Latest news with #AlexusGrynkewich
UPI
a day ago
- Politics
- UPI
Two U.S. generals speak, but is anyone listening?
Air Force Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, speaking at a NATO arms conference last week, said he was surprised how Ukraine gave its brigades the authority to buy their weapons and the money to do so. File photo by Sergey Kozlov/EPA July 23 (UPI) -- The inaugural NATO EuroLandWarfare was held in Wiesbaden, Germany, last week. The symposium and exhibition, which a large number of defense companies attended, was designed to reinforce NATO's new dependency on a defense industrial base capable of providing hardware and particularly software not in years, but in days or weeks. Two of the most senior U.S. generals in Europe were key speakers. Surprisingly, perhaps, comments made by both should have provoked major reactions. Neither did. The first, Gen. Christopher Donahue, commander of U.S. Army Forces Europe and Africa, bluntly assessed how NATO's military capability could neutralize the tiny Russian-controlled enclave of Kaliningrad. Situated on the Baltic Sea and nestled between NATO member states Poland in the south and Lithuania in the north, Kaliningrad was retained by Russia following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Russia has reportedly stationed nuclear weapons in this small city state. Donahue, in what some might call bragging, forcefully predicted that NATO allies, in the event of war, could "take that down [Kaliningrad's defenses] from the ground in a timeframe that is unheard of and faster than we've ever been able to do." This smacked of Gen. George Patton. However, the Russian response so far has been muted and only has come from lawmakers, not the Putin government, who predictively have regarded this as a belligerent threat that could lead to World War III. The White House and the Pentagon have remained silent on the general's statement. One wonders who, if anyone, authorized the general to make this unduly provocative comment, no matter how correct. Was it in his script or ad-libbed, and were any of his seniors in Washington aware of or even concerned about the possible political consequences of the comment from Russia? Is it possible that in today's world, few take seriously credible statements from any source? And thus the general's seemingly offensive remark passed relatively unnoticed and unmentioned. Donahue's boss, Air Force Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, became the U.S. European and NATO's Supreme Allied Commander on July 4. He delivered the conference's keynote address the next day. It was very well-received and well-delivered. Whether he knew of, authorized or approved Donahue's statements on Kaliningrad is unknown. But in the question-and-answer period, Grynkewich inadvertently exposed two potentially grave weaknesses of the alliance. His answer to the audience question of what has surprised him most in his new assignment was most relevant. Grynch, his pilot's call sign, humorously responded that what surprised him most was that he got this job in the first place. Second, and what was most revealing, was that his greatest surprise was how Ukraine gave its brigades the authority to buy their weapons and the money to do so. Grynkewich then argued that the United States must replicate this authority at the brigade level, implicitly reinforcing the conference's challenge to defense industries. What is very worrying about the general's comments is that his last job was director for operations, or J-3, of the Pentagon's Joint Staff. That he should have known about that weapons purchase policy leads to the question of how many of the Pentagon's senior leadership lacked understanding of this and other novel ways Ukraine was waging the war despite intensive study and analysis of the conflict. And while this may seem a trivial gap in knowledge, what else might the United States not know or understand about the war in Ukraine or Russia's aims that could prove a debilitating weakness? It was not news to this writer about Ukrainian brigades ordering weaponry tailored to their needs. In some cases, software upgrades were delivered in hours to the front line. This gave Ukrainian ground forces huge advantages in fighting a much larger Russian army. Even supposing that this admission, and recommendation to emulate Ukraine, were accepted by the audience, that leads to a second grave weakness. Transforming or absorbing the Ukrainian example of delegating authority to ensure quick responses into NATO's defense industrial base may be impossible today. Can major defense industries, and more importantly their governments' procurement processes, shift quickly from revising contracts aimed at producing highly technologically advanced, multibillion-dollar weapons systems in relatively small numbers to the Ukrainian model that stresses mass numbers of cheap systems and a highly diversified base of many small firms? At present there are no answers to why Gen. Donahue's response got little attention, and more importantly, what we do not know about the war or how to induce defense industries to make this tectonic transformation. Harlan Ullman is UPI's Arnaud de Borchgrave Distinguished Columnist; senior adviser at Washington's Atlantic Council, chairman of a private company and principal author of the doctrine of shock and awe. His next book, co-written with Field Marshal The Lord David Richards, former U.K. chief of defense and due out next year, is Who Thinks Best Wins: Preventing Strategic Catastrophe. The writer can be reached on X @harlankullman.
