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☆ Reaction to Gabon army officers announcing coup
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Below are reactions to what appeared to be the eighth military coup in West and Central Africa since 2020. FRENCH GOVERNMENT SPOKESPERSON OLIVIER VERAN"We condemn the military coup and recall our commitment to free and transparent elections." EU HIGH REPRESENTATIVE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND SECURITY POLICY JOSEP BORRELL"If this is confirmed, it is another military coup which increases instability in the whole region. RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON MARIA ZAKHAROVA"Moscow has received with concern reports of a sharp deterioration in the internal situation in the friendly African country. U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTONIO GUTERRES"The Secretary-General is following the evolving situation in Gabon very closely.

Persons: Gerauds Wilfried Obangome, Ali Bongo, Moussa Faki Mahamat, BOLA TINUBU'S, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GENERAL PATRICIA SCOTLAND, OLIVIER VERAN, WANG WENBIN, Bongo, JOSEP BORRELL, MARIA ZAKHAROVA, JOHN KIRBY, It's, GENERAL ANTONIO GUTERRES, Nellie Peyton, Sofia Christensen, Alexander Winning, Sharon Singleton, Andy Sullivan Organizations: REUTERS, Central African, AU, H.E, WEST, BLOC ECOWAS, GENERAL, Commonwealth Secretariat, MINISTRY, EU HIGH, Thomson Locations: Libreville, Gabon, West, Central Africa, Gabonese Republic, Republic, NIGERIA, African Union, CHINA, China, Central African Republic, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Moscow

☆ North Korea conducts missile launch into sea after US bomber drills
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A North Korean flag flutters at the propaganda village of Gijungdong in North Korea, in this picture taken near the truce village of Panmunjom inside the demilitarized zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas, South Korea, July 19, 2022. The launch comes a day before South Korea and the U.S. wrap up 11 days of combined military drills, which Pyongyang has denounced. The B-1B bombers conducted separate air drills with warplanes from South Korea and Japan earlier on Wednesday. North Korea's ballistic missiles are banned by United Nations Security Council resolutions that have imposed strict sanctions on the nuclear-armed country. Kirby said Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu had recently travelled to North Korea to try to convince Pyongyang to sell artillery ammunition to Russia.

Persons: Kim Hong, John Kirby, Kirby, Sergei Shoigu, Joe Biden, Yoon Suk Yeol, Fumio Kishida, Chang, Ran Kim, Josh Smith, Alison Williams, Alex Richardson, Josie Kao Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Korea's, Chiefs, Staff, United Nations, White House, Russian, Korean, . Space Force, . U.S, South Korean, Korea, Thomson Locations: Gijungdong, North Korea, Panmunjom, South Korea, Rights SEOUL, TOKYO, U.S, Korea, United States, Pyongyang, Japan, Russia, The U.S, ., Tokyo, Seoul

☆ A Soviet-style approach to war might be hindering Ukraine in its battles with Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A Soviet-style approach to war might be holding back Ukraine's counteroffensive against Russia. US officials told The New York Times that Ukrainian forces were evenly allocating their resources. Ukraine has continued to pour resources into eastern areas such as Bakhmut, baffling US officials. Unnamed US officials told The New York Times that Ukraine needed to focus its counteroffensive resources on southern Ukraine, as they have been spreading equipment and troops too widely and to little effect . The problem is that Ukraine — like Russia — fights under an old Communist doctrine that seeks to limit infighting between military divisions by evenly dividing resources, the Times reported.

Persons: Russia —, John Kirby, Kirby Organizations: New York Times, Service, Times, Department of Defense, Pentagon Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Bakhmut, Crimea, Soviet, Germany

☆ Take a look at the $63 million F-16 fighter jet the West has pledged to help Ukraine win the war with Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( Nathan Rennolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Denmark and the Netherlands are sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, with US approval. Ukraine has long coveted the US-made jet as it seeks to bolster its air capabilities in its war with Russia, which has a more advanced air force. Mads Claus Rasmussen/AFP/Getty ImagesSpecificationsThe F-16 is a multi-role fighter built by Lockheed Martin for the US Air Force. A US Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe US will also begin training Ukrainian pilots to fly and maintain F-16s in Arizona in October, the Pentagon said Thursday.

