U.S. President Joe Biden has been publicly pressuring House Republicans for months to pass a Ukraine aid package. Johnson, however, leads a fractious GOP caucus that has so far rebuffed efforts to get fresh funding to Ukraine. Cameron, who has previously traveled to the U.S. to give Ukraine aid the hard sell, painted a gloomy … Read more
The US said it would consider revoking its recent designation of Yemen’s Houthis as terrorists if the Iran-backed militants cease their shipping attacks in and around the Red Sea. “My hope is that we can find diplomatic off-ramps,” Tim Lenderking, President Joe Biden’s special envoy for Yemen, told reporters in an online press briefing on … Read more
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is proposing to establish a fund of allied contributions worth $100 billion over five years for Ukraine as part of a package for alliance leaders to sign off when they gather in Washington in July. Allies are still discussing Stoltenberg’s proposal and any mechanics of the accounting, including whether to … Read more
France is putting pressure on its defense industry to accelerate production of equipment for Ukraine, with the government threatening to impose its authority on companies it believes are too slow. “For the first time, I’m not ruling out using what the law allows,” Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu told reporters Tuesday. “This means, if there are … Read more
Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s invasion has entered a new phase, pitting homegrown drone technology against a 2,000 kilometer (1,200 mile) swathe of largely Soviet-era oil facilities. At least nine major refineries have been successfully attacked this year, currently taking offline 11% of the country’s total capacity by some estimates. As the conflict at the front … Read more
The food travelled 200 kilometers by sea from Larnaca to a makeshift jetty off Gaza, arriving Friday. A convoy of eight trucks from the World Food Programme brought the aid to its final destination. The Cyprus government said a second vessel, Jennifer, loaded with some 500 metric tons of aid is ready to leave Cyprus … Read more
Third, we must improve interoperability and swiftly develop a strong defense-industrial base across the Alliance. This would serve the complementary goals of replenishing stockpiles, increasing our capabilities for deterrence and defense, as well as providing assistance to Ukraine. We will also encourage a stronger and more capable European defense industry that is complementary and interoperable … Read more
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday that Russian advances had been “halted” in Ukraine and the situation was now “much better” for his troops than in recent months. Issued on: 11/03/2024 – 22:02Modified: 11/03/2024 – 22:42 1 min “The Russian advance has been halted,” Zelensky told French broadcaster BFM TV. “Our command, our military has … Read more
The Biden administration will request a 1% increase in defense spending, to $849.8 billion, for fiscal year 2025, officials familiar with the matter said, scaling back plans for a bigger boost as it grapples with caps imposed by last year’s debt-limit deal. The cuts reflect a decision to seek less money for procurement and research … Read more
China’s defense spending will grow by 7.2% in 2024 — the most in five years — an increase that comes amid signs corruption is undermining a military revamp. Military expenditure by the central government is expected to rise to 1.67 trillion yuan ($231 billion) this year, according to a Finance Ministry report released on Tuesday. … Read more