Ukraine's backers meet to drum up arms and ammo. The Pentagon chief is absent for the first time
BRUSSELS — Senior officials from almost 50 nations gathered Wednesday to drum up more weapons and ammunition for Ukraine, with the Pentagon's chief absent for the first time since the group organizing the military aid was set up three years ago.
The Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting at NATO headquarters is going to be chaired by the United Kingdom and Germany. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth would only arrive in Brussels after it's over. He will participate in a meeting of NATO defense ministers on Thursday.
His absence is the latest in a series of steps that Washington has taken to distance itself from Ukraine's efforts to repel Russia's full-scale invasion, which began on Feb. 24, 2022.
More than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians have been killed, according to U.N. estimates, as well as tens of thousands of soldiers on both sides.
Before Wednesday's meeting, the U.K. said that it plans a tenfold increase in drone production to help Ukraine. Drones have become a decisive factor in the war, now in its fourth year.
U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey said that British companies are using lessons learned from the battlefield 'to develop advanced new drones to help protect Ukraine's civilians and also strengthen our own national security.'
Hegseth's predecessor, Lloyd Austin, created the group after Russia launched all-out war on Ukraine in 2022. Since then, Ukraine's backers have collectively provided around $126 billion in weapons and military assistance, including more than $66.5 billion from the U.S.
The United States hasn't chaired a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group since the Trump administration took office in January.
European NATO allies are concerned that the U.S. might withdraw troops from Europe to focus on the Indo-Pacific. French President Emmanuel Macron has warned that abandoning Ukraine would erode U.S. credibility in deterring any conflict with China over Taiwan.
Follow the 's coverage of the war at /hub/russia-ukraine
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
43 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Tiruchi students look beyond U.S., U.K. for overseas education
Volatile global politics, visa restrictions, and rising cost of living are forcing students in Tiruchi to reconsider their option of proceeding to the U.S., the U.K., and Canada for higher education. Some educational consultancies have closed down their overseas departments because of the changing market dynamics and decided to concentrate on the more vibrant domestic sector. The availability of one-year postgraduate courses had made the U.K. a preferred destination for many Indian students. However, of late, there had been a slowdown in demand for these courses because of the rise in living costs and greater restrictions on part-time employment, said education consultants. 'Every September, we used to have up to 50 students from Tiruchi going to major English-speaking countries, where the fees would be over ₹15 lakh a year. This year, we have only around 30 students enrolled so far, mostly for the U.K. This despite the fact that education loans being available easily in India with banks willing to fund up to ₹50 lakh for overseas studies,' Girubakaran Periasamy of Scholars Global Education told The Hindu. Artificial intelligence, data science, business analytics, electronics engineering, and business management are among the subjects that Indian students pursue abroad. 'There has been a drastic drop in enrolment for qualifying tests such as TOEFL, GRE, and GMAT. We used to get up to 20 students for the U.S. until recently. This year, we have only three and two of them are having second thoughts,' said S. Sivakumar, CEO of the educational consultancy U2CAN. Mr. Sivakumar attributed the decline in applications to the U.S. and Canada to a combination of the restrictions placed on student visas and costlier degrees. 'We are seeing many more enquiries about institutions in European countries such as Finland, Sweden, France, and Germany. Among Asian countries, there is a growing interest in Japan,' he said.
