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WASHINGTON, July 17 (Reuters) - U.S. chip company executives met with top Biden administration officials on Monday to discuss China policy, the State Department and sources said, as the most powerful semiconductor lobby group urged a halt to more curbs under consideration. Secretary of State Antony Blinken talked with chip company chief executives about the industry and supply chains after his recent trip to China, a department spokesperson told reporters. The chip industry is keen to protect its profits in China as the Biden administration considers another round of restrictions on chip exports to China. Last year, China accounted for $180 billion in semiconductor purchases, more than a third the worldwide total of $555.9 billion and the largest single market, according to Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA). The Biden administration is considering updating a sweeping set of rules imposed in October to hobble China's chip industry and a new executive order restricting some outbound investment.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Gina Raimondo, Lael Brainard, Jake Sullivan, Biden, Blinken, Matthew Miller, Commerce's Raimondo, Washington, hobble, Pat Gelsinger, David Shepardson, Andrea Shalal, Simon Lewis, Stephen Nellis, Chris Sanders, Susan Heavey, Matthew Lewis, Nick Zieminski Organizations: Biden, State Department, National Economic, National Security, Intel, Qualcomm, Nvidia, Reuters, Semiconductor Industry Association, SIA, Department, White, Commerce Department, Huawei Technology Co, San, Thomson Locations: China, U.S, Washington, San Francisco

The chip industry is keen to protect its profits in China as the Biden administration considers another round of restrictions on chip exports to China. The Biden administration is considering updating a sweeping set of rules imposed in October to hobble China's chip industry and a new executive order restricting some outbound investment. Not every official is expected to meet with every company, the source who spoke on condition of anonymity added. Further rule-tightening by U.S. officials risks "disrupting supply chains, causing significant market uncertainty, and prompting continued escalatory retaliation by China," the industry group said. "The availability of Gaudi2 in China continues Intel’s nearly 40-year history of delivering innovative yet legally-compliant products to this key growth market," Intel said in a statement.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Gina Raimondo, Lael Brainard, Jake Sullivan, Biden, Matthew Miller, chafed, hobble, Blinken, Pat Gelsinger, Raimondo, David Shepardson, Andrea Shalal, Simon Lewis, Stephen Nellis, Susan Heavey, Matthew Lewis, Nick Zieminski Organizations: Biden, National Economic, National Security, Intel, Qualcomm, Nvidia, Semiconductor Industry Association, SIA, Department, Administration, White, Reuters, Commerce Department, U.S, Huawei Technology Co, San, Thomson Locations: China, U.S, Washington, Intel’s, San Francisco

☆ Biden administration holding meetings with chips companies, source says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, July 17 (Reuters) - The chief executives of U.S. chip companies are holding meetings with Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and key White House officials Monday as they discuss China policy, a source told Reuters. On Friday, Reuters reported the chief executives of Intel Corp (INTC.O) and Qualcomm Inc (QCOM.O) were planning to visit Washington this week, according to two sources familiar with the matter. The source told Reuters Monday the companies are having separate meetings with Raimondo, National Economic Council director Lael Brainard, and National Security Council director Jake Sullivan. Reporting by David ShepardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Gina Raimondo, Raimondo, Lael Brainard, Jake Sullivan, David Shepardson Organizations: White, Reuters, Intel Corp, Qualcomm Inc, National Economic, National Security, Thomson Locations: China, Washington

Now, the man who had been tasked with reviving a nuclear deal to constrain that program has been sidelined. Progress on nuclear talks, as well as the fate of detained Americans in Iran, is likely to boost the incumbents in the polls, analysts have said. Malley was one of the architects of the 2015 nuclear deal reached with Iran under the Obama administration. The administration began negotiations to re-enter an Iran nuclear agreement later that year. “US policy is informed by the administration’s national security calculations, and not any one person in the national security apparatus,” Vaez said.

