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☆ Inside the Biden administration's decision to reverse course and give tanks to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Courtney-Kube-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Courtney Kube | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

When he announced his decision to provide Abrams tanks to Ukraine, President Joe Biden made a point to say Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had recommended the move. Biden wasn’t initially sold on sending the tanks, despite pressure to do so to give cover to Germany to send Ukraine some Leopard 2 tanks, the officials said. But because Germany had said it would send Leopards to Ukraine if the U.S. agreed to commit tanks, too, the U.S. promise of a future delivery opened the door for Germany to send tanks to Ukraine now. In the case of the tanks, U.S. military leaders argued the Leopards and the U.K.’s Challengers were much better options. Military leaders, namely Milley, also have been more publicly vocal about the importance of potential talks to end the war.

☆ Ukraine's allies are finally sending the advanced tanks it asked for. Now they want it to embrace a rapid, aggressive style of warfare.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Ukraine's allies have agreed to send it advanced tanks after months of indecision. The group said Ukraine should move towards a style of mechanized maneuver warfare that "uses rapid, unanticipated movements against Russia," sources told CNN. The new tanks and armored vehicles committed by Ukraine's allies are supposed to help Ukraine make the switch, CNN reported. Tanks for UkraineUkraine had been requesting advanced tanks for months, but the US and Germany in particular had been reluctant to send the weapons. Even so, Ukraine's plans, and Western hopes for a new, more aggressive strategy, will be aided by other advanced weaponry that its allies have recently committed and sent.

☆ West must ramp up aid to Ukraine to keep war with Russia from becoming a stalemate, U.K. foreign secretary says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Dan De Luce | Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Abigail-Williams-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

The West needs to ramp up military assistance to Ukraine to ensure the war with Russia does not turn into a bloody, open-ended stalemate, British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said Tuesday during a visit to Washington. The United Kingdom also said it would provide more heavy artillery and ammunition to help Ukraine roll back Russian forces from its territory. “The U.K. has been very much on the front foot” in its security assistance to Ukraine, Cleverly said. He stopped short of urging the U.S., Germany or other governments also to supply Ukraine with new tanks or other more advanced weapons. Germany has faced growing calls to send its Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine and to allow other countries that have Leopards to provide Kyiv with them.

☆ Ukraine closer to receiving modern Western battle tanks, more Patriots
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Tom Balmforth | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/5] Ukrainian servicemen prepare a Polish self-propelled howitzer Krab to fire toward Russian positions, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, on a frontline in Donetsk region, Ukraine January 17, 2023. Ukraine says the tanks would give its troops the mobile firepower to drive Russian troops out in decisive battles. Germany has been the West's biggest holdout on pledging tanks but a Cabinet minister said on Tuesday the issue would be the first to be decided by new defence minister Boris Pistorius. Meanwhile, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on Tuesday evening said Ukrainian and Russian forces exchanged fire on the eastern frontline, where neither side has advanced much in recent months. Russian forces also launched 13 air raids and 23 shelling attacks from multiple rocket launchers, it said.

☆ Dutch to send Patriot missile defence system to Ukraine -ANP
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

AMSTERDAM, Jan 17 (Reuters) - The Netherlands will send a Patriot missile defence system to Ukraine, Dutch news agency ANP reported on Tuesday, citing Prime Minister Mark Rutte. Rutte is currently in Washington D.C. meeting U.S. President Joe Biden. ANP, citing a fireside chat between the two leaders, quoted Rutte as saying they would participate in a U.S.-German initiative to send the defence systems to Ukraine. Rutte said he had earlier spoken by telephone with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to discuss the decision. Reporting by Toby Sterling, Editing by William Maclean and Jon BoyleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Dutch premier pledges Patriot missiles for Ukraine at Biden meeting
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte told U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday that the Netherlands would offer Patriot missiles to Ukraine, a day after the top Dutch trade official balked at new U.S. restrictions on exporting chip-making technology to China. The Netherlands will join the United States and Germany in sending the Patriot missile defense system to Ukraine, Rutte told Biden at the White House. Biden told Rutte he looked forward to discussing ways to strengthen the supply chain as he welcomed the prime minister to the White House. Trade Minister Liesje Schreinemacher said on Sunday the Netherlands would not summarily accept demands by the United States on chip technology. Rutte told reporters on Friday that he did not feel pressure from Washington to adopt more restrictions on semiconductor exports to China.

