#GERMANY: Parliament Votes To Increase Defense Spending For Ukraine

[world politics news]

Two factions of the German Parliament are ready to support an increase in defense aid funding for Ukraine next year to more than 2 billion euros.

Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal wrote about this on Telegram, according to Ukrinform.

"The German parliament is united in its support for Ukraine. Today, they held meetings with the Vice-President of the Bundestag with the Union90/Greens faction Katrin Goering-Eckardt and co-chair of the Union90/Greens party Ricarda Lang, as well as with the head of the opposition CDU, chair of the CDU/CSU faction in Bundestag Friedrich Merz," Shmyhal noted.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#THAILAND: Gov't Approves Controversial Purchase Of Chinese Submarines

[world politics news]

The ruling coalition voted yesterday to confirm the purchase of two more Chinese submarines, sparking public outrage as the economy sinks and businesses close from the impact of the Covid-19 ‘lockdowns’ and border closure.

The Royal Thai Navy has been pushing for the purchase since last year. The House subcommittee for Procurement, ICT, State Enterprises and Revolving Funds, which is vetting the annual budget for 2021, voted 5:4 to spend 22.5 billion baht on the subs.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#GERMANY: New Budget Features Record Spending, Closer To 2% NATO Goal Urged By Trump

[world politics news]

The German parliament has passed a record budget for 2020, including defense spending that will bring it closer to the NATO 2% goal - something urged by US Pres, Donald Trump.  Next year's defense budget is expected to put Germany at 1.42%. The new budget also includes the first measures in the government's "climate package."

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#POLAND: Government Wants Permanent Base Of US Troops On Its Soil - And Offers To Pay $2 Billion To Bring Them!

[world politics news]

Poland wants a permanent U.S. military presence — and is willing to pony up as much as $2 billion to get it, according to a defense ministry proposal obtained by Polish news portal Onet. The Polish offer reflects a long-standing desire in Warsaw to build closer security relations with the U.S. and put American boots on the ground. The push dates back to Poland’s entry into NATO in 1999, but has taken on added urgency in the wake of Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea region four years ago and aggressive posture toward the alliance.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#POLAND: Government Wants Permanent Base Of US Troops On Its Soil - And Offers To Pay $2 Billion To Bring Them!

[world politics news]

Poland wants a permanent U.S. military presence — and is willing to pony up as much as $2 billion to get it, according to a defense ministry proposal obtained by Polish news portal Onet. The Polish offer reflects a long-standing desire in Warsaw to build closer security relations with the U.S. and put American boots on the ground. The push dates back to Poland’s entry into NATO in 1999, but has taken on added urgency in the wake of Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea region four years ago and aggressive posture toward the alliance.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#CHINA: Pres. Xi Jinping To Hike Military Budget By 8.1% Due To "Profound Changes" In The World

[world politics news]

China has announced it will boost its military spending by 8.1 percent this year to counter “profound changes” to the international geopolitical landscape. The budget increase, which comes days after Vladimir Putin boasted about Russia’s upgraded nuclear arsenal, brings China’s annual defense spending to 1.11 trillion yuan ($175 billion).

[FULL STORY HERE]

#GERMANY: Huge Budget Surplus Could Trigger Spending Spree On Elderly, Education

[world politics news]

Germany recorded record budget surplus of €36.6 billion last year, lower than estimated but still at record levels. The extra cash amounted is about 1.1 percent of Germany's €3.26-trillion Gross Domestic Product. Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives and prospective junior partners the Social Democratic Party have planned to loosen the purse strings over the coming four years - as long as SPD members approve their coalition deal in an internal referendum.

The world bank estimates that Germany spends just 1.6% of its GDP on defense spending, allowing it to spend far more on "butter" than worry about spending for guns. Germany relies on the nuclear umbrella of the United States and NATO, and can therefore spend far less for their military, and more on social welfare spending.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#JAPAN: PM Abe's Hard Line Against N. Korea Pays Off In Strong New Election Mandate

[world politics news]

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has secured a strong mandate for his hard line against North Korea and room to push for revision of the country’s pacifist constitution after his party crushed untested opposition parties in Sunday’s general election.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#IRAN: In Response To US Sanctions, Parliament Votes To Increase Spending On Missiles, Rev. Guard

[world politics news]

Iran’s parliament gave initial approval to a bill to boost spending on Tehran’s missile program and the elite Revolutionary Guards in retaliation for new sanctions imposed by the United States. Lawmakers overwhelmingly approved the outlines of the bill to “counter America’s terrorist and adventurist actions” as some chanted “Death to America."

