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Trump's team had asked Chutkan to compel prosecutors in special counsel Jack Smith's office to provide them with additional evidence, including "all information" about foreign interference and influence efforts in the 2020 election. It's part of the Trump team's attempt to present Trump's concerns about mass voter fraud — which were roundly rejected by independent arbiters and courts — as "reasonable" and grounded in reality. Judge Tanya Chutkan pushed back on Trump's claims on Wednesday in an order that rejected all but three of his 14 categories of requests for additional evidence. Trump's state of mind is essential to the case, and Smith's team has alleged that Trump "knew" his election lies "were false." The Supreme Court gutted part of Smith's case over the summer with its ruling on presidential immunity, but the case against Trump is — very slowly — churning towards a potential trial.

Persons: WASHINGTON, Donald Trump, Tanya Chutkan, Chutkan, Jack Smith's, Trump, Trump’s, of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe, Mark Milley, Chris Miller, Mike Pence, Pence, Merrick Garland, Smith's, Trump “, Joe Biden’s, Steven Cheung, Witch Hunt Organizations: Capitol, Trump, Biden Administration, of National Intelligence Locations: Black, Detroit, United States, Trump's

☆ Exclusive: US prepared ‘rigorously’ for potential Russian nuclear strike in Ukraine in late 2022, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-09 | by ( Jim Sciutto | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Russian officials alleged Ukraine would build and detonate a dirty bomb against Russian forces and then blame the attack on Russia. Western intelligence agencies had received information that there were now communications among Russian officials explicitly discussing a nuclear strike. “It’s never a cut-and-dry, black-and-white assessment,” the first senior administration official told me. Secretary of State Antony Blinken communicated US concerns “very directly” with Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov, according to senior administration officials. “We conducted a number of quiet conversations with core allies to go through our thinking,” the first senior administration official told me.

Persons: CNN —, Biden, Powers, “, ” “, Chris McGrath, Vladimir Putin, Sergei Shoigu, “ It’s, NurPhoto, Antony Blinken, Sergey Lavrov, Mark Milley, General Valery Gerasimov, Joe Biden, Bill Burns, Sergey Naryshkin, Xi Jinping, Narendra Modi, Alexandr Demyanchuk, ”, … Organizations: CNN, US, National Security Council, Kherson City, “, UN, United Nations, Russian, Russian Armed Forces, CIA, Indian, Shanghai Cooperation Organization Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, “, Russian, Kherson, Ukrainian, France, Turkey, ”, Kyiv, India, China, Samarkand

☆ ‘US will be out of NATO’ in second Trump term, former senior adviser warns
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Jim Sciutto | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

“The point is, he saw absolutely no point in NATO,” Kelly said in the book. “President Trump got our allies to increase their NATO spending by demanding they pay up, but Joe Biden went back to letting them take advantage of the American taxpayer. Kelly said he tried to explain the importance of NATO to Trump in terms he believed the president would understand. In the case of withdrawing from NATO, Kelly tried to convey to Trump that both applied. “US support for Ukraine would end,” said the senior US official who served under Trump and Biden.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Powers, Joe Biden, ” John Bolton, “, ”, John Kelly, ” Kelly, Vladimir, Putin, Kim, Jong, Putin wouldn’t, ’ ”, Trump, Obama, Biden, ” Trump, Jason Miller, can’t, Kelly, Mark Milley, Mark Esper, Bolton, I’d, what’s, ’ Organizations: CNN, NATO, Trump, US, Biden, ”, South, White, Russia, “, Atlantic Treaty Organization, Joint Chiefs, Fox News Locations: Russia, South Korea, Japan, North Korea, Europe, Brussels, “, Ukraine, Taiwan, China, Bolton

☆ 'The Davos underground': A final take on the secretive parties of the world's rich and powerful
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +23 min

"That's when you get the good s---," said a Davos attendee who is regularly selected to join the exclusive backroom of the Annual Davos Wine Forum Tasting. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards JPMorgan took over the Kirchner Museum for its annual drinks event. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards The attire of the Davos set is decidedly not chic. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards The color of your conference badge determined access to World Economic Forum events. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards Skiing and snowboarding post panels and broadcasting was another favorite pastime of some Davos goers.

