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☆ China and Russia no longer perceived as top security threats, research finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

China and Russia are considered less of a threat to Western populations now than a year ago, as public concern pivots to non-traditional risks such as mass migration and radical Islam, new research said. Public perception of traditional hard security risks remains higher now than three years ago but has fallen since 2022, the year Russia invaded Ukraine, survey results from the Munich Security Index 2024 showed. Top of the agenda will be the ongoing wars between Russia and Ukraine and Israel and Hamas, as well as NATO expansion and a potential return of Donald Trump to the White House. In the polling of 12,000 people across G7 countries plus Brazil, India, China and South Africa, few Western respondents believed that their country would be more secure and wealthy in 10 years' time. By contrast, most of those in emerging economies thought they would be better off financially and in political terms.

Persons: Donald Trump Organizations: Munich Security Locations: China, Russia, Ukraine, Munich, Israel, Brazil, India, South Africa

NEW YORK (AP) — At least six major technology companies are planning to sign an agreement this week that would guide how they try to put a stop to the use of artificial intelligence tools to disrupt democratic elections. The upcoming event at the Munich Security Conference in Germany comes as more than 50 countries are due to hold national elections in 2024. Attempts at AI-generated election interference have already begun, such as when AI robocalls that mimicked U.S. President Joe Biden’s voice tried to discourage people from voting in New Hampshire’s primary election last month. “In a critical year for global elections, technology companies are working on an accord to combat the deceptive use of AI targeted at voters," said a joint statement from several companies Tuesday. Photos You Should See View All 22 ImagesX, the platform formerly known as Twitter, wasn't mentioned in the statement and didn't immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

Persons: Joe Biden’s, wasn't, didn't Organizations: Munich, Google, Meta, Microsoft, Munich Security Locations: Germany, TikTok

☆ John Kerry to step down as US climate envoy
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-13 | by ( Ella Nilsen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —US climate envoy John Kerry plans to step down from his post by this spring, a source close to Kerry confirmed to CNN. Kerry is leaving the position after three years at the helm of US climate diplomacy under the Biden administration. Kerry specifically prioritized restarting international climate talks between the US and China, and was key in negotiating the November Sunnylands agreement, a wide-ranging climate agreement between the two countries before COP28. And in 2019, Kerry co-founded a bipartisan initiative of world leaders and celebrities to combat the climate crisis called World War Zero. In 2009, when Biden became vice president, Kerry took over his role as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Persons: John Kerry, Kerry, Biden, Axios, Joe Biden, Michael Dukakis, George W, Bush, Barack Obama Organizations: CNN, Economic, Munich, Conference, Democratic, Biden, White, Senate, Gov, Senate Foreign Relations, Navy, Silver Star, Star Locations: Dubai, Kerry, China, Paris, Massachusetts, Vietnam

[1/8] U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris disembarks an aircraft as she arrives to attend the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, December 2, 2023. The White House said Harris will carry a message about post-conflict Gaza as the region grapples with the fallout from a war that has upended the Middle East. Hamas seized control of Gaza in 2007 from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' mainstream Fatah party and has ruled the enclave ever since. How post-conflict Gaza should realistically be managed is an issue that has confounded regional leaders and Middle East experts. "In her meetings, the vice president will outline our principles for post-conflict Gaza, lay out specific proposals that put Palestinian voices at the center, and build regional support for our efforts," the White House official said.

Persons: Kamala Harris disembarks, Amr Alfiky, Kamala Harris, Harris, Joe Biden, Mahmoud Abbas, Biden, Critics, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, we’ve, John Kirby, Nandita Bose, Steve Holland, Matt Spetalnick, Heather Timmons, Alistair Bell Organizations: U.S, United Nations, Change, United Arab Emirates, REUTERS, Rights, West Bank, White, Palestinian, Fatah, Middle, Authority, United, White House, House, Munich, Conference, Thomson Locations: Dubai, United Arab, Israel, Gaza, United Arab Emirates, Washington, Russia, Ukraine

☆ Billionaire FBI informant Peter Thiel dished about two Kremlin invites to private Putin meetings
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | Hans-Martin Tillack | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +18 min

It was Angermayer who introduced Bisslinger to Thiel at the party, Thiel would later tell the FBI. After some small talk, Bisslinger made a pitch to Thiel: Thiel should travel to Russia to attend the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. If Thiel chose to attend, Bisslinger said, Bisslinger would arrange for him to meet privately with Putin. "Even if Mr. Angermayer did introduce Mr. Thiel and Mr. Bisslinger," the lawyers wrote in another letter, "Mr. Angermayer is not—and cannot be—responsible for whatever Mr. Bisslinger and Mr. Thiel may or may not have discussed." At his 40th birthday, he connected Peter Thiel with a Russian diplomat, Thiel later told the FBI.

