#European Security

[themorningnewsinformer]

NATO Summit 2025: Rutte Pushes 5% Defense Spending Amid Global Tensions

Introduction The NATO summit 2025t in The Hague has opened with a powerful declaration from newly appointed Secretary General Mark Rutte, who is urging all 32 member states to commit to spending 5% of their GDP on defense. Amid rising global instability, Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, and a more unpredictable US presence under President Donald Trump, the alliance faces unprecedented pressure to…

[naija247new]

EU Nations Agree on €150bn Joint Defence Fund to Counter Russian Threat

BRUSSELS – Naija247news – European Union member states have reached a landmark agreement to establish a €150 billion defence fund aimed at boosting joint arms procurement and strengthening the continent’s military readiness amid growing threats from Russia and global instability. Announced on Wednesday, the fund is designed to accelerate investments in critical defence systems, including air and…

[quillsword]

Calm Down, Europe

Seriously? One little kick in the proverbial behind and you’re convinced the United States is suddenly ‘unreliable’? Does your definition of reliability involve promising to do something and not bothering for twelve years? ‘Cause we Americans seem to recall you European NATO members promising to get your defense spending up to 2% of GDP back when Obama was still in office. Just so you know, 2%…

[fandfnews]

Vision and Vigilance: How Meloni is Navigating Defense Imperatives and Economic Realities

In a masterful display of diplomatic skill and strategic vision, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has secured a significant victory for both Italy’s national security and economic stability by supporting the ReArm Europe initiative while simultaneously ensuring crucial fiscal protections for the Italian economy. During Thursday’s special European Council meeting, Meloni demonstrated her…

[munaeem]

Europe's Dependence on the United States for Security

Europe’s dependence on the United States for security has been a topic of considerable debate and analysis. This reliance can be traced back to historical, political, and strategic factors that have shaped the transatlantic relationship for decades. This document seeks to explore the reasons behind Europe’s reliance on the U.S., the perception of the Russian threat, NATO’s response, Germany’s…

[tawhidurrahmandear]

Donald Trump has made statements twice suggesting that Canada should be incorporated as a state of the United States. His interest in buying Greenland is an old story. I suspect that Putin and Donald Trump might reach some kind of open or secret agreement whereby Putin would publicly support the purchase of Greenland. In exchange, Russia would be given free pass to do whatever he likes in Ukraine, and Russia’s decisions would become final in all European states bordering its territory. Donald Trump has a businessman’s mindset. He knows well that spending dollars on Europe’s security doesn’t benefit America. If war breaks out in Europe, Putin would easily acheive victory.

The BJP's plan for creating an "Akhand Bharat" (Undivided India) is likely to be imposible under the current leadership of Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. Moreover, a segment of Bangladeshi journalists spreading the idea of breaking up Myanmar to create an independent Arakan state is something India will never allow. Such a move could potentially destabilize India’s seven northeastern states, which remains a concern.

মার্কিন যুক্তরাষ্ট্রের অঙ্গরাজ্য হিসেবে কানাডার অন্তর্ভুক্ত হওয়া উচিৎ মর্মে ডোনাল্ড ট্রাম্প এই নিয়ে দুইবার বক্তব্য দিল। আর গ্রিনল্যান্ড কিনে নেয়ার আগ্রহ তার পুরনো। আমার ধারনা পুতিন আর ডোনাল্ড ট্রাম্প কোন ধরনের প্রকাশ্য বা গোপন চুক্তিতে উপনীত হবে যে, গ্রিনল্যান্ড ক্রয়ের ব্যাপারে পুতিনের প্রকাশ্য সম্মতি থাকবে, আর তার বিনিময়ে রাশিয়া ইউক্রেনে যা খুশি তাই করার অধিকার থাকবে। সাথে রাশিয়ার সীমান্ত সংলগ্ন সকল ইউরোপিয়ান রাষ্ট্রে রাশিয়ার সিদ্ধান্তই হবে চূড়ান্ত। ডোনাল্ড ট্রাম্প ব্যবসায়ী মানসিকতার। ইউরোপের নিরাপত্তার জন্য ডলার খরচ করে আমেরিকার লাভ নাই, সেটা তিনি ভালো মত জানেন। ইউরোপে যুদ্ধ শুরু হলে পুতিন জিতবে অনায়াসে।