The Hindu
43 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Top news of the day: ECI says defaming poll panel after unfavourable verdict absurd; Jaishankar says Partners should understand India's zero tolerance for terror policy, not put India and Pakistan on
Election Commission of India says defaming poll panel after unfavourable verdict absurd Election Commission of India (ECI) sources on Saturday (June 7, 2025) rejected claims of rigging in the Maharashtra Assembly polls held last year and said defaming it after receiving an unfavourable verdict from the voters is absolutely absurd. The ECI sources were responding to an article by former Congress chief and the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, alleging 'match-fixing' in the Maharashtra state polls. Partners should understand India's zero tolerance for terror policy, not put India and Pakistan on par, says Jaishankar India expects its partners to understand its 'policy of zero tolerance' on terrorism, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar told visiting British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, adding that the country cannot 'countenance' equating 'perpetrators of evil' with their victims. Government appoints RBI Deputy Governor T. Rabi Sankar as 16th Finance Commission member RBI Deputy Governor T. Rabi Sankar has been appointed as a part-time member of the 16th Finance Commission, the finance ministry said on Saturday (June 7, 2025). The appointment, the ministry said, 'is consequent to the resignation of one of the full-time members, former Finance Secretary Ajay Narayan Jha, on personal grounds'. Helicopter on way to Kedarnath crashlands on highway, all safe A helicopter on its way to Kedarnath made an emergency landing on the highway in Rudraprayag district on Saturday (June 7, 2025) after developing a technical snag during take-off, officials said. However, all pilgrims on board and the pilot are safe, the officials said. U.S. with India in fight against terrorism: Deputy Secretary of State tells Indian delegation The U.S. stands strong with India in the fight against terrorism, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau told Congress MP Shashi Tharoor-led all-party delegation in Washington to convey India's stance on the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor. Five Maoists gunned down in encounters in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district Five Maoists were killed in two encounters with security forces in an ongoing operation in the Indravati National Park area of Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, police said on Saturday (June 7, 2025). With the latest casualties, seven Maoists, including top leaders Sudhakar and Bhaskar, were neutralised in the operation in the last three days, they said. No rainfall sends mercury soaring across Telangana; Thunderstorm alert in 20 districts on June 8 With no rainfall in the past week, temperatures across Telangana continue to rise steadily. Several districts recorded extreme heat conditions. According to data from the Telangana State Development Planning Society (TSDPS), Suryapet topped the temperature charts on Friday (June 6, 2025) with a maximum of 41.7°C. BJP nominates Kanad Purkayastha for Rajya Sabha seat from Assam The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has nominated Kanad Purkayastha, son of former Union Minister Kabindra Purkayastha, for one of the two Rajya Sabha seats from Assam that will fall vacant on June 14. Mr. Kanad Purkayastha, a secretary of the BJP's Assam unit, is the son of Kabindra Purkayastha, a founding leader of the party in the State during the 1990s who served as Minister of State in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led National Democratic Alliance government. Kidnapping, extortion case against Kerala actor-politician G. Krishnakumar, his family The Museum Police in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday (June 7, 2025) registered a case against actor-cum-politician G. Krishnakumar and his family on charges of kidnapping and extortion based on a complaint filed by a woman employee of his daughter Diya's firm. Plotting the contours of the Alcaraz-Sinner rivalry - Men's tennis' new main-event Men's tennis was expected to be chaotic after the 'Big Three' era ended. But Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have established a firm duopoly, claiming seven of the 10 most recent Majors, including a clean sweep of the last five. Given how even and mesmerising their battles have proven to be, fans have plenty to look forward to as the two young guns compete for the sport's biggest titles Deepika Padukone, eight-hour shifts in Bollywood, and speculation media — a guide In India, in the entertainment sphere, this has been a Deepika Padukone news week. The Bollywood actor on Saturday (June 7, 2025) officially boarded the cast of Telugu star Allu Arjun's sci-fi magnum opus with director Atlee. The announcement, while delighting fans, arrived in a charged context: Deepika, currently on a maternity break, has waded into a controversy after her alleged fallout with the makers of Spirit, leading to her departure from the film.
India Gazette
44 minutes ago
- India Gazette
"India practices policy of zero tolerance against terrorism," says EAM Jaishankar during meeting with UK Foreign Secy Lammy
New Delhi [India], June 7 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday met UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy and appreciated the UK government's 'strong condemnation' of the terror attack that took place in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22. Jaishankar reiterated that India practises a policy of zero tolerance against terrorism. 'At the outset, let me thank the government of the United Kingdom for the strong condemnation of the barbaric terrorist attack in Pahalgam in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and for your solidarity and support to India in the fight against terrorism. We practice a policy of zero tolerance against terrorism and expect our partners to understand it. We will never countenance perpetrators of evil being put at par with their victims,' he said. On April 23, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the terrorist attack in Kashmir 'utterly devastating' and said that his thoughts were with those affected by the attack and the people of India. 'The horrific terrorist attack in Kashmir today is utterly devastating. My thoughts are with those affected, their loved ones, and the people of India,' Starmer posted on X. An All-Party Delegation led by BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad visited the UK from May 31 to June 3 to brief the officials there on the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and subsequent Operation Sindoor. The All-Party Parliamentary Delegation from India concluded the last day of engagements in the UK, meeting with the Speaker of the House of Commons, members of the UK and Indian media, and a detailed interaction with the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on India. Discussions centred on India's zero-tolerance approach to terrorism and response to cross-border terrorism through Operation Sindoor, an official statement by the Indian High Commission said. UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy will also meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his second visit to India to discuss ongoing economic and migration partnership. British High Commission said talks are on between the UK and the Indian Government to deepen and diversify the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries to deliver for working people in the UK. (ANI)
