Iceland Prime Minister Sees Europe Spending More on Defense
'We have seen a big shift in Europe stepping up' on defense, Kristrun Frostadottir told Bloomberg TV in an interview on Thursday. 'Europe is coming together to be a stronger ally for the US and that is what has worked for Iceland as well.'
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Epoch Times
3 hours ago
- Epoch Times
Germany Announces First Patriot Defense Transfers to Ukraine Under New NATO Framework
Last month, President Donald Trump announced a new framework to ensure other Western nations cover the costs to transfer more military aid to Ukraine. A Patriot air defense system launcher, operated by the Ukrainian Air Forces, is seen on the ground amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in an undisclosed location in Ukraine, on Aug. 4, 2024. A Patriot air defense system launcher, operated by the Ukrainian Air Forces, is seen on the ground amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in an undisclosed location in Ukraine, on Aug. 4, 2024. Valentyn Ogirenko/File Photo/Reuters Ukraine is set to receive two Patriot air defense systems under a new NATO arms transfer framework, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced on Aug. 1. The announcement is occurring just weeks after President Donald Trump outlined a framework for Western allies to transfer some of their current weapons systems to Ukraine and then purchase replacements from the United States, ensuring the United States is compensated for future military support for Ukraine. Pistorius said in a statement that Germany would make the first arms transfer to Ukraine under this framework, shipping two Patriot systems to Ukraine and additional system components in the next two to three months. Story continues below advertisement 'In return, an agreement has been reached with the U.S. Department of Defense that Germany will be the first nation to receive newly produced, latest-generation Patriot systems at an accelerated pace. The financing will be provided by Germany,' Pistorius said. The MIM-104 Patriot air defense system is currently employed throughout the NATO alliance and is capable of intercepting a range of aerial threats, including aircraft, cruise missiles, and some ballistic missiles. Ukraine's base of international supporters have already provided the country with Patriot systems and a variety of other air defense capabilities throughout its more than three-year conflict with Russia. Ukrainian officials have called for more air defense support in recent months, as Russian forces have frequently relied on barrages of missiles and explosive-laden drones. Pistorius said his country is 'by far Ukraine's strongest supporter in the field of air defense.' Story continues below advertisement The United States has been among those nations to provide Patriot systems to Ukraine, but until recently has had no guarantee of reimbursement for the support. Trump has routinely called for the United States to receive some form of compensation for the support it has provided Ukraine since Russian forces marched on the country in February 2022. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte celebrated the latest announcement. 'This is great news and I welcome Germany's leadership!' Rutte wrote in an X post on Aug. 1. 'This will help ensure Ukraine is able to defend its skies, protect its people, and deter Russian aggression.' The announcement for the new Patriot transfer came the same week Trump cut down a deadline for Russia to reach a cease-fire deal with Ukraine, from Sept. 2 to Aug. 8. Trump has threatened to impose new financial pressure on Russia's economy should it miss that deadline, including new sanctions and tariffs potentially targeting countries with which Russia trades.
CNN
6 hours ago
- CNN
Trump says two US Navy subs are moving following comments by an ex-Russian president. Here are the subs in the American fleet
Donald Trump Federal agencies US militaryFacebookTweetLink Follow US President Donald Trump said Friday he was ordering two US Navy nuclear submarines to 'appropriate regions,' in response to remarks by Dmitry Medvedev, Russia's former president and current deputy chairman of its Security Council. In what he called an effort to be 'prepared,' Trump said in a Truth Social post that he had 'ordered two Nuclear Submarines to be positioned in the appropriate regions, just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that.' The president did not specify what type of submarines were being moved or where to, and the Pentagon usually reveals little about any of its subs' movements. The US Navy has three types of submarines, all of which are nuclear-powered, but only one of which carries nuclear weapons. Here's a look at the US submarine fleet: The US Navy has 14 Ohio-class ballistic-missile submarines (SSBNs), often referred to as 'boomers.' SSBNs 'are designed specifically for stealth and the precise delivery of nuclear warheads,' a Navy fact sheet on them says. Each can carry 20 Trident ballistic missiles with multiple nuclear warheads. Tridents have a range of up to 4,600 miles (7,400 kilometers), meaning they wouldn't need to move closer to Russia to hit it – in fact, they could do so from the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian or Arctic oceans. SSBNs are strong nuclear deterrents as they are expected to survive an adversary's first strike. Their movements are among the Navy's most closely guarded secrets. At 560 feet (170 meters) long, the Ohio-class subs displace almost 19,000 tons submerged and have a crew of 159. They can reach a speed of 23 miles per hour. In the 1990s, the Pentagon determined the Navy didn't need as many Ohio-class SSBNs in the nuclear deterrent role, converting four of them into guided-missile submarines (SSGNs). Retaining the same overall specs as the boomers, the SSGNs carry Tomahawk cruise missiles instead of the Trident ballistic missiles. Each can carry 154 Tomahawks with a high-explosive warhead of up to 1,000 pounds, and a range of about 1,000 miles. They can also transport troops, who can be clandestinely deployed from lockout chambers in former ballistic-missile tubes, according to the Navy. Movements of the SSGNs are also highly classified, but in recent years the Navy made occasional note of their presence near military hotspots, to send a message of deterrence. These form the bulk of the US Navy's submarine fleet and are designed to hunt and destroy enemy subs and surface ships with torpedoes. They can also strike land-based targets with Tomahawk missiles, though they carry the Tomahawks in much smaller numbers than the SSGNs. Fast-attack subs come in three forms: the Virginia, Los Angeles and Seawolf classes. The Virginia class is the newest, with 23 commissioned as of July 1, according to a Navy fact sheet. They are 377 to 461 feet long, depending on their configuration, displace up to 10,200 tons, and have a crew of 145. The Los Angeles class is the oldest of the Navy's fast-attack subs, with 23 still in service. They are 360 feet long, displace 6,900 tons and carry a crew of 143. Finally, the Seawolf class is the smallest in the US fleet. Two of the subs, USS Seawolf and USS Connecticut – measuring 353 feet and displacing 9,100 tons – are more in line with standard attack boats, carrying torpedoes and cruise missiles. The third in the Seawolf class, the USS Jimmy Carter, is one of the most specialized craft in the Navy, with a hull extended 100 feet longer than the other two subs. 'This hull section provides for additional payloads to accommodate advanced technology used to carry out classified research and development and for enhanced warfighting capabilities,' the Navy says.
