DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Trump meets with foreign leaders looking to boost their relationships with GOP leader ahead of election
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Alayna Treene | Steve Contorno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

In recent weeks, Trump, seizing the role of both an erstwhile diplomat and ascending opposition party leader, has extended welcomes to a series of foreign leaders at his homes in Florida and New York. It’s not unusual for foreign leaders to meet with the leader of the party that doesn’t control the White House – especially one with a serious chance of becoming commander in chief. Biden and his top envoys have also met and spoken with opposition leaders, something that has been a longstanding practice for US officials. Last week, Trump met with Poland’s Duda at Trump Tower, where the two discussed NATO spending over dinner. Trump, both while president and during his 2024 campaign, has called on NATO countries to spend more on defense.

Persons: Donald Trump, hasn’t, Trump, Andrzej Duda, David Cameron, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Taro Aso, It’s, Sen, Barack Obama, Mitt Romney, Biden, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Antony Blinken, Keir Starmer, Joe Biden, “ They’re, he’s, “, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, ” Biden, ”, Kim Jong Un, ” Trump, Brian Hughes, Viktor Orban, Putin, Javier Milei, Orban, Viktor Orbán, Orbán, Aso, Fumio Kishida, Kishida, Lindsey Graham, Salman, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Poland’s Duda, Duda, meanwhile, Cameron, Karen Pierce, Cameron’s, Pierce didn’t, Queen Elizabeth II Organizations: CNN, Air Force, British, Saudi Crown, Middle East, Republican, UK Labour Party, US State Department, Biden, Trump, NATO, Conservative Political, Japanese, White, Liberal Democratic Party, Saudi, New York Times, South Carolina Republican, Hamas, The New York Times, Trump Tower, Republicans, Democrats, UK Locations: House, huddling, Florida, New York, Lago, Manhattan, Japan, China, North Korea, Berlin, United Kingdom, Israel, Poland, Belarus, Munich, Europe, America, Ukraine, Korean, United States, Palm, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, American, Russia, British, Washington

☆ Turkey may soon put its controversial Russian S-400 air defenses in operation
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Paul Iddon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Turkey may deploy its Russian S-400 Triumf air defenses on the Iraqi border. Turkiye newspaper reported earlier this month that Turkey's S-400s may be deployed on the border, implying it will defend against drones allegedly acquired by the PKK. Since then, there has been no indication that Turkey's S-400s have been put into operation. "However, Turkey may use the potential threat of Iran-linked militia groups or PKK as a pretext to deploy S-400s." "Such a goal was unattainable and unrealistic given the extent of Turkey's integration into the NATO defense system," Ozeren said.

Persons: —, Hulusi Akar, Ali Bakir, Bakir, Suleyman Ozeren, Ozeren, Recep Tayyip Erdogan's, State Victoria Nuland Organizations: Service, Kurdistan Workers ' Party, PKK, Defense, Ibn Khaldon, Security Initiative, Business, Northern, American University, Orion Policy Institute, NATO, State Locations: Turkey, Russian, Israel, Iran, Iraqi Kurdistan, Ankara, Washington, Turkish, Qatar, Northern Iraq, Turkey's, Iraq, Moscow, Russia, NATO

Kyiv, Ukraine CNN —Ukraine’s air defenders say they notched up two significant firsts on Friday morning, taking down a Russian Tu22M3 strategic bomber and hitting two Kh-22 hypersonic cruise missiles in flight. Ukraine’s air force said six Kh-22 missiles were launched overnight from Russian bombers flying over the Black Sea and the nearby Sea of Azov – out of a total of 22 missiles and 14 Shahed drones fired overall. A military source told CNN a Patriot air defense system had been responsible for the two successful Kh-22 interceptions. Russia has fired hundreds of them at Ukrainian targets since the start of the full-scale invasion two years ago, according to air force information – all of which had evaded air defense until now. Anatolii Stepanov/AFP/Getty ImagesFatalities in Dnipropetrovsk regionAs well as the six Kh-22 missiles fired overnight, Russia fired 16 other missiles at Ukraine, including two Iskander K cruise missiles, in addition to 14 Shahed drones.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, ”, Anatolii Stepanov Organizations: Ukraine CNN —, CNN, Patriot, Defense Intelligence, ” Russia’s Defense Ministry, Tass, Kyiv, Getty Locations: Kyiv, Ukraine, Russian, Dnipropetrovsk, Azov, Russia, Germany, Soviet, Russia’s Stavropol, Dnipro, AFP, Dnipropetrovsk region, Synelnykove