Persons: Peter Thiel, Christian Angermayer, Thiel, Daniil Bisslinger, Bisslinger, Vladimir Putin's, Angermayer, Putin, Maksim Konstantinov, —, Frank Figliuzzi, Vladimir Putin, — Charles Johnson —, Johnathan Buma, Johnson, Welt, Dmitry Peskov, John Lamparski, Donald Trump, — Thiel, Der Spiegel, he'd, Elon Musk, Musk, Thiel —, he's, Palantir, He's, Uma Thurman, Robbie Williams, Queen Latifah, Paul Kagame, Dan McCrum, John Kerry, Richard Grenell, Kerry, Sensei Biotherapeutics, Trump, Dmitry Medvedev, Medvedev, Maureen Dowd, Alexander Schütz, Eva Schütz, Schütz, — Heinz, Christian Strache, Markus Braun, Jan Marsalek, Marsalek, Caroline Haskins, Katherine Long, Jack Newsham, Mattathias Schwartz, Hans, Martin Tillack Organizations: Kremlin, Tech, Pentagon, CIA, Facebook, SpaceX, Kremlin's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Russian Embassy, Thiel, St ., Economic, Getty, FBI, Atlantic, Bisslinger, Germany, Elon, Russia, NSA, US Special Operations Command, National Health Service, Apeiron Investment, Munich Security, intel, Trump, State Department, Angermayer's, PayPal, Nasdaq, Sciences, The New York Times, Deutsche Bank, Welt Locations: Silicon Valley, Schloss Neuwaldegg, Vienna, Silicon, Moscow, Russian, Berlin, Russia, St, St . Petersburg, Petersburg, Ukraine, Europe, Germany, NATO, Crimea, Ukrainian, Sevastopol, Palantir, Washington, Rwanda, Baltic, Belarus, Iran, Angermayer's Malta, Munich, China, China's, Austrian, Austria, Exxpress, Wirecard, schwartz79@protonmail.com

☆ Russia is scaling back its use of the feared Ka-52 attack helicopter after Ukraine got good at taking them out: ISW
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ukraine is getting better at taking down Russia's Ka-52 helicopters, the ISW said. AdvertisementAdvertisementUkraine has gotten better at destroying the Russian Ka-52 attack helicopters that had plagued its counteroffensive, a US think tank said. AdvertisementAdvertisementDespite recent Ukrainian advances, so far Russia has prevented Ukraine from making a decisive breakthrough. The ISW said that Ukraine's improved ability against the Ka-52 had not seriously undermined Russian defenses. "Russian forces appear to have increased their use of strike drones against advancing Ukrainian forces, and Russian artillery units continue to play a significant role in repelling Ukrainian assaults," said the ISW.

Persons: Russia's, —, Gian Gentile, Nico Lange Organizations: Ukraine's, Service, RAND Corporation, Munich Security Conference, Defense Express Locations: Ukraine, Russia, US, Russian, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Kherson, Luhansk, Melitopol, Ukrainian

☆ Ukraine is figuring out how to destroy the Ka-52 helicopters and mobile artillery holding back its offensive, expert says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ukraine is picking off Russia's Ka-52 helicopters and self-propelled artillery, an expert said. Nico Lange, a Ukraine expert at the Munich Security Conference, said Ukraine's counteroffensive, which began in June, had started to make more progress in the last two weeks. And that number does not include two Ka-52 helicopters that Ukraine said it shot down on Thursday morning. Oryx also records 350 destroyed pieces of Russian self-propelled artillery, with 29 more damaged, seven abandoned, and 10 captured. But Lawrence Freedman, a war expert at the UK's King's College London, told The Economist that Ukraine is making progress.

