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☆ German Leopard 2 tanks have reached Ukraine -security source
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, March 27 (Reuters) - The 18 Leopard 2 battle tanks pledged by Germany to support Ukraine in its war against Russia have arrived in Ukraine, a security source said on Monday, confirming a report by Spiegel news magazine. Besides the 18 main battle tanks, 40 German Marder infantry fighting vehicles, and two armoured recovery vehicles had also reached Ukraine, the security source said. The German army trained the Ukrainian tank crews as well as the troops assigned to operate the Marder vehicles for several weeks on training grounds in Muenster and Bergen in northern Germany. Beyond the German vehicles, three Leopard tanks donated by Portugal also reached Ukraine, according to the security source. Reporting by Sabine Siebold and Rachel More, Editing by Friederike Heine and Tomasz JanowskiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

BRUSSELS, March 20 (Reuters) - European Union countries on Monday agreed a 2 billion euro plan to send 1 million artillery rounds to Ukraine over the next year by digging into their own stockpiles and teaming up to buy more shells. The joint procurement will be limited to companies from the EU and Norway, which has close economic ties to the bloc. Some EU governments wanted the initiative to be open to a broader market, arguing this would help get munitions more quickly to Ukraine. But others said EU money should go to EU companies and insisted they would have capacity to meet demand. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, whose country is taking part in the joint procurement initiative, described it as "new territory" for the EU.

☆ ECB's Wunsch does not see repeat of 2008 financial crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, March 18 (Reuters) - ECB Governing Council member Pierre Wunsch does not expect a repeat of the 2008 financial crisis despite turbulence caused by the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, arguing European banks were subject to tougher rules than regional U.S. banks. "We don't have any information indicating the European banks to be vulnerable," Wunsch, also governor of the Belgian central bank BNB, told Belgian news paper L'Echo in an interview published on Saturday. "If you look at the Belgian banks, they are more solid than the average of European banks. "We do neither see a risk of contagion nor a risk of instability if we look at the figures from a rational perspective," the central bank governor said. Asked about the future of Credit Suisse, Wunsch said he only saw a "very low" likelihood that the bank might go bankrupt.

[1/2] A view shows the logo of the European Central Bank (ECB) outside its headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany March 16, 2023. The ECB has hiked rates by 350 basis points since last July, lifting its benchmark refinancing rate to 3.5% on Thursday. Wunsch said the ECB had a "long way to go" if its baseline inflation forecast materialised. Credit Suisse was dealing with "a longstanding restructuring problem", he added. Asked about the future of Credit Suisse, Wunsch said he only saw a "very low" likelihood that the bank might go bankrupt.

☆ Kosovo, Serbia leaders arrive for EU-backed talks on deal to normalise ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( Fatos Bytyci | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"I am optimistic," Kurti said ahead of the meetings, taking place in the lakeside town of Ohrid in North Macedonia. Kosovo and Serbia agreed in Brussels last month to a Western-backed deal to normalise relations, following nearly 10 years of EU-mediated dialogue during which little progress was made. "The eyes of the EU & the Western Balkans are on Ohrid today," Borrell tweeted. Belgrade and Pristina need to mend bilateral ties for both to achieve their strategic goal of joining the EU. "I want to caution that we may not have a final agreement," Gabriel Escobar, the senior U.S. diplomat for the Western Balkans who is also attending the Ohrid talks, told Pristina-based RTV21 station.

☆ ECB likely to keep boosting interest rates, Belgian central-bank chief says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

FRANKFURT/BRUSSELS, March 18 (Reuters) - The ECB is likely to keep raising interest rates as a repeat of the 2008 financial crisis is unlikely with European banks subject to tougher rules than regional U.S. banks, Belgian central bank chief Pierre Wunsch said. It will meeting by meeting," Wunsch said. "If you look at the Belgian banks, they are more solid than the average of European banks. "We do neither see a risk of contagion nor a risk of instability if we look at the figures from a rational perspective," the central bank governor said. Asked about the future of Credit Suisse, Wunsch said he only saw a "very low" likelihood that the bank might go bankrupt.

