24-10-2025

Month: March 2022

Europe new ‘hotspot’ for arms imports

Europe saw the world’s biggest rise in arms imports in the past five years, a trend set to accelerate following recent rearmament commitments amid the threat posed by Russia, researchers said Monday.

 

While arms exports declined globally by 4.6 percent in 2017-2021 compared to the preceding five years, Europe posted a 19-percent increase, according to a study published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

“Europe is the new hotspot”, Siemon Wezeman, co-author of the annual report for over three decades, told AFP.

“We are going to increase our military spending not just by a little bit but by a lot. We need new weapons and a lot of that will come from imports”, the senior researcher said, adding that the majority was likely to come from other European countries and the US.

Germany in particular has already announced plans to up its military spending, as have Denmark and Sweden.

European countries spooked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are expected to beef up their militaries with fighter jets, such as the American F-35, missiles, artillery and other heavy weapons.

“Most of these things take a bit of time. You have to go through the process, you have to decide, you have to order, you have to produce. This generally takes a couple of years at least”, Wezeman said.

He said the upward trend actually started after Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea, with the effects visible now.

Europe’s share of the global arms trade has already risen from 10 to 13 percent in the past five year, and this share will increase “substantially”, according to Wezeman.

The opaque nature of many contracts and donations of weapons without payment make it difficult to provide an exact figure for the world arms trade but experts estimate turnover at close to $100 billion (91 billion euros) annually.

According to SIPRI, Asia and Oceania remained the main importing region over the last five years, home to 43 percent of arms transfers and six of the world’s largest importers: India, Australia, China, South Korea, Pakistan and Japan.

While arms imports to the world’s most populous region declined by around five percent over the past five years, East Asia and Oceania specifically saw strong growth, with 20 and 59 percent respectively.

“Tensions between China and many states in Asia and Oceania are the main driver of arms imports in the region,” the report’s authors said in a statement.

Russian isolation 

In the Middle East, the second-largest market, accounting for 32 percent of global arms imports, the increase was three percent, driven mainly by investments in Qatar amid tensions with its Gulf neighbours.

“The current oil prices mean they’re going to have a lot of income and that usually translates into large orders for arms”, Wezeman noted.

The Americas and Africa, meanwhile, have seen their imports decline sharply, by 36 and 34 percent respectively, accounting for about six percent of global arms imports each.

In terms of individual countries, India and Saudi Arabia share the top spot as the largest importers, each accounting for 11 percent, ahead of Egypt (5.7 percent), Australia (5.4 percent) and China (4.8 percent).

When it comes to exporting countries, the US leads the pack with 39 percent.

Russia remains in second place, though its share has fallen to 19 percent over the past five years, largely due to declining imports by China, which is now almost completely independent of Russian arms.

Russia’s isolation amid sanctions over the Ukraine war will probably weigh even more on its arms industry in future.

“There will certainly be a stick from the US side. That’s been already going on for several years, that if you buy weapons from Russia, then we are likely to sanction you in various ways”, Wezeman said, citing tensions that arose after Turkey’s purchase of Russian S-400 missile defence systems.

“I think the pressure will be enormous on countries like Algeria or Egypt that are substantial importers of Russian weapons.”

France is the third largest exporter with 11 percent, while China and Germany held onto their fourth and fifth spots with 4.6 and 4.5 percent respectively.

US warns China against helping Russia: Ukraine Crisis

Unnamed officials reportedly told multiple US news outlets that Russia asked China to provide military assistance after it began the invasion.

The Chinese embassy in Washington said it was not aware of this request.

The warning comes ahead of a meeting in Rome on Monday between top US and China officials.

Since the start of the crisis Beijing has expressed strong rhetorical support for long-time ally Moscow, but is not publicly known to have provided any military or economic support.

However local media outlets citing US officials, say that Russia has in recent days asked China specifically for military equipment, including drones. China’s response to that request is not known.