Persons: Nico Lange, Russia's, Insider's Rebecca Rommen, Oleksii Reznikov, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Lawrence Freedman Organizations: Service, Munich Security, UK Ministry of Defence, NATO, Kremlin, King's College London, Economist Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Wall, Silicon, Russia, Zaporizhzhia, Kyiv

☆ Ukraine says it downed 2 Ka-52 attack helicopters, which Russia calls the world's best, in a single morning
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ukraine said it shot down two Russian Ka-52 attack helicopters on Thursday morning. But Ukraine has been fighting back: Independent weapons monitoring group Oryx said 40 Ka-52 helicopters have been confirmed as damaged or destroyed through visual evidence. The group added that in total 88 Russian helicopters have been confirmed as destroyed in Ukraine, with 12 more damaged and one captured. Insider reported in November 2022 that Ka-52s have been used more than any other attack helicopter by Russia in its full-scale invasion, which began in February 2022. Nico Lange, a Ukraine expert at the Munich Security Conference, told The Economist that Ka-52 attack helicopters are being picked off "piece by piece" by Ukrainian forces, in a sign that Ukraine is now making progress in its counteroffensive efforts.

Persons: Mykola Oleshchuk, Insider's Rebecca Rommen, Nico Lange Organizations: UK intel, Service, 47th Mechanized Brigade, Facebook, NATO, Kremlin, UK Ministry of Defence, Munich Security Conference Locations: Ukraine, UK, Wall, Silicon, Russian, Robotyne, Zaporizhzhia, Bakhmut, Donetsk, Russia, Kyiv

☆ Allies React Cautiously to Prospect of U.S. Cluster Weapons for Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Cassandra Vinograd | Thomas Gibbons-Neff | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +8 min

The United States appears to be on the verge of providing Ukraine with cluster munitions, a senior Biden administration official said. What are cluster munitions? “There’s just not a responsible way to use cluster munitions,” said Brian Castner, the weapons expert on Amnesty International’s Crisis Response Team. The New York Times has documented Russia’s extensive use of cluster munitions in Ukraine since the beginning of the invasion in February 2022. The Convention on Cluster Munitions also limits the ability of nations that have signed on to cooperate militarily with countries that employ them.

Persons: Laura Cooper, “ There’s, ”, Brian Castner, Castner, “, Ukraine —, Jerry Redfern, Mary Wareham, Cooper, Biden, Gabriela Rosa Hernández, David Guttenfelder, Oleksandr Kubrakov, ” Eric Schmitt, John Ismay, Gaya Gupta Organizations: Biden, Washington, U.S, Pentagon, National Public Radio, United Nations, Amnesty, Cluster Munitions, Getty, The New York Times, The Times, Human Rights Watch, NATO, Ukraine, Munitions, Arms Control, Ukraine’s, Brigade, ., Munich Security Locations: States, Ukraine, Kyiv, Russia, Eurasia, Tibnin, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan, Balkans, Laos, U.S, United, United States, LightRocket, Russian, Kramatorsk, Ukrainian

☆ Berlin and Paris 'missing in action' as EU lacks leadership in defence, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"The crucial capability gap in European defence is still political leadership," the Munich Security Report on European Defence said. The annual Munich Security Conference, usually held in February, is an influential global gathering of top policymakers and analysts to debate defence and security challenges. The report said Germany and France in particular were "missing in action" at a time when European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen and EU top diplomat Josep Borrell are driving EU support for Kyiv and joint procurement initiatives. "Under the (Chancellor Olaf) Scholz government, Germany has faced recurrent criticism for its absence in EU defence questions," it said. "The onus is on Germany and France to win back trust," the report said, adding that time was of the essence in speeding up defence cooperation.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Olaf Scholz, Sarah Meyssonnier, Ursula von der Leyen, Josep Borrell, Chancellor Olaf, Scholz, Sabine Siebold, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Weimar, REUTERS, Munich Security, European Defence, Munich Security Conference, European Commission, Kyiv, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, BERLIN, Germany, Europe, Ukraine, Munich, Russia

☆ Fact Check-Claims that George Soros praised Ron DeSantis are missing context
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Social media users (here), (here), (here) are sharing a post that misleadingly suggests Soros supports DeSantis as a presidential candidate: “Trump gets praise from Tucker Carlson. Why is that?”Responses to the posts include comments such as: “Is Soros funding DeSANTIS??? DeSantis ‘is likely to be the Republican candidate’ for president in 2024 - a prediction, not an endorsement,” Silber said in an email. Reuters found no record of Soros publicly praising DeSantis (tinyurl.com/mrne9esp), (tinyurl.com/ywhaab6t). There is no evidence that Soros publicly praised DeSantis.