Persons: bankrolled, Vladimir Putin's, Putin, George Soros, Bill Browder, Anthony Scaramucci, Anthony, Scaramucci, queued, Latour, Donald Trump, —, Mark Milley, Matt Damon, Richard Branson, Andrea Bocelli, Chris Coons, Paul Ryan, bartenders, Champagne Perrier, Chateau Latour, L'Eglise, Burgundy Olivier Bernstein Bonnes, Domaine Comte Georges de Vogue, Tenuta, Casanova di Neri, Stephen King, Browder, Doug Emhoff, Gary Cohn, Ian Bremmer, Sir Martin Sorrell, Sting, Bill Gates, Sam Altman, Marc Benioff, Ray Dalio, Emhoff, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Brian Moynihan, IBM's Gary Cohn, Jack Hidary, Sir Richard Moore, Barry Colson, Davos goer, Moritz, Eve, CNBCers, Emmanuel Macron, John Kerry, Joe Short, roundtables, Wyclef Jean, Diane von Fürstenberg, George Osborne, David Rhodes, Osborne, Politico's Suzanne Lynch, Princess Beatrice, David Blaine, Milley —, Tij, CNBC Tij Organizations: Economic, CNBC, Congress Center, Russian, Russian Direct Investment Fund, Moonshot Investor Network, Putin, Hermitage Capital, SkyBridge, White House Communications, Chiefs, Bordeaux Smith Haut, Platz, Politico, IBM, AB InBev, White, Trump, Eurasia Group, Capital, Microsoft, Wall Street, Billionaire Microsoft, Light, Infosys, Bloomberg House, JPMorgan, Kirchner Museum, Financial, Hotel, CNBC CNBC, Bank of America, New, Davos, U.S . Climate, Accenture, Golf Club Davos, Palantir, Chancellor, Sky News's, Sting, Workers, Swiss Army, Army, Gliding Locations: Davos, Switzerland, Soviet, Ukraine, Moscow, Hungarian, Hermitage, Providence, Europe, Davos's, Bordeaux, Bordeaux Smith Haut Lafitte, Bello, Santa Cruz, Napa Valley Tuscany, Schatzalp, Scalettastrasse, Emirates, Halifax, Canada, Salt Lake City, U.S, Palantir, Swiss

☆ Judge bars Trump from 'smear campaign' against prosecutors, witnesses
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Andrew Goudsward | Companies Need To Integrate Climate Reporting Across Functions To Comply With California S New Law | Henry Engler | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Speaking at a campaign rally in Iowa on Monday, Trump called the judge's order "unconstitutional" and vowed to appeal it. "I'll be the only politician in history that runs with a gag order where I'm not allowed to criticize people," Trump told supporters. The order bars Trump, frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, and attorneys in the case from personally targeting Special Counsel Jack Smith, prosecutors working with him and court staff. Prosecutors sought a limited gag order that would bar certain statements from Trump during the case. The judge said she would allow Trump to make critical statements about the U.S. Justice Department and that denounce the prosecution as politically motivated.

Persons: Donald Trump, Tanya Chutkan, I’m, Chutkan, Trump, Jack Smith, Democrat Joe Biden, Shannon Stapleton, Smith, ”, Mark Milley, ” Chutkan, “, ” Trump, John Lauro, Prosecutors, Lauro, Molly Gaston, Andrew Goudsward, Nathan Layne, Scott Malone, Howard Goller Organizations: U.S, Trump, Democrat, Former U.S, Republican, REUTERS, U.S . Justice Department, Justice Department, Thomson Locations: Washington, Iowa, West Palm Beach , Florida, U.S

Trump, as a criminal defendant, "does not have the right to say and do exactly as he pleases," Chutkan said. The exchanges came as U.S. prosecutors sought a court order to limit Trump's public statements about people involved in the case. Trump is the frontrunner for the Republican nomination to challenge Democratic President Joe Biden in the 2024 U.S. election. Molly Gaston, a prosecutor working with Special Counsel Jack Smith, said the order was necessary to prevent Trump from trying the case "in the court of public opinion." "These prosecutors want to prevent President Trump from speaking out on the issues of the day," Lauro told the judge, adding that the case is "inextricably intertwined with campaign issues."

