#arms-exports

#arms-exports

From February 2 to 4, Libya's eastern commander, renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar, visited Rawalpindi for talks at Pakistan's army headquarters with the army chief, Asim Munir. The visit might have seemed routine, but it highlights Pakistan's expanding defence diplomacy in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Pakistan reportedly signed a $4bn defence deal with Haftar's self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA), including 16 JF-17 fighters and 12 Super Mushak trainer aircraft, structured over roughly two and a half years.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz embarked on a three-day trip to the Gulf region on Wednesday, where he is set to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The trip comes on the back of visits to Africa and Latin America at the end of last year and after a trip to India in January (see video), as Merz looks to strengthen Germany's partnerships with counties outside the European Union and NATO.

"When Friedrich Merz voices this criticism of Israel, we listen very carefully because he is a friend," the diplomat told German public broadcaster ZDF.

Ukraine is taking steps to begin exporting some of its weapons, such as the naval drones it has used to pummel Russia's navy in the Black Sea. At first glance, permitting companies to export weaponry abroad when the country is at war and its growing domestic defense industry has been critical to keeping Ukraine in the fight seems deeply counterintuitive. Ukraine, both its political and industrial leadership, has been thinking carefully about this, though.

No evidence has been seen that a genocide is occurring in Gaza or that women and children were targeted by the IDF, as UK government lawyers claimed during a high court case.