LONDON — Green Party leader Zack Polanski is open to forming a discrete non-aggression pact with Labour in order to stop right-winger Nigel Farage from ever entering Downing Street, according to two senior Green officials. Polanski, the leader of the “eco-populist” outfit that is helping squeeze the incumbent Labour government’s progressive vote, has been keen to make the case that his radical politics can halt Farage — whose insurgent Reform UK is riding high in the polls — in his tracks. But the recently elected party chief, who has overseen a big boost to Green polling with his punchy defenses of leftist causes on social media and television, has told allies he “couldn’t live with myself” if he contributed to Farage’s victory, according to a second senior Green official, granted anonymity like others in this piece to speak about internal thinking. Such a move would stop short of a formal Green-Labour deal, instead tapping into tactical voting. Green officials are discussing the prospect of informal, local prioritizations of resources so the best-placed progressive challenger can win, as seen in elections past with Labour and the centrist Liberal Democrats. At the same time, Green advisers are keen to lean into the deep divisions within Labour about whether Starmer should be replaced with another leader to prevent electoral oblivion. Starmer appears deeply unpopular with Green supporters. One YouGov study has him rated just as unfavorably as Conservative chief Badenoch with backers of Polanski’s party. The first Green official argued there is “no advantage in working electorally with Labour under Starmer.” Instead, they’re eyeing up — even expecting — a change in Labour leadership. Polanski has talked up Andy Burnham, the Greater Manchester Labour mayor who is seen as one potential challenger to Starmer.  LABOUR: WE ARE NOT EVEN THINKING ABOUT THAT As the party in power, Labour — which has ramped up its attacks on the Greens in recent weeks — is keen to tamp down talk of working together. Asked about the Greens, a senior U.K. government adviser said: “We are not even thinking about that. We need to focus on being a viable government.”  They expect Polanski’s polling to plummet once there’s more scrutiny of his politics, including his criticism of NATO, as well as his more colorful comments. Back in 2013, as a hypnotherapist, Polanski suggested to a reporter he could enlarge breasts with his mind. “The hypnotist thing goes down in focus groups like a bucket of cold sick,” the government adviser added. There’s skepticism that a non-aggression deal could work anyway, not least because the Greens will be vying for the kind of urban heartlands Labour can’t afford to back down from. Neither party “has an incentive to go soft on one another,” as a result, Luke Tryl, a director at the More in Common think tank, said. “I really doubt they’re going to forgo taking more seats off us in London or Bristol in the greater interest of the left,” said a Labour MP with a keen eye on the polling. “They’re trying to replace us — they’re not trying to be our little friends.” The Labour MP instead argued that voters typically make their minds up in the lead-up to elections as to how best to stop a certain outcome, whether that’s due to past polling or activities on the ground. Zack Polanski has been keen to make the case that his radical politics can halt Nigel Farage — whose insurgent Reform UK is riding high in the polls — in his tracks. | Lesley Martin/Getty Images That can well work against Labour, as seen in the Caerphilly by-election in October. The constituency of the devolved Welsh administration had been Labour since its inception in 1999 — but no more. Voters determined to stop Farage decided it was the center-left Welsh nationalists of Plaid Cymru that represented the best party to coalesce around. Reform’s success was thwarted — but Labour’s vote plummeted in what were once party heartlands.  “There’s no doubt the Greens risk doing to Labour what Farage did to the Conservatives,” said Tryl of More in Common, who pointed out that the Greens may not even win many seats as a result of the fracturing (party officials internally speak of winning only 50 MPs as being a huge ask).   “Labour’s hope instead will have to be that enough disgruntled progressives hold their nose and opt for PM Starmer over the threat of PM Farage.” Labour and the Greens are not the only parties dealing with talk of a pact, despite a likely four-year wait for Britain’s next general election. Ever since 1918, it’s been either the Conservatives or Labour who’ve formed the British government, with Westminster’s first-past-the-post, winner-takes-all system across 650 constituencies meaning new parties rarely get a look in. But the general election in July last year suggested this could be coming apart. Farage has already been forced to deny a report that he views an electoral deal with establishment Conservatives as the “inevitable” route to power. His stated aim is to replace the right-wing party entirely. Conservative Leader Kemi Badenoch is publicly pretty firm that she won’t buddy up with Reform either. “I am the custodian of an institution that has existed for nigh on 200 years,” she said in February. “I can’t just treat it like it’s a toy and have pacts and mergers.” Robert Jenrick, the right-winger who’s widely tipped as her successor, has been more circumspect, however. That appears to be focusing minds on the left. Farage may be polling the highest — but there’s still a significant portion of the public horrified by the prospect of him