Persons: Donald Trump, Shannon Stapleton, Tanya Chutkan, Trump, John Lauro, Jack Smith, Chutkan, Lauro, Smith, Joe Biden, Molly Gaston, Gaston, Mike Pence, Mark Milley, Andrew Goudsward, Scott Malone, Will Dunham, Nick Zieminski, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: U.S, Republican, REUTERS, Rights, U.S . Justice Department, Trump, Democratic, Biden, Thomson Locations: West Palm Beach , Florida, U.S, Washington, York, China

Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump delivers remarks to supporters at the Club 47 USA event in West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S. October 11, 2023. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan plans a hearing in Washington on the bid by Special Counsel Jack Smith to bar Trump from discussing possible witnesses and disparaging prosecutors, court staff and potential jurors. Smith has cited “inflammatory public statements”, including a stream of social media attacks by Trump, that prosecutors argue are undermining public confidence in the legal system and may influence potential jurors. Trump has pleaded not guilty and accused prosecutors of attempting to interfere with his campaign. The case is one of four criminal cases federal and state prosecutors have brought against the former president this year.

Persons: Donald Trump, Shannon Stapleton, Donald Trump’s, Tanya Chutkan, Jack Smith, Smith, Trump, Democrat Joe Biden, Mike Pence, Mark Milley, Prosecutors, Trump’s, “, Andrew Goudsward, Scott Malone, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: U.S, Republican, REUTERS, Rights, Trump, Democrat, Biden Administration, U.S . Justice Department, Prosecutors, Thomson Locations: West Palm Beach , Florida, U.S, Washington, York, China

☆ John Kelly confirms firsthand Trump's statements expressing distaste for military service after years of anonymous accounts
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Former chief of staff John Kelly confirmed that he witnessed firsthand Trump's comments about military service. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . Up until Monday, Kelly did not comment on Trump's alleged statements, which were first detailed by The Atlantic in 2020. Per the Atlantic's reporting, the former president joined Kelly to visit his late son Robert Kelly's grave in 2017 and asked "I don't get it. Per the Atlantic report, Trump staff witnessed the president ask to exclude wounded veterans from a military parade because "Nobody wants to see that."

Persons: John Kelly, Trump, —, Donald Trump, Kelly, Robert Kelly's, Peter Baker, Susan Glasser, Mark Milley, Sen, John McCain Organizations: Trump, Service, US Marine Corps, CNN, Gold Star, Atlantic, House, Chiefs, White House Locations: France, Vietnam

☆ John Kelly goes on the record to confirm several disturbing stories about Trump
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Jake Tapper | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —John Kelly, the longest-serving White House chief of staff for Donald Trump, offered his harshest criticism yet of the former president in an exclusive statement to CNN. Kelly set the record straight with on-the-record confirmation of a number of damning stories about statements Trump made behind closed doors attacking US service members and veterans, listing a number of objectionable comments Kelly witnessed Trump make firsthand. “A person that has no idea what America stands for and has no idea what America is all about. Then-candidate Trump of course said in front of a crowd in 2015 that former Vietnam POW Sen. John McCain, an Arizona Republican, was “not a war hero. Milley, in a call authorized by Trump administration officials, reassured his Chinese counterparts that such a strike was not going to happen.

