Latest news with #Biden-approved
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Europe can sustain Ukraine's war effort without US, German general says
Europe can sustain Ukraine's war effort without US, German general says BERLIN - Europe is capable of sustaining Ukraine's resistance against Russia, even if the United States were to decide to completely halt its military support to Kyiv, the senior military official in charge of coordinating Germany's arms supplies told Reuters. Major-General Christian Freuding said Nato's European members plus Canada had already exceeded the estimated US$20 billion (S$25 billion) worth of US military aid provided in 2024 to Kyiv. They accounted for around 60 per cent of the total costs borne by the Western allies, he said. "The war against Ukraine is raging on our continent, it is also being waged against the European security order. If the political will is there, then the means will also be there to largely compensate for the American support," Maj-Gen Freuding said in an interview. Ukraine continues to receive weapons deliveries approved by former US president Joe Biden. It is unclear, however, whether his successor Donald Trump will sign off on any new supplies - or allow third countries to purchase US weapons for Kyiv. Asked how long the Biden-approved deliveries will sustain Kyiv, Maj-Gen Freuding said this depended on logistical processes as well as the speed at which Ukraine burns through arms and ammunition, but that the summer seemed a realistic estimate. "How the American government handles further requests for military support for Ukraine is unclear at the moment. We can't say anything about that," he added. "In general, the US has a great interest in boosting its own defence industry. I make the cautious assumption that at least purchasing US defence goods, and delivering them to Ukraine, will be possible." Russian rearmament Addressing the potential threat that Russia might pose beyond Ukraine, Maj-Gen Freuding said Moscow had a clear plan to reconstitute and grow its military, and was expected to succeed in efforts to double its land forces to 1.5 million by 2026. 'They are recruiting significantly more personnel than they need as replacements for the war in Ukraine. They are producing surplus stocks of ammunition, in particular, which they are 'putting on store'.' Maj-Gen Freuding said Russia was also ramping up its military infrastructure, especially in its western military district bordering new Nato member Finland. Any ceasefire in Ukraine could allow Russia to accelerate its rearmament efforts ahead of a possible large-scale attack on Nato territory, he said. The alliance currently believes this could occur from 2029. 'Of course, a ceasefire could change the threat situation,' Maj-Gen Freuding said. Russia denies planning to attack Nato and says it is waging a "special military operation" in Ukraine to protect its own security against what it casts as an aggressive, hostile West. Germany has provided a total of €38 billion (S$55 billion) in military aid to Ukraine, including funds earmarked for the coming years, making it the second largest donor after the United States, the defence ministry in Berlin says. Maj-Gen Freuding said he was not aware of the Trump administration having endorsed any US arms deliveries to Kyiv paid for by third countries. Still, making up for certain crucial parts of US military support to Ukraine would pose significant challenges to Europe. Listing capabilities that would be hard for Europeans to replace, Maj-Gen Freuding cited US intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) data, air defence systems like Patriot and spare parts for US weapons. "If we are capable of replacing specific (ISR) capabilities to a sufficient extent - we need to look into this when we definitely know the Americans won't provide this data anymore." Ukraine uses US intelligence data to help its air defence, and analysts say also for targeting. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Europe can sustain Ukraine's war effort without U.S., German general says
By Sabine Siebold BERLIN (Reuters) -Europe is capable of sustaining Ukraine's resistance against Russia, even if the United States were to decide to completely halt its military support to Kyiv, the senior military official in charge of coordinating Germany's arms supplies told Reuters. Major General Christian Freuding said NATO's European members plus Canada had already exceeded the estimated $20 billion worth of U.S. military aid provided last year to Kyiv. They accounted for around 60% of the total costs borne by the Western allies, he said. "The war against Ukraine is raging on our continent, it is also being waged against the European security order. If the political will is there, then the means will also be there to largely compensate for the American support," Freuding said in an interview. Ukraine continues to receive weapons deliveries approved by former U.S. President Joe Biden. It is unclear, however, whether his successor Donald Trump will sign off on any new supplies - or allow third countries to purchase U.S. weapons for Kyiv. Asked how long the Biden-approved deliveries will sustain Kyiv, Freuding said this depended on logistical processes as well as the speed at which