entering No.10. A YouGov study on tactical voting suggested that Labour would be able to count on a boost in support from Liberal Democrat and Green voters to stave off the threat of Farage. Outwardly, Polanski is a vocal critic of Labour under Starmer and wants to usurp the party as the main vehicle for left-wing politics. The Green leader is aiming to win over not just progressives, but also disenchanted Reform-leaning voters, with his support for wider public ownership, higher taxes on the wealthy, and opposition to controversial measures like scaling back jury trials and introducing mandatory digital IDs. But privately, Polanski is more open to doing deals because in his mind, “at the general election, stopping Farage is the most important objective,” as the first senior Green adviser put it. “We expect to be the main challengers to Reform, but of course we are open to discussing what options exist to help in that central mission of stopping Farage,” they said.

BERLIN — U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to restore “European greatness” by bolstering the continent’s nationalist parties is already being put into action. Trump administration officials and European far-right leaders from Paris to Washington have taken part in a flurry of meetings in the days since the release of the U.S. National Security Strategy, underscoring that the U.S. president’s desire to bolster “patriotic European parties” is not an abstract vision but rather a manual for change that is being pursued from the ground up. Last week, U.S. Under Secretary of State Sarah Rogers met with far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party politician Markus Frohnmaier in Washington. Frohnmaier said the two discussed the recently released National Security Strategy, which asserted that Europe faces “civilizational erasure” due to migration and the loss of national identity, a message that AfD politicians embrace. “Washington is looking for a strong German partner who is willing to take on responsibility,” Frohnmaier wrote in an online post following the meeting. “Germany should re-establish itself as a capable leading power through a decisive shift in migration policy and the independent organization of European security.” Frohnmaier was one of about 20 AfD politicians who travelled to Washington and New York last week to meet with sympathizers and Trump administration officials. AfD leaders have increasingly sought to forge links with MAGA Republicans, viewing the Trump administration’s backing as a way to secure domestic legitimacy and end their political ostracization. Frohnmaier, the deputy chair of the AfD’s parliamentary group, was also an “honored guest” at the annual gala of the the New York Young Republican Club on Saturday. The New York City-based group has openly backed the AfD, declaring “AfD über alles” (AfD above all) — an adaptation of a nationalist phrase associated with Germany’s Nazi past. “The alliance between American and German patriots is the nightmare of the liberal elites, and it is the hope of the free world,” Frohnmaier said in a speech during the event. The recent meetings are a continuation of ongoing outreach efforts between Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement and ideologically aligned European parties. British Reform leader Nigel Farage, a longtime Trump ally, stopped off at the Oval Office during a U.S. visit in September. In November Trump political adviser Alex Brusewitz met with AfD leaders in Berlin, where he proclaimed that the MAGA movement in the U.S. had common cause with the German party. AfD leaders have increasingly sought to forge links with MAGA Republicans. | Jan-Philipp Strobel/Getty Images Trump has also long expressed support for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, although he told POLITICO’s Dasha Burns in an interview last week for a special edition of “The Conversation” that he had not promised an Argentina-style bailout to boost Orbán’s election chances next year. In Paris, U.S. Ambassador to France Charles Kushner met with French far-right leaders Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella days after the publication of the Trump administration’s National Security Strategy. Kushner said he “appreciated the chance” to learn about the far-right leaders’ “economic and social agenda and their views on what lies ahead for France.” As the father of Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and diplomatic adviser, the elder Kushner has a direct line to the White House. In his POLITICO interview last week Trump said he could move to endorse political candidates aligned with his own vision for Europe. Kushner has also met the heads of at least two other French parties in recent weeks, but a spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy in France suggested the meetings weren’t part of a coordinated effort to support the far right in Europe: “As a matter of standard practice, the U.S. Mission in France engages regularly with a broad range of political parties and leaders, and we will continue to do so.” Yet unlike Germany’s AfD leaders, Le Pen and Bardella — as well as other politicians in their far-right National Rally — have been reluctant to fully embrace Trump given his unpopularity in France, even among many members of their own party. As for the AfD, its outreach to willing partners in the U.S. is set to continue. Frohnmaier said he would invite U.S. lawmakers to a Berlin congress in February aimed at deepening ties with MAGA Republicans. Pauline von Pezold contributed to this report.