বিজেপির "অখণ্ড ভারত" গড়ার পরিকল্পনা বাংলাদেশ, পাকিস্তান আর আফঘানিস্তানের নেতৃত্বের জন্য আপাতত তা অসম্ভব। আর বাংলাদেশের এক শ্রেণীর সাংবাদিকরা যে মায়ানমার ভেঙ্গে আরাকান রাষ্ট্র সৃষ্টির যে খবর প্রচার করছেন, তা ভারত কখনোই হতে দিবে না। তাহলে পূর্বাঞ্চলীয় সাতটি রাজ্য অশান্ত হতে পারে, এই আশংকা থাকবে।

[latestnews-now]

UK intelligence chief Richard Moore has accused Russia of conducting a dangerously reckless sabotage campaign across Europe and warned that a Russian victory in Ukraine could embolden adversaries worldwide. Learn how MI6 and French intelligence are working to counter this threat. Discover the global implications and why Western unity is critical in this escalating crisis. Stay informed – watch now!

[themorningnewsinformer]

NATO on High Alert: Europe’s Military Readiness in 2025

Introduction In 2025, NATO has significantly enhanced its military readiness across Europe in response to evolving global threats. The alliance’s strategic initiatives aim to bolster defense capabilities, ensure rapid deployment, and strengthen collective security among member states. Expansion of High-Readiness Forces NATO has increased its high-readiness forces to over 300,000 troops,…

[contemplatingoutlander]

All the Americans who died in WWII fighting fascism would be appalled by JD Vance's speech in Munich and his later meeting with the a neofascist AfD leader.

Vice President JD Vance urged European leaders on Friday to end the isolation of far-right parties across the continent, an extraordinary embrace of a once-fringe political movement with which the Trump administration shares a common approach on migration, identity and internet speech. [...] The vice president singled out his German hosts, telling them to drop their objections to working with a party that has often reveled in banned Nazi slogans and has been shunned from government as a result. He did not mention the party, the Alternative for Germany, or AfD, by name, but directly referred to the longstanding agreement by mainstream German politicians to freeze out the group, parts of which have been formally classified as extremist by German intelligence. “There is no room for firewalls,” Mr. Vance said, bringing some gasps in the hall. He punctuated the message by meeting on Friday with Alice Weidel, the AfD’s candidate for chancellor in this month’s election, as well as other German leaders. [...] Mr. Vance aggressively challenged the diplomats in the hall in Munich, telling them that their biggest security threat was not from China or Russia, but “the enemy within” — what he called their suppression of abortion protests and other forms of free speech.

It was breathtakingly hypocritical for Vance to scold Europe for not being true to its democratic ideals--much less to do so in a speech delivered in Germany, which in the mid-20th century had lost its democratic institutions because some Germans allowed Nazis to get a foothold in their government.

If you give fascists an inch, they will take a mile.

In his speech, Vance was indignant that Europe has erected "firewalls" against far-right political parties. Ignoring the fact that fascism took over Germany through a democratic, legal process. Specifically, once he became prime minister, it only took Hitler and his Nazi cronies 53 days to destroy the Weimar Republic through legal, constitutional means.

Germany in particular KNOWS if they give fascists an inch, they will take a mile.

It doesn't help Vance's case that in less than a month's time, Trump, Musk, and MAGA Republicans have taken a sledgehammer in the U.S. to the law and the Constitution, and appear to be trying to establish an autocratic if not downright neofascist state.

No politician has a "mandate" if they were elected because of disinformation and lies.

Vance clutched his pearls that the Romanian government just nullified an election because it was proven that there was a deep Russian disinformation campaign to propel a far-right party into power.

