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☆ The US is close to approving the supply of ATACMS to Ukraine, a report said. Here's why Kyiv need them to win the 'deep battle.'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The US is considering providing ATACMS to Ukraine, according to a WSJ report. Kyiv has long sought its ballistic missiles, which could strike targets far beyond the front lines. "ATACMS is a long-range guided missile that gives operational commanders the immediate firepower to win the deep battle," says its manufacturer, Lockheed Martin. The Pentagon said on Thursday that it was not aware of any imminent decision to send ATACMS to Ukraine following the Wall Street Journal report, per Reuters. However, US and European officials say that behind the scenes, the tone in Washington has recently shifted, and there appears to be a greater appetite to send Ukraine more advanced weapons, per the Journal report.

Persons: Biden, —, Sergei Shoigu, HIMARS, Ben Wallace, Lockheed Martin, Putin, Volodymyr Zelensky, Joe Biden, Brendan Smialowski, ATACMS, Abrams, James Risch, General Kyrylo Budanov Organizations: Kyiv, Washington DC, Service, Wall Street Journal, Army Tactical Missile, Russian, The Telegraph, British Storm Shadow, US High Mobility Artillery, Lockheed, White, Getty, Politico, US, Pentagon, Foreign Affairs, Reuters, Military Intelligence Locations: Ukraine, Crimea, Kherson, Kerch, Russia, Washington , DC, Washington

☆ UK says the Storm Shadow missiles it gave Ukraine have been wreaking havoc on Russian targets and are accurate 'almost without fault'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The air-launched Storm Shadow missile is being used to great effect in Ukraine, the UK said. UK defence minister Ben Wallace said in a statement to the House of Commons that "the Storm Shadow missile has had a significant impact on the battlefield." The Storm Shadow's impact on the Russian army in Ukraine has been primarily around its logistics, and command and control, Wallace said. The UK announced in May that it would send an undisclosed number of Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine. A hole in the Chonhar bridge that connects Russian-held Kherson to Crimea, which Russia says was caused by a Storm Shadow missile strike.

Persons: Ben Wallace, —, MBDA, Wallace, HIMARS, Ukraine's, Sergei Shoigu, Vladimir Saldo Organizations: Shadow, Service, of, Storm, MBDA Systems, US, Wall Street Journal, Reuters, Russian, Telegraph, Storm Shadow Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Kherson, Crimea, Russian, United States, Britain

CNN —It appears increasingly likely that the 31 NATO members will be unable to coalesce around a candidate to be the alliance’s next secretary general and Jens Stoltenberg will be asked to remain in the job for an additional year, multiple sources told CNN. Biden and Stoltenberg met in the Oval Office last week, where the topic of his succession was expected to arise. White House officials have declined to say whether the president asked Stoltenberg to remain in job. “The current Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has been, in President Biden’s eyes, a remarkable leader,” Blinken said. “There are also some rather extraordinary people now who people were talking about as the next secretary general.

Persons: Jens Stoltenberg, Mette Frederiksen, Ben Wallace, Joe Biden, Stoltenberg, “, ”, Antony Blinken, Biden, I’ve, Blinken, ” “, General Jens Stoltenberg, Biden’s, ” Blinken Organizations: CNN, NATO, Danish, British, United Locations: Ukraine, United States, Norwegian, London

"The (Biden) administration is coming around the idea of Stoltenberg staying on for another year," said the U.S. official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity. But, as some governments push for a first female NATO secretary-general, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen is also emerging as a serious contender. Frederiksen met U.S. President Joe Biden in Washington earlier this month, before Stoltenberg visited the White House this week for talks with Biden. Biden believes Stoltenberg has done a tremendous job during a challenging time, a view held by many other allies, the source added. Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk and Steve Holland; writign by Simon Lewis; editing by Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Jens Stoltenberg, Stoltenberg, Biden, Ben Wallace, Mette Frederiksen, Frederiksen, Joe Biden, Humeyra Pamuk, Steve Holland, Simon Lewis, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: U.S, Reuters, U.S ., NATO, British, Danish, Thomson Locations: Lithuania, Norwegian, Vilnius, Ukraine, Russia, NATO, Washington

☆ Question of who will take over NATO looms as Biden meets alliance’s chief
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Kevin Liptak | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Washington CNN —As President Joe Biden prepares to sit down Monday with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, a personnel issue will be looming: Who will replace the outgoing NATO leader when he departs his post later this year? He’s already received a pitch on United Kingdom Defense Minister Ben Wallace from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak during an Oval Office meeting last week. A person familiar with the matter said Sunak entered the meeting prepared to sell Biden on Wallace, though afterward Biden told reporters he wasn’t yet convinced. Other candidates for NATO secretary general could include Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, according to diplomats. Finland’s membership was finalized in April, but Turkey has remained resistant to Sweden joining the defense alliance.