A fair, fast and competitive transition begins with what already works and then rapidly scales it up.  Across the EU commercial road transport sector, the diversity of operations is met with a diversity of solutions. Urban taxis are switching to electric en masse. Many regional coaches run on advanced biofuels, with electrification emerging in smaller applications such as school services, as European e-coach technologies are still maturing and only now beginning to enter the market. Trucks electrify rapidly where operationally and financially possible, while others, including long-haul and other hard-to-electrify segments, operate at scale on HVO (hydrotreated vegetable oil) or biomethane, cutting emissions immediately and reliably. These are real choices made every day by operators facing different missions, distances, terrains and energy realities, showing that decarbonization is not a single pathway but a spectrum of viable ones.  Building on this diversity, many operators are already modernizing their fleets and cutting emissions through electrification. When they can control charging, routing and energy supply, electric vehicles often deliver a positive total cost of ownership (TCO), strong reliability and operational benefits. These early adopters prove that electrification works where the enabling conditions are in place, and that its potential can expand dramatically with the right support. > Decarbonization is not a single pathway but a spectrum of viable ones chosen > daily by operators facing real-world conditions. But scaling electrification faces structural bottlenecks. Grid capacity is constrained across the EU, and upgrades routinely take years. As most heavy-duty vehicle charging will occur at depots, operators cannot simply move around to look for grid opportunities. They are bound to the location of their facilities.  The recently published grid package tries, albeit timidly, to address some of these challenges, but it neither resolves the core capacity deficiencies nor fixes the fundamental conditions that determine a positive TCO: the predictability of electricity prices, the stability of delivered power, and the resulting charging time. A truck expected to recharge in one hour at a high-power station may wait far longer if available grid power drops. Without reliable timelines, predictable costs and sufficient depot capacity, most transport operators cannot make long-term investment decisions. And the grid is only part of the enabling conditions needed: depot charging infrastructure itself requires significant additional investment, on top of vehicles that already cost several hundreds of thousands of euros more than their diesel equivalents.  This is why the EU needs two things at once: strong enablers for electrification and hydrogen; and predictability on what the EU actually recognizes as clean. Operators using renewable fuels, from biomethane to advanced biofuels and HVO, delivering up to 90 percent CO2 reduction, are cutting emissions today. Yet current CO2 frameworks, for both light-duty vehicles and heavy-duty trucks, fail to recognize fleets running on these fuels as part of the EU’s decarbonization solution for road transport, even when they deliver immediate, measurable climate benefits. This lack of clarity limits investment and slows additional emission reductions that could happen today. > Policies that punish before enabling will not accelerate the transition; a > successful shift must empower operators, not constrain them. The revision of both CO2 standards, for cars and vans, and for heavy-duty vehicles, will therefore be pivotal. They must support electrification and hydrogen where they fit the mission, while also recognizing the contribution of renewable and low-carbon fuels across the fleet. Regulations that exclude proven clean options will not accelerate the transition. They will restrict it.  With this in mind, the question is: why would the EU consider imposing purchasing mandates on operators or excessively high emission-reduction targets on member states that would, in practice, force quotas on buyers? Such measures would punish before enabling, removing choice from those who know their operations best. A successful transition must empower operators, not constrain them.  The EU’s transport sector is committed and already delivering. With the right enablers, a technology-neutral framework, and clarity on what counts as clean, the EU can turn today’s early successes into a scalable, fair and competitive decarbonization pathway.  We now look with great interest to the upcoming Automotive Package, hoping to see pragmatic solutions to these pressing questions, solutions that EU transport operators, as the buyers and daily users of all these technologies, are keenly expecting. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Disclaimer POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENT * The sponsor is IRU – International Road Transport Union  * The ultimate controlling entity is IRU – International Road Transport Union  More information here.

