Diplomacy

Amid increased tension in the Gulf, European countries are closing ranks with allies in the region. The United Kingdom announced it will deploy RAF Typhoon jets to defend Saudi Arabia in response to escalating Houthi missile and drone attacks, the government has said. The defensive mission will help defend Saudi cities and infrastructure - a move authorised by Prime Minister Andy Burnham - against aerial attacks by the Iran-backed group. It follows Houthi attacks on the Saudi capital Riyadh, as well as on energy sites on the country's coast."These aircraft will operate in a defensive role and will not conduct offensive strikes against the Houthis," Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said in a written statement on Tuesday. The news came the same day that the Sultan of Oman started a three day State visit to London. Oman is a long time friend and ally of the UK in the region. Britain’s King Charles III has welcomed Oman’s Sultan, Haitham bin Tariq, for a state visit, praising the Gulf Arab monarch’s efforts to broker peace in the region. Haitham bin Tariq said his country has chosen the path of diplomacy in a region rife with conflict. “In a region that has known too much conflict, Oman has chosen a different path, an independent path,” the Omani ruler said during a state banquet on Tuesday. “Britain has been a friend on this path and has stood beside us in this duty,” he added. King Charles III praised Oman’s peacemaking attempts in the Middle East, paying tribute to Muscat’s “noble efforts” to help reopen the choked Strait of Hormuz. “I would especially like to recognise, at a time when conflict has returned so painfully to the region, Oman’s enduring commitment as a trusted interlocutor to all parties,” Charles told about 160 guests at the lavish dinner. “Oman’s role across the Gulf and her ‘constructive neutrality’, as you put it, matters far beyond Hormuz, and is worthy of our utmost respect,” Britain’s king added in a toast to the Omani sultan. In the meantime French President Emanuel Macron is on a tour in the region, visiting, Kuwait, Bahrain, UAE and Qatar. The French leader is hoping to strengthen defence ties and energy supplies amid major disruption to global fuel shipments arising from the US-Israel war on Iran. He has already visited Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as part of his three-day trip. His next stop is Qatar On the first day of Macron’s trip, France and Kuwait signed eight agreements and cooperation documents covering defence, artificial intelligence, investment and more. Macron then met UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi on Monday. The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to advancing cooperation in energy, advanced technology and artificial intelligence (AI). According to the French Foreign Ministry, the UAE is France’s biggest importer in the Gulf, with bilateral trade standing at 10.8 billion euros ($12.1bn) in 2025. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), France supplied 18 percent of the UAE’s arms and defence imports in 2025 – the second highest after the United States, at 42 percent. But this isn’t all about simple trade. Andreas Krieg, a senior lecturer at King’s College London’s School of Security Studies, explained that Macron’s visit to the region is “symptomatic of a much larger geopolitical transformation”. “We are witnessing the gradual emergence of a post-American Middle East in which Washington remains militarily powerful but increasingly struggles to exercise the political leadership it once enjoyed,” Krieg told Al Jazeera. source: commonspace.eu with agencies

Mertz surprise visit to Kyiv, and increased German support for Ukraine, is a potential game-changer, writes Dennis Sammut, in this week's "Monday Commentary". German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, made a surprise visit to Ukraine over the weekend. He visited the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, on Sunday and called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop his "barbaric attacks" and end what he called a "senseless war." This was the fourth such visit to Ukraine by a German chancellor since the full-scale Russian invasion began in February 2022. Merz visit to Kyiv this weekend came at a very significant moment, and was full of symbolism, but not only. It was very significant also in terms of content. Merz arrived in Kyiv by train early on Sunday morning, accompanied by the German Economy Minister and a delegation of leading figures from German business, including executives from Siemens Energy, Hensoldt, Diehl Defence and Quantum Systems. "If Russia is not stopped, it will turn its war machine against us sooner or later," Merz said upon arrival. During the visit of the German Chancellor air raid sirens blared across the Ukrainian capital throughout the morning, as Kyiv's mayor announced one of the city's bridges had been hit by a Russian drone. Sunday's visit comes just days after Merz had assured Ukraine of Germany's support, despite isolated resistance and criticism at home. Merz said earlier  'If Germany wavers, Europe wavers;  if Europe wavers, Ukraine wavers” The German broadcaster Deutche Welle said that  “Germany remains Ukraine's most important backer, both militarily and financially, but state elections in September saw significant gains for parties at both ends of the political spectrum who are critical of expenditure on Ukraine: the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and the socialist Left Party in Berlin.” Speaking before his visit to Ukraine, Merz called out in particular "the AfD and their Russian backers" and promised Ukraine that Germany would not be divided.” Merz visit and Germany’s stronger support is a game-changer The visit of the German Chancellor to Ukraine this weekend came  at crucial moment for Ukraine and for Europe. Germany's strong and tangible support for Ukraine can be a game-changer, (click image to read the Commentary in full)