In a CNN interview, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said they were “communicating directly, privately to Beijing that there will absolutely be consequences for large-scale sanctions evasion efforts or support to Russia to backfill them.

“We will not allow that to go forward and allow there to be a lifeline to Russia from these economic sanctions from any country, anywhere in the world.”

He added that while the US believed China was aware that Russian leader Vladimir Putin was “planning something” before the invasion happened, Beijing “may not have understood the full extent of it”.

“Because it’s very possible that [Mr] Putin lied to them the same way that he lied to Europeans and others,” Mr Sullivan said.

Mr Sullivan is due to meet Yang Jiechi, a member of China’s top decision-making body the Politburo and the head of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission, on Monday in Rome.

Reuters news agency quoted a US official as saying that during the meeting Mr Sullivan will spell out the consequences and isolation China would face if it increased support for Russia.

Liu Pengyu, a spokesman for China’s embassy in Washington DC, told US media that he had not heard of Russia’s request. He added: “The high priority now is to prevent the tense situation from escalating or even getting out of control.”

China so far has refrained from condemning Russia for the invasion, and has said Moscow’s “legitimate security concerns” should be taken seriously.

Chinese state media and government officials, besides echoing Russia’s official line that it is a “special military operation” and not an invasion, have also been repeating Russian disinformation claims about the war in recent days.

But Beijing at the same time has expressed “unwavering support” for Ukraine’s sovereignty. It has also called for peace, and has said it is ready to help end the war through diplomacy. Several countries have urged China to do more to stop Russia’s invasion.

The EU and US help Ukraine, China helps Russia; if that’s how this goes, then it’s a delineation that will make the war in Ukraine an even more consequential one.

The White House has decided to make public its claim just as President Biden’s top security adviser is due to meet with China’s most senior diplomat. It appears to be a tactical move, to put pressure on China; presumably to either confirm or deny it.

The bigger aim could be to try to make Xi Jinping weigh up the pros and cons to his current position of what was last week called a “rock solid” relationship with Moscow.

Remember that it was just weeks ago, as the Winter Olympics opened in Beijing, that Presidents Xi and Putin declared a new alliance that had “no limit”. Military aid could, clearly, be part of that.

But in the days after Russia’s invasion China has condemned the UK, the US and others for giving weapons to Ukraine’s military, saying they were adding “fuel to the fire”.

If the US intelligence assessment is correct and Beijing follows through on that request, then they too would be “adding fuel”.

A 20-year-old woman has died after the car she was travelling in left the road at Biggar, South Lanarkshire.

he incident happened on the A72 at about 16:30 and involved a black BMW M135 which was travelling towards Biggar.

The woman, who was a passenger, was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver, a 26-year-old man, was taken to University Hospital Wishaw.

Police have appealed for anyone with information to contact them.

The road was closed for about nine hours.

Sgt John Houston said: “Our inquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances of what happened and we are appealing to anyone who may have information that could help to get in touch.”

He urged anyone who was driving in the area around the time of the crash to contact police as well as those with dashcam footage.

A British national living in the UK has been accused by police in Hong Kong of jeopardising China’s national security and told he faces three years in jail.

Benedict Rogers runs Hong Kong Watch, a charity which campaigns for human rights in the former British colony.

But he has been informed that he faces charges of “collusion with foreign forces” if he ever returns there.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said the threat was “unjustifiable”. Mr Rogers said his group would not be silenced.

“We will continue to be a voice for the people of Hong Kong and those brave political prisoners who have been jailed under this authoritarian regime,” he said.

Hong Kong was handed back from British to Chinese rule in 1997, at the end of a 99-year lease.

Beijing agreed to govern it under “one country, two systems”, granting the city its own legal system, limited democracy with multiple political parties and rights such as freedom of assembly and free speech.

However, in 2019, mass anti-government protests turned violent. And a year later China passed a draconian law targeting secession, subversion and terrorism with punishments of up to life in prison.

The authorities have clamped down hard, arresting scores of activists and opposition politicians.