Fox News
2 days ago
- Business
- Fox News
EU defense chief warns of 'most dangerous moment' – coordinated Russian-Chinese aggression by 2027
The European Union's first-ever defense commissioner has issued a stark warning: the world's "most dangerous moment" could arrive as soon as 2027, when Russia and China may coordinate aggressive moves designed to overwhelm Western defenses. Andrius Kubilius, the EU's commissioner for defense and space, echoed recent remarks by U.S. Air Force Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, NATO's top commander for air operations. Both officials highlighted 2027 as a potential flashpoint year when simultaneous military actions by Moscow and Beijing could stretch the transatlantic alliance to its limits. "The most dangerous moment can be in 2027, when both Russia and China will make these aggressive moves in a coordinated way," Kubilius told reporters during a briefing in Washington. Grynkewich had warned last week that the United States and its European allies must be prepared to fight two wars simultaneously – one in Europe, should Russian President Vladimir Putin escalate in Ukraine or Eastern Europe, and another in the Pacific if Chinese President Xi Jinping launches an invasion of Taiwan. "We're going to need every bit of kit and equipment and munitions that we can in order to beat that," Grynkewich said. In a speech later Monday evening, Kubilius said the U.S. has the "right and reason" to turn its focus to China. "We are recognizing that you, Americans, have really the right and the reason in the longer-term perspective to start to shift more and more toward the Indo-Pacific in order to mitigate Chinese rising military power," he said. "We Europeans need to ramp up our defense capabilities," the former Lithuanian prime minister said, adding: "That is what we are doing." Their warnings align with growing concerns across the U.S. defense establishment over what is often referred to as the "Davidson Window" – a term coined by former Indo-Pacific Command chief Adm. Philip Davidson, who testified before Congress in 2021 that China could attempt to forcibly reunify with Taiwan by 2027. The assessment has since become a widely cited benchmark for military planners preparing for a potential crisis in the Indo-Pacific. The 2027 window has taken on added urgency as China rapidly accelerates its military modernization program, aiming to achieve what Xi Jinping has called "world-class" warfighting capabilities by the People's Liberation Army's centennial in 2027. U.S. and NATO officials also fear that Russia, despite sustaining major losses in Ukraine, could reconstitute and redirect its forces toward renewed aggression in Eastern Europe by that same timeframe – placing strategic pressure on two fronts simultaneously. Kubilius traveled to Washington to assess potential shortfalls in European defense capabilities as the U.S. increasingly pivots its strategic attention toward the Indo-Pacific. He said EU member states are actively preparing for a shift in the American military posture on the continent. As of 2025, more than 80,000 U.S. troops are stationed in Europe – a presence widely expected to decline in the coming years as the Pentagon presses its European allies to assume greater responsibility for their own defense. "We are preparing ourselves to take responsibility on our shoulders," Kubilius said. "We don't know what Americans will decide." Kubilius emphasized that Europe must not only fund its own defense but also build it. He noted that the EU has reduced its reliance on U.S.-made weapons from 60% of total imports to 40%, and hopes to lower that dependency further through increased domestic production. As defense commissioner, Kubilius is tasked with implementing an $840 billion framework to "Re-Arm Europe," including a €150 billion loan facility available to member states for building out their armed forces and industrial capacities. Separately, NATO leaders at last month's summit in Washington agreed to a sweeping pledge to increase defense spending – raising the benchmark from 2% of GDP to 5% for member countries, a historic shift in alliance posture amid growing global instability. Adding to the sense of urgency, President Donald Trump announced that the United States would offer advanced weapons systems to Ukraine – on the condition that European partners cover the cost. Western defense ministers convened on Monday to discuss the proposed financing mechanism. "We're going to be sending Patriots to NATO and then NATO will distribute that," Trump said last week, referring to the high-value air defense systems that Kyiv has long sought. Kubilius declined to elaborate on which other weapons may be included in the package, but underscored the critical importance of maintaining unwavering support for Ukraine's defense against Russia's full-scale invasion. "China is watching," he said. "China will be able to make a conclusion that if the West is weak in Ukraine, then we can expect aggressive behavior from China against anyone."