☆ NATO's top military commander briefed allies on Black Sea incident -official
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BRUSSELS, March 14 (Reuters) - NATO's top military commander has informed allies about an incident over the Black Sea involving a Russian fighter jet and a U.S. military drone, a NATO official said on Tuesday. "General (Christopher) Cavoli has briefed NATO allies on the incident today," the official told Reuters. The U.S. air force said a Russian Su-27 fighter jet had struck the propeller of the "Reaper" surveillance drone on Tuesday, causing it to crash into the Black Sea in an incident condemned as "reckless" by the U.S. military. Reporting by Sabine Siebold; Editing by Charlotte Van CampenhoutOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ German military in worse shape than before Russia's invasion -official
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, March 14 (Reuters) - The German military is suffering from a greater shortage of weapons and equipment than before Russia's invasion of Ukraine a year ago, the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces said in her annual report on Tuesday. "The Bundeswehr has too little of everything, and it has even less since (Russia's invasion on) Feb. 24, 2022," Eva Hoegl, who acts as an advocate defending the rights of the troops, told reporters in Berlin. "It must be clear that the moment (a howitzer) is handed over to Ukraine, the process of ordering a replacement must be launched," she said. She put the investment needs for updating the infrastructure at 50 billion euros in total. Reporting by Sabine Siebold; Editing by Nick MacfieOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Returning to frontline, Ukrainian Leopard crews see their 'cat' as game-changer
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Sabine Siebold | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

FIGHTING ALONGSIDE THE 'CAT'In Bergen, the German trainers were happy with the Ukrainians' performance over their six-week crash course. Of course, they are not heading for the training ground but directly into battle. One of the Ukrainian gunners rejected any talk of fear but warned the Russians to brace for the arrival of the Leopard. "The Leopard tanks will enable us to make the breakthroughs that we need. And other Ukrainian units will feel safer, too, when they fight alongside the cat."

Investigations are ongoing as to what caused the Nord Stream pipelines, supplying Russian energy to Europe, to rupture and spew bubbles of natural gas into the Baltic Sea last September. "We have to make a clear distinction whether it was a Ukrainian group, whether it may have happened at Ukrainian orders, or a pro-Ukrainian group (acting) without knowledge of the government. Pistorius said earlier the likelihood was "equally high" that it could have been a "false flag operation staged to blame Ukraine". UKRAINE PLAYS DOWN CONCERNSThe New York Times said there was no evidence that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy or other Ukrainian government officials had played any role in the attacks. U.S. officials said no American or British nationals were involved," according to the New York Times report.

☆ Under the radar, Germany trains Ukrainians on advanced air defence weapon
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Sabine Siebold | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

It is a modern system, whereas they have known the potential of the Leopard tanks for a while," said a German air force officer by way of explanation. Asked about the main differences to older Soviet-built air defences such as the S-300 or Buk, the Ukrainians cited greater effectiveness but also greater complexity. A German trainer said IRIS-T, built by German arms maker Diehl, could not be operated by "turning a switch on and off. It takes only a third of the time to set up its radar compared with the decades-old Patriot system - a critical factor, as any air defence system gives away its position once the radar is turned on. In Ukraine, the air space is closed - if anything flies there, it can be dangerous," said Dmytro.

Germany wants Switzerland to sell some of the tanks back to arms maker Rheinmetall (RHMG.DE), which would allow the company to backfill gaps in the armaments of European Union and NATO members. Germany, Poland, Portugal, Finland and Sweden are among countries sending Leopard tanks to help Ukraine defend itself against Russian attack, creating gaps in their own arsenals. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius and Economics Minister Robert Habeck informed Swiss Defence Minister Viola Amherd about the project in a letter dated Feb. 23, the defence ministries in Bern and Berlin told Reuters on Friday. Under its neutrality laws and a separate arms embargo, Switzerland is prohibited from sending weapons directly to Ukraine. The Swiss military currently has 134 Leopard 2 tanks in service and a further 96 in storage.

