US seeks greater coordination with Israel before potential Iran attack

The Biden administration asked Israel to update and hold consultations with the United States before any Israeli response to a potential Iranian attack, senior American and Israeli officials said. The US intends to assist Israel in intercepting Iranian missiles and UAVs but is concerned that a sharp Israeli response will lead to a larger … Read more

As ammo runs out, Ukraine still hopes it won’t need that ‘ride’ – POLITICO

In his office overlooking Khreshchatyk Street, the wide boulevard running through downtown Kyiv, Klitschko was dealing with the impact of missile strikes on the city the night before. “We need, right now, unity. We need to be united around the people whom we trust, and Zaluzhny, for two years, successfully helped us defend our homeland. … Read more

Heed our words, not our actions – POLITICO

He also urged the Biden administration to send longer-range artillery and accelerate F-16 fighter jet training for the Ukrainians — a call the White House can’t answer until the blocked supplemental bill is passed. “It is clear Ukrainians appreciate the United States’ support. I know Americans want to help our friends and allies, but I … Read more

With Trump looming, NATO defense chiefs gather to talk Ukraine – POLITICO

Russia, of course, remains the biggest problem for most NATO countries. Not only is Ukraine in need of more Western ammunition to sustain an existential fight against invading Russian forces, but Moscow has also significantly escalated its threat to NATO. On Tuesday it designated Prime Minister Kaja Kallas of Estonia, a frontline NATO state, a … Read more

Canada sending more equipment to Ukraine as full-scale war with Russia nears 2-year mark

Canada is contributing another $35 million worth of military equipment to Ukraine as the embattled Eastern European country’s allies meet to discuss its future needs, and as Russia’s full invasion edges toward the two-year mark. Defence Minister Bill Blair, who participated in the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) meeting via video link, said Canada is providing 10 … Read more

Iran needs to know US won’t accept its destabilizing actions – POLITICO

Press play to listen to this article Voiced by artificial intelligence. Mark Kimmitt is a retired U.S. Army brigadier general. He served as assistant secretary of state for political-military affairs and deputy assistant secretary of defense for Middle East affairs under President George W. Bush. On December 23, the Chem Puto tanker was attacked by … Read more

White House wasn’t notified of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s hospitalization for several days

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has been hospitalized since Monday due to complications following a minor elective medical procedure, his press secretary said Friday, in the Defense Department’s first acknowledgment that Austin had been admitted five days earlier to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. A Biden administration official told CBS News Saturday that the National … Read more

We are once again at war in the Middle East – POLITICO

Jamie Dettmer is opinion editor at POLITICO Europe. It was February 1991, and the crew of the British frigate HMS Gloucester was scrambling, trying to knock out an Iraqi Silkworm missile heading toward the USS Missouri — a World War II-era battleship recommissioned by former United States President Ronald Reagan. The extreme jolt from the … Read more

Houthi attacks continue in the Red Sea as BP halts Suez oil trade

Oil major BP has joined a growing list of firms pausing shipping through the Suez Canal following a series of attacks on vessels by Houthi militants from Yemen, as the U.S. pledged an international effort to combat the situation. “In light of the deteriorating security situation for shipping in the Red Sea, bp has decided to temporarily pause … Read more