Persons: Joe Biden, Jens Stoltenberg, Biden, Stoltenberg, – NATO’s, He’s, Ben Wallace, Rishi Sunak, Sunak, Wallace, “ We’re, ”, “, haven’t, Mette Frederiksen, Frederiksen, Mark Rutte, Kaja Kallas, doesn’t, It’s Organizations: Washington CNN, NATO, United Kingdom Defense, British, Danish, Dutch, Estonian Locations: Lithuania, Ukraine, Finland, Sweden, Turkey

☆ Biden set to host Rishi Sunak for British PM’s first White House visit
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Kevin Liptak | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Stability in 10 Downing Street has allowed for better coordination on Ukraine, according to officials, and helped resolve a festering dispute over Northern Ireland trade rules. Ahead of the visit, Sunak cast his economic objectives as directly linked to the security agenda. When Biden met Sunak in San Diego earlier this year, he made reference to the condo the Stanford MBA graduate maintains in California. Yet that meeting was only a brief chat over tea; Biden spent most of his visit to Ireland exploring his ancestral roots. Sunak has been lobbying for the British defense secretary Ben Wallace, but other candidates are also thought to be under consideration.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Joe Biden, Sunak’s, Sunak, ”, He’s, “, Donald Trump, Biden, ” Biden, Few, Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, George W, Bush, Tony Blair, Barack Obama, David Cameron, bro ”, Biden’s, Thatcher, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Ben Wallace Organizations: CNN, United, Prime, Sky News, US, Russia, Britain, British, EU, Stanford, European Union, Group, White House, Biden, Northern Ireland, Downing Locations: Ukraine, Northern Ireland, Russia, Nova, Thursday’s, Washington, Ukraine’s Kherson, Europe, Silicon Valley, lockstep, London, San Diego, California, Britain, Japan, Belfast, Northern, Ireland

[1/6] Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaks during a meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S., June 8, 2023. REUTERS/Evelyn HocksteinWASHINGTON, June 8 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Thursday agreed to deepen close economic ties between their countries, pledging to accelerate the clean energy transition and strengthen critical mineral supply chains. Biden and the British prime minister released the "Atlantic Declaration," which Sunak described as a first-of-its-kind economic partnership on issues like artificial intelligence, climate change and protecting technologies that would help shape the future. Biden and Sunak both underscored continued support for Ukraine to ensure its long-term security and deter aggression after the war ends. Biden and Sunak last met in Hiroshima, Japan, at the Group of Seven summit last month.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Joe Biden, Evelyn Hockstein WASHINGTON, Biden, ” Sunak, We're, Sunak, Ukraine's, Vladimir Putin, Ben Wallace's, Trevor Hunnicutt, Andrea Shalal, Rami Ayyub, Kate Holton, Lincoln, Heather Timmons, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Britain's, U.S, White, REUTERS, British, Sunak, EU, NATO, Office, Northern, Kyiv, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Ukraine, Northern Ireland, Asia, Russia, Nova, Russian, Hiroshima, Japan, Belfast, San Diego, United States, Australia, Britain, Washington, London

☆ UK PM Sunak signals support for defence minister's NATO bid
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, June 5 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak praised his defence minister Ben Wallace as "fantastic" and admired around the world on Monday, suggesting he was firmly behind a bid for him to become secretary-general of the U.S.-led NATO military alliance. Asked about Wallace's candidacy, Sunak told a news conference: "On NATO, Ben is a fantastic defence secretary. There is a general conversation around this among world leaders and I'm sure it will continue." We have been a leader in NATO operations, are perceived as a thought leader." Reporting by Sarah Young and Elizabeth Piper; editing by Alistair Smout and Kate HoltonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Ben Wallace, Sunak, Joe Biden, Wallace, Ben, Mette Frederiksen, Sarah Young, Elizabeth Piper, Alistair Smout, Kate Holton Organizations: British, NATO, U.S, Danish, Thomson Locations: U.S, Britain, NATO, Washington, British, United States, Ukraine

☆ ‘Everyone can see the reality’ in Ukraine except for Putin, UK defense minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via Email‘Everyone can see the reality’ in Ukraine except for Putin, UK defense minister says“Russia, we see under continued pressure — it’s running out of stocks. I think the reckless and illegal use of targeting critical national infrastructure, civilian areas, is actually a sign of desperation, it’s not a sign of strength by the Russian regime, and so I’m optimistic for the future,” British Defense Minister Ben Wallace told CNBC’s Sri Jegarajah.