Two U.S. Army soldiers and one U.S. civilian interpreter were killed while three service members were left wounded in an ambush attack on Saturday in Palmyra, Syria, U.S. officials confirmed. Sean Parnell, the Pentagon spokesperson, confirmed the news on X Saturday morning, saying the two soldiers “were conducting a key leader engagement” and that their mission in the city was “in support of on-going counter-ISIS / counter-terrorism operations in the region. In a press release, U.S. Central Command said the attack was carried out by a “lone ISIS gunman” who was “engaged and killed.” President Donald Trump on Saturday said that in light of the attack, which he framed as an assault on both the U.S. and Syria, there will be “serious retaliation.” The president also said the soldiers were killed “in a very dangerous part of Syria, that is not fully controlled by them.” A Pentagon official said that Saturday’s attack took place in an area where current Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa does not have control. As of April, the U.S. had about 2,000 troops stationed in Syria involved in advisory, training, and counter-ISIS missions. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth confirmed that the person who perpetrated the attack had been killed. “Let it be known, if you target Americans — anywhere in the world — you will spend the rest of your brief, anxious life knowing the United States will hunt you, find you, and ruthlessly kill you,” Hegseth added in his post on X. The Kurdish-led and U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces also weighed in on X, saying, “We express our regret for the injury of a number of public security personnel and U.S. soldiers following their exposure to gunfire in the Syrian Badia while performing their duties,” according to a translation of the post from Arabic. The U.S. first deployed to Syria during the Obama administration as part of the Operation Inherent Resolve coalition to fight ISIS. After ISIS lost almost all territorial control by 2019, the U.S. did not fully withdraw but kept a smaller contingent of troops in the Middle Eastern nation to prevent the group’s resurgence. In 2024, the longstanding government of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad fell, and a new transitional Syrian government formed with U.S. encouragement. Parnell, in his statement, said the soldiers’ names, as well as identifying information about their units, are being withheld for 24 hours after the next of kin notification. He also said an active investigation is underway.

Germany is sending soldiers to strengthen Poland’s eastern border with Belarus and Russia, multiple media reported on Saturday. Several dozen German soldiers will join Poland’s East Shield from April 2026, with the mission initially running until the end of 2027, Deutsche Welle reported, citing Berlin’s defense ministry. German troops will focus on engineering work, according to a ministry spokesperson quoted in the report. The spokesperson described this as building positions, digging trenches, laying barbed wire and constructing anti-tank obstacles. The East Shield is a €2.3 billion program announced by Warsaw last year to bolster security along its eastern border.

