German Chancellor Olaf Scholz challenged the US to resist the temptation to meddle in next week's elections, in a speech on Saturday that sought to pick up the pieces from a broadside against Europe from US Vice President JD Vance.
Not only did Mr Vance use the Munich Security Conference to condemn European mass migration, he also met Alice Weidel, co-leader of the far-right and anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany party, nine days before a German election. US President Donald Trump called the speech brilliant and said he agreed with it even as it was reverberating across the European leadership.
“We will not accept outsiders interfering in our democracy, in our elections and in the democratic opinion-forming process in favour of this party,” Mr Scholz said on Saturday in Munich. “That’s just not done, certainly not amongst friends and allies. We resolutely reject this.
Watch: US Vice President JD Vance warns against silencing dissent
“Where our democracy goes from here is for us to decide.”
Mr Scholz and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy led the list of speakers on the second day of the annual security forum. “There will only be peace if Ukraine's sovereignty is secured,” Mr Scholz said. “A dictated peace will therefore never find our support.
“We will also not accept any solution that leads to a decoupling of European and American security. Only one person would benefit from this: President Putin.”
Mr Zelenskyy hit out at Mr Trump's trust in talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, predicting a betrayal would lead to the US leader standing in Red Square in May to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. Mr Zelenskyy said not allowing his country into the Brussels-headquartered Nato was a first-order mistake.
“If not Brussels, then Moscow, that's your decision,” he said. “I will not take Nato membership off the table but right now the most powerful member of Nato is Putin because he is able to veto at his whim.”
Mr Zelenskyy wants a seat at the table, a demand that is backed up by the Europeans. Later this month marks the third anniversary of the war caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Mr Zelenskyy said that his country wants security guarantees before any talks with Russia. Meeting Mr Vance in Munich, Mr Zelenskyy also said he would only meet Mr Putin after a common plan is negotiated with Mr Trump.
Mr Vance's broadside against European allies over the rise of immigration and the lack of space for extremist politicians questioned their democracies and raised questions about Washington's commitment to the region's defence.
“The threat that I worry the most about vis-a-vis Europe is not Russia. It's not China. It's not any other external actor,” Mr Vance said on Friday. “What I worry about is the threat from within – the retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values, values shared with the United States of America.”
The future course of Ukraine's war against Russian's invasion has preoccupied delegates at the conference days after Mr Trump spoke by phone with Mr Putin to set up peace talks. The two leaders plan to meet to negotiate a peace deal in the months ahead.
Facing a general election next week that is likely to see a new chancellor take over, Mr Scholz added higher defence spending in Germany and Europe is necessary and the country's debt rules need an overhaul for that. “Anyone who claims that this can be saved by making a small cut here or there from the current budget is not telling the citizens the truth.”
Munich Security Conference – in pictures
ICC T20 Team of 2021
Jos Buttler, Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam, Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, David Miller, Tabraiz Shamsi, Josh Hazlewood, Wanindu Hasaranga, Mustafizur Rahman, Shaheen Afridi
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Champions parade (UAE timings)
7pm Gates open
8pm Deansgate stage showing starts
9pm Parade starts at Manchester Cathedral
9.45pm Parade ends at Peter Street
10pm City players on stage
11pm event ends
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Generation Start-up: Awok company profile
Started: 2013
Founder: Ulugbek Yuldashev
Sector: e-commerce
Size: 600 plus
Stage: still in talks with VCs
Principal Investors: self-financed by founder
The biog
Favourite hobby: I love to sing but I don’t get to sing as much nowadays sadly.
Favourite book: Anything by Sidney Sheldon.
Favourite movie: The Exorcist 2. It is a big thing in our family to sit around together and watch horror movies, I love watching them.
Favourite holiday destination: The favourite place I have been to is Florence, it is a beautiful city. My dream though has always been to visit Cyprus, I really want to go there.
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh1,100,000 (est)
Engine 5.2-litre V10
Gearbox seven-speed dual clutch
Power 630bhp @ 8,000rpm
Torque 600Nm @ 6,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined 15.7L / 100km (est)
UAE%20medallists%20at%20Asian%20Games%202023
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