Persons: Putin, “, it’s, Ben Wallace, CNBC’s Organizations: British, CNBC’s Sri Locations: Ukraine, “ Russia, Russian, CNBC’s Sri Jegarajah

☆ Defence officials say wide cooperation key to Indo-Pacific stability
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( Gerry Doyle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Japan's Minister of Defence Yasukazu Hamada, Cambodia's Minister of National Defence General Tea Banh and Germany's Minister of Defence Boris Pistorius attend the First Plenary Session of the 20th IISS Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore June 3, 2023. REUTERS/Caroline ChiaSINGAPORE, June 3 (Reuters) - Cooperation, including among countries outside the region, is crucial to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, defence officials from the Philippines, Britain and Canada said on Saturday at the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit. "Canada has a keen interest in building a region that is stable, that is balanced," said Anita Anand, Canada's defence minister. China's Minister of National Defence Li Shangfu had this week declined an invitation to meet Austin at the security summit. "A cordial handshake over dinner is no substitute for a substantive engagement," Austin said in his remarks earlier on Saturday.

Persons: Defence Yasukazu Hamada, Tea Banh, Defence Boris Pistorius, Caroline Chia SINGAPORE, Defense Lloyd Austin, Anita Anand, Carlito Galvez Jr, Galvez, Anand, Ben Wallace, National Defence Li Shangfu, Austin, Gerry Doyle, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Japan's, Defence, Cambodia's, National Defence, Germany's, REUTERS, Defense, China's, Austin, Pentagon, Thomson Locations: Singapore, Philippines, Britain, Canada, Philippine, Asia, Russia, U.S

☆ Southeast Asian defence pact helps 'balance' region, members say
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( Chen Lin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SINGAPORE, June 3 (Reuters) - Top officials from Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and Britain said on Saturday that their 52-year-old Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) pact helped keep things in balance amid regional tensions. "The longstanding FPDA... always been an important part of ensuring signalling collective defence in this region," New Zealand defence minister Andrew Little said at a media briefing on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. As the tensions between the United States and China persist, the longstanding relationships among smaller nations are "what keep things in balance", Little said. "I'm comfortable continuing to keep things in balance as different countries including the major powers work out how the relationships are working," he added. Singaporean Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen, Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles, Malaysian Defence Minister Seri Mohamad Hasan, Little, and British defence minister Ben Wallace discussed the importance of the FPDA as a constructive and peaceful arrangement.

Persons: Andrew Little, Little, Ng Eng, Richard Marles, Seri Mohamad Hasan, Ben Wallace, Marles, Anthony Albanese, Lloyd Austin, Chen Lin, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Singaporean, Defence, Malaysian Defence, Australian, U.S . Defense, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Britain, Zealand, United States, China, Asia

SINGAPORE, June 3 (Reuters) - Ukraine's plans for a counteroffensive against Russian occupation remain on track, its deputy defence minister told Reuters on Saturday, despite an "unprecedented" wave of missile and drone attacks across the country in recent weeks. Havrylov called Russia's heavy use of ballistic missiles in May a "last strategic resort" and noted that his country's air defence systems had been "more than 90 percent effective" against the attacks. For Russia "it was a huge surprise to find that the effectiveness of (their ballistic missiles) was almost zero against modern air defence systems, which we received from our partners," he said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday his country was ready to launch a much-awaited counter-offensive. The addition of modern fighter aircraft such as F-16s would improve the country's air defence capabilities, Havrylov said.

Persons: Volodymyr V, Havrylov, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Ben Wallace, Kanupriya Kapoor, Gerry Doyle, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Reuters, Patriot, IRIS, NATO, British Storm, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Ukraine, Kyiv, Singapore, Russia, United States, Germany, Moscow, Vilnius, Lithuania, Crimea

☆ 'Path is open' for Ukraine to join NATO -British defence minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Gerry Doyle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SINGAPORE, June 2 (Reuters) - Britain supports adding Ukraine to NATO and "that path is open" to them, although political realities may slow the process, Defence Minister Ben Wallace said on Friday on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue security meetings in Singapore. "The best thing we can do to help Ukraine is now to help them defeat Russia," Wallace said in an interview. Ukraine's membership of NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, is on the agenda for the group's July summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. Hanna Shelest, director of Ukrainian Prism, a think tank specialising in foreign policy and international security, said in Singapore that NATO membership would be a political decision. "We are not expecting to see a strong decision (about Ukraine’s membership) at Vilnius," said Shelest, who is based in Ukraine.