Besides the fact that Vance hypocritically works for Trump who attempted "coup" to overturn a fair election, Vance wants the world to ignore the fact that any political candidate who is elected into power based on lies and disinformation is in fact NOT a representative of the will of the people because they were elected fraudulently (i.e., if they had told the truth, they might not have been elected).

Consider Trump. If he had not lied and distanced himself from the deeply unpopular Project 2025, but had instead said he planned on using it as a blueprint for his second term, how many of those swing state voters would have actually voted for him?

Therefore, Trump has NO mandate that reflects the "will of the people" not only because he was NOT elected by a majority of the voters (just a plurality) but because he lied about his true intentions for a second administration during his campaign.

[See more about how Vance hypocritically turns "free speech" on its head below the cut.]

Vance turns "free speech" on its head.

Vance took hypocrisy to a new level in his Munich remarks, when he talked about "free speech":

Just as the Biden administration seemed desperate to silence people for speaking their minds, so the Trump administration will do precisely the opposite, and I hope that we can work together on that. [...] You cannot win a democratic mandate by censoring your opponents or putting them in jail, whether that’s the leader of the opposition, a humble Christian praying in her own home, or a journalist trying to report the news. [emphasis added]

Well, what Vance said is laughable given that Trump, Musk & their cronies have been fully behind censorship of not only speech, but of ideas, which they have demonstrated by:

Purging federal departments of anything related to DEI, including any "words" such as "gender" or "diversity," and any personnel who have promoted those ideas, or who have even attended one diversity training years ago.

Threatening to prosecute private businesses that promote DEI or provide diversity training to their employees.

Purging the study of or mention of "climate change" from government websites.

Withholding government funds for public schools and even universities that teach subjects related to racism, sexism, and gender studies and (in the case of K-12 schools) who choose NOT to teach a whitewashed "patriotic history."

Threatening to go after the mainstream press if they criticize Trump or his policies too much. (Already he has cut access to the White House for the AP's refusal to call the Gulf of Mexico, the Gulf of America, and has kicked important news media like The New York Times from their offices in the Pentagon, replacing them instead with right-wing media outlets.

Threatening to use the DOJ to go after the "enemy within" (i.e., politicians who do not support what Trump is doing, regardless of political party).

And lets not forget Trump's purge of civil servants who have different political views, and who will not pledge loyalty to Trump over the Constitution.

Through all of the above, Trump, Vance, and other MAGA GOP have shown us that they have no problems stepping all over the freedom of speech/of the press protections of the First Amendment over and over again.

I could go on and on about the hypocrisy of that speech, but the bottom line is that JD Vance embarrassed our nation by what he said in Munich. He also presented the Trump administration as being firmly on the side of the far-right/neofascist political parties in Europe.

At this point, many europeans must see very little difference between the US under Trump and Russia under Putin.

How far we have fallen as a nation in less than one month.

_______________ Image sources (before edits/captions): WWII meme photo source; "Inch" gif video source; "No mandate" photo source; "Freedom of speech" image source.

[eliounora]

to say people withholding their vote in America aren't 'pragmatic' enough is so dismissive. as a fellow European like idk what I would've done either if I was an American.

Otherwise I would be sorry to be dismissive but in this situation I think it is completely acceptable, if not necessary, to vote for the lesser evil. Voting is not about your inner true values, it is about society, and especially in the American setting where you essentially have only two options, you need to be able to make hard decisions. If you're seriously indicating that on the whole Harris is bad as Trump, you need to take a cold hard look at the reality of the matters at hand. Harris is not ideal, and it hurts to vote for her especially when you think about Gaza, but Trump is a fascist and his supporters in the Republican party are dangerous to democracy and human rights. This is not a situation where you get to opt out. Not voting is a vote for Trump.

[victusinveritas]

[fandfnews]

Meloni’s Determined Path: Rejecting Division, Embracing Lasting Peace

London, March 5, 2025 – In a display of decisive leadership and visionary diplomacy, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni set a powerful tone during her high-level meeting with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer at a European leaders’ summit in London. Speaking with clarity and conviction, Meloni warned that division within the West would be “fatal for everyone,” emphasizing that unity and…