Persons: John Kelly, Donald Trump, Kelly, Trump, ” Kelly, “, ’, autocrats, ”, Jeffrey Goldberg, Vietnam POW Sen, John McCain, weren’t, Goldberg, McCain, George H, Bush, Mark Milley, Belleau Wood, Susan Glasser, Peter Baker, ” Trump, Luis Avila, Bob Woodward, Robert Costa, Milley, Norah O’Donnell, Cassidy Hutchinson, Hutchinson, Alyssa Farah Griffin, Griffin, there’s, Mattis, Mark Esper, Bill Barr Organizations: CNN, White House, Trump, Gold Star, Arlington National Cemetery, Vietnam POW, Arizona Republican, Navy, ” CNN, Chiefs, Marines, House, Joint Chiefs, Trump White House, CBS Locations: France, Afghanistan, Iraq, Arizona, Aisne, Paris, Arlington, The, Gen

☆ Mark Milley took an apparent dig at Trump, saying that the military doesn't take an oath to 'queen' or 'wannabe dictator'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-30 | by ( Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

On Friday, former Army General Mark Milley retired from leading the US military. Milley finished his four-year term as the Joint Chiefs of Staff, which included two years under Trump. "We don't take an oath to a king or a queen or to a tyrant or a dictator. And we don't take an oath to a wannabe dictator," Milley said on Friday, according to the Associated Press. In the speech, Milley also appeared to respond to Trump's latest threat, speaking collectively for the military.

Persons: Mark Milley, Milley, —, Staff Mark Milley, Donald Trump, Trump, Joe Biden, Trump's, George Floyd's, it's Organizations: Joint Chiefs of Staff, Trump, Service, Joint Chiefs, Staff, Army, Associated Press, AP, USA, CBS Locations: America, Washington, Iraq, Syria, Milley

That bill would have cut spending and imposed immigration and border security restrictions, Republican priorities that had little chance of passing the Democratic-majority Senate. "It's not the end yet; I've got other ideas," Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy told reporters following the defeat of a bill he had backed. Social Security payments themselves would continue. Lawmakers are not considering cuts to popular benefit programs such as Social Security and Medicare. Several hardliners have threatened to oust McCarthy from his leadership role if he passes a spending bill that requires any Democratic votes to pass, an outcome almost guaranteed given that any successful House bill must also pass the Senate, controlled by Democrats 51-49.

Persons: Kevin McCarthy, Jonathan Ernst, It's, I've, Joe Biden, Janet Yellen, creditworthiness, Biden, Mark Milley's, McCarthy, Hakeem Jeffries, Donald Trump, Biden's, Dan Crenshaw, Richard Neal, Moira Warburton, David Morgan, Scott Malone, Alistair Bell, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Capitol, REUTERS, Rights, Republicans, U.S . House, Democratic, Republican, National Park Service, Securities and Exchange, Treasury, Social, Social Security, Democrats, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, U.S, Mexico

☆ Top U.S. general Mark Milley to hand over reins after four years
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Retiring Chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staff, Army General Mark Milley (L), greets incoming Chairman, Air Force General Charles Brown, during the Armed Forces Farewell Tribute in honor of Milley, at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in Arlington, Virginia, on September 29, 2023. Top U.S. general Mark Milley will retire on Friday after a four-year tenure that saw successes like the killing of ISIS head Abu Bakr al Baghdadi and helping Ukraine to defend against Russia's invasion, but also included the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan and a rocky relationship with former President Donald Trump. Milley will hand over command to Air Force chief General Charles Q. Brown, who will be only the second Black officer to become chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, after Colin Powell two decades ago. Milley took the reins in 2019 after being nominated by Trump, but soon found himself having to balance the need to maintain his relationship with the former president without appearing to be political.

Persons: Mark Milley, Charles Brown, Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, Donald Trump, Milley, Charles Q, Brown, Colin Powell, Trump Organizations: Staff, Air Force, Armed Forces, Joint Base Myer, Henderson, U.S, ISIS, Joint Chiefs of Staff Locations: Arlington , Virginia, Ukraine, Afghanistan

☆ Top US general Mark Milley to hand over reins after four years
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Chair of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley stands by at a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington, U.S., September 5, 2023. Milley will hand over command to Air Force chief General Charles Q. Brown, who will be only the second Black officer to become chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, after Colin Powell two decades ago. Milley took the reins in 2019 after being nominated by Trump, but soon found himself having to balance the need to maintain his relationship with the former president without appearing to be political. Brown is a self-described introvert whose public persona contrasts sharply with the outgoing Milley, a loquacious Boston native.