Persons: Joe Biden, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Mette Frederiksen, Mads Claus Rasmussen, Lockheed Martin, Justin Bronk, Ethan Miller, James Hecker, It's, Stringer, John Kirby, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Al Jazeera, Kajsa Ollongren, Oleksii Reznikov, Pat Ryder Organizations: Service, Getty, Lockheed, US Air Force, Falcon, AIM, Royal United Services Institute, U.S . Air Force, Nevada, US Air Forces, Israeli Air Force, US National Security, Pentagon, Pentagon Press, Air Force Locations: Denmark, Netherlands, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Russia, Indian Springs , Nevada, Europe, Romania, Athens, Al, Kyiv, Arizona

NORAD scrambled 2 fighter jets after an aircraft flew too close to President Joe Biden's vacation spot. The jets fired flares near the civilian pilot to get their attention. No information about the civilian aircraft or its pilot was released. AdvertisementAdvertisementF-16 intercepts of civilian aircraft that venture too close to where the president is are not uncommon. For instance, NORAD sortied F-16 fighter aircraft to intercept a Cessna, popping flares in the process, after it entered the temporary restricted airspace while Biden was delivering a speech in California last October.

Persons: Joe Biden's, Joe Biden, Jill Biden, Anthony Guglielmi, Olivia Dalton, Biden, John Kirby, Noble, NORAD's Organizations: NORAD, Service, Aerospace Defense Command, Coast Guard, US, Cessna, UN, White, National Security Locations: Wall, Silicon, Lake Tahoe, Washington, Canada, Virginia, California, New York City, Arizona, DC

CNN —The US has committed to approving the transfer of F-16 fighter jets for Ukraine as soon as training is complete, according to a US official. The plan is to make sure Ukraine has the fighter jet it has long sought the moment its pilots complete training on the F-16. A one-page training concept from the Danish Ministry of Defense laid out a six-month plan to prepare pilots and ground crews to operate the fighter jet. But the US has yet to receive a formal training plan to familiarize and prepare Ukrainian pilots for the fourth-generation fighter jet. Even so, Ukraine said Wednesday that it didn’t expect to receive F-16s until sometime next year.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Biden, ” Blinken, John Kirby, CNN’s Jake Tapper, “, ”, ” Kirby, Yurii Ihnat Organizations: CNN, Ukrainian Air Force, Reuters, Danish Ministry of Defense, National Security Locations: Ukraine, Denmark, Netherlands, Ukrainian, American

☆ Moscow court arrests U.S. national for 'espionage' -Russian news agencies
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The Russian flag flies on the dome of the Kremlin Senate building behind Spasskaya Tower, in central Moscow, Russia, May 4, 2023. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 17 (Reuters) - A Moscow court has arrested an already imprisoned Russia-born U.S. citizen on charges of espionage, Russian news agencies reported on Thursday. Russian news agencies did not report any details of the new charges, but said the court session was held behind closed doors as the case materials were classified. Speaking on CNN, White House spokesperson John Kirby said the administration was still collecting information about the case and had no comment yet. Reporting by Maxim Rodionov, Kanishka Singh and Lidia Kelly; Editing by Chris Reese, Daniel Wallis and Raju GopalakrishnanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Stringer, Gene Spector, Arkady Dvorkovich, Spector, John Kirby, Maxim Rodionov, Kanishka Singh, Lidia Kelly, Chris Reese, Daniel Wallis, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Kremlin Senate, REUTERS, TASS, Medpolymerprom, CNN, White, State Department, Thomson Locations: Russian, Kremlin, Moscow, Russia, Russia's St, Petersburg, United States

☆ Iran says unblocked S.Korea funds to be used for 'non-sanctioned goods'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The sign of the Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran is seen in Tehran, Iran January 25, 2023. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS/File PhotoAug 12 (Reuters) - Iran's central bank chief said on Saturday that all of Iran's frozen funds in South Korea had been unblocked and would be used for "non-sanctioned goods". White House spokesperson John Kirby said Iran could only access the funds "to buy food, medicine, medical equipment that would not have a dual military use." The five Americans will be allowed to leave Iran once the funds are unfrozen, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters. He added that the costs of converting the funds from South Korea's won currency to euros would be accepted by the "third country" where the money would be deposited to buy "non-sanctioned goods".

