Latest news with #trans-Atlantic
Korea Herald
3 hours ago
- Business
- Korea Herald
South Korea says defense spending against GDP already ‘very high'
South Korea's Defense Ministry on Friday hinted at concerns over an announcement by the Donald Trump administration that its Asian allies are subject to the 'new standard' of spending 5 percent of gross domestic product on defense. South Korea's defense spending, which stands at some 51.2 trillion won ($37.5 billion) or 2.32 percent of its GDP, is already 'very high,' the ministry noted in a statement. "Among key US allies, South Korea is one of the countries that has an extremely high defense spending to GDP ratio," the ministry said in a statement. "We have continuously hiked our defense spending in consideration of our serious security situation involving North Korea's nuclear and missile threats.' South Korea will continue its efforts to maintain necessary capabilities and posture for the defense of the Korean Peninsula as well as regional peace and stability, the ministry said. Seoul's statement follows remarks made earlier this week by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, regarding a 'new standard' now in place for all US allies' defense spending, 'including in Asia.' Hegseth's remarks, made during a hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, are aligned with US President Donald Trump's call for NATO members to increase their defense spending to 5 percent of their GDP. This is more than double the 2 percent defense spending guideline agreed upon by the leaders of the trans-Atlantic alliance in 2014. Last month, Hegseth, during the Shangri-La Dialogue, an annual defense forum held in Singapore, said that it 'doesn't make sense' for key US allies in Asia to 'spend less on defense' than countries in Europe, despite dealing with 'more formidable threats,' including North Korea provocations. Concerns are rising in South Korea over reports that Trump may shore up South Korea's defense spending while the US adjusts the role and reduces the size of the US Forces Korea. A May report by The Wall Street Journal claimed that the Trump administration is mulling the option of pulling some 4,500 personnel out of the 28,500-strong USFK and relocating them to other locations in the Indo-Pacific region. Last month, Hegseth directed Under Secretary of Defense Elbridge Colby to draw up a US national defense strategy that focuses on burden sharing with allies as the nation navigates to deter threats from China. More than doubling defense spending would deal a heavy blow to South Korea, as it would cost Seoul over 100 trillion won to meet the 'new standards' suggested by the Trump administration. An expert pointed out that it would require the government to significantly reduce other budgets allocated to areas, including welfare, to uphold such a scenario. 'It won't be an easy process for Seoul as it would be required to cut back budgets set aside for other matters, including welfare, and funnel (the funds) into defense spending if the 5 percent of GDP rule is applied,' said Yang Uk, a research fellow at Asan Institute for Policy Studies. Observers say that if South Korean President Lee Jae Myung decides to participate in the upcoming NATO summit scheduled for June 24-25 in the Netherlands, an opportunity might arise to discuss the defense cost issue with Trump. However, the presidential office here has yet to confirm whether Lee will attend the summit, as of press time, but said the previous day that it is coordinating the details of a potential summit with Trump. First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo said in a Friday interview with Yonhap News TV that 'the current situation where the US has been requesting several countries to shore up their defense costs is true.' He vowed to review the matter in detail and continue 'close negotiations' with Washington.
Japan Today
12 hours ago
- Business
- Japan Today
Spain rejects NATO's anticipated 5% defense spending proposal as 'unreasonable'
By SUMAN NAISHADHAM and LORNE COOK Spain has rejected a NATO proposal to spend 5% of gross domestic product on defense needs that's due to be announced next week, calling it 'unreasonable.' Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, in a letter sent on Thursday to NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, said that Spain 'cannot commit to a specific spending target in terms of GDP' at next week's NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands. Any agreement to adopt a new spending guideline must be made with the consensus of all 32 NATO member states. So Sánchez's decision risks derailing next week's summit, which U.S. President Donald Trump is due to attend, and creating a last-minute shakeup that could have lingering repercussions. Most U.S. allies in NATO are on track to endorse Trump's demand that they invest 5% of GDP on their defense and military needs. In early June, Sweden and the Netherlands said that they aim to meet the new target. A NATO official on Thursday said that discussions between allies were ongoing about a new defense spending plan. 