51 h. ago Calls for SNP to drop nuclear opposition but party says Starmer is 'pandering' to Trump on defence

The Scottish Secretary said Scotland should reap the 'defence dividend' but the SNP's Westminster defence spokesperson said his party’s stance on nuclear was in line with the Scottish population.

Politics

3 d. ago ‘Orchestrated grovel’: critics react to Europe’s attempts to tame Donald Trump

Nato chief Mark Rutte derided for calling US president ‘daddy’ and showering him with praise over IranHistory may record this week as the one in which Donald Trump came to Europe to discuss defence spending.Diplomats may remember it as the week in which the art of obsequiousness reached new highs and the sycophants plunged new lows. Continue reading...

Politics

4 d. ago Donald Trump's bungling Defence Secretary launches unhinged rant over Iran in Pentagon chaos

Pete Hegseth launched an embarrassing attack on a respected journalist, accusing her of deliberately misrepresenting Donald Trump’s Iran airstrikes, as a Pentagon press conference descended into chaos

Politics

4 d. ago The myriad countries arming Russia and Ukraine – and the billions it costs

As Donald Trump suggests he could send Patriot air defence missiles to Ukraine, The Independent takes a look at which countries are the key military backers behind war in Europe

Economics

4 d. ago The myriad of countries arming Russia and Ukraine – and the billions it costs

As Donald Trump suggests he could send Patriot air defence missiles to Ukraine, The Independent takes a look at which countries are the key military backers behind war in Europe

Economics

5 d. ago Without dignity, leaders fell at Trump’s feet in The Hague – and for what? All Nato’s key problems remain | Martin Kettle

The relationship with him is still volatile, the Ukraine strategy still unclear and Europe needs to ensure its collective defenceNato’s Hague summit was an orchestrated grovel at the feet of Donald Trump. The originally planned two-day meeting was truncated into a single morning’s official business to flatter the president’s ego and accommodate his short attention span. The agenda was cynically narrowed to focus on the defence spending hikes he demands from US allies. Issues that may provoke or embarrass Trump – the Ukraine conflict, or whether the Iranian nuclear threat has actually been eliminated by US bombing – were relegated to the sidelines.Instead, the flattery throttle was opened up to maximum, with Nato’s secretary general Mark Rutte leading the assembled fawning. On Tuesday, Rutte hymned Trump’s brilliance over Iran; yesterday, he garlanded him as the vindicated visionary of Nato’s drive towards the 5% of GDP spending goal. No one spoiled the party. As the president’s own ...

Politics

5 d. ago Trump officials cite ‘new intelligence’ to back president’s claims of success in strikes on Iran

Tulsi Gabbard and the CIA director say Iran’s nuclear sites were ‘destroyed’, amid reports of White House efforts to limit sharing of classified information with CongressDonald Trump’s administration ratcheted up its defence of the US’s weekend attacks on Iran, citing “new intelligence” to support its initial claim of complete success and criticising a leaked intelligence assessment that suggested Tehran’s nuclear programme had been set back by only a few months.The growing row came amid reports that the White House will to try to limit the sharing of classified documents with Congress, according to the Washington Post and the Associated Press. Continue reading...

Politics

5 d. ago Nato's charm wins over 'daddy' Trump: U.S. will stand by its allies, he says as they pledge extra defence spending

Donald Trump yesterday said he no longer believed Nato is a 'rip-off' and that 'of course' he would help defend Europe if it came under attack.

Politics

5 d. ago Trump hails ‘big win’ as Nato states agree to raise defence spending to 5% of GDP

US president appears relaxed and reaffirms commitment to military alliance – though Spain criticisedA relaxed Donald Trump said Nato’s decision to increase defence spending to 5% of GDP was a “big win” for western civilisation in a digressive press conference at a summit in The Hague where he reaffirmed the US’s commitment to the military alliance.There was every sign that the careful setup of the summit – in which most allies in Europe and Canada committed billions more on defence – had worked to keep Trump bound in to the alliance, with the US president praising Mark Rutte, its secretary general, and a night where he “slept beautiful” in the Dutch king’s palace. Continue reading...