Persons: Majid Asgaripour, Mohammad Reza Farzin's, John Kirby, Farzin, Helen Popper Our Organizations: Central Bank of, West Asia News Agency, REUTERS, Reuters, South Korea's, Dubai, Thomson Locations: Islamic Republic of Iran, Tehran, Iran, South Korea, Washington, Tehran ., Qatar

[1/2] A general view of the sun rising behind the White House in Washington, U.S. January 22, 2021. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File PhotoWASHINGTON, Aug 11 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden's comment about China being a "ticking time bomb" referred to internal economic and social tensions that could have an effect on how Beijing interacts with the world, a White House official said Friday. Kirby defended the funding request, saying, "Yes, this is an urgent need for us to be able to provide an alternative." Biden told donors: "China is a ticking time bomb ... China is in trouble. Liu said China's GDP growth continued to provide an important support for the development of the global economy.

Persons: Jonathan Ernst, Joe Biden's, John Kirby, Kirby, Liu Pengyu, Biden, Liu, We've, Xi Jinping, Andrea Shalal, Michael Martina, Chris Reese, David Gregorio Our Organizations: White, REUTERS, Reuters, China's National Bureau, Statistics, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, China, Beijing, Utah, Washington, United States, India

☆ White House downplays CNN poll showing majority of Americans oppose more US aid for Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Nikki Carvajal | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —The White House on Wednesday downplayed CNN polling showing most Americans oppose Congress providing additional funding to support Ukraine in its war with Russia ahead of a reported administration request for more aid. Last week, a CNN poll showed that overall, 55% say Congress should not authorize additional funding to support Ukraine vs. 45% who say Congress should authorize such funding. And 51% say that the US has already done enough to help Ukraine while 48% say it should do more. The administration requested this kind of additional funding to help support Ukraine four times last year, in March, May, September and December. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on Wednesday called for continued support for Ukraine during an event in Louisville, Kentucky.

Persons: Strategic Communications John Kirby, “ It’s, ” Kirby, Putin, Biden, Doug Bush, ”, Mitch McConnell, Republicans –, haven’t, ” McConnell, it’s, Sen, Josh Hawley, you’ve, “ There’s, Xi, ’ ” McConnell Organizations: CNN, Wednesday, National Security, Strategic Communications, NATO, Republicans, Management, White, Pentagon, Ukraine Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Louisville , Kentucky, American, China, Asia, Japan

☆ Why a stalled Ukrainian offensive could represent a huge political problem for Zelensky in the US
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

And even if Trump is not the GOP nominee in 2024, ebbing public support for the war could hurt Biden. Therefore, for political, as well as strategic reasons, there is huge pressure on Ukraine’s long-awaited counteroffensive this summer to produce significant battlefield breakthroughs. Any suggestion that Ukraine’s offensive has been bogged down will deepen that skepticism over a prolonged US commitment. Soon after the Russian invasion in February 2022, 62% said the US should do more to support Ukraine. The political dynamics in the House represent a rather precarious foundation for Ukraine’s vital US support, underscoring why a stalled offensive could represent a political disaster for Zelensky in the United States as well as a strategic loss for Ukraine at home.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky’s, Vladimir Putin, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Putin, Trump, Biden, CNN’s Jim Sciutto, bleakly, Ukraine’s, Zelensky, ” Zelensky, ” It’s, Mark Hertling, ” Hertling, darkens, George H.W, George H.W . Bush, Kevin McCarthy, John Kirby, CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, He’s, Chris Christie, Nikki Haley, Mike Pence –, there’s Organizations: CNN, GOP, Senior, Ukraine, Army, Republican, Democratic, Trump Republicans, National Security, New, New Jersey Gov, South Carolina Gov Locations: US, Ukraine, Moscow, United States, NATO, Russia, Kyiv, Washington, Boston, Saudi Arabia, Crimea, George H.W ., Iowa, New Hampshire, New Jersey

☆ Biden says he plans to travel to Vietnam ‘shortly’
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Donald Judd | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —President Joe Biden on Tuesday said that he plans to soon visit Vietnam in an effort “to change our relationship,” with the Southeast Asian nation. “I’m going to be going to Vietnam shortly, because Vietnam wants to change our relationship and become a partner,” he said, according to press pool reports from a campaign reception. Biden’s off-camera remarks in Albuquerque, New Mexico, come as his administration is seeking to counter China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific region. The White House declined to comment Wednesday, telling CNN the administration has “nothing to speak to today.”“On Vietnam, I don’t have any travel details to speak to today,” White House National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby told CNN’s Kevin Liptak during a virtual gaggle Wednesday. The announcement had marked one of the centerpieces of Biden’s visit to the continent.

