marib province in early 2023.
The Houthis have imposed strict rule over the large swathe of Yemen under their control, covering two-thirds of the population.
Since the Gaza war broke out after the Hamas attack of October 2023, the Houthis have regularly fired missiles and drones at maritime traffic and at Israel in what they say are acts of solidarity with Palestinians.
The militia warned Monday they would impose a “naval blockade” on the Israeli port of Haifa after the country’s military intensified its offensive in Gaza.


How CPEC expansion can transform Afghanistan’s economy

Updated 22 May 2025
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How CPEC expansion can transform Afghanistan’s economy

  • Chinese, Pakistani and Afghan foreign ministers held a trilateral meeting in Beijing
  • Afghanistan is believed to have vast reserves of lithium and other critical minerals

KABUL: The entry of Beijing’s multi-billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor into Afghanistan is expected to boost its ailing economy and regional standing, experts say, following the announcement of expansion plans.

The Chinese, Pakistani and Afghan foreign ministers reached an agreement during a trilateral meeting in Beijing on Wednesday to broaden the flagship part of China’s global infrastructure and investment strategy.

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the expansion of CPEC aimed to “deepen” cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative — a network of massive road, energy, port and industrial projects launched in 2013 to connect China to the rest of Asia, Europe and Africa.

For Afghanistan, the mega project offers an “important opportunity” to boost its political and economic ties not only with China and Pakistan, but also with the neighboring Central Asian republics, Amin Stanikzai, an economist and lecturer at the Rokhan Institute of Higher Education in Nangarhar, told Arab News.

“It can serve as the intersection of China, Pakistan, Afghanistan, as well as South and Central Asia, therefore, it benefits Afghanistan ... Afghanistan is optimistic about the CPEC project partly because regional connectivity is in Afghanistan’s interest as it is a landlocked country with no access to the sea.”

Since the Taliban took over Afghanistan in 2021, its economy has been reeling under Western sanctions and unemployment has more than doubled.

“If managed well, the project can contribute to the overall stability and development in the region, in addition to improving connectivity and Afghanistan’s access to regional and international markets,” Stanikzai said.

Chinese projects could offer a significant respite to Afghanistan’s economic woes and help develop its potential.

Afghanistan is believed to have vast untapped reserves of lithium, rare earths and other critical minerals, which are key resources in the EV battery and green tech industries.

The potential value of Afghanistan’s lithium and rare earth elements has been estimated by the US Geological Survey and the US Department of Defense to range between $1 trillion and $3 trillion.

It has also some of the world’s largest untapped copper deposits. China Metallurgical Group Corp won a 30-year lease in 2008 to develop the Mes Aynak copper mine in Logar province, but the project stalled due to security issues.

Last year, the Taliban government and China renewed discussions to revive the project.

Talks on Afghanistan’s inclusion in CPEC also started several years ago but practical work has yet to begin, complicated by geopolitical considerations.

Major global powers remain skeptical of China’s BRI. The project has also been consistently opposed by India as it involves construction in Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan region — part of the disputed Kashmiri territory, which New Delhi and Islamabad claim in full but rule in part.

The entry of CPEC projects would, however, help mend Afghanistan’s lately troubled relations with its largest trading partner and route: Pakistan.

“Afghanistan can benefit from these projects politically as well since this is an initiative led by China and it can use its influence over Pakistan in resolving political tension between Afghanistan and Pakistan in the future,” said Abdul Hai Qanit, a political analyst and commentator on Afghan affairs.

“This will have a positive impact on Afghanistan’s economy as a result of becoming a part of the large transportation network that BRI and CPEC will provide. Afghanistan will be able to export its goods without any challenges and delays.”

The scope of projects in the long term could help transform Afghanistan, whose infrastructure and economy have been underdeveloped due to decades of war.

It would also secure its access to international markets and integration into regional economic frameworks.

“Direct linkage to China through Pakistan via CPEC could facilitate the construction of vital transportation corridors, energy projects and digital infrastructure. These are crucial elements for long-term development and post-conflict reconstruction,” Bashir Seddiqi, an international relations expert, told Arab News.

He was not certain, however, how soon the change could be seen.

“Feasibility of implementation remains deeply uncertain,” Seddiqi said. “The CPEC project itself, despite its strategic importance, has experienced delays and setbacks within Pakistan due to governance challenges, financial constraints and shifting political priorities.”


Philippines’ Marcos tells cabinet to resign after polls setback

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. speaks during campaign rally of senatorial candidates under his party in Metro Manila
Updated 22 May 2025
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Philippines’ Marcos tells cabinet to resign after polls setback

  • Marcos’ allies failed to win majority of Senate seats contested in midterm elections 
  • Majority of Filipinos expressed disapproval of his govt over economy and corruption

MANILA: Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called on his cabinet members on Thursday to render their resignations in a move seen as an attempt to address the public’s dissatisfaction over his administration’s performance.

Marcos, the son of a late Philippine dictator overthrown in 1986, won the presidency by a landslide in 2022 after campaigning on a vision of national unity and portraying himself as a candidate for change.

But public support for the 67-year-old leader has faced a steep decline this year, with surveys by Pulse Asia showing his approval rating with voters dropping to 25 percent in March from 42 percent in February.

Marcos’ latest move comes after his allies failed to secure a majority of contested Senate seats at the May 12 midterm elections, raising questions over the president’s weakened mandate in the remaining three years of his term, which ends in 2028.

“It’s time to realign government with the people’s expectations,” Marcos said in a statement issued by his office on Thursday.

“This is not business as usual … The people have spoken, and they expect results — not politics, not excuses. We hear them, and we will act.”

The call for courtesy resignations — described as a “bold reset” — marks “a clear transition” to a “more focused and performance-driven approach,” the statement reads.

At least 21 cabinet secretaries have either immediately submitted their resignations or expressed their readiness to do so.

The midterm elections were “reflective of the true desire and sentiments of the people on the ground,” said Froilan Calilung, political science professor at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila.

“There was a massive decrease in his numbers, and this could be attributed to the fact that there are no concrete measures, programs, or policies that can be attributed to his government for at least the past two or three years,” he told Arab News.

Pulse Asia’s survey in March also showed the majority of Filipinos expressing disapproval of the Marcos administration on issues seen as most urgent, including controlling inflation and fighting corruption, which stood at 79 percent and 53 percent, respectively.

“I think what the president is trying to do right now is to salvage whatever is left of his political capital before he enters the lame-duck phase of his administration, which could happen anywhere between the fourth and the fifth year of his term of office,” Calilung said. 

By calling for the resignations of his cabinet secretaries, Marcos may also be seeking to “shake off the stigma” of himself as a weak and indecisive leader and trying to project an “image of somebody who is in charge or is in control” of the situation, he added. 

Though it will be hard to recover after the “wasted” first three years of his presidency, there was still a chance that Marcos could make a comeback.

“The president should come up with better legislation, more well-meaning policies and programs that will directly address the current conditions of the current problems of inflation, job security, food security, agrarian self-sufficiency, among others,” Calilung said.

“If the president will be able to do these things, then I think there’s still some time to recover.”