Ukraine burns through arms and ammunition, but that the summer seemed a realistic estimate. "How the American government handles further requests for military support for Ukraine is unclear at the moment. We can't say anything about that," he added. "In general, the U.S. has a great interest in boosting its own defence industry. I make the cautious assumption that at least purchasing U.S. defence goods, and delivering them to Ukraine, will be possible." RUSSIAN REARMAMENT Addressing the potential threat that Russia might pose beyond Ukraine, Freuding said Moscow had a clear plan to reconstitute and grow its military, and was expected to succeed in efforts to double its land forces to 1.5 million by 2026. "They are recruiting significantly more personnel than they need as replacements for the war in Ukraine. They are producing surplus stocks of ammunition, in particular, which they are 'putting on store'". Freuding said Russia was also ramping up its military infrastructure, especially in its western military district bordering new NATO member Finland. Any ceasefire in Ukraine could allow Russia to accelerate its rearmament efforts ahead of a possible large-scale attack on NATO territory, he said. The alliance currently believes this could occur from 2029. "Of course, a ceasefire could change the threat situation," Freuding said. Russia denies planning to attack NATO and says it is waging a "special military operation" in Ukraine to protect its own security against what it casts as an aggressive, hostile West. Germany has provided a total of 38 billion euros ($43 billion) in military aid to Ukraine, including funds earmarked for the coming years, making it the second largest donor after the United States, the defence ministry in Berlin says. Freuding said he was not aware of the Trump administration having endorsed any U.S. arms deliveries to Kyiv paid for by third countries. Still, making up for certain crucial parts of U.S. military support to Ukraine would pose significant challenges to Europe. Listing capabilities that would be hard for Europeans to replace, Freuding cited U.S. intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) data, air defence systems like Patriot and spare parts for U.S. weapons. "If we are capable of replacing specific (ISR) capabilities to a sufficient extent - we need to look into this when we definitely know the Americans won't provide this data anymore." Ukraine uses U.S. intelligence data to help its air defence, and analysts say also for targeting. ($1 = 0.8757 euros)
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Reuters: Pentagon chief halted military aid to Ukraine without White House approval
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways The order to temporarily suspend the shipment of US military aid to Ukraine came from the office of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the White House was unaware of the decision. Source: Reuters, as reported by European Pravda Details: About a week after Donald Trump began his second term as US president, the US military instructed three cargo carriers based at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware and a US base in the United Arab Emirates to halt 11 flights loaded with artillery shells and other weapons bound for Ukraine. Within hours, Washington received panicked questions from Ukrainian officials in Kyiv and from coordination centres in Poland. Who had ordered US Transportation Command (TRANSCOM) to halt the flights? Was it a full suspension of aid, or just a partial one? Top national security officials at the White House, the Pentagon and the State Department could not provide answers. The flights resumed a week later. TRANSCOM records reviewed by Reuters indicate the verbal order came from the office of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The shipment halt followed a 30 January Oval Office meeting on Ukraine attended by Hegseth and other senior national security officials. Three sources familiar with the matter said the idea of halting aid to Ukraine was raised during the meeting, but Trump gave no instruction to do so. Trump was unaware of Hegseth's order, as were other top national security officials who attended the meeting, two sources familiar with closed-door discussions at the White House and a third source with direct knowledge of the situation told Reuters. Those who spoke with Reuters said it remained unclear why the usual decision-making officials were kept out of the loop and why the order was quickly reversed. TRANSCOM said the cancelled flights cost US$2.2 million. An official halt to Biden-approved military aid to Ukraine came later, on 4 March, following a White House announcement and a controversial Oval Office meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The story of the cancelled flights, described in detail for the first time by Reuters, highlights what appeared to be a chaotic decision-making process in the Trump administration and a chain of command that even top officials struggled to understand. Reuters was unable to determine the exact date Hegseth's office issued the cancellation order. Two sources said Ukrainian and European officials began making enquiries on 2 February. TRANSCOM confirmed that it had received a verbal instruction from SECDEF – the Secretary of Defense – to stop the flights, which resumed on 5 February. In subsequent conversations with Ukrainian officials, the US administration attributed the pause to "internal policy", one source said. These revelations come amid turbulence within the Pentagon. Several of Hegseth's top advisers were escorted out of the building on 15 April over allegations of unauthorised disclosure of classified information. Hegseth remains under scrutiny, including from Congress, regarding his communications. He has previously blamed unrest on disgruntled staff. The cancelled flights contained weapons that had long been approved by the Biden administration and authorised by Congress. Reuters could not confirm whether Hegseth or his team understood how the order would be carried out or that it would represent a significant shift in US policy on Ukraine. Three sources familiar with the matter said Hegseth had misinterpreted the president's position on Ukraine policy and aid delivery. Four other individuals familiar with the situation said a small group of Pentagon staffers – many of whom had never held government positions and had long opposed US assistance to Ukraine – had advised Hegseth to consider suspending the aid. Two sources denied that aid had actually been suspended. One of them described it as a logistical pause. While several media outlets, including Reuters, previously reported on the aid delay, Hegseth's direct role had not been known until now. It remains unclear whether Trump later questioned Hegseth's actions or reprimanded him. One source directly familiar with the matter said that National Security Adviser Mike Waltz eventually intervened to overturn the order. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
The Hill
27-01-2025
- Business
- The Hill
Chemical, oil industry vets nab roles at EPA
Energy & Environment The Big Story Chemical, oil industry vets nab roles at EPA A significant number of political appointees who have joined the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under President Trump used to work for or have lobbied on behalf of the chemical and fossil fuel industries. The appointments come as the administration has made apparently competing promises about aggressively cutting regulations while also 'Making America Healthy Again.' Among the figures appointed to the agency is Nancy Beck, who used to work at the American Chemistry Council, a chemical industry trade and lobbying group, before serving in the EPA during Trump's first term. Beck has faced controversy over her handling of chemical safety during her prior tenure in the administration. Also joining the administration is Lynn Dekleva, who spent about 30 years at chemical giant DuPont, according to her LinkedIn page. DuPont is well known for, among other things, its relationship to 'forever chemicals,' a toxic family of chemicals also known as PFAS that have been linked to several cancers and other health concerns and are the subject of EPA regulations, like many toxic substances. Welcome to The Hill's Energy & Environment newsletter, I'm Rachel Frazin — keeping you up to speed on the policies impacting everything from oil and gas to new supply chains. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. Essential Reads How policy will affect the energy and environment sectors now and in the future: Trump's move to freeze Biden-approved funding draws howls from Democrats Democrats are sounding the alarm over President Trump's move to freeze funding approved in two of former President Biden's signature laws. Full Story Trump orders agencies to override California policies that 'unduly burden' water deliveries President Trump directed U.S. government agencies to override California's water policies as needed — slamming the state's handling of the Los Angeles region's wildfires in an executive order this weekend. Full Story Los Angeles wildfires raise concerns about the toxic pollutants they could be unleashing The infernal blazes burning in Southern California are raising concerns about the potential airborne hazards they may be leaving behind. Full Story In Other News Branch out with a different read from The Hill: Trump ousts more than a dozen inspectors general in late night action President Trump on Friday ousted several inspectors general within government agencies overnight, shaking up federal oversight just days after returning to the White House. Full Story What We're Reading News we've flagged from other outlets touching on energy issues, the environment and other topics: Dangerous temperatures could kill 50% more Europeans by 2100, study finds (The Guardian) Trump administration halts environmental litigation, sidelines lawyers, sources say (Reuters) Why did ' climate change,' human 'evolution' vanish from Iowa's proposed science standards? (Des Moines Register) What Others are Reading Two key stories on The Hill right now: DOJ fires prosecutors who worked on Trump criminal cases Justice Department (DOJ) officials fired several prosecutors who worked on President Trump's criminal cases, saying they could not 'trust' them. Read more Live updates: Trump addresses House Republicans at retreat Monday kicks off the second week of President Trump's return to the White House, and it's slated to be a busy one. Read more