☆ European diplomats in DC scramble to gain access to Trump allies for insights
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Kylie Atwood | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

“We are not that nervous because we know that with Trump it is all about relationships,” said one veteran European diplomat who has been in DC since the Trump administration. “The logic of doing it at Heritage was not lost on us,” said Victoria Coates, a deputy national security advisor to former President Trump who is now a vice president at the think tank. The comments sent European diplomats into over-drive, eager to understand exactly what Trump meant. “If they are worried about how President Trump is going to react to them, they hold it in their hands to do something about it,” Coates said. But European diplomats are not only worried about NATO.

Persons: Donald Trump, jostle, Trump, of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe, Mike Pompeo, Robert O’Brien, Keith Kellogg, Mike Pence’s, Hillary Clinton, they’ve, ”, –, David Cameron, Antony Blinken, Cameron, Jens Stoltenberg, Jim Lo Scalzo, Stoltenberg’s, Victoria Coates, Stoltenberg, ” Coates, nodded, James Carafano, “, it’s, “ He’s, Mike Johnson, Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelensky Organizations: CNN, White, NATO, Ukraine, Trump, of National Intelligence, National, European Union, Republican, Russian Central Bank, EU, British, Heritage Foundation, Heritage, GOP, Putin Locations: Washington, Russia, European, Europe, Ukraine, Brussels, West, Russian, South Florida, Brexit, ”, Washington ,, “

☆ It may look like Trump scared NATO back into readiness — but it's probably all down to Putin
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

NATO states' increased defense spending in recent years has little to do with Trump, experts told BI. NATO spending has indeed accelerated since Trump entered politics. It ain't what you do, it's the way that you do itTrump's demands of NATO allies also weren't a departure from existing US policy. Threatening partners is "bananas"Trump's transactional take on NATO collective defense is ultimately reasonable, Bury said — but encouraging other countries to attack NATO allies is "bananas." AdvertisementIf US allies are spending more money on NATO defense, it's not because Trump is goading them, but because they're concerned about increasing global instability.

Persons: Trump, it's, —, Kaja Kallas, Mark Rutte, Edward Hunter Christie, Hunter Christie, William Alberque, Russia hadn't, hadn't, Alberque, Patrick Bury, Barack Obama, didn't, Joe Biden, Bury, Vladimir Putin Organizations: NATO, Trump, Service, Estonia's, Dutch, Finnish Institute of International Affairs, International Institute for Strategic Studies, UK's University of Bath Locations: Russia, ”, NATO, Crimea, Trump, South Korea, Japan, United States, Ukraine

☆ US divisions over Putin’s Russia present grave global implications
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

CNN —US politics is now split by a fault line over Russia that could have far graver global implications even than condemning Ukraine to defeat after President Vladimir Putin’s invasion. Trump has also not repudiated his recent comment that he’d invite Russia to invade NATO nations that fell short of non-binding targets on defense spending. Aside from the mysterious hold that Putin appears to exert over Trump, the ex-president’s hostility towards Ukraine is easily explainable. Opposing aid to Ukraine is also an almost perfect issue for the ex-president and his allies in the GOP primary. These pressures weigh on Republican lawmakers as they cast increasingly tough votes on Ukraine aid.

Persons: Vladimir Putin’s, Donald Trump, Trump, Mike Johnson –, Johnson, Joe Biden, Biden, Volodymyr Zelensky, Russia’s, ” Biden, Zelensky, –, Alexey Navalny, Hungary’s Viktor Orban, Putin’s, Putin, Trump’s, Kevin McCarthy’s, hasn’t, Ohio Sen, JD Vance, Ukraine “, Vladimir Putin, ” Vance, Barack Obama, “, ”, Vance, Nikki Haley, Haley, Sen, Pete Ricketts, Ricketts, ’ ” Ricketts, ‘, ’ ”, It’s, Mitch McConnell Organizations: CNN, Donald Trump Republicans, NATO, Trump, GOP, Senate, Republican, Soviet, European Union, Russian, Republican Party, Republicans, Munich, Ohio, United, Chicago Council, Global Affairs, Trump Republicans, Ukraine Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Europe, Avdiivka, Russian, Kremlin, America, United States, Munich, China, “, Ohio, Crimea, East Asia, Beijing, Moscow, Iran, North Korea, we’re, ’ ” The Nebraska, Soviet Union

