While joint US-Korean military drills were scaled down in the last couple of years, now they have returned in their past size as tens of thousands of soldiers train for a potential invasion of South Korea until 1 September. The drills are a show of force not only to Pyongyang, but to Beijing, too.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine forced most NATO members to reckon with the poor shape of their military and left them searching for quick fixes. Countless procurement programmes have been signed for new weaponry, but we’re still short of manpower. Compulsory service, perhaps even for women, may prove to be the only answer.
The story of Zadravecz’s controversial years well illustrates the fascinating internal debates and lively public life of the early Horthy period, as well as the divisions between Christian churches in a period which desperately called for Christian unity.
Upgrading the Hungarian military industry means that “Hungarians give Hungarian weapons to Hungarian soldiers”.
Is the Ayatollah regime willing to change under societal pressure? Will Iran strike a deal on its nuclear programme with the US? Does it have the capacity for a blitzkrieg? We interviewed the Executive Vice President of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft at the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs’ Budapest Global Dialogue on the ongoing turbulences in Iran.
‘Is Donald Trump really weakening Europe? Or is it the fact that we have admitted millions of people whom we are unable to integrate? Over a 50–100-year horizon, this will fundamentally reshape our societies.’
The EU is the first jurisdiction to introduce a carbon border adjustment mechanism to prevent carbon leakage from production moving to countries with looser emissions rules. While it could advance the Paris Agreement’s goals, it also raises trade tensions—especially in the already complex EU–US relationship.
‘Eventually, a compromise was reached, and Kyiv was authorized to procure weapons from outside the bloc…In exchange for the purchases, these non-EU countries are required to participate in the cost of the loan. Brussels will negotiate the exact level of “fair and proportionate” contributions with each partner country individually.’
Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said a Brussels–Kyiv alliance is seeking to remove Hungary’s national government as an obstacle to fast-tracking Ukraine’s EU accession, arguing that political change in Budapest is central to the plan.
‘The rules-based international order fragmenting, uncertainty growing, and conflicts multiplying around the world, this year’s conference is taking place at a fundamental turning point.’