European security policy

Germany wants to strengthen its cyber defense with Israel

German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt wants the country to start a new cooperation with Israel on cyber defense, writes the German Bild. Dobrindt met his Israeli counterpart Gideon Saar during a visit outside Tel Aviv on Sunday.

– In these times, military defense alone is not enough to strengthen security, the German minister told the newspaper.

He wants to see, among other things, a joint research center and increased cooperation between the countries' intelligence services.

Ukraine also wants to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj approves that the country withdraws from the Ottawa Convention, a UN treaty that prohibits countries from using landmines. This is reported by the Ukrainian public service company Suspilne.

All European countries bordering Russia have withdrawn from the treaty. Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Finland all refer to the security threat from the east in their decisions.

The Ukrainian parliament must approve the decision for the country to leave the Ottawa Convention.

Lithuania removes ban on landmines: “Russia an existential threat”

Lithuania is leaving the treaty that bans the use of landmines, the country’s Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys announced on Friday. In a statement, he stated that the decision was made because of Russia’s war in Ukraine.

“Putin’s Russia is the greatest long-term existential threat to Europe,” Budrys wrote, emphasizing that Lithuania must take all necessary measures to protect the country and NATO territory.

According to the Lithuanian newspaper Lrytas, Latvia and Estonia have also informed the UN that the countries intend to leave the treaty. In early April, Finland announced that it had made the same decision.