Newsweek
7 hours ago
- Newsweek
France Launches Airdrop of 40 Tons of Humanitarian Aid Into Gaza
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. France began a large-scale airdrop of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip on Friday, deploying four flights from Jordan to deliver 40 tons of food and supplies as the international posture towards the spiraling humanitarian crisis shifted in the face of imminent famine. French President Emmanuel Macron announced the move as part of a plea for Israel to permit full humanitarian access, Reuters reported. The effort is the result of a multinational coalition including Jordan, Germany and the United Arab Emirates. Newsweek reached out to the foreign ministries of France and Israel outside of normal business hours on Saturday afternoon for comment. Why It Matters The French aid initiative comes amid escalating warnings from international organizations of severe malnutrition and starvation among Gaza's 2 million residents. Humanitarian corridors into Gaza remain largely restricted by Israel, with widespread reports of children dying from hunger-related causes. Efforts like France's airdrop highlight the international community's struggle to address what is widely described as a man-made famine, with much of the world's attention focused on blocked or limited ground aid routes. The airdrops follow France's announcement that it intends to formally recognize a Palestinian state, which drew condemnation from some U.S. officials, such as Secretary of State Marco Rubio. However, other European nations have discussed or announced intention to recognize a Palestinian state as well as a means of pressuring Israel to act. Israel, however, has repeatedly rejected claims of forced starvation in Gaza. In May, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied people are starving, saying Israel takes "thousands of prisoners" from Gaza and photographs them, and you "don't see one, not one, emaciated." Israel has repeatedly said that aid deliveries must be delivered in a "safe framework" that does not give supplies to Hamas and notes that the U.S.- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF) is bringing food into Gaza. Israel has used aid restrictions as a pressure tactic to bring Hamas, a Palestinian militant group, to negotiate the release of hostages that were taken in its October 7, 2023, attack on the country. A picture taken in northern Gaza's Jabalia shows aid parcels parachuted down following an airdrop above the Israel-besieged Palestinian territory on August 1. A picture taken in northern Gaza's Jabalia shows aid parcels parachuted down following an airdrop above the Israel-besieged Palestinian territory on August 1. Bashar Taleb/AFP via Getty Images What To Know Macron confirmed the start of the operation on Friday, writing in a post on X: "Faced with an urgent humanitarian crisis, we just conducted a food airdrop over Gaza. I thank our Jordanian, Emirati, and German partners for their support, as well as our armed forces for their dedication. But airdrops are not enough. Israel must grant full humanitarian access to address the risk of famine." France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot added in an interview with a local French broadcaster that four flights, each carrying 10 tons of humanitarian supplies, were dispatched from Jordan. France previously participated in European humanitarian airlifts in October 2023 to provide aid to Gaza through Jordan and Egypt at the start of the conflict that erupted after Hamas launched an attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people. Israel retaliated with strikes on the enclave and then sent troops into the region as officials sought to eliminate Hamas. Many nations backed Israel's right to respond to Hamas' attack, but in recent months the growing humanitarian crisis has shifted opinion and prompted outcry over the deteriorating conditions facing civilians. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has simultaneously begun instituting a daily "tactical pause in military activity" for "humanitarian purposes" in the areas of Gaza City, Deir al-Balah and Musawi. The practice, first declared last week, was said "to enable the safe passage of UN and humanitarian aid organization convoys delivering and distributing food and medicine to the population across the Gaza Strip." The IDF also said it would begin conducting aid airdrops into Gaza. Faced with an urgent humanitarian crisis, we just conducted a food airdrop over Gaza. I thank our Jordanian, Emirati, and German partners for their support, as well as our armed forces for their dedication. But airdrops are not enough.… — Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) August 1, 2025 What People Are Saying President Donald Trump recently told reporters: "It's terrible what's occurring there. It's a terrible thing. People are very hungry. The United States gave $60 million for food and it's a shame, because I don't see the results of it. And we gave it to people that in theory are watching over it fairly closely. We wanted Israel to watch over it." A U.S. State Department spokesperson previously told Newsweek: "President Trump and Secretary [of State Marco] Rubio want a better life for the people of Gaza and are acutely aware of the dire humanitarian situation. We are supportive of creative efforts to relieve the humanitarian situation in Gaza." Israel's consul general in New York, Ofir Akunis, previously told Newsweek: "There is no deliberate starvation in Gaza, only a deliberate disinformation campaign orchestrated by Hamas and amplified by those who fail to act. Hamas doesn't care about the suffering of children, only about weaponizing their pain to spread hatred against Israel." What Happens Next? The French government and other European partners have signaled they will continue humanitarian airlifts and pressure Israel to open land routes. Macron and other Western leaders called for comprehensive humanitarian access beyond airdrops, which the French leader described as inadequate to alleviate famine risk.