MONS, Belgium — Fewer American troops in Europe will not strain the continent’s defenses, said NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, brushing off unease around U.S. commitment to the alliance. “I am confident in the capabilities” of Europe and Canada, the four-star U.S. general said at the alliance’s sprawling military operational command in southern Belgium. “We’re ready today to meet any crisis or contingency.” Grynkewich’s comments come amid concerns around an anticipated pullback ofAmerican troops from Europe resulting from President Donald Trump’s upcoming defense strategy. The so-called posture review is widely expected to involve a redeployment of U.S. forces from Europe to the Indo-Pacific. That shift has already begun, with the U.S. pulling 800 troops out of Romania last month — a decision Bucharest called on Washington to overturn. The worry about a reduction in the 85,000 U.S. troops in Europe also reflects a broader debate around Washington’s commitment to the alliance under Trump. Trump has praised the promise by NATO allies to ramp up defense spending to 5 percent of GDP by 2035 but previously questioned the alliance’s collective defense pledge, equivocated over a recent Russian drone incursion into Poland, and repeatedly pressured European allies to step up.  Earlier this year, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said: “Now [Russian President Vladimir] Putin has started making incursions into the NATO borders. The one thing I can tell you is the U.S. is not going to get involved with troops or any of that.” Alexus G. Grynkewich insisted that any political tensions related to peace talks have had “no impact … in terms of the ability to accomplish our mission from a NATO perspective.” | Wohlfart/Getty Images European leaders are privately worried about a Trump-backed effort to end the war in Ukraine that some see as currently favoring Russia, with French President Emmanuel Macron reportedly warning in a leaked call that the U.S. could be about to “betray” Ukraine. That tumultuous relationship was on display again this week after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio skipped a meeting of NATO foreign ministers — something that has almost never happened since NATO’s founding in 1949. Meanwhile, his deputy berated allies in a closed-door meeting for prioritizing their own arms industries instead of continuing to spend on U.S. kit. Almost two-thirds of European defense spending goes to the U.S., but the EU is trying to change that with programs aimed at boosting local production. In private some European allies are worried about the U.S., but in public they insist that NATO is still a force to be reckoned with. “All the processes of NATO are functioning flawlessly,” Polish Deputy Defense Minister Paweł Zalewski told POLITICO. “In a practical sense, the Americans are fulfilling their obligations very well.” NEW NORMAL Grynkewich insisted that any political tensions related to peace talks have had “no impact … in terms of the ability to accomplish our mission from a NATO perspective.” Vows by the allies to ramp up their defense spending, he added, means NATO will “be more ready tomorrow and we’ll be more ready the day after that” to stand up to Russia and respond to any further troop withdrawals. Last month the U.S. ambassador to NATO, Matthew Whitaker, raised eyebrows when he said he “look[ed] forward to the day when Germany … says that ‘we’re ready to take over the Supreme Allied Commander position,’” in a yet another example of Washington’s push for European allies to do more while the U.S. hints it could step back.  The Trump administration reportedly mulled not appointing an American general as Supreme Allied Commander Europe earlier this year, before nominating Grynkewich. The SACEUR has always been a U.S. officer as the post commands all allied troops in Europe and oversees the American nuclear deterrent on the continent. “There’s always rebalancing amongst the positions that different nations fill across the alliance,” Grynkewich said, adding that “it’s natural that some of that will happen … over the course of the next several months [and] several years.” That tumultuous relationship was on display again this week after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio skipped a meeting of NATO foreign ministers. | Win McNamee/Getty Images “As far as who holds the SACEUR position,” he told reporters, “I’d rather just leave it to politicians to make those judgments.” Europe’s disquiet over the reliability of its alliance with the U.S. comes as the full-scale war in Ukraine nears its fourth year, intelligence assessments warn of Russia being ready for an attack on a NATO country by the end of the decade, and Russian-linked hybrid attacks ramp up across the continent. Putin said this week he was “ready” for war with Europe. Grynkewich said he had “concern” that Russia may test NATO’s collective defense in the “near term” — as well as in the “mid term and in clearly [the] long term.”  Russia’s hybrid attacks are a “real issue,” the air force pilot said, and echoed a call by several European capitals to respond more forcefully to hybrid activities. “We also do think about being proactive,” he said, declining to give further details. “If Russia is attempting to provide dilemmas to us, then maybe there are ways that we could provide dilemmas to them.” Jan Cienski contributed reporting.