☆ The US is getting Ukraine ready for a more aggressive war with Russia, training it for tank battles and other large-scale combat
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The US on Sunday started advanced training for Ukrainian troops, including prep for large-scale combat. The advanced training hints at larger conflicts to come, as Ukraine warns of new Russian offensive. Around 500 Ukrainian soldiers will go through its initial version, the outlet reported. This latest training is designed to help Ukraine better launch offensives against Russia and to counter Russia's own attacks, Gen. Milley said. Other allies are also committing increasingly advanced military equipment to Ukraine, with multiple European countries agreeing to send Ukraine tanks for the first time since the conflict began.

☆ U.S. to Train Ukrainian Troops on Patriot Missile at Oklahoma Base
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Nancy A. Youssef | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The Ukrainian troops will train on the Patriot system at Fort Sill in Oklahoma. WASHINGTON—Roughly 100 Ukrainian troops will begin training to use the Patriot missile defense system at a U.S. military base as early as next week, the Pentagon said Tuesday. The Ukrainian troops, who specialize in air defense, will travel to Fort Sill, Okla., for the training, Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters Tuesday.

The U.S. is planning to begin training Ukrainian troops on the Patriot air defense system at Fort Sill, Okla., later this month, according to three defense officials. The first group will consist of just under 100 Ukrainian service members with some experience in air defense systems. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Patriot systems, which use surface-to-air missiles to destroy cruise missiles and other fast-moving airborne targets, are outdated. Biden said, “We’re working on it.”Earlier this month, Germany said it would provide a Patriot missile battery to Ukraine. Russian and Ukrainian officials did not immediately respond to requests to comment on the news.

☆ What is the US getting in Ukraine for $100 billion?
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Daniel L. Davis | Defense Priorities | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

In December, President Joe Biden signed a bill with another $47 billion in aid for Ukraine. The question: does adding this Patriot battery represent a game-changer for Ukraine? A Patriot battery ordinarily operates as part of an integrated defense system which may include numerous US and NATO systems. As exposed in 2019 when the Saudi-operated Patriot system failed to stop a complex aerial attack from Iran, the system is not fool-proof even when operational. Air Force via APIncluding this most recent aid package, the US has spent over $100 billion on the war in Ukraine, which is $16 billion more than the entire Russian military budget for 2023.

☆ U.S. announces over $3.75 billion in new military assistance to Ukraine, other countries
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Mike Stone | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, Jan 6 (Reuters) - The United States will provide more than $3.75 billion in military assistance to Ukraine and countries affected by the Russian invasion of its neighbor, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced on Friday. That authority allows the United States to transfer defense items like Humvees, trucks and munitions from stocks quickly without congressional approval in response to an emergency. RIM-7 Sea Sparrow missiles, used for air defense, will also be sent to Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has stressed the need for better air defenses to curb Russian missile strikes that have damaged the country's energy infrastructure during winter. The United States and Germany have also pledged to send Patriot missile systems to repel Russian missile and drone attacks.

☆ U.S. to unveil over $3 bln in Ukraine aid with new air defense missiles
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Mike Stone | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, Jan 6 (Reuters) - A new U.S. weapons aid package for Ukraine worth more than $3 billion is set to be announced later on Friday and will include Sea Sparrow missiles for air defense and Bradley Fighting Vehicles, according to a document seen by Reuters. The Sea Sparrow missiles will help curb Russian missile strikes on Ukraine, which are intended to exhaust Kyiv's air defenses and damage the country's energy infrastructure. The U.S. and Germany have also pledged to send Patriot missile systems to repel Russian missile and drone attacks. The RIM-7 Sea Sparrow will be an additional anti-air defense system for Ukraine. Politico reported on Thursday that the Sea Sparrow System would be used on the Buk launcher, a Soviet-era weapon that Ukraine currently uses.

