.
Európa Europe
Magyarország
2025. március 18. Nemet mondott az Országgyűlés a fegyverkezési célú új közös Európai Uniós hitelfelvételre. A parlament politikai nyilatkozatot fogadott el a „Fegyverezzük újra fel Európát" (’REARM Europe’) új EU-s finanszírozási eszköz hitelfelvételi eleme tárgyában, 138 nem, 29 igen szavazattal és egy tartózkodás mellett utasítva el a közös európai hitelfelvételt. Az Európai Bizottság elnökének javaslata szerint a ’REARM Europe’ terv a tagállamoknak hiteleket biztosítana, amelyeket az EU költségvetése szavatolna. A nagymértékű, 150 milliárd euro-s eszközzel az Európai Bizottság célja, hogy hozzájáruljon az európai védelmi képességek növeléséhez. A nyilatkozat szerint az Országgyűlés az Európai Bizottság tervezett új EU-s finanszírozási eszközével kapcsolatban megállapítja, hogy Magyarország egyetért az európai védelmi képességek fejlesztésével és „e célkitűzés megvalósítását nemzeti hatáskörnek tekinti”. Magyarország támogatja, hogy a kapcsolódó nemzeti finanszírozási igények biztosításához az Európai Unió is járuljon hozzá. Ugyanakkor „Magyarország az Alaptörvény értelmében az EU olyan hitelfelvételéhez, amely miatt Magyarországnak fizetési kötelezettsége keletkezik, az országgyűlési képviselők kétharmadának szavazatával, a kormány egyedi döntése alapján járulhat hozzá”. Döntöttek: „Az Országgyűlés az európai adósságközösséggel szembeni elvi fenntartásai miatt, okulva a korábbi hitelfelvétel gyakorlati tapasztalataiból, ellenezi az Európai Bizottság elnöke által javasolt, nagymérvű, 150 milliárd euro-s eszközhöz szükséges közös európai hitelfelvételt”. (Forrás: Origo - Magyarország)
Poland
18.03.2025 Poland, Lituania, Latvia and Estonia today recommended withdrawing from the Ottawa Convention, the international agreement that bans antipersonnel landmines, 'in light of this unstable security environment marked by Russia's aggression and its ongoing threat to the Euro-Atlantic community,' the defense ministers said in a joint statement. The international treaty was signed in 1997 and aims to ban landmines that target humans. (Source: Anadolu Agency - Turkey)
European Commission
8/03/2025 'A joint Task Force is planned to coordinate the EU’s and member states increasing military support to Ukraine, Der Leyen told the cadets at the Royal Danish Military Academy in Copenhagen'. 'But Ukraine can support us too. In fact, there is a lot that we can learn from the transformation of Ukraine’s defence industry,' she added. Der Leyen was calling 'for Ukraine's integration in the European defence equipment market to be sped up'. 'We will set up a European Military Sales Mechanism,' she announced. And ' 'the Commission will convene a strategic dialogue with the defence industry' '. Der Leyen already unveiled a 'ReArm Europe proposal two weeks ago 'to help member states boost defence spending that includes a new instrument to raise money on the capital markets' to then loan it to member states for defence projects, 'as well as the use of the national escape clause in the Stability and Growth Pact to allow governments to deviate from stringent EU fiscal rules for defence spending'. 'EU leaders gave their political backing to the proposal at an extraordinary summit last week'. But no decisions are expected at this meeting with leaders instead set to wait until a summit in late June that will come immediately after a gathering of NATO heads of state. 'Europe is more united than ever', she said. The bloc is also 'fully committed' to working with NATO and the United States and is working with the UK and other partners, including Canada and Norway, Der Leyen said. Recent comments from President Trump and other top officials in his administration have raised concerns about Washington's continued commitment to European defence. Another area of contention with the US is Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory belonging to the Kingdom of Denmark. To all the people of Greenland – and of Denmark as a whole – I want to be clear that Europe will always stand for sovereignty and territorial integrity, von der Leyen told the cadets. (Source: Euronews, based in Lyon, France)
Russia
2025-03-18 Russian forces have seized Sudzha and surrounding villages. Several tens of square kilometres of Russian territory including two settlements remain under the control of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and fighting is ongoing over two others. The Russians continue to try to physically cut off the enemy’s logistics by attacking in the border region of Sumy. Particularly fierce battles are being fought over Basivka, located on the Ukrainian side 2.5 km from the Sumy-Kursk road. Its seizure would allow the Russians to go to the rear of the Ukrainian forces and force their final withdrawal from the Russian territory. Today, day 1119 of the war, Ukrainian forces entered Russian territory in the Belgorod region, 30 km south of Sudzha, presumably to draw back some of the Russian forces attacking on the Kursk and Sumy oblasts’ border. There are no reports that this diversion was successful. (Source: Center for Eastern Sudies, headquarters Warsaw, Poland)
Ukraine
2025-03-18 Western military support: On 13 March Finland’s Defence Minister Häkkänen announced that has earmarked €200 million in military support for Ukraine, 'The country’s 28th aid package is to include artillery ammunition'. On the same day, Häkkänen and his Ukrainian counterpart Umerov signed a memorandum on defence cooperation. On 15 March, the Italian daily Corriere della Sera reported that Ukraine had used up all the Aster-30 missiles for the two SAMP-T air defence systems given to them. France and Italy are said to be holding off the decision to send more due to their own stocks running low. 'On 17 March, the German government updated the inventory of military aid supplied to Ukraine. 'The new deliveries included three Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft guns and 10,000 pieces of ammunition for them, missiles for IRIS-T air defence systems, 24 MRAP armoured vehicles, artillery ammunition (5,000 155 mm calibre shells, 2,000 122 mm and 8,000 mortar grenades, ammunition for Leopard tanks and Marder infantry fighting vehicles, 50 Vector reconnaissance drones and 30 Gereon RCS tracked platform robots'. 'On 13 March, Kyiv’s 18th military support package, worth €271 million, was announced by the Swedish government. It provides for the purchase of 18 howitzers on the Archer vehicle chassis and five Arthur counter-battery radars, deliveries of which will begin in 2026 and 2025 respectively. Part of the funds will go to support the Ukrainian arms industry (including the development of the Bohdana howitzers), as well as to contribute to the ‘artillery coalition’, which Stockholm plans to join'. Washington’s suspension of military support to Ukraine took place on 3 March and did not have time to visibly affect the situation on the frontline. 'On 11 March, the US resumed the supply of arms and military equipment to Ukraine and the transfer of intelligence to it. On 17 March, the move was officially confirmed by the Pentagon. (Source: Center for Eastern Sudies, headquarters Warsaw, Poland)
North America
United States
March 18, 2025 In accordance with President Trump’s directive of March 17, 2025, all records previously withheld for classification that are part of the President Kennedy Assassination Records Collection are released, showing 2 182 entries. (Source: National Archives - U.S.)
.
