Theme

Defence

Stories related to defence, strategy and cooperation. 

Editor's choice
News
Russia expanding military footprint in Africa while skirting sanctions

Russia expanding military footprint in Africa while skirting sanctions

Russia is expanding its military footprint in Africa, delivering sophisticated weaponry to sub-Saharan conflict zones where a Kremlin-controlled armed force is on the rise. Skirting sanctions imposed by Western nations, Moscow is using cargo ships to send tanks, armoured vehicles, artillery and other high-value equipment to West Africa, according to the Associated Press.

Filter archive

Publication date
Editor's choice
Monday Commentary
Is the Sahel Europe’s soft underbelly?

Is the Sahel Europe’s soft underbelly?

The Sahel region stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea and consists, according to the UN, of ten countries which sit, wholly or partly, within it: Senegal,  Gambia, Mauritania, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, Cameroon and Nigeria Other neighbouring countries however, such as Benin, Togo Sudan and Central African Republic, due to their proximity, and to the fact that they increasingly share the same problems, are often included when the Sahel is discussed.
Editor's choice
News
Trump says Zelensky remarks on Crimea are inflammatory and can prolong the 'killing field'

Trump says Zelensky remarks on Crimea are inflammatory and can prolong the 'killing field'

US President Donald Trump said a deal to halt the Ukraine war was "very close" but hit out at Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky over his refusal to formally cede Crimea to Russia. Trump's comments came as Vice President JD Vance warned that the United States would "walk away" unless Russia and Ukraine agree a peace deal, and as envoys from Washington, Kyiv and European nations gathered for downgraded talks in Britain.
Editor's choice
News
High level U.S. talks with Europeans on ending the Russia-Ukraine war

High level U.S. talks with Europeans on ending the Russia-Ukraine war

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s special envoy, is travelling to Paris for talks with European allies on U.S. efforts to negotiate a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. The State Department said Rubio and Witkoff would be in the French capital Thursday for the meetings. The officials will have “talks with European counterparts to advance President Trump’s goal to end the Russia-Ukraine war and stop the bloodshed,” department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said in a statement on Wednesday.
Editor's choice
News
Israel’s military operation expanding to seize ‘large areas’ in Gaza Strip

Israel’s military operation expanding to seize ‘large areas’ in Gaza Strip

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz announced Wednesday a major expansion of military operations in Hamas-run Gaza, saying the army would seize "large areas" of the Palestinian territory. Katz said Israel would bolster its presence in the Gaza Strip to "destroy and clear the area of terrorists and terrorist infrastructure". The operation would "seize large areas that will be incorporated into Israeli security zones", he said in a statement, without specifying how much territory.
Editor's choice
News
EU wants its citizens to have survival kits at home in case of crisis or war

EU wants its citizens to have survival kits at home in case of crisis or war

Bottled water, energy bars, a flashlight and more: the European Union is pushing for every household in the 27-country bloc to have a three-day survival kit ready in case a crisis strikes - be it a war or natural disaster. EU crisis management commissioner Hadja Lahbib told AFP that the idea would be formally presented as part of a broader "preparedness strategy" for the European Union
Editor's choice
News
President Macron gathers leaders to discuss aid to Ukraine and a European Armed Force

President Macron gathers leaders to discuss aid to Ukraine and a European Armed Force

Ukraine’s allies from across Europe gathered for talks in Paris on Thursday to discuss how to strengthen Kyiv’s hand and its military as it pushes for a ceasefire with Russia, and to consider proposals to deploy European troops in the country in tandem with any peace deal. French President Emmanuel Macron is hosting the leaders of nearly 30 countries plus NATO and European Union chiefs. The summit comes at a crucial juncture in the war, with intensifying diplomatic efforts to broker ceasefires, driven by pressure from US President Donald Trump  to end the fighting.
Editor's choice
News
US brokers agreement to end Russia - Ukraine military action in the Black Sea

US brokers agreement to end Russia - Ukraine military action in the Black Sea

Russia and Ukraine agreed Tuesday to halt military strikes in the Black Sea and on energy sites during talks brokered by the United States, which offered as a first concrete incentive to Moscow to ease pressure on agricultural exports. With President Donald Trump pushing for a rapid end to the war that has killed tens of thousands of people, US negotiators shuttled separately over three days in the Saudi capital Riyadh between delegations from Ukraine and Russia.
Editor's choice
News
White House mistakenly shares Yemen war plans with a journalist at The Atlantic

White House mistakenly shares Yemen war plans with a journalist at The Atlantic

A US journalist was inadvertently included in a group chat in which Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Vice President JD Vance and other top officials discussed upcoming strikes against Yemen's Huthi rebels, the White House confirmed Monday. President Donald Trump announced the strikes on March 15, but in a shocking security breach, The Atlantic magazine's editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg wrote that he had hours of advance notice via the group chat on Signal.
Editor's choice
Monday Commentary
The EU Defence White Paper is a timely and important contribution to the debate on the future of Europe

The EU Defence White Paper is a timely and important contribution to the debate on the future of Europe

The Defence White Paper, published in Brussels on 19 March by the European Commission and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, entitled “Joint White Paper for European Defence Readiness 2030” was a welcome, major contribution, to the debate on European Defence and Security. Unlike similar epistles coming out of Brussels, who one often wonders are written for whom, and by whom, the Defence White Paper is informative, candid and containing well-argued steps going forward. It gives the reader a good sense of the urgency of the situation and sets out clearly a set of steps aimed at addressing the urgency in a timely manner.