Persons: Ben Wallace, Wallace, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Hanna Shelest, Shelest, Li Shangfu, Lloyd Austin, Jens Stoltenberg, Gerry Doyle, Kanupriya Kapoor, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: NATO, Defence, Atlantic Treaty Organisation, Kyiv, Storm, U.S, Defense, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Britain, Ukraine, Singapore, Russia, Vilnius, Lithuania, Ukrainian, Moscow, London, Asia, United States, Australia, China

☆ 'Everyone can see the reality' in Ukraine except for Putin, UK defense minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy shake hands after a meeting, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Kyiv, Ukraine June 10, 2022. British Defense Minister Ben Wallace on Friday said Vladimir Putin is "at risk of losing everything" if Russia does not withdraw its forces from Ukraine. In a busy week for diplomacy, European leaders met in Moldova in recent days for the European Political Community summit, attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Defense ministers from around the world gathered in Singapore on Friday for the Shangri-La Dialogue Defense Summit. Moscow was meanwhile hit by drone strikes earlier this week, with President Vladimir Putin claiming the attacks targeted Russian civilians, while the country's foreign ministry vowed to respond with "the harshest possible measures."

Persons: Ben Wallace, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Wallace, it's, CNBC's, CNBC's Sri Jegarajah Organizations: British, European, Ukrainian, NATO, Dialogue Defense, CNBC, Storm, U.K, CNBC's Sri, UN Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Russia, Moldova, Oslo, Singapore, Ukrainian, Russian, Moscow

☆ Russia adapted to the game-changing HIMARS, but Ukraine's new Storm Shadow missiles could put the fear back into its commanders, warfare experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Experts say Russian commanders are now facing logistical headaches and a renewed sense of fear. Warfare experts say Storm Shadow missiles could spark new logistical headaches for Russia, giving Kyiv a massive capability to put the fear back into Moscow's commanders who thought they were safe and out of reach. With an operational range of 155 miles, Storm Shadow will more than triple the distance for Ukraine's long-range strike capabilities. "So the more that these Russian commanders are exposed to Ukrainian fires, I expect their survivability to decrease," Barros said. "Employed well, in conjunction with psychological operations and other capabilities, Storm Shadow offers myriad opportunities to cognitively attack the enemy," he said.

☆ Factbox: Why Ukraine is bidding for F-16 jets and will it succeed?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

WHAT KIND OF FIGHTER JETS COULD UKRAINE GET? Ukraine wants F-16s, which it says are "four or five times" more effective than Soviet-era jets it currently has. However, Polish President Andrzej Duda reiterated on Tuesday that Poland has too few F-16 jets to be able to give any to Ukraine. Britain will not send jets to Ukraine, a spokesperson for Sunak has said, since Britain does not have the F-16s that Ukraine wants. Denmark said in February it was "open" to the idea of sending fighter jets to Ukraine.

☆ Russia says Ukraine used Storm Shadow missiles from Britain to attack Luhansk
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Russian ministry said the missiles had hit a plant producing polymers and a meat-processing factory in Luhansk on Friday. "Storm Shadow air-to-air missiles supplied to the Kyiv regime by Britain were used for the strike, contrary to London's statements that these weapons would not be used against civilian targets," the ministry said. It also said Russia had downed two Ukrainian warplanes - an Su-24 and a MiG-29 - that had launched the missiles. "The units of the Airborne Forces provided support to the assault units and pinned down the enemy on the flanks," it said. The ministry often uses the term "assault units" to denote the Wagner private militia, which has been spearheading the assault on Bakhmut at great cost in casualties.

☆ Britain will send Storm Shadow cruise missiles to Ukraine, giving it dramatically enhanced range to strike at Russian positions deep in occupied territory
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The UK Defense Secretary confirmed Britain would send Ukraine Storm Shadow long-range missiles. Ukraine has repeatedly asked for weapons to hit Russian positions deep behind the front line. The stealthy Storm Shadow is an air-launched long-range cruise missile jointly developed by the UK and France. The US has said it will not send long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems to Kyiv because it has few to spare. It was the first Western ally to send Ukraine its Challenger 2 tanks, after which the US sent M1 Abrams tanks.