Persons: George Soros, Ron DeSantis, Soros, DeSantis, “ Trump, Tucker Carlson, Trump, ”, Laura Silber, Mr, ‘, ’, ” Silber, Read Organizations: U.S, Republicans Trump, Democratic, Social, Soros, Conference, Republican, Big, Open Society, Gov, Reuters Locations: Florida

"This is not a good moment for American diplomacy," said William Kirby, a professor of Chinese studies at Harvard University. A source familiar with that conversation called it the most antagonistic U.S.-China engagement since contentious talks in Alaska early in the Biden administration. Name me one," Biden said in his speech, evidently referring to a host of domestic and foreign policy challenges facing China. However, Biden is likely to find Xi emboldened in any call after a Chinese-brokered rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran and his meetings with Putin. Reporting by David Brunnstrom and Michael Martina Editing by Don Durfee and Alistair BellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Ukraine's Kuleba urges Germany to send more ammunition and train up pilots
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BERLIN, March 12 (Reuters) - Ukraine's foreign minister urged Germany in an interview published on Sunday to speed up supplies of ammunition and to start training Ukrainian pilots on Western fighter jets. Dmytro Kuleba told the Bild am Sonntag newspaper that ammunition shortages were the "number one" problem in Ukraine's attempt to repel Russia's invasion. But he said Ukrainian pilots should be trained anyway, so they would be ready once that decision was taken, the paper wrote. If Germany were to train Ukrainian pilots, that would be a "clear message of its political engagement", he said. Separately, Kuleba said Ukraine would keep defending the town of Bakhmut, the focus of a Russian onslaught for the last six months.

☆ Exclusive: Ukraine seeks US cluster bombs to adapt for drone use, lawmakers say
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Jonathan Landay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

They said Ukrainian officials urged U.S. lawmakers at last month's Munich Security Conference to press for White House approval. Ukraine hopes cluster munitions will give it an edge in the grinding fight against Russian forces in eastern Ukraine. But cluster munitions could be a step too far for the administration and some in Congress. A 2008 pact prohibiting the production, use and stockpiling of cluster munitions has been adopted by 123 countries, including most of NATO's 28 members. "And cluster munitions really are pretty lethal to mass formations as well as armor.

Fund managers say they are fielding more queries from clients about the odds of an invasion of Taiwan by China. Russia's invasion of Ukraine early last year has also made investors more wary of war risk, analysts said. Goldman Sachs' Cross-Strait Risk Index, which gauges the intensity of geopolitical risk between Taiwan and mainland China, hit a record high last August after then-U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi's trip to Taiwan. Jordan Stuart, client portfolio manager at Federated Hermes, says he cut China exposure last year while holding onto some small stocks that can "fly under the radar". The Taiwan Strait is a major route for ships transporting goods from East Asia to the United States and Europe.

☆ China calls for a ceasefire in Ukraine, attempting to play the role of mediator days after saying its ties with Russia are 'solid as a mountain'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

On Friday, China released a 12-point peace plan to end the Ukraine war. The plan calls for a ceasefire and gradual deescalation of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. China released the plan at 9 a.m. local time on the first anniversary of the Ukraine war, calling for a "gradual" de-escalation of the war and eventually a "comprehensive ceasefire." In the plan, China also appealed to both Ukraine and Russia to avoid the use of nuclear weapons. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday that he had not yet seen the peace plan, but is open to talks with Beijing, per Reuters.

☆ Biden's IRA is the U.S. playing 'catch-up' after Trump, UK minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The U.K.'s Finance Minister Jeremy Hunt has said that the U.S. President Joe Biden's Inflation Reduction Act is a bid to play 'catch up' on clean energy investment. "We have to recognize that the United States is coming to this from behind," told CNBC's Tanvir Gill at the G-20 meeting in Bengaluru, India. Trump was highly vocal in his denial of climate change during his time in office, frequently rejecting warnings from climate scientists and famously withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris Climate Agreement within his first months in the job. "We will make sure that the U.K. continues to be a very attractive place for all clean energy investments, but we'll do it in a different way, our own way," he said. "We are very proud of the progress we have made, and we will continue to blaze a trail," he added.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the Munich Security Conference. The Biden administration is considering releasing intelligence it believes shows that China is weighing whether to supply weapons to support Russia’s war in Ukraine, U.S. officials said. The discussions on public disclosure come ahead of Friday’s United Nations Security Council meeting marking one year since Russia invaded Ukraine. It follows a number of closed-door appeals to China—coordinated among North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies—that culminated in a formal warning delivered over the weekend in Munich to Wang Yi , China’s senior foreign-policy official, by a number of western officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken and British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly .

☆ Explainer: What have Russia and China said about peace in Ukraine?
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Caleb Davis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Zelenskiy last year proposed his own 10-point peace plan, which calls on Russia to withdraw all its troops from Ukraine and to respect Ukraine's territorial integrity. Russia still controls nearly a fifth of Ukraine, despite losing swathes of land in major battlefield setbacks last year. Russia said on Wednesday that it welcomed China taking a more active role in efforts to resolve the conflict. Meeting Putin on Wednesday, Wang said China was willing to play a "constructive role" to end the Ukraine conflict. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said China had an obligation to use that influence to seek peace in Ukraine.

☆ Mitch McConnell says 'way too much attention' has been given to Republicans who oppose aiding Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

McConnell recently traveled to Europe to underscore Republican support for Ukraine. He told one reporter that members of his party opposed to aiding the country get "way too much attention." Other prominent Republicans have argued that the cost of US support for Ukraine is too high. "Let me start by saying: I am a conservative Republican from America, and I come in peace," said the top Senate Republican, according to his prepared remarks. "Reports about the death of Republican support for strong American leadership in the world have been greatly exaggerated."

☆ China says certain countries must stop 'fuelling the fire' in Ukraine conflict
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] Ukrainian servicemen ride a self-propelled howitzer outside the town of Siversk, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region, Ukraine February 20, 2023. REUTERS/Yevhen TitovBEIJING, Feb 21 (Reuters) - China is "deeply worried" that the Ukraine conflict could spiral out of control, China's foreign minister Qin Gang said on Tuesday, and called on certain countries to stop "fuelling the fire". The United States has warned of consequences if China provides military support to Russia, which Beijing says it is not doing. "We urge certain countries to immediately stop fuelling the fire," Qin said during a speech, referring to the Ukraine conflict and in comments that appeared to be directed at the United States. Chinese-Russian trade has soared since the invasion of Ukraine, and Russia has sold Asian powers including China greater volumes of oil.

"One year ago, the world was bracing for the fall of Kyiv," Biden said at the Warsaw Royal Castle Gardens as the crowd waved Polish flags. "Well I've just come from a visit to Kyiv and I can report Kyiv stands strong, Kyiv stands proud, it stands tall and most important, it stands free." "One year into this war, Putin no longer doubts the strength of our coalition, but he still doubts our conviction. U.S. President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meet in Kyiv, Ukraine on February 20, 2023. "Tonight I speak once more again to the people of Russia: The United States and the people of Europe do not seek to control or destroy Russia," Biden said.

☆ Lindsey Graham said it would be incredibly stupid of China to give Vladimir Putin lethal weapons to use in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Lindsey Graham said it would "dumber than dirt" of China to support Putin with weapons. Graham's comments came after Antony Blinken said China might want to give Putin lethal weapons. Don't do this," Graham told host Martha Raddatz on Sunday's episode of ABC's "This Week." Graham was commenting on Secretary of State Antony Blinken's warning on Sunday that the Chinese might be on the brink of giving Russia "lethal support" in the Ukraine war. Publicly, they present themselves as a country striving for peace in Ukraine," Blinken told NBC.

☆ Ukraine can still lose the war — but Russia can’t win, Ian Bremmer says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Hannah Ward-Glenton | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

"Ukraine can still lose the war — but Russia can't win," Ian Bremmer told CNBC's Hadley Gamble at the Munich Leigh Vogel / Contributor / Getty ImagesUkraine can lose the war, but Russia cannot win at a geopolitical level, Ian Bremmer, political scientist and president of Eurasia Group, told CNBC. "Ukraine can lose this war," Bremmer told CNBC's Hadley Gamble at the Munich Security Conference on Friday, but Russia cannot win in NATO because of its "pariah" status, Bremmer said. That's a long-term question that goes beyond Ukraine," Bremmer added. Everyone here needs to understand that Ukraine can lose this war," Bremmer said. "[The war] is an existential crisis for Ukraine, it's an existential crisis for Zelenskyy and his family personally – they're fighting literally for their lives," Bremmer said.

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