☆ Germany to place order for backfilling howitzers months earlier than planned
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BERLIN, Feb 26 (Reuters) - German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said on Sunday he expected the contracts for the backfilling of howitzers that Berlin rushed to Ukraine last year to be signed by the end of March, months earlier than originally planned. "If everything works out, the contracts for the new howitzers will be signed by the end of the coming month," he told German public broadcaster ARD. Pistorius, who took office in January, did not specify the number of weapons to be reordered, but the German military last year handed over 14 self-propelled howitzers produced by Krauss-Maffei Wegmann to Kyiv. Pistorius' predecessor had planned to present the order for new howitzers to parliament for approval in mid-2023, according to a defence source. Reporting by Sabine Siebold; Editing by Tom SimsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ China should be judged by its actions, not words, German defence minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, Feb 26 (Reuters) - German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius on Sunday reacted with scepticism to a Chinese ceasefire proposal for the war in Ukraine. Beijing offered the proposal on Friday, the first anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "I am leaning towards saying, yes, Crimea is Ukrainian territory and it therefore has to be given back," he said in the interview. Zelenskiy says his troops will eventually drive Russia from all the captured territory, including the Crimea peninsula. Reporting by Sabine Siebold Editing by Tom Sims and Frances KerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ EU adopts fresh sanctions to raise pressure on Moscow
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"We now have the most far-reaching sanctions ever - depleting Russia's war arsenal and biting deep into its economy," European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said on Twitter, adding the bloc was turning up the pressure on those trying to circumvent EU sanctions. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell warned the bloc would continue to pile more sanctions on Moscow. It also imposes tighter export restrictions on another 96 entities for supporting Russia's military and industrial complex, including for the first time seven Iranian entities manufacturing military drones used by Moscow. We expect decisive steps against (Russia's state-owned nuclear energy company) Rosatom & Russian nuclear industry, more pressure on military & banking," Zelenskiy tweeted. "We expect further intensification of pressure and restrictions, especially in the area of the nuclear industry and the activities of Rosatom," Shmyhal said in tweet.

☆ EU approves 10th package of Russia sanctions on anniversary of invasion
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Gabriela Baczynska | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, Feb 24 (Reuters) - The European Union, after hectic last-minute haggling, has approved a tenth package of Russia sanctions on the anniversary of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, the Swedish EU presidency said late on Friday. "Together, the EU member states have imposed the most forceful and far-reaching sanctions ever to help Ukraine win the war," the presidency announced on Twitter. With two hours to go until midnight, EU member states made it across the finish line with little time to spare after Poland earlier threw a spanner into the works. All member states need to approve sanctions for them to be enacted, making negotiations among the 27 often tedious and lengthy. The EU has said the 10th round of sanctions against Russia since the war started was designed to make financing the war more difficult and starve Russia of tech equipment and spare parts for arms used against Ukraine.

☆ NATO and EU react reservedly to Chinese ceasefire proposal for Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg attends a news conference during a NATO defence ministers' meeting at the Alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium February 15, 2023. REUTERS/Johanna Geron/File PhotoTALLINN, Feb 24 (Reuters) - NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Friday reacted reservedly to a Chinese proposal for a ceasefire in Ukraine, saying Beijing did not have a lot of credibility as a mediator. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said China had not shared a peace plan but some principles. "So we will look at the principles, of course, but we will look at them against the backdrop that China has taken sides," she added. Reporting by Bart Meijer and Reuters TV, writing by Sabine SieboldOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

BRUSSELS, Feb 23 (Reuters) - NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday the alliance had seen signs China was considering supplying arms to Russia and warned Beijing against taking any such step. The announcement came days after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned China of consequences if it provided material support to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "We haven't seen any supplies of lethal aid from China to Russia, but we have seen signs that they are considering and may be planning for that," Stoltenberg told Reuters in an interview. There was no immediate comment from China, but its Foreign Ministry said earlier on Thursday any potential intelligence on arms transfer by China to Russia that the United States plans to release was just speculation. Stoltenberg said China was a member of the U.N. Security Council and that Russia's war against Ukraine violated the U.N. Charter.

[1/2] NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg attends a news conference on the day of NATO defence ministers' meeting at the Alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium February 15, 2023. REUTERS/Johanna GeronBRUSSELS, Feb 23 (Reuters) - NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday he saw progress in stalled talks with Turkey on Sweden's membership bid and aimed to have both Sweden and Finland join the alliance by the time of its July summit. Ankara accuses Stockholm of harbouring what Turkey considers members of terrorist groups, and has demanded their extradition as a step towards giving Sweden's NATO membership its green light. "So it's inconceivable that Finland or Sweden will face any military threats from Russia without NATO reacting." He has repeatedly cited the post-Soviet enlargement of the NATO alliance eastwards toward his borders as a reason for what he called Russia's "special military operation" in Ukraine.