Persons: Mark Milley, Leah Millis, Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, Donald Trump, Milley, Charles Q, Brown, Colin Powell, Trump, Joe Biden's, Lloyd Austin, Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: U.S . Joint Chiefs, Staff, White, REUTERS, Rights, U.S, ISIS, Air Force, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Trump, Pentagon, Black U.S, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Ukraine, Afghanistan, China, Boston

☆ Ukraine's capture of two villages shows 'severe degradation' of Russia's defending troops, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ukrainian soldiers retook two villages south of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, a think tank reported. The attacks inflicted "severe" damage to Russian troops, The Institute for the Study of War said. The respected Institute for the Study of War said Ukrainian troops breached a strategic defensive line that Russian forces tried to hold onto in the area south of Bakhmut, citing Ukrainian military officials. The Ukrainian recapture of the villages — Klishchiivka and Andriivka — likely left Russian forces battle-worn and less able to fight. Ukraine's advance into new villages is the latest example of its steady but costly progress in the monthslong counteroffensive.

Persons: Andriivka —, Budanov, Mark Milley, aren't, Milley, Michael Kofman Organizations: Institute, Service, Russian, Reuters, US Army, Joint Chiefs of Staff, BBC News, Carnegie Endowment, International Peace, Kyiv Independent Locations: Bakhmut, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon

☆ Ukraine's counteroffensive could have only 30 days left, says US military's top general
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ukraine counteroffensive could have only 30 days before autumn weather starts, says US military's top general. The counteroffensive has been "long, slow, hard, and high-casualty-producing," said General Mark Milley. They haven't finished the fighting part of what they're trying to accomplish," said the US military's top general. "There's still a reasonable amount of time, probably about 30 to 45 days' worth of fighting weather left, so the Ukrainians aren't done," Gen. Milley told BBC News. Though the weather will stall the counteroffensive, the head of Ukraine's military intelligence, Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov, told Reuters that "the fighting will continue one way or another."

Persons: Mark Milley, Jan Kallberg, Milley, haven't, aren't, Efrem, Sir Tony Radakin, Adm Radakin, General Kyrylo Budanov Organizations: Service, Joint Chiefs of Staff, BBC News, CNN, AP, Russia, Reuters Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Ukrainian, Zaporizhzhia region, Russia, British

☆ Pope Francis discusses Ukraine war and peace with US military chief
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Pope Francis meets with U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark A. Milley at the Vatican, August 21, 2023. Vatican Media/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsAug 21 (Reuters) - Pope Francis and General Mark Milley, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, discussed the war in Ukraine and hopes for peace there during a private audience at the Vatican on Monday. The general, who is visiting several European countries, said the pope was deeply concerned about the loss of life in Ukraine, particularly of civilians, since Russia invaded in February 2022. Milley has sharply criticized Moscow as mounting "a campaign of terror" against civilians in Ukraine, including by targeting civilian infrastructure as part of its war strategy. A strong advocate for Ukraine's defence against Russian forces, Milley, 65, has championed sending billions of dollars in arms to Kyiv.

Persons: Pope Francis, Mark A, Mark Milley, Milley, Dave Butler, Francis, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, Phil Stewart, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: U.S, Joint Chiefs, Vatican, Handout, REUTERS Acquire, U.S . Joint Chiefs of Staff, Catholic, Russian, Army, cautioning, Ukrainian, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Moscow, Kyiv, Washington, Crimea, Beijing

☆ Battlefield casualties in the Ukraine war have surged to almost 500,000 killed and wounded, US officials say
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Combined casualties on the battlefield in Ukraine near 500,000, US officials said. Russia is believed to have lost as many as 120,000 soldiers, compared with 70,000 Ukrainian deaths. Meanwhile, Ukrainian deaths are estimated to be 70,000, and up to 120,000 soldiers are believed to be wounded. Accurate figures are difficult to ascertain as Kyiv does not disclose official figures, and Russian deaths are believed to be severely undercounted, the officials noted. For many weeks, hundreds of troops were killed or injured every day in the battle, US officials told The Times.