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
No time to waste: NATO chief urges rapid industrial mobilization
WIESBADEN, Germany − As the U.S. and its allies in Europe pledge to ramp up defense spending amid mounting global threats, the supreme allied commander of Europe is calling on industry to deliver real capabilities to the field in record time. 'We can tell industry exactly what it is that we need for all the leaders that are out there. It's our job, I think, to hold industry accountable to deliver quickly and to hold ourselves accountable for giving industry the ability to deliver quickly through our acquisition processes,' U.S. Air Force Gen. Alexus Grynkewich said July 17 during his first public speech since taking command at the Association of the U.S. Army's inaugural LandEuro conference in Wiesbaden, Germany. 'We've got to do this fast. We need real capabilities and we need them delivered as soon as possible. We can't afford to wait, future pledges are no longer enough,' he said. 'To do this, the defense industrial base on both sides of the Atlantic is going to have to become fully activated.' Grynkewich stressed there's plenty of work to go around, it's not a matter of investing in one or the other. 'It needs to be one seamless industrial base that can deliver capability and capacity for the alliance,' he said. Moving quicker is easier said than done. Every country will have to contend with their own budget approval process and work through red tape across borders. U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth made a pledge earlier this year on a trip to NATO headquarters that the U.S. would conduct major foreign military sales reform. Even so, the U.S. military and NATO have developed solid regional plans beginning with a clear one focused on the Baltic States that will help guide government and industry in getting capabilities to units there. The U.S. Army Europe and Africa commander, speaking a day earlier at the conference, said the 'Eastern Flank Deterrence Line' plan aims to enhance ground-based capabilities and drive military-industrial interoperability across the alliance. As part of the plan to counter Russian threats and enable scalable, global deterrence, the Army and its NATO allies are urgently developing standardized, data-driven systems, common launchers and cloud-based coordination. The plan includes a system to share data. NATO has already procured that system – Palantir's Maven Smart System – an artificial intelligence platform that takes a vast amount of data and rapidly analyzes information to help military commanders make decisions. U.S. Army Europe and Africa officials have also adopted Maven at headquarters, using it for mission command and visibility across the theater. The system has completely replaced PowerPoint briefings and offers information to commanders in real-time. On NATO's wish list, according to Grynkewich, are capabilities that mirror a Ukrainian brigade. 'How do we get our brigades to have the same level of capability where we can match what they're able to do today?' Additionally, Grynkewich said he wants to focus on air defense. 'There's never enough air defense. You always want more, but it's an acute requirement, whether it's counter-[unmanned aircraft systems] or counter-ballistic missiles,' he said. And there will also be a continued focus on long-range fires, Grynkewich noted. 'We need the capability to hold things at risk.' Industry now has real incentives in place, Grynkewich said, with the new commitment made by NATO nations at the last summit to spend 5% of their gross domestic product on defense by 2035. 'I would ask industry folks who are here and elsewhere to realize that sustained commitment should be a powerful signal to do the things you need to do, to expand production lines, to increase [research and development] spending, etc., so that we can get where we need to go,' he said. Leadership is now moving to deliver new and emerging technology to the battlefield along with legacy technology that is still relevant and will work to make things interoperable. 'I challenge each of the chiefs of defense, land forces commanders and every leader in here to hold themselves to account for that. There's no time to waste,' Grynkewich said. Solve the daily Crossword
Al Jazeera
7 days ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,240
Here is how things stand on Friday, July 18: Fighting The Russian Ministry of Defence claimed that its forces have captured three Ukrainian settlements: Kamianske in the southeastern Zaporizhia region, Dehtiarne in the northeastern Kharkiv region, and Popiv Yar in the Donetsk region. Russian air defences destroyed a Ukrainian drone headed for Moscow, the city's mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, said. Russia's Defence Ministry said 46 Ukrainian drones were destroyed over a period of four hours on Thursday evening, including a single drone over the Moscow region. Most were downed in areas near the Ukraine border, including 31 over Russia's Bryansk region and 10 over the Russian-annexed Crimea peninsula. Russia and Ukraine have exchanged more bodies of their war dead, a Kremlin aide said, part of an agreement struck at the second round of peace talks in Istanbul in June. A total of 1,000 bodies of Ukrainian soldiers were turned over in exchange