Persons: Joe Biden, “ I’m, ”, Strategic Communications John Kirby, CNN’s Kevin Liptak, “, Biden Organizations: CNN, National Security, Strategic Communications, Economic Locations: Vietnam, Albuquerque , New Mexico, Australia, Brunei, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Tokyo

☆ How — and when — Ukraine's war with Russia could end
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Wojciech Grzedzinski | Anadolu Agency | Getty ImagesThe war between Russia and Ukraine entered a new phase this summer when Kyiv launched its much-anticipated counteroffensive, and there were hopes Ukraine would regain the upper hand. "By the end of this year, both sides will think they still have more to gain by fighting. "Literally, they're [the Ukrainian forces] just running into the first line of defenses now, but that's a 30 kilometer deep belt of minefields and trenches and counter attacks. Meanwhile, any prospect of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine look slim despite efforts to bring both sides to the negotiating table. "One outcome is that this war is fought out because Ukraine gets the help to do it.

Persons: King Danylo, Wojciech Grzedzinski, It's, Richard Barrons, isn't, Barrons, Nick Reynolds, they've, you've, Jamie Shea, Shea, John Kirby Organizations: Mechanized Brigade, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Kyiv, Russian, Military, Joint Forces Command, CNBC, Ukrainian, Ukraine's Defense Ministry, Battalion, Territorial Defense, Ukrainian Air Force, NATO, Ukraine, U.S . National Security Locations: Ukrainian, Russia, Ukraine, Donetsk Oblast, Donetsk, Bakhmut, Berdyansk, Azov, London, Russian, Crimea, United States, Vilnius, Lithuania, China, India, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, U.S, Greece, Cyprus, North, South Korea

☆ Oil prices set for sixth weekly gain as producers pledge output cuts
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Oil prices rose for a second day on Friday, set for their sixth week of gains, after Saudi Arabia and Russia, the world's second and third-largest crude producers, pledged to cut output through next month. Both benchmarks were on track for a sixth week of gains, their longest streak of weekly gains this year. The Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee of OPEC+ is unlikely to tweak overall oil output policy at the meeting on Friday, sources have said. But the Saudi Arabian pledge plus comments from Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak that it will also cut its oil exports by 300,000 bpd in September have raised concerns about supply and supported prices. Higher borrowing costs for businesses and consumers could slow economic growth and reduce oil demand.

Persons: Brent, WTI, Alexander Novak, John Kirby Organizations: Brent, U.S, West Texas, Organization of, Petroleum, Ministerial, OPEC, White House, Bank of England Locations: Saudi Arabia, Russia, Saudi, OPEC, Russian, United States, U.S

☆ Russia is playing risky games with its exploding drones, attacking Ukrainian ports only a couple hundred meters from NATO territory
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Russian forces have been routinely attacking Ukraine's southern cities and ports in recent weeks. Western intelligence says Russia has "evolved its risk appetite for conducting strikes near" NATO. But these attacks have also crept toward NATO territory, something Western officials have warned of since the 17-month-long war began. It added that the Iranian-made drones have landed as close as 650 feet from the Romania border, "suggesting that Russia has evolved its risk appetite for conducting strikes near NATO territory." Meanwhile, the bombardment near Romania comes as some NATO countries worry that Russian allies are encroaching on NATO territory to the northwest of Ukraine.

Persons: Nina Liashenko, Reni, Ukraine Bridget Brink, Wagner, John Kirby, We're Organizations: NATO, Service, Russian, Twitter, AS, REUTERS, White, National Security Locations: Romania, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine's, Moscow, Ukraine, Romanian, Izmail, China, Israel, russia, Russian, Odesa, Belarus, Minsk, Poland, Lithuania

☆ In a desperate scramble for ammo, Russia's defense chief flew all the way to North Korea to beg for some of theirs
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russia's defense chief traveled to North Korea recently to try and secure more ammunition. Shoigu went to Pyongyang "in a bid to convince North Korea to sell munitions to Russia to support Russia's war," Kirby added. Kirby said on Thursday that any arms deal between Russia and North Korea would be in violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un walks with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu in Pyongyang, North Korea, on July 27, 2023. Iran has outfitted Russia's military with explosive drones that Moscow has used for nearly a year to attack Ukrainian cities and the country's civil infrastructure.