Persons: Mark Milley, Nicholas, Bernadett Szabo Organizations: Service, New York Times, The Times, Times, St, REUTERS Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Ukrainian, Zaporizhzhia, Bernadett Szabo Ukraine, Russian

☆ Why Russia's defenses are so effective: Deep minefields, adaptable drones, and electronic warfare are proving formidable in Ukraine, experts say.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Russia's defenses are proving effective in frustrating the Ukrainian counteroffensive. Its use of mines, adaptable drones, and electronic warfare are particularly formidable, experts said. He said there were often more than four rows of minefields in front of the Russian defensive lines. A retired Australian general Mick Ryan appears to agree with Lewis, telling The Economist on Monday that Russia's defensive lines are "much more complex and deadly than anything experienced by any military in nearly 80 years." Justin Bronk, a senior research fellow with RUSI, told Newsweek that Ukraine's "Beaver" drones appear to be vulnerable to Russia's electronic defense systems.

Persons: Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, Maxar David Lewis, Mick Ryan, Lewis, it's, Steve Wright, Wright, ALEXANDER NEMENOV, Justin Bronk, RUSI, Russia doesn't, Mark Milley, Birmingham's Jaroslava Barbieri Organizations: Service, BBC, Royal United Services Institute, Storm, Ukrainian, Police, Moscow International Business, Getty Images, Newsweek, Moscow Sunday, Reuters, Associated Press, University, Birmingham's, Ukraine's Ministry of Defense Locations: Russia, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Russian, Kherson, Dnipro, Russia's, Australian, RUSI, AFP, Ukrainian, Kyiv

Congress authorized up to $1 billion worth of Presidential Drawdown Authority weapons aid for Taiwan in the 2023 budget. One official, speaking on the condition anonymity, said the package is expected to be worth around $330 million. The Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Beijing has repeatedly demanded the United States, Taiwan's most important arms supplier, halt the sale of weapons to the island. Taiwan has complained of delays to U.S. weapon deliveries, such as Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, as shipments from U.S. stockpiles moved to Ukraine.

Persons: General Atomics, Defense Lloyd Austin, Mark Milley, Mike Stone, Idrees Ali, Chris Sanders, Deepa Babington, Lincoln Organizations: Reuters, Congress, U.S . Air Force, Cultural, Defense, Presidential, Authority, U.S . Army, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Thomson Locations: United States, Taiwan, China, Taipei, Beijing, U.S, Ukraine

Congress authorized up to $1 billion worth of Presidential Drawdown Authority weapons aid for Taiwan in the 2023 budget. One official, speaking on the condition anonymity, said the package is expected to be worth around $330 million. The Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Beijing has repeatedly demanded the United States, Taiwan's most important arms supplier, halt the sale of weapons to the island. Taiwan has said its defense spending this year will focus on preparing weapons and equipment for a "total blockade" by China, including parts for F-16 fighters and replenishing weapons.

☆ US says Russian plane hit drone with flare over Syria
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON July 25 (Reuters) - The U.S. military said a Russian fighter jet hit a U.S. drone with a flare and "severely" damaged its propeller over Syria, the latest in a series of closer interactions by Russian military aircraft in the region. Over the past several months, U.S. officials say, Russian jets have increased the pace of dangerous encounters with U.S. military aircraft over Syria, where forces from both countries operate. "One of the Russian flares struck the U.S. MQ-9, severely damaging its propeller," the U.S. military said in a statement on Tuesday. "Fortunately, the MQ-9 crew was able to maintain flight and safely recover the aircraft to its home base," the statement added. U.S. military officials have said it is unclear what has led to the uptick in aggressive Russian moves over Syrian skies.