Listen on * Spotify * Apple Music * Amazon Music Der Druck auf Friedrich Merz wächst, seine Koalition kämpft mit internen Reibungen und verlorener Autorität. Bei der heutigen Ministerpräsidentenkonferenz aber trifft der Kanzler auf einen CDU-Parteifreund, der ist ungleich erfolgreicher als er. Hendrik Wüst gilt in der Union als derjenige, der Stabilität verkörpert und Macht ausübt, ohne dass es laut wird. Gordon Repinski erklärt, warum die CDU in Nordrhein-Westfalen gerade als positives Gegenmodell wahrgenommen wird und wie Wüst im Schatten des Kanzlers zu einer möglichen Option für die fernere Zukunft wird. Im internationalen Teil geht es um die erfolglosen Gespräche zwischen Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner und Wladimir Putin. Die Mission der beiden US-Sondergesandten hat keinen Fortschritt gebracht. Jonathan Martin in Washington beschreibt, warum wirtschaftlich motivierte Ansätze scheitern und weshalb nur erfahrene Diplomaten echte Bewegung in den Ukraine-Konflikt bringen könnten. Im 200-Sekunden-Interview spricht Jan van Aken, Co-Vorsitzender der Linkspartei, über Voraussetzungen für diplomatische Fortschritte. Er fordert eine stärkere Rolle Chinas- Zum Schluss geht es um eine Art Social-Media-Hufeisen zwischen der AfD und der Linkspartei. Ein Leitfaden der AfD orientiert sich an Kommunikationsmustern der politischen Konkurrenz. Das Berlin Playbook als Podcast gibt es jeden Morgen ab 5 Uhr. Gordon Repinski und das POLITICO-Team liefern Politik zum Hören – kompakt, international, hintergründig. Für alle Hauptstadt-Profis: Der Berlin Playbook-Newsletter bietet jeden Morgen die wichtigsten Themen und Einordnungen. Jetzt kostenlos abonnieren. Mehr von Host und POLITICO Executive Editor Gordon Repinski: Instagram: @gordon.repinski | X: @GordonRepinski. Legal Notice (Belgium) POLITICO SRL Forme sociale: Société à Responsabilité Limitée Siège social: Rue De La Loi 62, 1040 Bruxelles Numéro d’entreprise: 0526.900.436 RPM Bruxelles info@politico.eu www.politico.eu

Prime minister’s questions: a shouty, jeery, very occasionally useful advert for British politics. Here’s what you need to know from the latest session in POLITICO’s weekly run-through. What they sparred about: The economy, of course. A week after Rachel Reeves’ second tax-raising budget, Tory Leader Kemi Badenoch and Prime Minister Keir Starmer went toe to toe on the aftermath, which hasn’t been plain sailing for the government. Lo and behold: Badenoch asked the PM if he believed “when an organization descends into total shambles, the person at the top should resign,” i.e., him. Starmer, obviously, wouldn’t go there, given his uncertain political future, insisting he was “very proud” to lead a Labour government that was “fixing the mess that they [the Tories] left.” Got your number: Badenoch, you won’t be surprised to read, was unsatisfied, arguing Starmer “doesn’t want to answer a question about taking responsibility, because he likes to blame everyone else except himself.” She accused the chancellor of “twisting the facts” and asked if Reeves would comply with any Financial Conduct Authority investigation over the biggest post-budget row … If economic forecasts send you to sleep: Opposition parties claim the chancellor told porkies about the fiscal situation to justify a planned manifesto-breaching income tax hike, which was later ditched. Reeves naturally denies any such charge. Still with us? This blessed plot: The PM gave as good as he got, accusing the Tory leader of “completely losing the plot” and said the government was “turning the page” on the Tories’ financial record. However, the briefing wars may mean members of the public struggle to spot the difference between the red and blue parties. Case in point: The Tory leader had plenty of fun reading out anonymous briefings from irate Cabinet ministers. “The handling of this budget has been a disaster from start to finish,” Badenoch quoted, looking across the despatch box to speculate who was the culprit. “Was it him? Was it her?” she joked, pointing at different ministers. The hardest word: The session may be called Prime Minister’s Questions, but Starmer repeatedly said Badenoch should “get up now and apologize” for claiming Reeves had misled the public. The Tory leader, who’d have thought it, didn’t oblige and continued her forthright attacks: “She doesn’t belong in the Treasury, she belongs in la la land.” Brutal scenes. Whip hand: Badenoch had one final go at landing a blow by highlighting the scrapped two-child benefit cap, despite previously removing the whip from seven Labour MPs who supported that measure just after the election. “How did it suddenly become affordable at the very time he needed to save his own skin?” Badenoch cried. Mission impossible: Starmer ducked the point but had some fire in his belly, saying the Tories should be “utterly ashamed” as “the party of child poverty.” He insisted bringing down child poverty was “a moral mission, a political mission and a personal mission,” but stirring rhetoric came too late in their joust. “Isn’t the truth that behind it all is a prime minister who only cares about one person’s job, his own?” Badenoch concluded. Helpful backbench intervention of the week: Blyth and Ashington MP Ian Lavery decried the Tories’ record on poverty in the north east of England, asking the PM if his constituents had much to look forward to from Labour. Starmer listed the government’s many policies to alleviate poverty, with a few jabs at the Conservatives for good measure. Totally unscientific scores on the doors: Starmer 6/10. Badenoch 8/10. The Tory leader had reams of ammo to work with following briefing wars and Office for Budget Responsibility watchdog Richard Hughes’ resignation as chair over leaked fiscal documents. Badenoch continued the tirade that was at the front and center of her immediate response to the budget last week, and effectively laid out the political choices Starmer made. The PM gave decent stats and some emotional language, but wasn’t able to seize the narrative.