[FULL STORY HERE]

#FRANCE: Head Of French Military Resigns Over PM Macron's Proposed Budget Cuts

[world politics news]

The head of the French armed forces has quit after a clash with President Emmanuel Macron over budget cuts. Gen Pierre de Villiers said in a statement he could no longer "guarantee the durability of the army model" that he considered necessary to ensure France's protection. France's government last week revealed major cuts to bring its budget deficit below the level of an EU cap.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#GERMANY: Trump Gave Merkel A $374.5 Billion "Bill" For NATO Expenses During Visit

[world politics news]

After Donald Trump met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel earlier in March, he made a big deal about the fact that Germany has not been spending the necessary 2% of GDP on defense as required by NATO. It turns out Trump's complaints weren't limited to just Twitter, as he actually gave Merkel a $374.5 Billion "bill" for NATO defense funds that he believed Germany "owed" to the US.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#NORWAY: Gov't Orders Four New Subs In Face of "Threat" of Aggressive Russian Neighbor

[world politics news]

Citing an "unpredictable" Russia on its borders, Norway's defense minister, Ine Eriksen Soreide, has announced it is buying four submarines from Germany in 2019. Norway is a member of NATO but not the European Union. It's recently has spent over $18 billion in new military hardware in the face of Russia's aggressive maneuvers in the northern part of the nation, where they share a border.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#CANADA: Parliamentary Office Investigates Trudeau Spending On Fighter Jet Costs

[world politics news]

Six years after ripping into the Conservative government's cost estimates for F-35 stealth fighters, Parliament's budgetary watchdog says it is digging into the "interim" Liberal plan to purchase Super Hornet jets. The Liberal government announced last month it wants to buy 18 Super Hornets as a stop-gap measure until a competition can be held in five years to find a replacement for the air force's aging fleet of CF-18 fighter jets.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#ISRAEL: Oppo Pty Ldr Calls For Investigation Into German Sub Purchase Deal

[world politics news]

Yesh Atid Party Leader Yair Lapid has called for Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit to order a criminal investigation into a multi-billion shekel deal for Israel to purchase German submarines, which was pushed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and in which his personal lawyer David Shimron is alleged to have an interest.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#UK: Despite Uncertain Future For Scottish UK Base, Parliament Renews Trident Sub Program

[world politics news]

Despite an uncertain future for the UK's Trident submarine base in Scotland - which the Scottish National Party says would be closed if a second independence referendum passes - the UK's parliament has overwhelmingly passed legislation to spend  £40 billion to replace four Vanguard-class submarines that carry nuclear warheads.

#JAPAN: PM #ShinzoAbe Seeks Record $42 Billion Defense Budget Amid 5-Year Military Build-Up

[world politics news]

PM Shinzo Abe will seek a record US$42 billion defense budget for fiscal year 2016, including 140 billion yen on US military realignment costs, the purchase of 17 SH-60 helicopters, and maneuver combat vehicles. Abe's government adopted a five-year Defense Program at the end of 2013.

#NORWAY: Military Spending Set To Rise In Face Of Ongoing Russian Threat, Says PM Solberg

[world politics news]

Conservative Party leader and Prime Minister Erna Solberg has announced large investments in defense against possible Russian aggression. During the NATO summit in Wales last year, Norway pledged to spend two percent of gross domestic product (GDP) on defense. Most European nations spend less.

#CANADA: #StephenHarper Proposes New Ethics Rules for Military Procurement

[world politics news]

The Harper government has proposed new integrity standards, aimed at ensuring it only does business with ethical companies. But some critics are warning the standards could inadvertently shrink an already shallow pool of defense contractors, since many have had ethical scandals in the past.

Pictured: Prime Minister Stephen Harper (left) stands with Finance Minister Joe Oliver

#LITHUANIA: Parliament Votes To Bring Back Military Draft To Counter Russian Threat

[world politics news]

The Lithuanian parliament has voted overwhelmingly to reintroduce conscription as the country grapples with a renewed threat of Russian invasion. Under the terms of the new bill, 3.500 young men between the ages of 19 and 26 will be drafted each year for the next 5 years for periods of 9-month service.

#SWEDEN: Defense Contract Cancelled, Saudis Recall Ambassador, Amid Nasty Diplomatic Spat

[world politics news]

An increasingly nasty diplomatic spat between Sweden and Saudi Arabia is dramatically escalating, as Saudi Arabia this week recalled its ambassador a day after Sweden canceled a 10-year arms deal with the kingdom. A top Swedish diplomat has criticized the Saudi human rights record and called it a "dictatorship.