No full meeting for the group has been convened since Trump’s election victory in November. The loose alliance — also known as the Ramstein format, named after the air base in which it is usually convened — has been run by the U.S. Department of Defense since the start of Russia’s full-scale war on Ukraine. Since then, … Read more
China’s foreign ministry has described a report that Defence Minister Dong Jun is under investigation as “groundless”. The Financial Times reported on Wednesday morning, citing current and former US officials, that Dong was the third consecutive serving or former Chinese defence minister to be investigated for alleged corruption. On Wednesday, foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning … Read more
Gallant will be replaced by Foreign Minister Israel Katz, while Gideon Sa’ar, a minister without a portfolio, will replace Katz as foreign minister, the Prime Minister’s Office announced. The Biden administration has had a relatively good relationship with Gallant — as opposed to with Netanyahu himself, who has often frustrated the White House with his … Read more
Kyiv’s top military commander, Oleksandr Syrsky, added that Ukrainian troops are currently holding back one of Russia’s “most powerful” offensives since the start of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s all-out invasion nearly three years ago. Meanwhile, North Korea’s foreign minister, Choe Sun Hui, was in Moscow to reaffirm Pyongyang’s commitment to the strategic partnership signed in … Read more
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin expressed concerns over reports of Israeli strikes against the Lebanese Armed forces in a call on Wednesday with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, the Pentagon said Thursday. Austin emphasized the importance of taking “all necessary measures to ensure the safety and security of the Lebanese Armed Forces and UNIFIL forces,” Deputy … Read more
“There are a lot of targets in Russia — a big country, obviously,” Austin added. “And there’s a lot of capability that Ukraine has in terms of UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles] and other things to address those targets.” His words represent a diplomatic pushback to pleas from Zelenskyy and his new Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha … Read more
It initially took Canada four months to get into the queue after deciding to join a plan by the United States to buy urgently needed National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) for Ukraine. Defence Minister Bill Blair insists the lag did not contribute to the slow pace of acquiring the high-tech defensive capability, which is … Read more
The United States sent additional warships to the Middle East that are capable of defending against missiles amid an increase in tensions between Iran and Israel. “We’ve adjusted our military posture to strengthen our force protection,” US Secretary of State Lloyd Austin said at a press conference in Maryland. This will “reinforce our ironclad … Read more
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Friday revoked a pre-trial agreement reached with the alleged mastermind of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and two other defendants, putting the death penalty back on the table. The plea deal, signed on Wednesday, had Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two accomplices reportedly exchange guilty pleas for life sentences in prison. … Read more
“To better meet the challenges of today and tomorrow, the United States will upgrade the U.S. Forces Japan to a Joint Force Headquarters with expanded missions and operational responsibilities,” Austin said. “This will be the most significant change to U.S. Forces Japan since its creation, and one of the strongest improvements in our military ties … Read more