WASHINGTON, Jan 5 (Reuters) - A new U.S. weapons package for Ukraine will include about 50 Bradley Fighting Vehicles, two U.S. officials said on Thursday, with one of the officials saying the package will be worth roughly $2.8 billion. On Wednesday President Joe Biden said that sending Bradley Fighting Vehicles, a U.S. Army staple, to Ukraine was being considered to help fight Russia's invasion. The latest security package for Ukraine is expected to be unveiled on Friday, the officials said. As the war progressed and Ukraine's needs changed, more complex weapons systems, including High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS), were shipped to Kiyv. Most recently, the United States pledged to send a Patriot missile system to repel Russian missile and drone attacks.

☆ Iranian-made drones cost as little as $20,000 to make, but up to $500,000 to shoot down, a growing concern in Ukraine, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia's Iranian-made drones cost as little as $20,000, but can cost much more to shoot down. Ukraine launched multiple costly missiles over New Year to deal with Russia's drones, NYT reported. While the Shahed-136 drones being deployed by Russia cost as little as $20,000 to make, shooting one out of the sky can cost between $140,000-$500,000, the paper reported. "Shooting $4 million missiles at $250,000 Russian cruise missiles might be justified if those missiles would hit sensitive targets. Shooting a $4 million missile at a $50,000 Iranian Shahed-136 drone would probably not," they said.

☆ Biden says Bradley Fighting Vehicles are on the table for Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] U.S. Bradley fighting vehicles that will be deployed in Latvia for NATO's Operation Atlantic Resolve wait for an unload in Garkalne, Latvia February 8, 2017. REUTERS/Ints Kalnins/File PhotoHEBRON, Kentucky, Jan 4 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday said that sending Bradley Fighting Vehicles to Ukraine was being considered to help the that country fight Russia's invasion. The United States has sent about $21.3 billion in security assistance to Kyiv as Europe's biggest land conflict since 1945 grinds on, killing tens of thousands. As the war progressed and Ukraine's needs changed, more complex weapons systems, including High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS)d, were shipped to Kiyv. Most recently, the United States pledged to send a Patriot missile system to repel Russian missile and drone attacks.

☆ Joe Biden's biggest successes and failures in his second year in office
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-31 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

His second year in office was marked by historic legislative achievements despite Democrats' razor-thin majority in Congress. Here are some of the highs and lows from Biden's second year:Success: UkrainePresident Joe Biden talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy outside the White House. Conservative New York Times columnist Bret Stephens in September called the "staggering gains" by Ukrainian forces "a victory for Joe Biden, too." Universal pre-K was included in a sweeping spending plan passed by House Democrats until their Senate colleagues cut that out too. Failure: InflationPresident Joe Biden arrives for an event focused on inflation and the supply chain at the Port of Los Angeles in June.

☆ Massive Russian missile barrage pummels cities across Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

After earlier attacks, the Ukrainian military reported shooting down incoming Russian missiles and explosive drones, but some still reached their targets, damaging power and water supplies and increasing the suffering of the population amid freezing temperatures. Ukrainian authorities in several regions said some incoming Russian missiles were intercepted. Efrem Lukatsky / APFragments from downed Russian missiles damaged two private buildings in the Darnytskyi district of Kyiv, the city administration said. Earlier this month, the United States agreed to give a Patriot missile battery to Ukraine to boost the country’s defense. Russian officials have said that any peace plan can only proceed from Kyiv’s recognition of Russia’s sovereignty over the regions it illegally annexed from Ukraine in September.

☆ Ukraine aims for a peace summit by the end of February, foreign minister says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine’s foreign minister on Monday said that his government is aiming to have a peace summit by the end of February, preferably at the United Nations with Secretary-General António Guterres as a possible mediator, around the anniversary of Russia’s war. But Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told The Associated Press that Russia could only be invited to such a summit if the country faced a war crimes tribunal first. Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba during an interview in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Monday. “Every war ends as a result of the actions taken on the battlefield and at the negotiating table.”Kuleba said the Ukrainian government would like to have a peace summit by the end of February. So we would welcome his active participation.”The foreign minister again downplayed comments by Russian authorities that they are ready for talks.