☆ Navalny’s death puts a new spotlight on key dividing line between Trump and Biden
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Kevin Liptak | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

“Make no mistake: Putin is responsible for Navalny’s death. A few moments earlier, Secretary of State Antony Blinken linked Navalny’s death directly to Russia’s president. Asked whether Navalny’s death might spur Congress to act in providing more Ukraine aid, Biden was hopeful. Even so, Johnson said in a statement Friday that Putin “is likely directly responsible” for Navalny’s death. “I made it clear to him that I believe the consequences of that would be devastating for Russia,” Biden said in Geneva, where the summit was held.

Persons: Alexey Navalny’s, Vladimir Putin, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Putin, ” Biden, Roosevelt, “ Putin, ” Trump, Nikki Haley, Fani Willis ’, Trump, Putin’s, Biden, “ It’s, Kamala Harris, Antony Blinken, “, ”, Mike Johnson, Johnson, Putin “, Tucker Carlson, Carlson, Trump’s, ” Haley, Truman, “ Trump, he’d, Navalny, we’re, ” Harris, Harris, Navalny’s, CNN’s Haley Britzky, Lauren Fox, Kate Sullivan Organizations: CNN, White, GOP, Fulton, NATO, Biden, Munich Security Conference, Republican, Republicans, Ukraine, Fox News, South Carolina Gov, South, Putin, Super, Ukraine wavers, “, Trump Locations: Washington, Russia, Fulton County, Georgia, Europe, Moscow, Ukraine, Munich, United States, South Carolina, Michigan , Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, Geneva, Asia, transatlanticism

☆ Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is released from hospital and resumes duties
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Zoë Richards | Mosheh Gains | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin takes questions during a press conference at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 1, 2024. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was released from the hospital Tuesday after he was admitted to a critical care unit at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center this week following hospitalization for a bladder issue. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was released from the hospital Tuesday after he was admitted to a critical care unit at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center this week following hospitalization for a bladder issue. The Defense Department said in a news release that Austin was released from the hospital in Washington in consultation with medical staff members at about 3:30 p.m. Austin had transferred his duties to Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks on Sunday, the day he was hospitalized.

Persons: Lloyd Austin, Austin, Sabrina Singh, John Maddox, Walter Reed's, Gregory Chesnut, Kathleen Hicks, Hicks Organizations: US, Pentagon, Washington , D.C, Walter Reed National Military Medical, The Defense Department, NATO, Ukraine Defense Contact, Joint Chiefs, Staff, White, American, Armed Locations: Washington ,, Washington, Brussels, Ukraine

He said he would encourage Russia to do “whatever the hell they want” with a NATO member country who did not meet its defense spending guidelines. How Did Trump Mischaracterize NATO Defense Funding? That stance is not tied in any way to the 2% defense spending target. Which Countries Meet NATO’s 2% Defense Spending Goal? They were:How Did Leaders and Lawmakers React to Trump’s Recent NATO Comments?

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, we're, ”, Kathleen McInnis, “, ” McInnis, aren't, it's, United States doesn't, Jens Stoltenberg, Trump’s, ” Stoltenberg, NATO Ally, Joe Biden, Nikki Haley –, –, Rand Paul of Kentucky, he’s, ” Sen, Marco Rubio, It’s, Lindsey Graham of Organizations: NATO, Trump, Press, Donald Trump View, Ukraine, Center, Strategic, International Studies, NPR, “, South Carolina Gov, Republican, CBS, Sen, GOP, CNN, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, The New York Times Locations: South Carolina, Russia, Germany, France, Norway, NATO, United States, U.S, ” U.S, Florida, Lindsey Graham of South

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was hospitalized Sunday following symptoms pointing to an “emergent bladder issue,” the Pentagon said. In a statement, the Pentagon said Austin was transported by his security detail to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center around 2:20 p.m. Austin remained at Walter Reed until Jan. 15. He then continued to recover and work from home, and he returned to the Pentagon Jan. 29. Austin did not tell President Joe Biden, Congress or his deputy secretary of defense, Kathleen Hicks, of his cancer diagnosis or initial hospitalization for weeks.