Hong Kong Watch said police had written to tell Mr Rogers of his offence, and that he faced jail, or a HK$100,000 (£9,800) fine, if he returns to the city.

It is thought to be one of the first times authorities have tried to apply the legislation outside the territory.

Lord Patten, the former colony’s last governor, said it was a “disgraceful example” of China trying to stamp out freedom of expression in Hong Kong.

UK refugee scheme set to launch: Ukraine War

A website enabling people to express an interest in helping – for which they will receive a “thank you” of £350 a month – will then go live.

Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove said the plan could benefit tens of thousands of displaced people.

Meanwhile, the PM spoke to Ukrainian President Zelensky on Sunday night.

Boris Johnson pledged “to pursue more options for bolstering Ukraine’s self-defence”, No 10 says, and discussed efforts to end the war.

He also condemned the murders of [American journalist] Brent Renaud and countless innocent Ukrainians, Downing Street said.

The government is to send 500 portable electricity generators for use in facilities such as hospitals and shelters which have lost power following the invasion – something President Volodymyr Zelensky made a direct request for.

Mr Johnson is hosting a series of meetings with Nordic and Baltic leaders in London and Chequers this week.

No 10 says he will urge them to work together to ensure no further nations fall victim to Vladimir Putin’s aggression.

Under the Homes for Ukraine scheme, people in the UK will be able to nominate an individual or family to stay with them rent-free, or in another property, for at least six months.

Applications will be made online, with both hosts and refugees being vetted. Hosts will receive £350 a month.

Organisations such as charities and churches will eventually be able to sponsor refugees, though there is no start date for this phase of the scheme yet.

Local authorities will also receive £10,500 in extra funding per refugee for support services – with more for children of school age.

‘Too mean’

The NSPCC said, while it wanted the Homes for Ukraine scheme to happen as quickly as possible, it had concerns about safety checks on prospective hosts.

The children’s charity said it was “vital child protection is built into every stage of the government’s and local authorities’ response to this crisis”.

The government has faced criticism – including from its own MPs – over the speed and scale of its response.

Conservative MP Danny Kruger told the BBC the Home Secretary “must take responsibility” for the problems Ukrainian refugees have faced in coming to the UK.

And Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer described the UK’s assistance for refugees as “too slow, too narrow, too mean”.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said on Sunday Home Secretary Priti Patel should be sacked for “incompetence, indifference and sheer inhumanity” in leading the response.

The Home Office has defended requiring security checks on Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s invasion, saying they need to ensure the UK helps those in genuine need.

It says it has already seen people falsely claim to be Ukrainian.

More than 2.5 million refugees have left the country because of Russia’s invasion with a further 1.85 million displaced inside the country, according to latest estimates by the UN Refugee Agency.

Meanwhile, 21 Ukrainian children with cancer will shortly begin NHS treatment in the UK, the health secretary said.

Ukraine’s government has accused the Russian military of abducting another mayor in an area that it has captured.

Yevhen Matveyev was seized in the southern town of Dniprorudne, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted, accusing Russia of “terror” tactics.

Earlier, Russia installed a new mayor in Melitopol, after allegedly abducting the city’s previous incumbent.

Ukraine’s president also accused Russia of trying to create “pseudo-republics” to break his country apart.

‘New reality’

In her first public appearance, Melitopol’s newly installed mayor Galina Danilchenko urged residents not to take part in “extremist actions” and declared her main task was construction of “basic mechanisms under the new reality”.

Hundreds of people took part in a protest outside the city hall on Saturday to demand the release of previous incumbent Ivan Fedorov, who had refused to co-operate with Russian troops since they took the city on the third day of the invasion.

Mr Fedorov was last seen on Friday evening being dragged away from the city’s crisis centre by several armed men with a bag over his head.

Ukrainian officials shared a video of the incident and said the armed men were Russian soldiers.

“We are not co-operating with the Russians in any way,” Mr Fedorov had told the BBC earlier in the week. “They have not tried to help us, they cannot help us, and we do not want their help.”