Persons: Vladimir Putin's, Biden, Vladimir Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Shoigu, Kim Jong Un, John Kirby, Kirby, Li Hongzhong, Kim, Kim Jong, Putin, he's, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, there's Organizations: White, US, Service, Russian, North, DPRK, Ukraine, National Security, Democratic People's, Chinese Communist Party, Russia's, Korean Central News Agency, KCNA, REUTERS, Korean, Wagner Group, US Treasury Department, Slovakian, United Nations, Russian Defense Locations: North Korea, Ukraine, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Moscow, North Korean, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Pyongyang, REUTERS North Korea, Korea, Iran, China, Washington, Beijing

☆ Fact Check-No evidence Niger coup leaders told US to keep its aid for its own homeless
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

“The United States of America threatens to withhold aid to Niger due to the military takeover […] Niger Military says they should keep their aid and give it to their millions of Homeless people in the United States,” reads part of an Aug. 1 Instagram post that gained over 9,000 likes in two hours (here). U.S. officials have said cutting aid is a possibility if the military takeover continues. Per the report, U.S. law on foreign aid prohibits providing most aid where an elected leader has been deposed via a coup d’etat or decree. France and the European Union have already cut off financial aid, Reuters reported on Saturday (here). As of Aug. 2, there is no evidence Niger’s military leaders publicly said the United States should “keep their aid” in response to American threats to cut ties amid the African country’s military coup.

Persons: Joe Biden, ”, Mohamed Bazoum, John Kirby, Biden, Tiani, “, Read Organizations: U.S, ., Homeless, Facebook, Reuters, Department, White House, European Union Locations: Niger, West, United States, America, U.S, Washington, France

☆ Exiled Wagner mercenaries are training Belarusian troops in what may signal Putin's puppet next door is cutting some of the strings
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Jake Epstein | Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Wagner Group mercenaries cast into exile in Belarus have been training the country's soldiers. The increased military training suggests that Putin's influential grip on Belarus may be waning. "The Wagner Group's new role in Belarusian company-level training is notable," the ISW analysis said. Shortly after that, Wagner troops began training internal troops, the Belarusian Deputy Commander of the Internal Troops confirmed on July 25. Lukashenko, meanwhile, has praised the Wagner fighters and welcomed the military training with open arms.

Persons: Wagner, Vladimir Putin, Alexander Lukashenko, Lukashenko, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Eager, Russian Wagner, ISW, George Barros, Wagner's, Barros, Putin, Belta, John Kirby, We're, Kirby Organizations: Service, Kremlin, Wagner Group, Belarusian Defence Ministry, REUTERS, Russian, Institute for, Belarusian, Sputnik, Internal Troops, Belarus ' Defense Ministry, Special Operations Forces, AP, Moscow, Ukrainian, Minsk, White, National Security, NATO Locations: Belarus, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Belarusian, Asipovichy, Minsk, Russian, Brest, Washington, DC, wean, Moscow, Ukraine, Sochi, Kremlin, Africa, Poland, Lithuania

But two months after President Joe Biden announced US support for training Ukrainian pilots on F-16s, there remain a number of critical details to work out. It is also still unclear which countries will commit F-16s to the training program – and to Ukraine itself once the program is finished. The training program will be for Ukraine and “also for other countries who are transitioning to the fourth generation fighter jets,” she said. The number of Ukrainian pilots set to be trained is also still being determined, but the Air Force memo recommended a pool of 10-12 participants. “The United States will not be the holdup in ensuring that this F-16 training can get under way.”