☆ U.S. House approves Ukraine aid including arms after Zelenskyy visit
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The U.S. House of Representatives gave final approval on Friday to a $45 billion aid package for Ukraine, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned his citizens that Russia could launch attacks over Christmas and urged them to heed air raid alarms. In a tweet thanking Congress and leaders of both parties, Zelenskyy said it was "crucial" that Americans are "side-by-side" with Ukrainians "in this struggle." He long has sought Patriot missiles to help counter three months of Russian missile and drone strikes on civilian infrastructure, including Ukraine's power grid. U.S. officials say, however, that the single Patriot battery that Biden promised Zelenskyy during their White House meeting on Wednesday will not change the course of the war. Switching to Russian, Zelenskyy warned that "citizens of Russia must clearly understand that terror never goes without a response."

But the visit also leaves several key questions unanswered, including how U.S. military support could evolve, whether Congressional support for the war will endure and - crucially - how the war will end. Biden announced that the United States would provide another $1.85 billion in military aid, including a Patriot missile defense system. The United States and its allies have been unwilling to provide other advanced weapons Ukraine has pleaded for. The next steps for Kyiv, the officials added, would be to receive additional air defense systems from the United States and other western countries along with better integrating them. "No more blank checks to Ukraine," Republican Representative Andy Biggs wrote on Twitter hours before Zelenskiy's visit to Washington.

☆ Russia says 'quite old' U.S. Patriot missiles in Ukraine won't stand in its way
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Washington during which the Biden administration announced another $1.85 billion in military aid for Ukraine. Russia said that Ukraine acquiring Patriot missiles from the United States, announced during President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's visit to Washington, would not help settle the conflict or prevent Moscow from achieving its goals. Though the Patriot air defence system is widely regarded as advanced, President Vladimir Putin dismissed it as "quite old", telling reporters Moscow would find a way to counter it. At the same time, he said Russia wants an end to the war in Ukraine and that this would inevitably involve a diplomatic solution. The Biden administration announced another $1.85 billion in military aid for Ukraine, including a Patriot system, as Zelenskyy began his visit.

Share this -Link copied'It's too much for me': Zelenskyy begins speech by thanking U.S. Zelenskyy began his remarks before a joint meeting of Congress at 7:40 p.m. "I think we share the exact same vision, that of a free, independent and prosperous Ukraine," Biden said. The Ukrainian president added that the soldier told him that "many (of) his brothers, this system saved." President Joe Biden holds a medal presented to him by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office. Share this -Link copiedPhoto: Zelenskyy shakes hands with Biden as he arrives President Joe Biden welcomes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the White House.

☆ Ukraine's 'cat and mouse' battle to keep Russian missiles at bay
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Tom Balmforth | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

It is ground-based air defence units that shoot down the vast majority of missiles and drones, not ageing warplanes, Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat said. "Air defences don't remain in one place: we can't cover the whole country..." Ihnat said. "So we usually know what objects are under attack, we can build around those objects some kind of air defence," he said. "Our Soviet air defence system is being depleted - that is the S-300 and the BUK, which are the foundation. Western air defence systems supplied to Ukraine have performed well, but supplies are far short of what is needed, according to both air force officials.

☆ The US is finally sending Patriot air defenses to Ukraine, but officials warn that it's not 'a silver bullet'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The US announced on Wednesday that it would provide Ukraine with a Patriot air-defense system. The Patriot system is highly capable, but officials caution that there's only so much it can do. The Patriot battery and accompanying munitions are part of a $1 billion package announced on Wednesday as a presidential drawdown, meaning its contents will be pulled directly from US stocks. Washington has previously pledged to send National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems, Hawk air-defense systems, and Avenger air-defense systems. A Patriot battery typically has eight launchers, each capable of firing four to 16 interceptor missiles depending on the type being used.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed Congress in a moving Wednesday speech. Zelenskyy's speech came after the Ukrainian president joined Biden for a joint press conference on Wednesday afternoon, during which the latter reaffirmed ongoing support to Ukraine from the US. The Ukrainian president told reporters that he was grateful for US assistance and emphasized that the two countries are fighting for "common victory against this tyranny." President Joe Biden speaks during a news conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2022. Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky assailed Senate GOP leaders for agreeing to the latest tranche of Ukraine aid already baked into the year-end spending deal.

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