for 19 bodies of Russian soldiers. Military aid Preparations are under way to quickly transfer additional Patriot air defence systems to Ukraine, NATO's top military commander, Alexus Grynkewich, said. Czech-coordinated shipments of artillery ammunition for Ukraine are rising this year, according to Ales Vytecka, director of the Czech Defence Ministry's AMOS international cooperation agency. So far this year, shipments have totalled 850,000 shells, including 320,000 NATO 155mm calibre projectiles. Ukraine will let foreign arms companies test out their latest weapons on the front line of its war against Russia, Kyiv's state-backed arms investment and procurement group Brave1 said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the US publication The New York Post that he and United States President Donald Trump are considering a deal that involves Washington buying battlefield-tested Ukrainian drones in exchange for Kyiv purchasing weapons from the US. Zelenskyy told the country's parliament that he expects his new government to increase the amount of domestically-produced weapons on Ukraine's battlefield from 40 percent to 50 percent within the next six months. The US has informed Switzerland of delays to the delivery of Patriot air defence systems, the Swiss Defence Ministry said, adding that Washington wants to prioritise delivery of the systems to Ukraine. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said clarity is needed on how the US could replace any weapons that Europe plans to send to Ukraine. He issued the statement during a visit to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Politics and diplomacy President Trump's decision to ramp up arms shipments to Ukraine is a signal to Kyiv to abandon peace efforts, Russia Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Russia had no plans to attack NATO or Europe but floated the idea of preemptive strikes if it believed the West was escalating what he cast as its full-scale war against Russia. Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico said his country will stop blocking the approval of the 18th package of European Union sanctions against Russia, which could be approved on Friday. Ukraine's parliament appointed Yulia Svyrydenko, 39, as the country's first new prime minister in five years, part of a major cabinet overhaul aimed at revitalising wartime management of the country as prospects for peace with Russia grow dim. Ukraine's former Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has been named defence minister. Ukraine's parliament also voted to keep Andrii Sybiha as foreign minister, while appointing Olha Stefanishyna, a deputy prime minister responsible for Euro-Atlantic integration, as the country's new ambassador to the US. Russian lawmakers have advanced a bill that would outlaw opening or searching for content online judged to be 'extremist' in nature, such as songs glorifying Ukraine and material by the feminist rock band, Pussy Riot.
Russia Today
7 days ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Top NATO commander gives update on Patriots for Ukraine
US-made Patriot surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems will be delivered to Ukraine 'as quickly as possible,' and Germany will pick up the tab, NATO's top military commander in Europe, American General Alexus Grynkewich, has said. Washington and Berlin agreed on the scheme earlier this week. Vladimir Zelensky has been increasingly urging his Western backers to provide more Patriot units recently. Russia, which claims to have destroyed some of the air defense systems since 2022, maintains that no amount of military aid to Ukraine can change the outcome of the conflict, and only serves to prolong the bloodshed. In an article on Thursday, Reuters quoted Grynkewich as saying he was under orders to carry out the delivery 'as quickly as possible.' 'There will be a lot more to follow,' he added, without providing any further details. The media outlet cited an anonymous source as saying several Western nations are expected to hold a meeting next Wednesday to discuss securing additional Patriot batteries. Following a meeting with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in Washington on Monday, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said the delivery arrangements could be finalized 'within days or weeks,' although it may take months before Ukraine actually receives the missile systems. While Berlin has indicated its readiness to cover the cost of the Patriots, it remains unclear where the launchers will come from, as Berlin only has six such missile systems itself, as recently acknowledged by Pistorius. US President Donald Trump has recently toughened his rhetoric toward his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, accusing him of being unwilling to end the Ukraine conflict. Commenting on Trump's recent remarks, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that the decision to deliver more weapons to Kiev would likely be 'perceived by the Ukrainian side… as a signal to continue the war.' As for Germany, the country is 'becoming dangerous again,' the official claimed on Monday. Earlier this week, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova suggested that European nations are funding the 'death' of Ukraine by paying for weapons sent to Kiev.