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, Joe Biden, Biden, ”, Kajsa Ollongren, “, Strategic Communications John Kirby, ’ skillset, Jake Sullivan Organizations: Washington CNN, CNN, Denmark’s Ministry of Defense, Skrydstrup Fighter Base, Dutch Ministry of Defense, Dutch Defense, NATO, National Security, Strategic Communications, Vasco Cotovio, US Air Force, The Air Force, Morris Air National Guard Base, Force, Yahoo, an Air Force, Air Force, Ukraine’s Air Force, American, Russian, National Locations: Ukraine, Denmark, Romania, American, Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Fort Sill, Oklahoma, Europe, Tucson , Arizona, Soviet, United States

☆ Iran's drones could reach a new South American market as Bolivia expresses interest
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Here's what's ahead for defense stocks "Latin American countries are of special significance in Iran's foreign and defense policy based on the importance of [the] very sensitive South American region," Iran's Defense Minister Mohammad Reza Ashtiani was quoted as saying. Iran's drones have made "considerable impact on any battlefield they have appeared in," according to Farzin Nadimi, an arms expert at The Washington Institute said. The U.S.' concerns center on Iran's deepening foreign alliances and dissemination of its lethal drones, analysts say. It added that a former Revolutionary Guard Corps commander, "boasted in October 2022 that 22 countries — including Algeria, Armenia, Serbia, Tajikistan, and Venezuela — had submitted formal requests for Iranian drones." Iran has previously provided drones to African countries including Sudan and Ethiopia, which the latter used against Tigrayan rebels.

Persons: Oleksii Samsonov, Mohammad Reza Ashtiani, Edmundo Novillo, Novillo, Farzin, Nadimi, Novillo's, John Kirby, Biden, Ebrahim Raisi, Kirby, Annika Ganzeveld, Asad, Khomeini, Majid Asgaripour, Venezuela —, Raisi, ISW Organizations: Kyiv, Getty, Iran's, Bolivian, Bolivia's, CNBC, U.S . Defense Intelligence Agency, The Washington Institute, U.S . Institute for Peace, The U.S, U.S . National Security Council, Sepah, Anadolu Agency, American Enterprise Institute, Associated Press, U.S, Missiles, WANA, REUTERS, for, Revolutionary Guard Corps Locations: Russia, Kyiv, Ukraine, Iran, Washington, South America, Tehran, Fars, Bolivia, The, U.S, Europe, Africa, Latin America, Asia, America, Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, U.S Ayn, REUTERS Washington, Algeria, Armenia, Serbia, Tajikistan, Iranian, Kenya, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Sudan, Ethiopia

☆ Ukraine got its hands on North Korean rockets that troops say are wildly unpredictable and 'do crazy things,' and they're lobbing them at the Russians
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

North Korea is an ally of Russia and has sold them weapons, according to US officials. The Financial Times reported Friday that Ukraine has been launching unpredictable, North Korean-made rockets at Russian troops. The use of North Korean weapons was striking given that the country is an ally of Russia. Putin on Thursday thanked North Korea for its "firm support" for the war in Ukraine. Ukrainian soldiers told FT a "friendly" country "seized" the North Korean rockets from a ship, but did not give further details.

Persons: Kim Jong, Vladimir Putin's, Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Kim, John Kirby, Yuriy Sak Organizations: Russian, Service, North, Financial Times, White House National Security Council, Ukrainian, Politico Locations: Korea, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Korean, Bakhmut, Ukrainian, North Korea, Pyongyang, Iran, China, Soviet, United Kingdom, Germany, Spain

☆ Biden to meet with leaders of South Korea, Japan at Camp David
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Nikki Carvajal | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

As CNN previously reported, the leaders of South Korea and Japan promised to resume ties in a fence-mending summit in March – the first such meeting in 12 years – as the two neighbors sought to confront threats from North Korea and rising concerns about China. Mutual visits by Japanese and South Korean leaders had been suspended as ties soured over several issues, including a dispute over proper compensation of South Koreans who were forced to work in Japan during the Japanese occupation of South Korea in the early 20th century. In recent years the often fraught relations have undermined efforts by the United States to present a united front against North Korea – and the growing assertiveness of Beijing. The two East Asian neighbors have a long history of acrimony, dating back to Japan’s colonial occupation of the Korean Peninsula a century ago. Biden met with both leaders for a trilateral meeting in May 2023 in Hiroshima, Japan, during the G7 meeting and in June 2022 at the NATO summit in Madrid.