Persons: Lloyd Austin, Austin, Walter, Pat Ryder, Ryder, Walter Reed, Jan, Joe Biden, Kathleen Hicks Organizations: WASHINGTON, —, Pentagon, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Joint Chiefs, Staff, White, Kyiv, NATO Locations: Brussels, Ukraine

☆ Zelenskiy says Ukraine, US will hold military industry conference next month
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy addresses a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group ahead of a two-day NATO Defense Ministers Council at the alliance headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, October 11, 2023. Olivier Matthys/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 17 (Reuters) - Ukraine and the United States will hold a military industry conference in December, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday. "During my visit to Washington, President Biden and I agreed on specific steps we can take together. In October, Ukraine set up a joint defence venture with German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall AG (RHMG.DE) to service and repair Western weapons. In September, it hosted an international defence industry forum with more than 250 Western weapons producers.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Olivier Matthys, Kiyv, Zelenskiy, Biden, Yuliia Dysa, Louise Heavens, Heavens Organizations: Ukraine Defense Contact, NATO Defense, Ukrainian, Rheinmetall AG, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Brussels, Belgium, United States, Kyiv, Washington

☆ Ukrainian president Zelenskiy's interview comments
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy addresses a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group ahead of a two-day NATO Defense Ministers Council at the alliance headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, October 11, 2023. Olivier Matthys/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 8 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy spoke at the Reuters NEXT conference in New York in an interview by video link on Wednesday. Of course, we need it to become member of the EU, but we do it for us, we need it." We don’t need to surprise everybody in the world, we need this for ourselves." WAR ENDING"Why do you think the country in war, the country which has been attacked, should be ready for compromise?

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Olivier Matthys, Yuliia Dysa, Alison Williams Organizations: Ukraine Defense Contact, NATO Defense, Reuters NEXT, Reuters, reuters, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Brussels, Belgium, New York

As tensions soar over the Israel-Hamas conflict, U.S. and coalition troops have been attacked at least 19 times in Iraq and in Syria by Iran-backed forces in the past week. The targets were weapons and munitions storage facilities, the official added, speaking late on Thursday to reporters in Washington. The United States has occasionally carried out retaliatory strikes against Iranian-backed forces in the region after they attack American forces. In March, the U.S. military carried out multiple air strikes in Syria against Iran-aligned groups that it blamed for a drone attack that killed an American contractor. There is growing concern that the Israel-Hamas conflict could spread through the Middle East and turn U.S. troops at isolated bases into targets.

Persons: Defense Lloyd Austin III, Olivier Matthys, Lloyd Austin, Joe Biden, Austin, Abu Kamal, Biden, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Asad, Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart, Jamie Freed, Michael Perry Organizations: Defense, Ukraine Defense Contact, NATO Defense, Rights, U.S, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Pentagon, . Defense, United, Iranian, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Brussels, Belgium, Syria, Iraq, Israel, U.S, Iran, Iranian, Syrian, Washington, United States, Tehran, State, East, Yemen

☆ US military advisers invoke lessons of Iraq in urging Israelis to avoid all-out ground assault in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Natasha Bertrand Oren Liebermann Mj Lee Katie Bo Lillis | Natasha Bertrand | Oren Liebermann | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“I don’t think Israel has a strategy for what they do next” in terms of executing a full-blown ground invasion, one source familiar with concerns within the Biden administration said. President Joe Biden greets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Ben Gurion International Airport, Oct. 18, 2023, in Tel Aviv. “We stand before the next stage, it is coming,” Netanyahu told the Israel Defence Forces’ Yahalom unit on Tuesday, according to a press release from Netanyahu’s office. “We will not stop until we complete it, with your help.”Military to military channelsIn 2014, Netanyahu set out to debilitate Hamas with the last ground invasion into Gaza. Despite numerous rounds of escalation and conflict with Gaza, Israel hasn’t attempted another incursion since.