Persons: Biden, Rob Malley, Malley, Abram Paley, Paley, Jake Sullivan, sidelining, Obama, Donald Trump, Obama’s, Israel, Malley’s sidelining, Nasser Kanani, Javed Gurban Oghli, Israel ”, Gabriel Noronha, Trump, “, ” Noronha, ”, Ali Vaez, Vaez, ” Vaez, Foad Izadi, Ebrahim Raisi, Brett McGurk, McGurk, ” McGurk Organizations: CNN — United, CNN, State Department, Representative, US National, Crisis Group, ICG, Islamic, Iranian Foreign Ministry, Iranian, Jewish Institute for National Security of, Iran, US State Department, “, University of Tehran’s Faculty of World Studies, US National Security Council, Middle, National Security Council Locations: Iran, Tehran, Republic, Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Islamic Republic, Iranian, Middle East, Oman, Syria

☆ Russian forces are running out of the critical radars they need to defeat Ukraine's artillery, UK intel says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Britain's defense ministry said Russian forces likely only have a few key systems remaining. For ground troops to surmount these obstacles means navigating through a slow and deadly process, and Ukrainian forces lack air superiority. "Russian ground forces survivability relies on effectively detecting Ukrainian artillery and striking against it, often with its force's own artillery," Britain's defense ministry said in a Monday intelligence update. According to an analysis by the open-source intelligence site Oryx, at least 38 Russian radars have been destroyed, damaged, or captured in Ukraine. "The priority Popov apparently gave to this problem highlights the continued centrality of artillery in the war," Britain's defense ministry said.

Persons: SERGEY SHESTAK, Ivan Popov, Popov, Caesar, Biden, Jake Sullivan Organizations: Service, High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, Getty, Arms Army, CAA, Separate Artillery Brigade, REUTERS, West, Oryx, NATO, National Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Bakhmut, Donetsk, AFP, Ukrainian, Avdiivka, Donetsk region

☆ The U.S. Must Look Past Chips and A.I. to Compete Against China - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Dan Wang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

And while there’s no denying the potential significance of large language models, it remains far from obvious that America’s mastery of A.I. While China has suffered serious setbacks in chip production, its companies are vaulting ahead in other sectors. Industry estimates put Chinese companies at owning around 80 percent of the supply chain for solar manufacturing. The passage of the Inflation Reduction Act will help build up domestic production capacity in solar and in car batteries. China produces much of the supply of active pharmaceutical ingredients, and American manufacturers had trouble making masks and cotton swabs early in the pandemic.

Persons: Jake Sullivan, it’s Organizations: Communist Party, Industry Locations: U.S, China, Beijing, United States, Japan

☆ Ukraine may begin using US cluster munitions 'in the coming hours,' Biden advisor Jake Sullivan says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Ukraine has already received cluster munitions from the US, Jake Sullivan told CNN. Sullivan, a national security advisor for Biden, said the bombs could be used within "hours." "The cluster bombs have arrived in country," Sullivan told CNN's Jake Tapper. Supporters of the decision argue that cluster munitions have already been widely used in Ukraine, primarily by Russia. But "there is a need for a bridge between today and the day when we have hit the mark," he added, and "providing cluster munitions fills a gap for Ukraine."

Persons: Jake Sullivan, Sullivan, Biden, CNN's Jake Tapper Organizations: CNN, Service, Ukraine, NATO, Defense, Pentagon Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Russia, United States

☆ 'Small group' of House Republicans bringing social issues into defense bill, U.S. National Security Advisor Sullivan says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

U.S. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan speaks at a press briefing at the White House on Dec. 12, 2022. A "small group" of House Republicans have "essentially created a trap" by loading the National Defense Authorization Act with a wide array of domestic-focused amendments, U.S. national security advisor Jake Sullivan said Sunday. "This should be an area where politics stops and national security starts." Sullivan was referring to myriad amendments put forward by House Republicans. Those include efforts that would end various diversity initiatives within the Defense Department, would limit active-duty transgender servicemembers from accessing gender-affirming care, and perhaps most controversially, would prevent the Defense Department from reimbursing or paying for abortion-related expenses for active-duty servicemembers.