Persons: Joe Biden, Kishida Fumio, Yoon Suk, Camp David, “, ”, David, Biden, Barack Obama, John Kirby, Yoon, Kishida, they’ve, ” Kirby Organizations: CNN, South, Camp, White, DPRK, ASEAN, United States National Security, ROK, Mutual, North Korea –, NATO Locations: United States, Japan, Republic of Korea, South Korea, North Korea, China, Beijing, Hiroshima, Madrid

July 28 (Reuters) - The United States and its partners are communicating with military leaders in Niger, a State Department spokesperson said on Friday, as Washington warned a military takeover could end U.S. cooperation with the nation. Coup leaders in Niger on Friday declared General Abdourahamane Tiani as the new head of state following the seventh military takeover in West and Central Africa in less than three years. Military leaders from ECOWAS nations and international partners including the United States are in communication with a broad array of military leaders in Niger," the State Department spokesperson said. So far in fiscal year 2023, the U.S. has provided nearly $138 million in humanitarian assistance for vulnerable populations in Niger, the State Department spokesperson said. The State Department spokesperson said there was no announcement about when she would travel to Niger.

Persons: Abdourahamane Tiani, John Kirby, Washington, Washington's, Biden, Kirby, Lloyd Austin, Kathleen FitzGibbon, Steve Holland, Daphne Psaledakis, Phil Stewart, Patricia Zengerle, David Ljunggren, Jonathan Oatis, Sandra Maler, Don Durfee, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: State Department, Friday, Military, White House, U.S . Agency for International Development, ., Pentagon, DoD, Department of Defense, The State Department, Thomson Locations: United States, Niger, Washington, West, Central Africa, U.S, Africa's, Niger . U.S

☆ Niger response: 'Washington has to thread a very difficult needle'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —The United States and its Western allies are faced with a difficult conundrum as they navigate potential responses to the military takeover in Niger if democratic rule is not restored. Experts told CNN that punitive measures could push Niger toward Russian mercenary groups like Wagner and away from its partners in the West. US officials have said there are no indications that the organization was involved in the military takeover. We don’t really know who this new general is” who has seized power, she told CNN. Felbab-Brown told CNN that Prigozhin is trying to “personally” take advantage, given his “precarious” place following his failed revolt.

Persons: Biden, Vedant Patel, John Kirby, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, ”, Cameron Hudson, ‘, Antony Blinken, Vanda Felbab, Brown, Bob Menendez, Jim Risch, Kirby, Mohamed Bazoum, Gen, Abdourahamane Tiani, Bazoum, “, ” Hudson, Kamissa Camara, Camara, Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, We’re, ” Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin, “ It’s, Prigozhin, Putin, shouldn’t, ” Kirby, Blinken, United Nations Linda Thomas, Greenfield, Kamala Harris, Bola Tinubu, African Affairs Molly Phee, Hassoumi Massoudou, Mahamadou Issoufou “, Patel Organizations: CNN, US State Department, Nigerien, State Department, National Security Council, Experts, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Central African, West, Brookings, Senate Foreign Relations, Democratic, US Institute of Peace, Russian Foreign Ministry, African Union, Economic, West African States, United Nations, African Affairs, Nigerien Foreign, ” State Department Locations: United States, Niger, Russian, Africa, “ Washington, Sahel, Mali, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Niamey, “, Hudson, Russia, St . Petersburg, Moscow, Sudan, New Zealand, Nigeria

WASHINGTON, July 26 (Reuters) - Ukraine's counteroffensive is "not a stalemate" even if it is not progressing fast enough, White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Wednesday. Kirby made the remarks when asked about the pace of Ukraine's counteroffensive in a press briefing. The White House national security spokesman said Washington would "make sure that they (Ukrainians) have the kinds of tools and capabilities they need to stay on the move." The U.S. Department of Defense announced $400 million in additional security assistance for Ukraine earlier this week, including air defense missiles, armored vehicles and small drones. Reporting by Kanishka Singh and Trevor Hunnicutt in Washington; Editing by Heather Timmons and Grant McCoolOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: John Kirby, Kirby, Zelenskiy, it's, They're, Washington, Antony Blinken, Kanishka Singh, Trevor Hunnicutt, Heather Timmons, Grant McCool Organizations: White House, U.S . Department of Defense, Thomson Locations: United States, Ukraine, Russia, Washington

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