Russian authorities have not commented on his disappearance, but the prosecutor’s office of the Russian-backed breakaway eastern Ukrainian region of Luhansk has reportedly accused him of “terrorist activities”.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has demanded Mr Fedorov’s immediate release and asked the leaders of Israel, Germany and France to put pressure on Russia to free him.

In his latest video address on Saturday night, Mr Zelensky said Russia was to create “pseudo-republics” in Ukraine.

He praised those refusing to collaborate in the Russian-controlled Kherson region.

The council there had earlier adopted a resolution reaffirming that it “has been, is and will be an inalienable part of the united state of Ukraine” in response to what it said was a Russian plan to stage a referendum on the creation of a “people’s republic”.

Mr Zelensky also warned “certain figures” of dire personal consequences of any collaboration – an apparent reference to Ms Danilchenko.

 

Ukraine war: ‘Sky turned red’ as missiles hit Lviv military base

At least 35 people died in the strike on the Yavoriv training base, near a major crossing point into Poland used by refugees from the conflict.

Russia fired around 30 cruise missiles at the facility, outside the city of Lviv, early on Sunday, the local governor told the BBC.

Most were intercepted, though, he said.

But several hours after the attack, ambulances were still rushing to the scene, and the authorities were conducting search-and-rescue operations.

Video of the aftermath of the attack posted online and verified by the BBC showed a huge crater at the site and a massive fire at a small building nearby.

Dukhnych Vitalii, a 19-year-old student who lives in a nearby apartment complex, said “the night sky turned red” as the missile struck.

“We woke up when we heard the explosion,” he said. “It looked scary.”

His 25-year-old cousin was training at the centre, the teenager said, and his family had yet not managed to contact him.

The base, also known as the International Peacekeeping and Security Center, has previously been used for military training of Ukrainian troops, often with instructors from the US and other Nato countries. It was not immediately clear whether foreign instructions were at the centre when it was hit.

This attack is significant because the centre, one of Ukraine’s largest military facilities, is located just 25km (15 miles) from Poland, a Nato member.

The border with Poland is a vital route for refugees, but also for weapons being sent by countries in the military alliance – which have included anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles.

So far, Nato has rejected a Ukrainian request to establish a no-fly zone over Ukraine, saying this would trigger a wider conflict with Russia.

It is also the first major attack in western Ukraine since Russia launched its invasion of the country, on 24 February. The region has become a hub for millions of people escaping the war in other areas of the country. Around 2.6 million have left Ukraine so far.

Hours earlier, Sergei Ryabkov, the Russian deputy foreign minister, said Moscow had warned the US that “pumping weapons from a number of countries it orchestrates isn’t just a dangerous move, it’s an action that makes those convoys legitimate targets”.

Speaking to the BBC, the mayor of Lviv, Andriy Sadovyy, said it was necessary to “close the sky” to prevent Russia from carrying out aerial strikes.

“Europeans, understand this situation: it’s easy to talk and drink coffee and say they’re deeply concerned… but every hour the skies are not closed, the Russians are killing civilians and children,” he said.

“We need closed sky. We need decision today. We need bullet-proof vests today, not tomorrow. Tomorrow Russian missiles [will] end up in the European Union.”

The cost of fixing potholes on Scotland’s roads is claimed to be almost £1.7bn.

Figures were obtained from local authorities via a freedom of information request and suggest council repair backlogs run into hundreds of millions of pounds.

The data suggests it would take £1.68bn of taxpayers’ money to bring Scottish roads up to scratch.

Labour has accused the Scottish government of leaving roads to crumble.

Dumfries and Galloway Council had the highest repair bill backlog, with a bill of just over £217m.

According to the data, Highland Council had a backlog worth more than £194m, and Argyll and Bute Council had one worth £112m.

Six local authorities did not reveal the extent of their road repair backlog, including East Lothian, Renfrewshire, and Aberdeen City.