Persons: Biden, James Glynn, Israel, Joe Biden, Bill Burns, Benjamin Netanyahu, Evan Vucci, Netanyahu, enflamed, ” Netanyahu, “, ”, Israel hasn’t, Alexi J . Rosenfeld, Matthew Miller, “ We’ve, Defense Lloyd Austin, Yoav Gallant, ” Gallant, Emmanuel Macron, ” Macron, Obama, Gilad Erdan Organizations: Washington CNN — American, CNN, Israel Defense Forces, ISIS, Marine Corps, Marine Forces Special Operations Command, CIA, NATO, Israeli, Ben Gurion International Airport, Israel Defence Forces ’, ”, Pentagon, Defense, International Coalition Locations: Iraq, Gaza, Israel, Fallujah, US, Mosul, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, United Kingdom, Tel Aviv, United States, Western, Palestinian

☆ Turkey’s president submits protocol for Sweden’s admission into NATO to parliament for ratification
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has submitted a protocol for Sweden's admission into NATO to Turkey's parliament for ratification, his office said Monday. Erdogan had been delaying ratification of Sweden's membership, accusing Stockholm of being too soft on Kurdish militants and other groups he considers to be security threats. All 31 NATO allies must endorse Sweden's membership. It was not immediately known when Sweden's membership would come to the floor. Earlier this month, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg urged Turkey to quickly ratify Sweden's membership in the military organization.

Persons: Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, Vladimir Putin, Jens Stoltenberg, Stoltenberg Organizations: Turkiye, Nation's, Culture Center, NATO, Turkish Grand National Assembly, Associated Press Locations: Ankara, Turkiye, ANKARA, Turkey, Stockholm, Sweden, Hungary, Finland, Russia, Ukraine, Brussels

☆ Zelenskiy says US bipartisan support encourages Ukrainian nation and troops
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy addresses a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group ahead of a two-day NATO Defense Ministers Council at the alliance headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, October 11, 2023. Olivier Matthys/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsKYIV, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Bipartisan support from the United States is "incredibly encouraging" for Ukraine and its troops, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said following a phone call with U.S. President Joe Biden. The U.S. has been the largest single source of assistance to Kyiv since Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year. "The unwavering bipartisan support for Ukraine in the United States is incredibly encouraging for all of our warriors and for our entire nation," Zelenskiy wrote on Friday on X, formerly known as Twitter. "America’s investment in Ukraine’s defense will ensure long-term security for all of Europe and the world," he said.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Olivier Matthys, Joe Biden, Biden, Zelenskiy, Max Hunder, Timothy Organizations: Ukraine Defense Contact, NATO Defense, Rights, U.S, Kyiv, Ukraine, Timothy Heritage, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Brussels, Belgium, United States, Zelenskiy, Israel, U.S, Kyiv, Russia, Europe

In private discussions with their Israeli counterparts, Western defense officials have not tried to dissuade Israel from moving into Gaza with ground forces, the sources said. While he said that “taking out the extremists is a necessary requirement” for Israel, “Hamas and the extreme elements of Hamas don’t represent all the Palestinian people. At least publicly, Israeli officials have articulated their plans only in broad strokes, saying that the goal is to eliminate Hamas and its infrastructure. In one word – to win.”In 2014, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu set out to debilitate Hamas with the last ground invasion into Gaza. “I think the goal was to show clear support (and) to understand Israel’s strategy of what comes after an invasion if Israel is successful in decimating Hamas.

Persons: Israel, Joe Biden, “, Biden, Gilad Erdan, Staff Herzi Halevi, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel hasn’t, ”, Jonathan Panikoff, didn’t Organizations: CNN, NATO, Israel, Hamas, Israel Defense Forces Chief, Staff, Haaretz, ”, US Locations: Israel, Gaza, Tel Aviv, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon –, Iran, Tehran

☆ Opinion: Zelensky’s inescapable new reality
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Opinion Frida Ghitis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

She is a weekly opinion contributor to CNN, a contributing columnist to The Washington Post and a columnist for World Politics Review. A couple of days later, addressing NATO’s parliamentary assembly, where Ukraine had been a focus since Russia invaded it some 600 days ago, Zelensky noted the inescapable new reality facing his embattled country. To defeat Russia, and to save Ukraine, Zelensky needs continued support, especially from the US, the country with the world’s largest, most powerful arsenal. These two wars, between Russia and Ukraine, and between Israel and Hamas, are very different. And both — Hamas and Russia — have been run by autocratic leaders who deny their enemies’ right to live in a sovereign country.