Persons: Jake Sullivan, Sullivan Organizations: White House, White, House Republicans, Defense, Defense Department, Department of Defense, Senate, Democratic Locations: U.S

☆ US gives ‘green light’ to European countries to train Ukrainians on F-16 fighter jets, Biden official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Jasmine Wright | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Washington CNN —The US will allow European countries to train Ukrainians on F-16 fighter jets, a top Biden administration official confirmed Sunday, a potential boon for Ukraine’s efforts to counter Russia’s air superiority. One of the main issues Kyiv’s ground forces have faced as their counteroffensive gets underway is Russian air power holding them back. “The United States will not be the hold-up in ensuring that this F-16 training can get underway,” he said. Turning to US national defense, Sullivan lamented the House-passed defense policy bill that includes the adoption of several controversial amendments that touched on hot-button social issues. “So it was a small group of Republicans who essentially created a trap.

Persons: Biden, Jake Sullivan, CNN’s Jake Tapper, ”, Joe Biden, Sullivan, ” Sullivan, – Organizations: Washington CNN, Union, NATO, Democratic, GOP, Defense, Republicans Locations: “ State, Ukraine, Russia, Moscow, United States, Ukrainian

☆ A fired general's pleas from the front lines reveal Ukraine is bloodying Russian forces in a critical fight
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

He said Russia is struggling to knock out Ukrainian artillery while Russian forces suffer "mass deaths." The counter-battery fight is critical in the counteroffensive, and it looks like Ukraine has an edge. After he was fired, he revealed publicly that Ukraine is bloodying his forces in an important fight, the artillery battle. In this fight, Ukraine relies heavily on rocket artillery systems like the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, or howitzers like the 155mm M777s. Russian artillery can have the same effect on Ukraine though if left unanswered, which is a reason why the counter-battery fight matters.

Persons: Ivan Popov, Popov, vilely, Serhii Mykhalchuk, Jack Watling, Gen, Valery Zaluzhny, Vyacheslav Madiyevskyy, Jake Sullivan, Patrick Hinton, Hinton Organizations: Service, Artillery, Arms Army, Getty, High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, Royal United Services Institute, Washington Post, Publishing, Hudson Institute, NATO, Systems, National, AP, Forbes, British Army's Royal Artillery, Staff's, Military Sciences Research, RUSI Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Ukrainian, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk Oblast, Kharkiv Region, U.S, Kherson region, Hinton

☆ 'Gratitude' spat: NATO and Ukraine's clash over aid reveals a strained power dynamic
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

This culminated with the Ukrainian leader, Volodomyr Zelenskyy, saying Tuesday that the absence of a timeline for his country to join NATO was "absurd." Even if some members were very keen to follow Ukraine's request, the United States in particular isn't supportive of immediate membership for Kyiv at this time. But I promise you, the United States is doing everything we can to get you what you need as rapidly as we can get it to you." watch nowThe 31 members of NATO did not commit to a date for when Ukraine can join the group. However, Valtonen disregarded claims that Ukraine has not shown gratitude, arguing that aid should not be seen as charity.

Persons: Volodomyr Zelenskyy, Joe Biden, Sean Gallup, Jacob Kirkegaard, Jake Sullivan, Ben Wallace, Rishi Sunak, Maria Demertzis, Zelenskyy, Biden, we're, Elina Valtonen, Valtonen Organizations: Getty, NATO, CNBC, Kyiv, German Marshall Fund of, Diplomat, . Defense, Reuters, European Union, Financial Times, Twitter Locations: Ukraine, Vilnius, Lithuania, Kyiv, United States, U.S, Washington, China, British, Russia, Finland

☆ Secret Services ends White House cocaine investigation with no leads
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Kelly O'Donnell | Rebecca Shabad | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The Secret Service investigation has concluded with no usable forensic or video evidence to identify the individual responsible, three Secret Service officials familiar with the investigation tell NBC News. The Secret Service received results Wednesday from tests conducted by the FBI, "which did not develop latent fingerprints and insufficient DNA was present for investigative comparisons," according to an official statement from the Secret Service released Thursday. "The presence of illegal drugs in the White House is unacceptable and a shameful moment in the White House's history." White House officials noted the Biden family was not at the White House when the cocaine was discovered; the president and his family had left for Camp David for the holiday weekend Friday and did not return to the White House until Tuesday, July 4th, after the cocaine had been discovered. The individuals were notified they could not bring the marijuana to the White House campus, the officials said.