The City of Edinburgh Council had a repair backlog worth just over £77m, according to the data, while Glasgow City Council had one worth £96m.

Neil Bibby, Scottish Labour’s transport spokesman, said the “astonishing figures lay bare the dire state of disrepair Scotland’s roads are in after years of neglect”.

But the Scottish government said local government funding was up, and that maintenance of local roads was the responsibility of councils.

Mr Bibby, MSP for West of Scotland, said the Scottish government had “cut funding to the bone, leaving roads to crumble and taxpayers to pick up the bill”.

“Our pothole-ridden roads are a daily reminder of how badly the SNP have let down communities all around us,” he said.

“Now the Greens and the SNP have teamed up to hit councils with another year of brutal cuts things are only set to get worse.

“The SNP must stop burying their heads in the sand about this and show some leadership dealing with the mess they created.”

‘Treating councils fairly’

A Scottish government spokesman said that “despite continued economic uncertainty facing us all due to the pandemic, we are treating councils fairly and providing a real terms increase of 6.3% to local authority budgets for the coming year – despite cuts to Scotland’s overall budget by the UK government”.

“The budget provides local government revenue funding amounting to almost £12.7bn – a cash increase of almost £1bn and a real terms increase of £681.8m. In addition, councils will receive a fair share of a further £93.9m which is currently undistributed,” the spokesman said.

He added that maintenance of the local road network was the responsibility of local authorities and it was the responsibility of individual councils to manage their own budgets and to allocate the total financial resources available to them on the basis of local needs and priorities.

Michael Gove has said no-one raised security issues with him about Lord Lebedev after reports security services had long-held concerns about him.

The Sunday Times claimed the head of MI6 was worried about the Russian-born businessman, and concerns were raised with Boris Johnson in 2020.

But the PM has denied he intervened to ensure Lord Lebedev’s peerage.

Housing Secretary Mr Gove told the BBC the process for appointing peers was “rigorous”.

He said he had dinner with Lord Lebedev at Boris Johnson’s house before the Brexit referendum, but did not know of any possible security concerns.

But Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the PM had “serious questions to answer” about the appointment, and has asked the House of Lords Appointment Commission to release the vetting advice they gave to Mr Johnson.

And speaking at his party’s spring conference, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey called for a full public inquiry into the PM’s decision to give Lord Lebedev a peerage.

He told party members: “The cosy relationship between Putin’s oligarchs and the Conservative political elite has been the dirty secret of the British establishment for far too long.”

Lord Lebedev was given his peerage in July 2020.

He has denied posing a “security risk” to the UK, writing an article in the Evening Standard newspaper – which he owns – saying: “I am not some agent of Russia.”

The son of billionaire Russian banker and former KGB officer Alexander Lebedev, who moved to the UK as a child, has condemned President’s Putin’s actions in his newspaper, writing: “I plead with you to stop Russians killing their Ukrainian brothers and sisters.”

And he has warned it is “crucial we do not descend into Russophobia” during the war in Ukraine.

Asked on the BBC’s Sunday Morning programme about the reports, Levelling Up Secretary Mr Gove said he was “not aware of any of the concerns that had been expressed until they appeared in the newspapers”.

He added: “Of course there are questions that are going to be asked, but no one has ever said to me that there are any specific security concerns that they have about Lord Lebedev.”

The government minister also pointed to the fact Lord Lebedev was a British citizen, adding: “I think it is important to draw a distinction between Evgeny Lebedev’s father, who obviously… worked for the KGB, and Lord Lebedev himself, who is someone who has made his home in this country.

“There is a distinction to be drawn between the actions of parents and the actions of children.”

But Labour leader Sir Keir has written to the chair of House of Lords Appointment Commission, Lord Bew, asking for vetting information to be made public, and for him to “commit to a review of the propriety of Lord Lebedev’s place in the House of Lords”.

Speaking to Sky News’ Sophy Ridge, he said: “I think the prime minister has got serious questions to answer. What did he know? And did he override security advice?

