Europe’s Dilemma: Welfare or Defense?

British journalist Janan Ganesh argues in the Financial Times that Europe must scale back welfare spending to fund a stronger military.

With rising security threats and uncertainty over U.S. defense commitments, Europe can no longer afford to neglect its military readiness.

Europe has three main options to finance defense:

1️⃣ Borrowing – Most EU nations already face high debt, making this politically and financially risky.

2️⃣ Raising Taxes – This could weaken Europe’s fragile economy, as seen in France’s backlash against Macron’s tax hikes.

3️⃣ Cutting Welfare – The most feasible option. Europe’s welfare system was built under post-WWII conditions, but with aging populations and rising pension costs, sustaining it while increasing defense spending is unsustainable.

Ganesh warns that Europe’s reliance on U.S. security allowed it to prioritize welfare for decades.

Now, with America’s commitment uncertain, Europe faces a critical choice: social spending or military strength.

Source: FT

BIG: French Armed Forces Minister says the military budget could increase to €90 billion annually, up from the current €50.5 billion.

Israeli attacks in Syria by Clash Report

Israel has carried out 84 raids in Syria since January 1.

• During this period, Israel conducted 19 airstrikes.
• Israeli army has established 9 military bases in Syria.
• Israeli army clashes with Syrian forces 8 times

Several Israeli Army units are also involved in occupying Syria.

Storm Shadow missiles supplied by the UK are no longer useful in Ukraine because Trump has blocked the sharing of US intelligence with allies. Storm Shadow missiles, like HIMARS, have been decommissioned.

Source: Daily Mail

French company Eutelsat is preparing to replace Starlink in Ukraine and is ready to deploy around 40,000 communication terminals.

Europe accelerates defense spending as US support wanes.

• The US and Europe need an additional €250 billion a year and 300,000 more troops.

• Europe should follow Poland's example and double defense spending to 3.5% of GDP to counter potential threats. In three years, Poland has increased its defense spending from 2% to nearly 5% of GDP.

• Germany has removed the constitutional debt brake for defense and the EU has proposed suspending budget rules to allow €800 billion in defense spending over four years (€650 billion national, €150 billion common).

Source: FT

NEW: European plan considers deploying a force of 120 fighter jets to secure the skies over Kiev and western Ukraine from Russian attacks.

Source: The Guardian

NEW: Britain removed 24 Syrian entities from its sanctions list and unfroze their assets, including the Central Bank of Syria, other banks and petroleum companies.

Source: Reuters

Europe is developing a non-Nato plan to deploy 10,000 troops on the ground in Ukraine. This initiative will be conducted independently of NATO.

Source: The Guardian

Polish PM Tusk:

We have to enter an arms race with Moscow and win it.

Romania Arrests Six Over Alleged Pro-Russian Coup Plot

Romanian prosecutors have arrested six men accused of seeking Russia’s help to overthrow the government. The group, called "Vlad the Impaler Commando," included 101-year-old retired general Radu Theodoru and was inspired by the medieval ruler behind Bram Stoker's Dracula.

Authorities revealed the suspects repeatedly contacted Russian agents in Romania and Moscow. They now face charges of treason and forming an organized criminal group.

Additionally, two senior Russian diplomats—the military attaché and his deputy—were expelled from Romania for their alleged ties to the plot.

Source: Romanian SRI, AFP, FT

Trump's administration is considering a plan to stop and inspect Iranian oil tankers at sea under an international accord aimed at countering the spread of weapons of mass destruction, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

China’s envoy to the EU Lu Shaye ‘appalled’ by Trump’s treatment of Europe

China opposes U.S.-Russia negotiations without the participation of Ukraine and the EU, says China’s special representative for European affairs, Lu Shaye.

"A peace agreement for Ukraine shouldn't be determined only between the US and Russia.

When you look at how the Trump administration has implemented a brazen and domineering policy towards Europe, treating its allies in this way, honestly, from a European perspective, it’s quite appalling.

I believe European friends should reflect on this and compare the Trump administration’s policies with those of the Chinese government.

In doing so, they will see that China’s diplomatic approach emphasises peace, friendship, goodwill and win-win cooperation."

Al-Shabaab militias in Somalia retook key areas in Middle Shabelle, including Balcad, just 35 km from capital city Mogadishu.

50,000 killed and over 300,000 wounded.

Ukraine’s losses at this stage of the war are critical, says Former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Zaluzhnyi.

“Calculate what 50,000 out of 5.5 million registered personnel means. The result is effectively zero because this is a critical threshold.”

NEW: Somalia's Council of Ministers has urged civilians to avoid areas controlled by al-Shabaab. The Somali National Army (SNA) is preparing to intensify air and ground operations against the militants.

Belgium delays F-16 jet deliveries to Ukraine, again.

Previously expected by the end of the year, Belgium’s F-16 delivery to Ukraine has now been pushed back further.

Prime Minister Bart De Wever announced that the jets will not arrive before 2026.