Persons: Biden, Jake Sullivan, Karine Jean, Pierre, Jean, James Comer, Kimberly Cheatle, Comer, Camp David, Pierre said, it's Organizations: Service Police, Lafayette, Service, NBC, White, FBI, NBC News, Homeland, Capitol, West, Wing, West Wing, District of Columbia Fire Department, Department of Homeland, Camp, Secret Services, Washington , D.C, White House Locations: Washington ,, Ky, Fort Detrick , Maryland

UK Secretary of Defense Ben Wallace said NATO countries "are struggling to find ways" to keep ammunition supplied to Ukraine as Russia's full-scale invasion continues past 500 days. "Huge amounts of munitions are being fired and used," he said at a panel during the NATO summit In Vilnius, Lithuania. Wallace told CNN on Wednesday that because of the shortages, he understands why the US opted to provide controversial cluster munitions to Ukraine in an attempt to fill the gap. But, he added, “we've signed the treaty, we feel that we can't champion the use of (cluster munitions). Wallace also said a big specific challenge they see with Ukraine is its ability to shut down runways being used by Russian planes.

Persons: Ben Wallace, Wallace, ”, ” Wallace, “ we've, Joe Biden, Biden, Jake Sullivan Organizations: NATO, CNN Locations: Ukraine, Vilnius, Lithuania, United States

☆ Analysis: Biden got almost everything he wanted from the NATO summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

CNN —President Joe Biden got almost everything he wanted from the NATO summit. President Joe Biden speaks at Vilnius University in Vilnius, Lithuania, Wednesday, July 12, 2023, after attending the NATO Summit. On Wednesday for instance, Russia marked the NATO summit by launching airstrikes against Kyiv region. US President Joe Biden (R) attends a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Vilnius on July 12, 2023. That President Biden and NATO didn’t invite Ukraine to NATO because he’s afraid of Russia?” Kaleniuk asked.

Persons: Joe Biden, Volodymyr Zelensky, craves, “ It’s, ” Biden, Zelensky, Biden, “, ” Zelensky, Russia –, Putin, NATO’s, craven, Susan Walsh, –, Donald Trump, Mike Pence, Vladimir Putin, Jeff Flake, Fumio Kishida, barnstormed, ANDREW CABALLERO, REYNOLDS, Andrew Caballero, Reynolds, Jake Sullivan, Daria Kaleniuk, ” Kaleniuk, Sullivan, Dmitry Peskov, Ukraine –, William Burns, he’d, ” Organizations: CNN, NATO, Poignantly, Russia, Congress, Nordic, Biden, Vilnius University, Ukraine, Capitol, Republican, Japanese, GOP, ” Ukraine, AFP, Getty, “, NATO didn’t, Kremlin, CIA Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Soviet, Europe, Sweden, Finland, Kyiv, Lithuania, Vilnius, Western, Crimea, US, Ankara, Turkey, AFP, Ukrainian, NATO, Moscow, Russian

☆ Chinese hackers accessed government emails, Microsoft says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, July 12 (Reuters) - Chinese state-linked hackers have secretly accessed email accounts at around 25 organisations including government agencies in a sweeping cyberespionage campaign, Microsoft said on Wednesday. The hacking group, which Microsoft (MSFT.O) dubbed Storm-0558, forged digital authentication tokens to access webmail accounts running on the firm's Outlook service, Microsoft said in a statement on its website. White House National Security Council spokesman Adam Hodge said an intrusion in Microsoft's cloud security had "affected unclassified systems", without elaborating. "Officials immediately contacted Microsoft to find the source and vulnerability in their cloud service," he added. China's embassy in London did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.

Persons: Jake Sullivan, Adam Hodge, James Pearson, Ed Osmond, Emelia, Kevin Liffey Organizations: Microsoft, ABC, White House, White, National Security, Thomson Locations: United States, Western Europe, China's, London, Beijing

WASHINGTON/LONDON, July 12 (Reuters) - Chinese state-linked hackers since May have secretly accessed email accounts at around 25 organizations, including U.S. government accounts, in a stealthy cyberespionage campaign, Microsoft (MSFT.O) and U.S. officials said on Wednesday. Microsoft did not say which organizations or governments had been affected, but added that the hacking group involved primarily targets entities in Western Europe. White House National Security Council spokesman Adam Hodge said an intrusion in Microsoft's cloud security "affected unclassified systems," without elaborating. The State Department "detected anomalous activity" and "took immediate steps to secure our systems," a department spokesperson said in a statement. Private sector cybersecurity experts have said newly discovered hacking activity shows how Chinese groups are improving their cyber capabilities.