☆ Missile maker MBDA signs 1.9 billion pound deal with Poland
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, April 28 (Reuters) - The UK arm of European missile maker MBDA on Friday agreed a 1.9 billion pound ($2.37 billion) deal with Poland to provide it with a British-designed air defence system, the British government said. "I am delighted that the UK and Poland’s deep and historic defence ties take another step forward with the signing of the largest ever UK defence export deal with Poland," British defence minister Ben Wallace said in a statement. The missile deal will see Britain deliver 22 Polish air defence batteries with British Common Anti-Air Modular Missiles (CAMMs) and launchers. The government said the contract would support more than 500 jobs at MBDA UK. The government said the British-designed CAMMs developed by MBDA UK are already deployed to Poland with the British Army to protect its airspace following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

☆ UK military have evacuated diplomatic staff from Sudan, Sunak says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, April 23 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Sunday the country's armed forces evacuated diplomatic staff and their family members from Sudan. Sunak paid tribute to what he called a "complex and rapid" evacuation after he said there had been a significant escalation in violence and threats to embassy staff. But British nationals living in Sudan were not rescued. "We are continuing to pursue every avenue to end the bloodshed in Sudan and ensure the safety of British nationals remaining in the country." The foreign minister James Cleverly said a top priority remained the safety of British nationals.

☆ British PM Sunak chairs emergency meeting on Sudan
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, April 22 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak chaired a meeting of the government's emergency response committee on Saturday to discuss the situation in Sudan, with defence minister Ben Wallace among those attending. The army said the United States, Britain, France and China would evacuate diplomats and other nationals from Khartoum "in the coming hours". "We recognise that the situation is extremely concerning for British nationals trapped by the fighting in Sudan," a government spokesperson said when asked about the comments. "We are doing everything possible to support British nationals and diplomatic staff in Khartoum, and the Ministry of Defence is working with the Foreign Office to prepare for a number of contingencies." On Saturday, Britain's Foreign Office updated its travel advice for Sudan to warn that "in the event of a ceasefire, any decision to move must be taken at individual risk".

☆ Vast military procession to mark King Charles' coronation
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, April 16 (Reuters) - Around 5,000 members of the British armed forces will participate in the coronation of King Charles next month, joined by soldiers from more than 30 Commonwealth countries to form one of the largest ceremonial military operations in decades. Charles will be crowned at London's Westminster Abbey on May 6 in a ceremony resplendent with pomp and pageantry, with traditions dating back 1,000 years. Gun salutes will sound out across the country to mark the moment the king is crowned, before military personnel later conduct a flypast of more than 60 aircraft. Buckingham Palace said Charles had also been involved in the commissioning process and details of the music programme, with film composer Patrick Doyle writing a coronation march and Andrew Lloyd Webber a coronation anthem. Reporting by Kate Holton; Editing by David HolmesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Russian jet almost shot down a British surveillance plane flying near Ukraine, and only failed because the missile malfunctioned: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Russian jet tried to fire on a British spy plane last year, but the missile malfunctioned, NYT reports. In their telling, the Russian fighter jet pilot misheard the radar operator on the ground as conveying permission to fire, locked on to the British aircraft, and only failed because the missile didn't launch properly. One of the Russian jets "released a missile" in the "vicinity" of the UK plane, which he described as "potentially dangerous." Following the incident, the UK temporarily ceased surveillance patrols, later sending them out with an armed escort. A Russian Su-27 fighter jet seen approaching a US MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Black Sea on March 14, 2023, in video released by the US military.

☆ EU's von der Leyen is in the running to be new NATO head -The Sun
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 31 (Reuters) - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is in the running to be the new head of NATO, The Sun newspaper reported on Friday, citing a diplomatic source. A number of NATO member states have suggested von der Leyen would take over the alliance this October, the report said. The Sun report, citing UK sources, also said Britain would likely veto von der Leyen, who was the former German defense minister, citing her poor track record in charge of Germany's Armed Forces. German newspaper Welt am Sonntag has reported that Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Britain's Defence Secretary Ben Wallace were among the leading candidates to succeed Stoltenberg. Reporting by Maria Ponnezhath in Bengaluru Editing by Chris ReeseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/5] A concept model of the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP)'s fighter jet is displayed at the DSEI Japan defense show at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, east of Tokyo, Japan March 15, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-HoonTOKYO, March 15 (Reuters) - Britain and Japan are set to dominate a three-nation project with Italy to build an advanced jet fighter, with Rome set to pay around only a fifth of the overall development cost, two sources said. "The cost of the project will likely be around 40% each for Japan and Britain," one of the people with knowledge of discussions told Reuters. Japan's defence ministry said that discussions were ongoing and declined to comment on the cost sharing ratios. Details of which companies will build what components are being hammered out in regular talks between more junior government officials and contractors in Britain, Japan and Italy, the sources said.

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