Persons: Mark Milley, Idrees Ali, Kanjyik Ghosh Organizations: U.S, Russian, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Thomson Locations: Russian, U.S, Syria, Washington

☆ Putin hosts Belarus leader, calls Ukraine's counteroffensive a failure
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) and Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko (R) at the Grand Kremlin Palace on May 25, 2023 in Moscow, Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin said Ukraine's counteroffensive "has failed" as he hosted Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, his close ally, for talks in St. Petersburg on Sunday. "There is no counteroffensive," Russian news agencies quoted Lukashenko as saying. Poland is moving extra troops toward the border with Belarus in response to the arrival of the Wagner forces who relocated there after staging a short-lived mutiny in Russia last month. Putin, in response, warned Poland on Friday that any aggression against Belarus would be considered an attack on Russia.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Alexander Lukashenko, Lukashenko, Putin, Mark Milley, Russia's Wagner, Wagner Organizations: U.S, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Telegram, NATO Locations: Moscow, Russia, Russian, St . Petersburg, Ukraine, Poland, Warsaw, Rzeszow, Belarusian, Polish, Belarus, Minsk

[1/2] Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko meet people outside the Naval Cathedral of St. Nicholas in Kronstadt near Saint Petersburg, Russia July 23, 2023. Sputnik/Alexander Demyanchuk/Pool via REUTERSJuly 23 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said Ukraine's counteroffensive "has failed" as he hosted Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, his close ally, for talks in St Petersburg on Sunday. "There is no counteroffensive," Russian news agencies quoted Lukashenko as saying. Ukraine began its long-anticipated counter-offensive last month but has so far made only small gains against well entrenched Russian forces who control more than a sixth of its territory after nearly 17 months of war. Putin, in response, warned Poland on Friday that any aggression against Belarus would be considered an attack on Russia.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Alexander Lukashenko, Nicholas, Alexander Demyanchuk, Lukashenko, Putin, Mark Milley, Russia's Wagner, Wagner, Mark Trevelyan, Felix Light, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Belarusian, Naval, Sputnik, REUTERS, U.S, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Telegram, NATO, Thomson Locations: St, Kronstadt, Saint Petersburg, Russia, St Petersburg, Russian, Ukraine, Poland, Warsaw, Rzeszow, Belarusian, Polish, Belarus, Moscow, Minsk, West

Asked whether the counter-offensive was a failure, at least so far, General Mark Milley, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said: "It is far from a failure. Speaking after another round of talks on arms for Ukraine in its fight against Russia's now nearly 17-month invasion, Milley said that the Ukrainian counteroffensive will be slow. Moscow says the Ukrainian counteroffensive has failed. Six weeks since Ukraine launched a counteroffensive in the east and south, Russia is mounting a ground offensive of its own in the northeast. Oleksiy Reznikov, Ukraine defence minister, said after the Tuesday talks that "supply of weapons and equipment urgently needed" is a priority for Ukraine.

Persons: Mark Milley, Russia's, Milley, Reznikov, Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, Doina, Lidia Kelly, Chris Reese, Leslie Adler, Michael Perry Organizations: Joint Chiefs, Staff, Kyiv, European Union, Twitter, Thomson Locations: Russia, United States, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Kyiv, Bakhmut, Moscow, Kupiansk, Reznikov, Melbourne

WASHINGTON, July 18 (Reuters) - Ukraine's counter-offensive against Russia is far from a failure, but the fight ahead will be long and bloody, the top U.S. general said on Tuesday, even as casualties on both sides mount and the front lines have moved only incrementally. The United States and other allies have spent months building Ukraine a "mountain of steel" of weaponry and training Ukrainian forces in combined arms techniques to help Kyiv pierce formidable Russian defenses during its counter-offensive. Asked whether the counter-offensive was a failure, at least so far, General Mark Milley, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said: "It is far from a failure. Moscow says the Ukrainian counteroffensive has failed. Six weeks since Ukraine launched a counteroffensive in the east and south, Russia is mounting a ground offensive of its own in the northeast.

Persons: Mark Milley, Milley, Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, Doina, Chris Reese, Leslie Adler Organizations: Joint Chiefs, Staff, Kyiv, Thomson Locations: Russia, United States, Ukraine, Kyiv, Bakhmut, Moscow, Kupiansk

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