Persons: Jake Sullivan, ABC's, Adam Hodge, Hodge, John Hultquist, Will Dunham Organizations: WASHINGTON, Microsoft, White House, U.S . State Department, ., White, National Security, The State Department, U.S, Thomson Locations: LONDON, U.S, United States, Western Europe, China's, London, China

☆ Shell-hungry artillery battles with Russia are fast eating through Ukraine's ammo, and that's why cluster bombs are key, experts and officials say
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The US decided last week to send deadly but controversial cluster munitions to Ukraine's military. Experts and officials say these explosives will help ease Ukraine's ammunition shortages. The provision of cluster munitions is also aimed at preserving US stockpiles. Washington's difficult decision to outfit Kyiv with cluster munitions appears to have come at a calculated and pivotal moment. "The hard but necessary choice to give them the cluster munitions amounted to this," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told MSNBC at the NATO summit in Lithuania this week.

Persons: Biden, —, Wojciech Grzedzinski, Jake Sullivan, Sullivan, Colin Kahl, Dmytro Smolienko, " Kahl, Vladimir Putin, Joe Biden, Jack Watling, Justin Bronk, Drew Angerer, Bronk, Watling, Antony Blinken Organizations: US, Service, Ukrainian, Pentagon, The Washington, Getty, Moscow, White, National, Kyiv, Publishing, CNN, NATO, Royal United Services Institute, MSNBC Locations: Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Kyiv, Washington, Zaporizhzhia Region, Russian, Washington , DC, U.S, Lithuania

☆ Opinion: Sending cluster bombs to Ukraine is a very bad idea
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Opinion Michael Bociurkiw | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Michael Bociurkiw CNNOn Friday, after months of debate, US President Joe Biden announced that, as part of a new $800 million military aid package, the administration will be sending controversial cluster munitions to Ukraine. “No to cluster bombs and yes to the legitimate defense of Ukraine, which we understand should not be carried out with cluster bombs,” said Spain’s Defense Minister Margarita Robles. Discord among US allies over cluster munitions might have been avoided altogether, had western capitals moved more swiftly to provide Ukraine with lethal weaponry. To keep the Ukrainians from running out and being defeated, we must send them cluster munitions. Cluster munitions could bring Kyiv a temporary battlefield advantage.

Persons: Michael Bociurkiw, Joe Biden, “, ”, Margarita Robles, Biden, Volodymyr Zelensky, Emannuel Macron, Andre Luis Alves, ” Biden, William Taylor, Jake Sullivan, Vladimir Putin —, Erin Burnett, Zelensky Organizations: Atlantic Council, Organization for Security, Cooperation, CNN, Ukraine CNN —, Michael Bociurkiw CNN, Spain’s, NATO, Tactical Missile Systems, British Storm Shadow, Defense Department, Cluster Munitions, Human Rights Watch, United States Fund, UNICEF, “, Sunday, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Twitter Locations: Odesa, Europe, Kyiv, Ukraine, Canada, Spain, New Zealand, Germany, Margarita Robles . New Zealand, Lithuania, Vilnius, Russia, France, United States, Asia, Geneva, AVDIIVKA, UKRAINE, Avdiivka, Vladimir Putin — Ukraine, Odessa

