The Press Roundup
The Press Roundup
Curated Summary of What Matters
February 14,
2024 (Wednesday)
Exclusive: Putin's suggestion of
Ukraine ceasefire rejected by United States, sources say
(Reuters)
- Russian
President Vladimir Putin suggested a ceasefire in Ukraine to freeze the
war, but the United States rejected the proposal, stating that they would
not engage in talks that did not involve Ukraine.
- The failure of
Putin's approach highlights the significant differences between the
world's two largest nuclear powers.
- The contacts
between intermediaries from Russia and the United States ended in failure,
with the Americans insisting on the participation of Ukraine in any discussions
about a ceasefire.
- The United
States has not engaged in any back channel discussions with Russia and has
consistently refused to accept Putin's demands to hold on to Ukrainian
territory.
- Putin's
proposal was relayed to top U.S. officials, but they were unwilling to
discuss a ceasefire without Ukraine's involvement.
Will Germany deliver on its grand
military ambitions?
(Financial Times)
- Germany will
spend almost €72bn on defence this year - more than at any time in the
history of the Bundeswehr. Some €52bn will come from the
regular budget and €19.8bn from an investment fund.
- German Defence
Minister Boris Pistorius has said that defence requires a "reliable,
sustainable and, yes, growing [military] budget". Calls for more
funds were backed by escalating rhetoric that Pistorius himself admitted
was designed to "shake up the Germans".
- But no one in
power seems to know exactly how that goal can be achieved - especially
given the tight constraints of the German budget. Germany is one of the
few countries whose constitution spells out a limit on new borrowing, the
so-called debt brake.
- In early 2022,
it became clear - the country's military capabilities are dangerously
depleted. At the end of the Cold War, the Bundeswehr numbered half a
million men, making it one of Europe's most formidable fighting forces.
Between 1990 and 2019, the number of troops fell by 60 per cent.
- Olaf Scholz
said that Germany will soon have the "largest army" of any
European NATO member state. Pistorius went even further,
saying that Germany must become "ready for war and capable of
waging it." The problem, however, is that despite all the new
money, the Bundeswehr is in many ways even worse equipped now than it was
before the Russia-Ukraine conflict began. Germany has given Kiev much of
its best equipment, and it is still unclear how and when those gaps will
be filled.
- One of
Germany's most ambitious plans, the deployment of a 5,000-man brigade to
Lithuania, which would be the country's first permanent overseas
contingent since World War II, is also in question. Experts say it is
unclear how it will be formed.
- One of
Pistorius' main concerns is manpower. Germany's defence ministry plans to
increase the size of the army from 183,000 to 203,000 by 2031. But it will
be a daunting task, especially given Germany's ageing population and a
growing shortage of skilled workers.
Western aid to Ukraine exceeds
Marshall Plan, EBRD boss says
(Politico)
- Western support
for Ukraine exceeds the US plan to rebuild Europe after World War II,
according to the president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and
Development (EBRD). Odile Renaud-Basso called the
aid to Ukraine "enormous" despite recent criticism from Kiev's
allies that they have not done enough. "[EU financial aid] in real
terms is much bigger than the post-World War II Marshall Plan as a
percentage of GDP," Renault-Basso said.
- The EBRD chief
noted that the 18 billion euros expected from the EU in 2024 is almost a
tenth of Ukraine's projected GDP of 186 billion euros. Renault-Basso
rejected criticism from some Ukraine supporters that the EU aid package is
insufficient compared to the bloc's seven-year budget of 1.074 trillion
euros. She said EU leaders should find a fine line between supporting
Ukraine and funding their own countries.
- According to
Renault-Basso, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has
increased its capital by 4bn euros to boost support for Ukraine without
cutting other spending items. The EBRD has provided €3.8bn in loans to
Kiev since the start of the military conflict and has pledged to increase
support once it ends.
What would a Nato war with Russia look
like? How the UK is rehearsing
(The Times)
- Hundreds of
army vehicles have been loaded onto a German-bound cargo ship at Marchwood
as part of NATO's Steadfast Defender exercise, which will involve 90,000
troops from alliance countries until May. The exercise - the largest since
the Cold War - will see troops from NATO countries practise how US forces
will reinforce European allies in countries bordering Russia and on the
alliance's eastern flank.
- The Royal Navy
aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales will join more than 50 other ships,
including destroyers, as well as more than 80 fighter jets, helicopters
and drones and at least 1,100 combat vehicles, including 133 tanks.
- According to
the exercise's legend, Tuesday's event at Marchwood will happen weeks
before President Putin launches a full-scale war with NATO, as the
military receives intelligence warning them of an impending attack.
Soldiers are confident they can repeat the same task if the country finds
itself at war with Russia.
- The 7th Light
Mechanised Brigade, also known as the Desert Rats, is already on its way
to Poland to take part in the initial phase of the Steadfast Defender
exercise. More than 600 vehicles loaded onto cargo ships at Marchwood will
travel to Germany before reaching Poland by land.
Pakistan is out of friends and out of
money (The Economist)
- Pakistan's
recent election on February 8th has raised concerns about the country's
decline and the potential for revolution, outside intervention, or
political renewal.
- The country has
been ruled by the military for decades, either directly or through a
stage-managed democracy. The current government, backed by two political
clans (the Sharifs and the Bhuttos), is seen as illegitimate due to a
rigged vote.
- The army
prefers to maintain control of politics to protect its economic privileges
and avoid instability. However, this path of decline may ultimately lead
to the same outcome it seeks to avoid.
- Imran Khan, a
popular politician, was imprisoned before the election on false charges,
despite having previously worked with the generals. Independent candidates
supported by Khan's followers won seats, but not a majority.
- The
compromise-candidate prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, promises to address
political instability and save the country.
It’s Not Time for Our Troops to Leave
the Middle East
(The New York Times)
- The recent
attack on U.S. troops in Jordan highlights the ongoing threat to American
forces in the region.
- Postponing
dealing with this growing threat has allowed our troops to defend
themselves well, but it's time to make hard choices.
- The presence of
U.S. troops in Syria and Iraq is crucial for preventing ISIS from
regaining strength and attacking our homeland.
- Leaving too
quickly would give ISIS the opportunity to reestablish itself and increase
the risk to the United States.
- Negotiations
with the Iraqi government should continue to maintain a reduced but
necessary troop presence in Iraq.
Nato says record number of allies hit
defence target
(BBC)
- A record 18
NATO member countries are set to meet the alliance's target of spending 2%
of their economic output on defense this year.
- Germany is due
to meet the threshold for the first time in decades.
- Estonia has
already announced that its defense budget will surpass 3% of its economic
output this year.
- NATO Secretary
General Jens Stoltenberg emphasized the significant increase in defense
expenditures since 2014, but acknowledged that some allies still have a
way to go in hitting the target.
- Stoltenberg
reaffirmed NATO's commitment to protecting all of its members and
emphasized the importance of the alliance in ensuring security.
Comments
Post a Comment