James Rothwell
jameserothwell.bsky.social
James Rothwell
@jameserothwell.bsky.social
Berlin correspondent at The Telegraph covering European security and German politics. Formerly in Jerusalem and London
Tanks or drones*? German defence giants clash over how to rebuild military.

My latest on how Germany's 300bn euro rearmement plane is taking shape...

*ideally both, of course!

www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2...
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www.telegraph.co.uk
November 12, 2025 at 11:04 AM
I appeared on our Battle Lines podcast with @rikefranke.bsky.social to talk about German rearmament - what's happening, why now and why Germany is ready for it after decades of taking a backseat on security:

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/11...
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www.telegraph.co.uk
November 12, 2025 at 11:03 AM
Reposted by James Rothwell
Last-hour-before-print-deadline thoughts on nascent Hamas-Israel ceasefire. TLDR: the war has changed Gaza, Israel, and the wider Middle East - and has implications for the rest of us too. www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2...
How the worst bombardment of the 21st century reshaped the world
After the smoke clears and the bodies are buried, the impact of Israel and Hamas’s war will continue to be felt far beyond Gaza’s borders
www.telegraph.co.uk
January 16, 2025 at 11:27 AM
A dispatch from Sweden on the rise of the child contract killer: kids as young as 11 who are groomed by gangs on social media to kill for fun and money. A story so grim its reality was at times hard to fathom [thread and article below]:
www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2...
Children carry out surge of contract killings as Swedish gangs exploit loophole in the law
‘Handlers’ recruit alienated youths as young as 11 on social media while state care for young offenders is overwhelmed
www.telegraph.co.uk
December 2, 2024 at 11:22 AM
Reposted by James Rothwell
The usual troublemakers are on the road, so I get to fly UTL solo: with James Kilner on Putin’s threat to hit West, @jameserothwell.bsky.social on diplomatic updates, and @rusi.bsky.social’s @mtsavill.bsky.social
on ballistic missiles and Kremlin sabre rattling. www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/03...
www.telegraph.co.uk
November 22, 2024 at 8:35 PM
Germany says there are no doubts that a key undersea data cable in the Baltic was severed on purpose - with suspicions falling on Russia tonight
www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2...
Sabotage likely cause for cutting of undersea internet cables, says Germany
Suspicion falls on Russia as investigation into incident opens
www.telegraph.co.uk
November 19, 2024 at 10:21 PM
Reposted by James Rothwell
The Biden administration finally authorises Ukrainian use of U.S. provided long-range weapons - ATACMS - to strike military targets inside Russia.
Biden Allows Ukraine to Strike Russia With Long-Range U.S. Missiles
With two months left in office, the president for the first time authorized the Ukrainian military to use the system known as ATACMS to help defend its forces in the Kursk region of Russia.
www.nytimes.com
November 20, 2024 at 8:12 PM
It's been a weird weekend of German diplomacy. After Scholz called Putin for the first time in two years on Friday, angering Kyiv, Germany's ambassador in Russia says ceasefire talks now are premature:
www.spiegel.de/ausland/bots...
Botschafter Lambsdorff hält Diskussion über Waffenstillstand für verfrüht
Solange Putin die Ukraine bombardiert, sei nicht die Zeit, über Verhandlungen zu diskutieren, sagt der deutsche Botschafter in Moskau. Der ukrainische Präsident Selenskyj definiert Vorbedingungen für ...
www.spiegel.de
November 17, 2024 at 9:20 AM
Reposted by James Rothwell
Extremely loud morning in Kyiv as Russian hypersonic missiles are intercepted by Ukrainian air defence systems. More missiles are incoming and explosions have been reported across Ukraine.
November 20, 2024 at 8:12 PM
Zelensky gives a conciliatory interview about Trump's Ukraine plan, suggesting it crosses none of Kyiv's red lines and will end the war sooner. His reward -- instantly being mocked online by Elon Musk for saying Ukraine is a sovereign country:
www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2...
War will end sooner with Trump in White House, says Zelensky
Ukrainian president says conflict with Russia must be concluded next year ‘by diplomatic means’
www.telegraph.co.uk
November 17, 2024 at 9:17 AM