☆ NATO Summit 2023: Biden and alliance leaders enter summit with a show of force
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Betsy Klein | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Vilnius, Lithuania CNN —President Joe Biden and alliance leaders enter the first day of the high-stakes NATO Summit Tuesday with a reinvigorated sense of unity after a major win on Monday evening when Turkey agreed to Sweden’s bid to join the alliance. Biden and other members have touted unprecedented unity among the alliance in the face of Russia’s war, and the move also provides leaders a significant show of force going into the summit. “We’re coming into this consequential summit with a full head of steam,” national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters in Vilnius Tuesday morning. “When the NATO summit gets underway, our alliance will not only be bigger and stronger than ever, it will be more united, more purposeful, and more energized than at any point in modern memory. He pointed to questions about unity in the past week as he warned that the Vilnius summit will “very much disappoint” Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Persons: Joe Biden, Vladimir Putin’s, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Biden, Jake Sullivan, Biden’s, ”, Sullivan, Ulf Kristersson, Antony Blinken, Vladimir Putin, ” Sullivan, “, ’ Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelensky, Dmytro Kuleba, Kuleba, ” Biden, CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, Zakaria, Rishi Sunak, Gitanas Nausėda, Jens Stoltenberg, Erdoğan, Sunak, King Charles III Organizations: Lithuania CNN, NATO, Biden, Swedish, White, Transatlantic Alliance, Ukrainian, Kyiv, Ukraine, US, United, Prime, Oslo Convention, Lithuania, Windsor Castle Locations: Vilnius, Lithuania, Turkey, Russia, Sweden, Lithuanian, Turkish, Hungary, Ukraine, Oslo, United States, Windsor

☆ U.S. says to move forward with transfer of F-16 jets to Turkey
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

VILNIUS, July 11 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden will move forward with the transfer of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey in consultation with Congress, U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Tuesday. Speaking ahead of a summit of NATO leaders due to start later in the day in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius, Sullivan said President Joe Biden "had been clear that he supports the transfer". He intends to move forward with that transfer," he said. Late on Monday, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan agreed to forward to parliament Sweden's bid to become a member of the NATO military alliance, following months of pressure by the United States and its allies. Reporting by Steve Holland, Justyna Pawlak; editing by John IrishOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Joe Biden, Jake Sullivan, Sullivan, Tayyip Erdogan, Sweden's, Steve Holland, Justyna, John Irish Organizations: U.S . National, NATO, Lockheed Martin Corp, Thomson Locations: VILNIUS, Turkey, U.S, Lithuanian, Vilnius, United States, Washington

☆ Analysis: President Joe Biden just secured a big win from his Europe trip
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —President Joe Biden has already secured a powerful deliverable from his Europe trip – one that will weaken Russia’s strategic position in another detrimental consequence of its invasion of Ukraine. Once Sweden finally joins NATO, it will bolster Biden’s reputation as a US leader who reinvigorated and expanded the bloc. Biden had said before leaving the US that Ukraine was not ready to join. Erdogan’s move was also a severe blow to Russian President Vladimir Putin. “This really isn’t about Sweden, this is about the United States and Turkey and Turkey’s role,” she told Jake Tapper.

Persons: Joe Biden, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Finland –, Ukraine –, George H.W, George H.W . Bush, Biden, Erdogan’s, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Erdogan –, –, Russia’s, Erdogan, Jens Stoltenberg, ” Stoltenberg, Jake Sullivan, Ulf Kristersson, “, ” Sullivan, Chuck Schumer, ”, Stoltenberg, Sen, Bob Menendez, Menendez, National Intelligence Beth Sanner, Jake Tapper, Volodymyr Zelensky Organizations: CNN, NATO, European Union, Kremlin, West, East, NATO “, Swedish, New, New York Democrat, America, EU, Kurdistan Workers ’ Party, Senate Foreign Relations, The New, The New Jersey Democrat, “, National Intelligence Locations: Europe, Ukraine, Lithuania, Sweden, Turkey, Finland, George H.W ., Germany, Russia, United States, Washington, Syria, Madrid, Vilnius, ”, New York, Ankara, Eurasia, Turkish, Stockholm, Greece, The, The New Jersey, “ Turkey, Mariupol

☆ The US isn't too concerned about creating a lasting nightmare for Ukrainian civilians with mines and bomblets because Russia already did it
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

US officials have broadly dismissed concerns around the indiscriminate risk of cluster bombs to civilians. Ukraine will use US-provided cluster munitions in specific situations, US officials said. The remains of artillery shells and missiles including cluster munitions are stored on December 18, 2022 in Toretsk, Ukraine. It could be near the soaring failure rate for Russia's cluster munitions, alleged to be as high as 40%. These include Russian antipersonnel mines, but also a variety of cluster munitions.