“Let’s have a process to look into what actually happened, what did the prime minister know and what did he do in response to that. I think that is the least we are entitled to in relation to this appointment.”

Newspaper claims

An article in the Sunday Times last week claimed security services withdrew their assessment that giving the honour to Lord Lebedev posed a security risk after the PM got involved.

The newspaper said that in March 2020, the commission that vets peerage appointments advised the prime minister against granting the newspaper owner a seat in the House of Lords, due to security concerns.

But Mr Johnson, who ultimately decides who gets a peerage, is said to have responded to the advice by claiming it was “anti-Russianism”.

The PM denied the report, saying it would “obviously be extraordinary” if he had intervened, “but that’s not the case”.

But in another Sunday Times article, the newspaper claimed the head of MI6 had held concerns about the businessman for as long as a decade.

Households in the UK will be offered £350 a month to open their homes to people fleeing the war in Ukraine.

Housing Secretary Michael Gove told the BBC tens of thousands of people could come to the UK under the scheme and he may offer a room to a refugee.

But the Refugee Council is concerned about the level of support for those traumatised by war.

Labour said there were unanswered questions, accusing the government of “dragging its feet” over the crisis.

Under the Homes for Ukraine scheme, people will be able to nominate a named individual or a family to stay with them rent-free, or in another property, for at least six months. A website to express an interest in being a sponsor will launch on Monday.

Mr Gove also told the BBC’s Sunday Morning programme the government was looking at using the properties of Russian oligarchs sanctioned by the UK for “humanitarian purposes” but there was “quite a high legal bar” and this measure would lapse as sanctions ended.

Local authorities will also receive £10,500 in extra funding per refugee for support services – with more for children of school age, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said.

More than 2.5 million people have so far fled Ukraine because of Russia’s invasion, in what the UN has called the fastest-growing refugee crisis since World War Two.

The government has faced criticism – including from its own MPs – over the speed and scale of its response.

Defending the government’s response, Mr Gove told the BBC the number of Ukrainians fleeing the war who had been granted visas had now risen to 3,000.

At the moment, only those fleeing the conflict who have family connections in the UK are able to make an application via the Ukraine Family Scheme. Other visas are available but application centres in Ukraine are closed.

Under the new scheme sponsors in the UK will not be required to know the refugees in advance and there will be no limit on numbers. Ukrainians on the scheme will be given leave to remain for three years, with the right to work and access public services.

Mr Gove told the BBC that he anticipated “tens of thousands” of Ukrainians might be taken in by UK families and he hoped people fleeing the war would be able to benefit from the scheme “within a week”.

Applications would be made online, with both sponsors being vetted and refugees having to go through security checks. The sponsor would get a “thank you” payment of £350 a month.

He said: “It’s the fastest way we can get people out of danger and into the United Kingdom.”

Asked if he would take a Ukrainian refugee into his home, Mr Gove said: “Yes,” and that he was “exploring what I can do”.

“Without going into my personal circumstances, there are a couple of things I need to sort out – but yes,” he added.

In a later phase of the scheme, organisations such as charities and churches will also be able to sponsor refugees, though there is no start date for this yet.

Two weeks since it was announced, we now have some details of the scheme allowing people to host refugees in their homes.

The idea is a simple one, but the practicalities of matching those fleeing Russia’s invasion with willing households in the UK won’t be easy.

Aiming to place people with hosts within a fortnight is ambitious and the system is untested.

Ministers are keen to avoid using hotels or other temporary accommodation used by Afghans last year, and are adamant that security checks should stay in place on those fleeing Ukraine.

But for some Conservative MPs, let alone Labour and other opposition parties, the government’s response has fallen short.

And it’s no accident that Michael Gove – and not the Home Secretary Priti Patel – is fronting the latest efforts to smooth out and speed up the process of settling people in the UK.

What ministers have described as a cross-government approach has looked at times like inter-departmental wrangling over who’s best placed to get things done.

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