Persons: Frida Ghitis, Volodymyr Zelensky, ”, Zelensky, ” —, Benjamin Netanyahu, Zelensky —, —, Vladimir Putin’s, Putin, Konstantin Gavrilov, “ Ukraine’s, Joe Biden, Lloyd Austin, Biden, Anna Politkovskaya, Alexander Ben Zvi, Ali Baraka, we’re, Israel —, ” Zelensky, “, brazenly, Russia —, Ukraine — Organizations: CNN, Washington Post, Politics, Frida Ghitis CNN, Israeli, NATO, Ukraine, US, Republican, GOP, Hamas ’, Hamas, Hamas National Relations, Kyiv, Russia, Republican Party Locations: Israel, Ukraine, Russia, Russian, States, Moscow, Iran, Palestine, “ Russia, Europe, — Israel

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is in Israel on Friday for meetings with senior government leaders and to see firsthand some of the U.S. weapons and security assistance that Washington rapidly delivered to Israel in the first week of its war with the militant Hamas group. Austin is the second high-level U.S. official sent by President Joe Biden to visit Israel in two days. His quick trip from Brussels, where he was attending a NATO defense ministers meeting, came a day after Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in the region. Gaza's Hamas rulers responded by calling on Palestinians to “remain steadfast in your homes and to stand firm" against Israel. Within hours after the brutal Hamas attack across the border into Israel, the U.S. moved warships and aircraft to the region.

Persons: Lloyd Austin, Washington, Austin, Joe Biden, Antony Blinken, Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, Netanyahu, “, ”, Gallant, Gerald R, Blinken, King Abdullah II, Mahmoud Abbas, Matthew Miller, ” Miller, Abbas, Abdullah, Matthew Lee, Omar Akour Organizations: —, . Defense, Hamas, Israel, NATO, Ford, Biden, Qatar, ”, U.S, Palestinian Authority, West Bank, United Nations, United Arab, Associated Press Locations: TEL AVIV, Israel, U.S, Brussels, Gaza City, “, Virginia, Austin, Jordan, Amman, Jordanian, Gaza, Doha, Qatar's, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt

“The fighting has been going on for four days,” Vitalii Barabash, the head of the Avdiivka city military administration, told Ukrainian national television on Friday. Both small arms battles and artillery duels.”According to Barabash, Russia has been “firing everything they have available” at the city in a bid to encircle Ukrainian fighters. They are not human beings, they are titans.”Ukrainian President Voloydymr Zelensky also said his country’s troops were keeping Russian forces at bay. Avdiivka, a city very close to the Donetsk city airport, had already been the front line between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists since 2014. It is seen by Ukrainian and Russian forces as a heavily fortified stronghold, with entrenchments built up over the past eight years.

Persons: ” Vitalii Barabash, “, ”, Volodymyr Zelensky, Jens Stoltenberg, Virginia, AP Barabash, ” Barabash, Voloydymr Zelensky, ” Zelensky, Zelensky, Oleksandr Shtupun, Avdiivka, that’s, Barabash Organizations: CNN, Russian, Ukrainian, NATO, Virginia Mayo, AP, Institute for, ” CNN Locations: Ukrainian, Avdiivka, Barabash, Russia, Donetsk oblast, “, Donetsk, Russian, Mariupol

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Russia and Saudi Arabia set to meet as Middle East crisis rattles oil markets
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Oil-producing giants Russia and Saudi Arabia are set to meet in Moscow Wednesday to discuss the oil market situation amid ongoing violence and geopolitical uncertainty between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas. Expect a flurry of international diplomacy in Europe today as allies meet to discuss the war, oil market stability and Israel. NATO defense ministers are due to meet in Brussels, as are Zelenskyy and officials from 54 nations supporting Ukraine as part of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group. The meeting comes amid signs of flagging support for continuing military aid Ukraine as the war drags on to its 19th month. The nascent war between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas is also a distraction for Western leaders hoping to avoid a wider and more destabilizing Middle Eastern conflict.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskyy Organizations: Russia, Hamas, Western, NATO, Ukraine Defense Contact Group, Air Locations: Saudi Arabia, Moscow, Israel, Palestinian, Europe, Gaza, Belgium, Brussels, Ukraine