Persons: —, they're, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Joe Biden, Pierre Crom, Jake Sullivan, Sullivan, they'll, YASUYOSHI CHIBA, Colin Kahl, I'm, Kahl Organizations: Service, US, NATO, MSNBC, Rights Watch, National, Ukraine, Getty, Cluster Munitions, Human Rights Watch, World Bank Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Lithuania, Toretsk, Izium, Zarichne, AFP, Lebanon, Crimea, Russian

VILNIUS, July 11 (Reuters) - Washington will move ahead with the transfer of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey in consultation with Congress, U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Tuesday, a day after Ankara gave the green light for Sweden to join NATO. He intends to move forward with that transfer," Sullivan told reporters, without giving any details on the timing. Both Turkish officials and the Biden administration have rejected any suggestion that Ankara's approval of Sweden's NATO accession was being linked to the F-16 sale in the months of talks to address Turkish opposition. Russian officials said Sweden's expected accession to NATO would have "negative implications" for Russia's security and that Moscow would have to respond. TIMING UNCERTAINThe timing of both the F-16 transfer and Sweden's NATO entry remains unclear.

Persons: Jake Sullivan, Sullivan, Joe Biden, Bob Menendez, Biden, Tayyip Erdogan, Camille Grand, Erdogan, Gerard Araud, Sweden's, Peter Szijjarto, Jens Stoltenberg, Steve Holland, Justyna, John Irish, Nick Macfie, Heather Timmons, Devika Organizations: U.S . National, NATO, Lockheed Martin Corp, Senate Foreign Relations, Democrat, Turkish, European Council, Foreign Relations, Twitter, Kurdistan Workers Party, EU, Monday, Finland's, Nordic, Thomson Locations: VILNIUS, Washington, Turkey, U.S, Ankara, Sweden, Lithuanian, Vilnius, NATO, French, Swedish, United States, Turkey's, Moscow, Hungary, Finland, Ukraine

☆ Turkey extracted a slew of concessions for letting Sweden join NATO, including coveted F-16 fighter jets from the US
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Turkey's president on Tuesday agreed to back Sweden's NATO membership. Hours later, the US said it would move ahead with the transfer of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey. Sweden sought NATO membership in the wake of Russia's war on Ukraine. Turkey's president, Recep Tayyp Erdogan, drove a hard bargain in making his U-turn, and was seemingly rewarded with coveted F-16 fighter jets from the US. Erdogan has also attempted to use the NATO impasse to renew a push for Turkey's membership of the EU.

Persons: Recep Tayyp Erdogan, Jens Stoltenberg, Jake Sullivan, Erdogan, It's, Vladimir Putin, Rich Outzen Organizations: NATO, Service, NATO Allies, US, Brookings Institution, Washington Post, BBC, Erdogan's, Atlantic Council, Turkish Locations: Turkey, Sweden, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Vilnius, Lithuania, Baltic, Ankara, Washington, United States, Russia, Stockholm, EU

☆ Retired US general breaks down why it's so hard for Ukraine to make a counteroffensive push through Russia's defenses. It's '20 kilometers of hell.'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

As one retired US general put it, Kyiv's forces needs to break through "20 kilometers of hell," which is no easy task, especially with the tools at hand. Russia's troops have built layers of sophisticated and vicious defenses designed to inflict as much pain on Ukraine's advancing military as possible. As Ukrainian forces prepared for their offensive, Russian forces spent those months readying elaborate defenses behind a sprawling front line that stretches for hundreds of miles across eastern and southern Ukraine. "This is 20 kilometers of hell," Kimmitt said, referring to the layers of defenses. "So, the story of this counteroffensive is far from written, and we will continue to support Ukraine along the way."

Persons: Mark Kimmitt, Kimmitt, they're, Mark Milley, Jake Sullivan, Biden Organizations: Service, US, NATO, US Army, Coalition Forces, Maxar Technologies, Street, Joint Chiefs, Staff, National Locations: Russia, US, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Iraq, Yevpatoria, Crimea

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