Politics

5 d. ago Trump praises Nato leaders’ ‘historic’ agreement to hike defence spending

Prime minister Keir Starmer said this week’s Nato summit had sent a ‘decisive message to aggressors’ as allies ramped up their defence spending

Politics

5 d. ago Donald Trump made 'absurd' mistake after US nighttime attack on Iran nuclear bunkers

The White House has been forced to defend a report issued by the Defence Intelligence Agency, which casts doubt on Trump's claims he "completely and fully obliterated" Iran's Fordo uranium enrichment plant

Events

5 d. ago Starmer says Trump is 'absolutely committed to Nato' and denies Ukraine is being cut adrift at tense summit

Keir Starmer played down alarm about whether US stands by Article 5 of the military alliance after Mr Trump said the meaning 'depends on your definition'.

Politics

5 d. ago Trump and Hegseth admit doubts about level of damage to Iran nuclear sites

President calls intelligence ‘inconclusive’, while defence secretary describes harm to facilities as ‘moderate to severe’Donald Trump and the US defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, have admitted to some doubt over the scale of the damage inflicted on Iran’s nuclear sites by the US bombing at the weekend, after a leaked Pentagon assessment said the Iranian programme had been set back by only a few months.“The intelligence was very inconclusive,” Trump told journalists at a Nato summit in The Hague, introducing an element of uncertainty for the first time after several days of emphatic declarations that the destruction had been total. “The intelligence says we don’t know. It could’ve been very severe. That’s what the intelligence suggests.” Continue reading...

Events

5 d. ago Trump praises Nato states as summit prepares to lift defence spending target

‘Nato’s going to become very strong with us,’ says US president, as secretary general calls him ‘daddy’Europe live – latest updatesDonald Trump praised Nato countries for being willing to lift defence spending to 5% in his first public remarks at the military alliance’s annual summit, and said that he expected the US to be fully in support.The president was speaking at a preliminary press conference in The Hague that was dominated by his rejection of overnight reports that Iran’s nuclear sites were not destroyed in US bombing, and where he was also praised by the Nato chief, Mark Rutte, for being the “daddy”. Continue reading...

Politics

5 d. ago Starmer insists Nato committed to mutual defence as Trump casts doubt on support

Nato’s Article 5 commits all members of the alliance to come to the defence of each other if attacked.

Politics

5 d. ago Trump with Nato ‘all the way’ after questioning mutual defence pact

President had sparked alarm when he previously said US commitment to Article 5 ‘depends on your definition’

Politics

5 d. ago Starmer says Trump is 'absolutely committed to the importance of Nato' after president raises doubts about Article 5 'collective defence' principle at tense summit

Keir Starmer played down alarm about whether US stands by Article 5 of the military alliance after Mr Trump said the meaning 'depends on your definition'.

Politics

6 d. ago Trump’s wavering on Nato defence pact casts pall over summit

US commitment to Article 5 ‘depends on your definition’, says president ahead of meeting with allies

Politics

6 d. ago Britain is buying 12 fighter jets that can drop nuclear bombs, Sir Keir Starmer will announce

Britain is to buy 12 fighter jets capable of dropping nuclear bombs, Keir Starmer will announce tomorrow.

Events

6 d. ago ‘Another big success’: Nato leader flatters Trump before The Hague summit

Mark Rutte is keen to ensure US president’s support and secure agreement among members on defence spendingIn The Hague, the Nato summit waits for Donald Trump – and no one more so than the alliance’s secretary general, Mark Rutte. “You are flying into another big success,” Rutte wrote in a text on Tuesday, one of several released shortly afterwards by a hyperactive Trump as he travelled across the Atlantic in Air Force One.The sycophantic messages from the Dutchman had compared Nato’s plan to dramatically increase defence spending to the US bombing of Iran’s nuclear sites over the weekend: “Congratulations and thank you for your decisive action in Iran, that was truly extraordinary, and something no one else dared to do.” Continue reading...

Politics