☆ Ukraine receives $1.15 bln grant from US under World Bank program
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Olivier Matthys/Pool via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsKYIV, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Ukraine received a $1.15 billion grant from the United States on Wednesday as part of the PEACE in Ukraine program, the Ukrainian finance ministry said. The PEACE (Public Expenditures for Administrative Capacity Endurance) in Ukraine project has been the World Bank's flagship financing instrument for Kyiv during Russia's war on Ukraine. "In 2023, Ukraine has already received $10.9 billion in direct budget support from the United States in the form of grants," the finance ministry said. The project aims to compensate state budget expenditures in the social and humanitarian spheres, and is not intended for security or defence, the ministry said. The U.S. government has this year allocated $10.9 billion to finance Ukraine's state budget, it said.

Persons: Defense Lloyd Austin III, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Olivier Matthys, Serhiy Marchenko, Yuliia Dysa, Timothy Organizations: Defense, Ukraine Defense Contact, NATO Defense, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Timothy Heritage, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Brussels, Belgium, United States, Ukrainian, U.S

BRUSSELS (AP) — Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived at NATO for Wednesday's meetings with alliance defense ministers to further drum up support for Ukraine’s fight against Russia. There are air defense systems. NATO allies and partner countries will be waiting to hear precisely what kinds of military equipment Kyiv needs. Following that meeting, the 31 allies and Ukraine will take part in the first NATO-Ukraine Council at this level. A key demand has been more air defense systems and munitions.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, “, Zelenskyy, Lloyd Austin, ”, Austin Organizations: —, NATO, Russia, Ukraine, . Defense, U.S, AIM, High Mobility Artillery, Pentagon Locations: BRUSSELS, — Ukraine, U.S, Ukraine, Brussels, Kyiv, Israel, russia, ukraine

☆ Secretive and highly paid submariners are behind some of Russia's most worrying undersea operations
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Constantine Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Known as GUGI, the directorate is responsible for conducting sabotage and surveillance against critical maritime infrastructure, including undersea cables and energy pipelines. NATO's intelligence chief warned this year that Russia could attempt to sabotage undersea cables in retaliation for Western support of Ukraine. Yantar, the special-purpose survey ship, was spotted lingering near undersea cables west of Ireland in 2021. "We know that Russia has the capacity to map but also potentially to conduct actions against critical infrastructure," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters on June 16. "That's also the reason why we have, for many years, addressed the vulnerability of critical undersea infrastructure."

Persons: Sidharth Kaushal, Kaushal, GUGI, OLGA MALTSEVA, Sutton, Andrey Luzik, Jens Stoltenberg, That's, Stoltenberg, Constantine Atlamazoglou Organizations: NATO, Service, Directorate, Russian Ministry of Defense, Submarine, Royal United Services Institute, Getty, Barents Observer, Russia Ministry of Defense, US Navy, Norwegian Coast Guard, OLE BERG, NATO Maritime Centre, Fletcher School of Law, LinkedIn, Twitter Locations: Wall, Silicon, Russia, GUGI, British, St . Petersburg, AFP, Belgorod, Moscow, Olenya, Baltic, Severomorsk, Europe, Ukraine, Ireland, GUGI's St, Petersburg

☆ Russia's brash invasion plan for Ukraine wasted special-operations units on missions they weren't meant to do
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-23 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Russia's invasion also struggled because of flaws in its planning for the operation. "The lack of effective line infantry units caused Spetsnaz units to be deployed mostly as light infantry, which also led to a high level of casualties among these units. It details not only structural flaws but also the tactical misuse of Russian special forces during the invasion itself. When the airborne assault on Kyiv failed and the tank columns stalled, the special forces were left adrift. Russian commanders then sent Spetsnaz units in to operate like light infantry, which increased their casualties and left fewer Spetsnaz units available for their designated missions.

Search resuls for: "NATO Defense"

25 mentions found