'For Spain, committing to a 5% target would not only be unreasonable, but also counterproductive, as it would move Spain away from optimal spending and it would hinder the EU's ongoing efforts to strengthen its security and defense ecosystem,' Sánchez wrote in the letter seen by The Associated Press. Spain was the lowest spender in the trans-Atlantic alliance last year, directing less than 2% of its GDP on defense expenditure. Sánchez said in April that the government would raise defense spending by 10.5 billion euros ($12 billion) in 2025 to reach NATO's previous target of 2% of GDP. On Thursday, Sánchez called for 'a more flexible formula' in relation to a new spending target — one that either made it optional or left Spain out of its application. Sánchez wrote that the country is 'fully committed to NATO," but that meeting a 5% target 'would be incompatible with our welfare state and our world vision." He said that doing so would require cutting public services and scaling back other spending, including toward the green transition. Instead, Spain will need to spend 2.1% of GDP to meet the Spanish military's estimated defense needs, Sánchez said. At home, corruption scandals that have ensnared Sánchez's inner circle and family members have put the Spanish leader under increasing pressure to call an early election, even from some allies. Increased military spending is also unpopular among some of Sanchez's coalition partners. In April, when Sánchez announced that Spain would reach NATO's previous 2% spending target, the move angered some coalition members further to the left of his Socialist Party. NATO allies agreed to spend 2% of GDP on military expenditure after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. But the alliance's plans for defending Europe and North America against a Russian attack require investments of at least 3%. The aim now is to raise the bar to 3.5% for core defense spending on tanks, warplanes, air defense, missiles and hiring extra troops. A further 1.5% would be spent on things like roads, bridges, ports and airfields so armies can deploy more quickly, as well as preparing societies for possible attack. Several allies have committed to reaching the new spending goal, even though other nations will struggle to find the billions required. Rutte had been due to table a new proposal on Friday aimed at satisfying Spain and trying to break the deadlock. European allies and Canada want to end the standoff before the leaders meet with Trump on Wednesday. Poland and the Baltic countries — Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania — have already publicly committed to 5%, and Rutte has said that most allies were ready to endorse the goal. But Spain isn't alone among NATO's low spenders. Belgium, Canada and Italy will also struggle to hike security spending by billions of dollars. A big question still to be answered is what time frame countries will be given to reach an agreed-upon new spending goal. A target date of 2032 was initially floated, but Rutte has said that Russia could be ready to launch an attack on NATO territory by 2030. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Euronews
14 hours ago
- Business
- Euronews
Spain rejects NATO's 5% of GDP spending proposal as 'unreasonable'
Spain rejected a NATO proposal to spend 5% of gross domestic product on defence needs that's due to be announced next week, calling it "unreasonable." Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, in a letter sent on Thursday to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, said that Spain "cannot commit to a specific spending target in terms of GDP" at next week's NATO summit in The Hague. Any agreement to adopt a new spending guideline must be made with the consensus of all 32 NATO member states. So Sánchez's decision risks derailing next week's summit, which US President Donald Trump is due to attend and creating a last-minute shakeup that could have lingering repercussions. Most US allies in NATO are on track to endorse Trump's demand that they invest 5% of GDP on their defence and military needs. In early June, Sweden and the Netherlands said that they aim to meet the new target. A NATO official said on Thursday that discussions between allies were ongoing about a new defence spending plan. "For Spain, committing to a 5% target would not only be unreasonable, but also counterproductive, as it would move Spain away from optimal spending and it would hinder the EU's ongoing efforts to strengthen its security and defence ecosystem," Sánchez wrote in the letter that was seen by The Associated Press. Spain was the lowest spender in the trans-Atlantic alliance last year, directing less than 2% of its GDP on defence expenditure. Sánchez said in April that the government would raise defence spending by €10.5 billion in 2025 to reach NATO's previous target of 2% of GDP. On Thursday, Sánchez called for "a more flexible formula" in relation to a new spending target, one that either made it optional or left Spain out of its application. Sánchez wrote that his country is "fully committed to NATO," but that meeting a 5% target "would be incompatible with our welfare state and our world vision." He said that doing so would require cutting public services and scaling back other spending, including toward the green transition. Instead, Spain will need to spend 2.1% of GDP to meet the Spanish military's estimated defence needs, Sánchez said. Domestic corruption scandals that have ensnared Sánchez's inner circle and family members have put the Spanish leader under increasing pressure to call an early election, even among some of his allies. Increased military spending is also unpopular among some of Sanchez's coalition partners. In April, when Sánchez announced that Spain would reach NATO's previous 2% spending target, the move angered some coalition members further to the left of his Socialist Party. NATO allies agreed to spend 2% of GDP on military expenditure after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. But the alliance's plans for defending Europe and North America against a Russian attack require investments of at least 3%. The aim now is to raise the bar to 3.5% for core defence spending on tanks, warplanes, air defence, missiles and hiring extra troops. A further 1.5% would be spent on things like roads, bridges, ports and airfields so armies can deploy more quickly, as well as preparing societies for possible attack. Several allies have committed to reaching the new spending goal, even though other nations will struggle to find the billions required. Rutte had been due to table a new proposal on Friday aimed at satisfying Spain and trying to break the deadlock. European allies and Canada want to end the standoff before the leaders meet with Trump on Wednesday. Poland and the Baltic countries — Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania — have already publicly committed to 5%, and Rutte has said that most allies were ready to endorse the goal. But Spain isn't alone among NATO's low spenders. Belgium, Canada and Italy will also struggle to hike security spending by billions of dollars. A big question still to be answered is what time frame countries will be given to reach an agreed-upon new spending goal. A target date of 2032 was initially floated, but Rutte has said that Russia could be ready to launch an attack on NATO territory by 2030. The Human Rights Commissioner of the Council of Europe, Michael O'Flaherty, has expressed serious concerns regarding the conduct of German authorities in response to pro-Gaza demonstrations. In a letter addressed to the German Interior Minister, Alexander Dobrindt, O'Flaherty highlighted what he perceives as infringements on freedom of expression and the right to peaceful assembly. 'Since February 2025, Berlin authorities have imposed restrictions on the use of the Arabic language and cultural symbols during protests. In certain instances, such as the demonstration held on 15 May 2025, marches were limited to static gatherings. Additionally, protestors have reportedly been subjected to intrusive surveillance—both online and in person—and arbitrary police checks,' O'Flaherty stated. The Commissioner also raised alarm over reports of disproportionate police violence during these events. 'I am deeply concerned by allegations of excessive force used by police against demonstrators, including minors, which in some cases led to injuries. The use of force by law enforcement must adhere to the principles of non-discrimination, legality, necessity, proportionality, and precaution,' he said. O'Flaherty has urged the German authorities to thoroughly investigate incidents of excessive force and to hold officers accountable where misconduct is found. He noted that police efforts to suppress Nakba Day commemorations—a remembrance of the 1948 displacement of Palestinians—were especially troubling. The Irish human rights advocate further pointed out that freedom of speech appears to be restricted within some German universities and cultural institutions. He cited reports of foreign nationals facing deportation following their involvement in pro-Gaza activities. 'I am concerned by indications that the working definition of antisemitism adopted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) is being interpreted by some German authorities in a manner that equates any criticism of Israel with antisemitism,' O'Flaherty wrote. Tensions have run high in Germany since the beginning of the Gaza conflict, with frequent clashes at pro-Palestinian rallies. During the Nakba protest in mid-May, demonstrators were heard chanting slogans such as 'From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free'—phrasing considered antisemitic under German law. The event saw several injuries as confrontations escalated. In April, five students were arrested during a protest at Humboldt University for chanting anti-Israeli slogans. German police have also taken action against demonstrators displaying banned symbols, including altered Hamas slogans.
Cision Canada
3 days ago
- Politics
- Cision Canada
Readout - Prime Minister Carney meets with Secretary General of NATO Mark Rutte Français
, June 17, 2025 /CNW/ - Today, the Prime Minister, Mark Carney, met with the Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Mark Rutte, at the 2025 G7 Leaders' Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta. Prime Minister Carney shared his government's plan to rebuild, rearm, and reinvest in the Canadian Armed Forces – meeting the NATO 2 per cent target this year and accelerating those investments in the years to come. Prime Minister Carney emphasized the new government's mandate to assert Canada's sovereignty and increase collaboration with the NATO Alliance. The leaders discussed trans-Atlantic security and helping Ukraine achieve a just and lasting peace, including through the provision of military assistance. The Prime Minister looked forward to meeting again with the Secretary General at the upcoming NATO Summit in The Hague, the Netherlands, from June 24 to 25. This document is also available at
Cision Canada
3 days ago
- Business
- Cision Canada
Joint Statement by Prime Minister Carney and Prime Minister Starmer Français
OTTAWA, ON, June 15, 2025 /CNW/ - Today, Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada, and Sir Keir Starmer, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (UK), met in Ottawa to reaffirm the profound friendship and shared values that unite both nations. The Canada-UK partnership, rooted in a common history and enduring people-to-people ties, continues to grow stronger, with a focus on delivering prosperity and security for the working people of Canada and the UK alike. The two leaders discussed the many geopolitical challenges currently facing the world, including in the Middle East and tensions in the Indo-Pacific region, and reaffirmed their steadfast support for Ukraine in the face of Russia's illegal and unjustifiable war of aggression. The two leaders underscored the importance of a fair, open and predictable global trading system; reiterated their commitment to a rules-based international order underpinned by respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity; and committed to advancing peace and trans-Atlantic security. They agreed the following joint initiatives aimed at strengthening economic growth and prosperity and enhancing collective security and defence: Growth and Innovation Partnership Canada and the UK are committed to delivering economic growth for their people. The two Prime Ministers today announced further collaboration on trade, science, technology and innovation. Through their Partnership, Canada and the UK will work together to: Trade: Strengthen trade ties as trusted, reliable partners. This will include expanding trade