BERLIN — Germany will launch a new federal counter-drone unit as concerns mount over a surge of suspicious drones overflying military sites and critical infrastructure, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said Tuesday. The formation will be part of the federal police’s national special operations arm, and will be trained and certified specifically for drone detection and neutralization, Dobrindt said at an event outside Berlin. The unit will eventually grow to 130 officers, deployed across Germany and moved quickly to hot spots when needed. Germany has over €100 million budgeted this year and next for counter-drone technology, the minister said. The systems include sensors and jammers designed to disrupt hostile drone signals, with the capability to intercept or shoot them down if necessary. “It is an important signal that we are confronting hybrid threats,” Dobrindt said. “We are creating a clear mission to detect, intercept and, yes, also shoot down drones when necessary. We cannot accept that hybrid threats, including drones, become a danger to our security.” Dobrindt said Germany will procure systems from both German and Israeli manufacturers, with further purchases expected in the coming months. This week, Germany’s state interior ministers are also due to decide whether to establish a joint federal-state counter-drone center, bringing together federal and state police forces and the military to coordinate detection and response. Berlin’s new unit marks its most significant move so far toward a standing national counter-drone capability. German security agencies have tracked hundreds of suspicious drone flyovers this year, including near barracks, naval facilities and critical infrastructure. Officials warn that small, commercially available drones are increasingly deployed in Europe for espionage, probing defenses and hybrid operations. Some European governments have pointed the finger of blame at Russia, but so far proof is lacking. Airports across Europe have also been forced to close thanks to overflying drones. Last month, the U.K., France and Germany sent staff and equipment to help Belgium counter drone incursions around sensitive facilities. Many countries are trying to figure out how to deal with the drones in a safe and legal way, as shooting them down could endanger people on the ground.

A Belgian soldier participating in a NATO mission in Lithuania died during an exercise on Friday, Belgian officials said late Saturday. Belgium’s federal public prosecutor has launched an investigation into the incident. The soldier sustained an injury during a mortar exercise and died in hospital on Saturday, Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken and Chief of Defense Frederik Vansina confirmed in a joint statement. Francken said in a post on X that he is “deeply saddened by the tragic accident,” sending “thoughts and solidarity” to the soldier’s friends and colleagues. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda also offered his condolences in a post, saying Belgian troops serving with NATO in Lithuania “make an invaluable contribution to the security of our nation and the entire Alliance,” adding: “Their dedication and sacrifice will never be forgotten.” The Belgian national, who was not identified, was part of the Artillery Battalion in Brasschaat. Nearly 200 Belgian soldiers have been deployed to Lithuania since the summer, as part of NATO’s Forward Land Forces mission, a series of multinational battle groups stationed in eight Eastern European countries. The Belgian federal public prosecutor’s office said it has opened an investigation into the soldier’s death without providing more information on the case, Belga newswire reported. A federal magistrate and two detectives from the federal police, specializing in military affairs investigations, visited the scene on Saturday, VRT reported.  Belgium’s defense ministry also has launched an internal investigation to determine the exact circumstances of the accident, according to media reports.