☆ Hundreds of foreign soldiers to help train Ukrainian troops in Germany, general says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Marlow's Special Training Command (STC) is part of a European Union military mission set up in November to train up to 30,000 Ukrainian troops in various skills to help Kyiv fight off Russia's year-old invasion. Courses in various European countries range from basic training to the operation of modern battle tanks such as the Leopard 2, air defence systems, rocket launchers and howitzers. Poland is another major training hub while Spain, France, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania and Italy are also running courses. Beyond the EU mission, U.S. and British troops are training Ukrainian troops in Europe as well. Marlow said he was impressed by the quick wits, skills and commitment of the Ukrainian troops.

☆ Leopard tanks like a Mercedes, says Ukrainian soldier training in Germany
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Sabine Siebold | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

MUNSTER, Germany, Feb 20 (Reuters) - A Ukrainian soldier compared Germany's Leopard 2 tanks to a Mercedes as he underwent training with them ahead of their arrival on the battlefield, saying he hoped they would bring a breakthrough in the war. He is among dozens of Ukrainian troops Germany is training on Leopard 2 simulators and then the tanks themselves at its largest military training ground, in Munster, before sending them to Ukraine. In all, Germany is training several hundred troops on various aspects of warcraft as part of a European effort to instruct some 15,000 Ukrainian soldiers. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said he was impressed by the Ukrainian troops. They know that they will be back at the frontline in five weeks' time," said a German lieutenant-colonel who is responsible for the Leopard training and only gave his name as Peter.

☆ Airbus' defence arm says Berlin delaying exports worth billions
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( Sabine Siebold | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] An Airbus A400M military transport aircraft of the German Air Force is pictured in the air during the ILA Berlin Air Show 2022, in Berlin, Germany June 22, 2022. REUTERS/Fabrizio BenschMUNICH, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Slow German government export approvals are holding up Airbus Defence & Space (AIR.PA) defence exports worth several billions of euros, the company's chief executive said on Sunday, urging Berlin to speed up the process. Unfortunately we are having difficulties to get the German export licences on time," Michael Schoellhorn told Reuters in an interview at the Munich Security Conference. "Our problem is that we haven't received any contracts yet from the Zeitenwende and important exports are not being approved. Asked whether in future space developments Europe will have to fall back on Elon Musk's SpaceX company following Airbus Defence & Space's loss of two satellites on a Vega C rocket, Schoellhorn said any such solution would be temporary.

☆ EU aims to team up with defence industry to speed up ammunition output
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MUNICH, Feb 18 (Reuters) - The European Union aims to join forces with the bloc's defence industry to speed up and scale up the production of ammunition badly needed on the battlefield in Ukraine and to replenish military stocks at home, its chief said on Saturday. "We could think of, for example, advanced purchase agreements that give the defence industry the possibility to invest in production lines now to be faster and to increase the amount they can deliver," she said. Von der Leyen underlined that the bloc could not wait for months and years to be able to replenish its own military stocks or send munitions such as 155mm artillery shells to Ukraine. "It is now the time, really, to speed up the production, and to scale up the production of standardized products that Ukraine needs desperately, for example standardized ammunition," she said. Reporting by Sabine Siebold; editing by Matthias WilliamsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/2] A Ukrainian serviceman rides inside a truck with artillery shells, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near a frontline in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine January 5, 2023. EU foreign ministers are expected to discuss the idea of joint procurement of 155-millimetre artillery shells – badly needed by Kyiv – at a meeting in Brussels on Monday. DEPLETED STOCKPILESA joint procurement effort would aim to replenish the stockpiles of Kyiv's allies, badly depleted after a year of supplying munitions to help Ukraine fight Russia's invasion. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said this week Ukraine was using up artillery shells faster than its allies could currently produce them. Diplomats and officials did not specify how much the EU might spend on joint procurement.

The comments by Wang Yi further clouded the prospects of a meeting between Wang and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the sidelines of the gathering. "To have dispatched an advanced fighter jet to shoot down a balloon with a missile, such behaviour is unbelievable, almost hysterical," said Wang. "There are so many balloons all over the world, and various countries have them, so is the United States going to shoot all of them down?," he said. The balloon spat had prompted Blinken to postpone a planned visit to Beijing. China is as a permanent member of the UN Security Council obligated to use its influence to secure world peace."

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