under the Canada-UK Trade Continuity Agreement. We will establish a new structured UK-Canada Economic and Trade Working Group to deepen our existing trading relationship further, including to address existing market access barriers, to expand existing arrangements into new areas, such as digital trade, and to explore cooperation in the development of critical minerals and sovereign artificial intelligence infrastructure. The working group will report back to both Prime Ministers within six months. Canada will seek to introduce legislation this autumn to ratify the UK's accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership. Semiconductors: Deliver industrial R&D projects to enhance both nations' complementary strengths in semiconductors, photonics, emerging materials and chip design. They will deepen connections between the innovation rich semiconductor ecosystems in Canada and the UK to help build resilient supply chains and accelerate breakthroughs in this key sector that is driving economic growth. Quantum: Announce a joint commitment to develop secure, transatlantic communications based on quantum technologies, allowing us to connect our national systems and lay the groundwork to create a truly global, next-generation network, with applications across our financial and telecoms sectors. Digital: Mutually reinforce nation-building digital public infrastructure by co-developing policy levers and standards, and common technology components. Artificial Intelligence: Deepen and explore new collaborations on frontier AI systems to support our national security. This will include a partnership agreement to strengthen existing collaboration on AI safety and security between the Canadian AI Safety Institute and UK AI Security Institute, and new Canadian and UK MOUs with leading Canadian AI firm Cohere. Under the Canadian MOU, Cohere will collaborate with the Canadian AI Safety Institute and develop their commitment to building cutting-edge data centres in Canada. Under the UK MOU, Cohere will expand their UK presence to support the delivery of the UK AI Opportunities Action Plan. Both MOUs reflect ongoing collaboration on the application of AI tools in security and intelligence and are rooted in Cohere's strong foundations in Canada and ongoing commitment to the UK. Biomanufacturing: Strengthen collaboration to deliver economic growth and be better prepared for future health emergencies, including a joint investment of $14.8 million to support joint biomanufacturing research and development that will grow the talent and skills pipeline in both countries, and to help businesses scale. Civil Nuclear: Develop a world-leading fusion energy collaboration and deepen cooperation on nuclear energy from fission to reduce the influence of Russia on our international fuel supply chains. Critical Minerals: Intensify bilateral cooperation by conducting a strategic mapping exercise to pinpoint key critical minerals, infrastructure, production and processing capacities. They will identify projects for joint investment to support secure and sustainable critical minerals supply chain development and leverage all available financial tools to mobilize funding and drive production to strengthen our manufacturing and mining sectors. Enhanced Defence and Security Partnership The two leaders agreed to strengthen cooperation – both bilaterally and through the NATO Alliance and Five Eyes partnership – to safeguard democratic values advance global stability and ensure the safety of our people in an increasingly complex world. To achieve this, they committed to: Ukraine: Further support Ukraine in its self-defence against Russia's war of aggression. This will include continued support for the Coalition of the Willing and respective efforts to support Ukraine's domestic defence industrial production. The UK and Canada will continue to work together to support the Air Force Capability Coalition and develop cutting edge aircraft weaponry technology in support of Ukraine. Military Cooperation: Position the Canada-UK defence relationship for further growth across military operations, industrial collaboration, and defence innovation, catalyzed by Canada's newly announced defence investment trajectory and the UK's Strategic Defence Review. Canada and the UK will work towards a new permanent arrangement for the long-term and sustainable use of British Army Training Unit Suffield (BATUS) through the "BATUS Future Project". The Project will deepen the Canada-UK relationship on defence and showcase CFB Suffield as a multi-purpose facility for the development and testing of new equipment and cutting-edge technology which are vital to maintaining our shared security and prosperity. Intelligence: Build on the long history of deep and productive collaboration between our security and intelligence organizations by launching coordinated operational campaigns to combat terrorism and violent extremism, and deepening collaboration on enhanced intelligence collection, including by expanding officer exchange programs. National Security: Tackle evolving state threats together, including sabotage, transnational repression, foreign interference, malicious cyber activity, information manipulation and economic coercion, all of which seeks to undermine our national security and that of our Allies and partners. This will include joint work to invest in civil society organizations actively working to counter digital transnational repression through the Joint Canada-UK Common Good Cyber Fund, a first-of-its-kind multilateral fund aimed at supporting civil society actors at high risk. To kickstart this fund, Canada and the UK are providing $5.7 million in seed funding to the Fund, which will be disbursed over 5 years. They also agreed to strengthen bilateral development and delivery of secure communications products and cutting-edge cryptography and explore new research partnerships to address gaps in AI security and evolve AI models to support national security.
