Latest news with #DanCaldwell
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Ex-US Adviser Warns EU, Ukraine May Sabotage Putin-Trump Alaska Summit On Ukraine Peace
/ Aug 09, 2025, 05:51PM IST Ex-Pentagon adviser Dan Caldwell warned that European and Ukrainian actors may work to derail the upcoming Putin-Trump summit in Alaska, set for next Friday. He claimed these groups benefit from prolonging the Ukraine conflict and will coordinate efforts to undermine talks. Trump has hinted at territorial swaps with Russia, while Zelensky insists Ukraine will not surrender land. Russian forces have recently captured Chasov Yar and encircled Krasnoarmeysk in Donetsk. Watch
Middle East Eye
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Former US official says Israel should give Patriot interceptors to Ukraine
A former Pentagon official has said Israel has more than half a dozen retired Patriot missile batteries and hundreds of interceptors in its reserves that could be sent to Ukraine, as the US looks to beef up Kyiv's air-defences from Russian attacks. Dan Caldwell, a former senior advisor to US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, wrote on X that: "Trump has made clear he wants to provide Ukraine with more air defense assets. With that in mind, I think the best place to get them from with the least amount of trade offs against US and allied readiness is from Israel's stocks of retired Patriot PAC-2 missiles/batteries." "Israel has already provided one Patriot battery and about 90 missiles to the U.S. for refurbishment, which was then reportedly sent on to Ukraine. According to open source data, Israel probably has about eight batteries and several hundred missiles left in storage," he said. "Considering the significant amount of THAAD and SM-3/6 interceptors expended in defense of Israel during the 12 day war the U.S. has more than enough standing to ask Israel to send a portion of its retired Patriot stockpile back to the U.S. which can then be provided to Ukraine," he added. US President Donald Trump has grown frustrated with his Russian counter-part Vladimir Putin as peace talks stall, saying earlier this week he was full of 'bullshit'. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Trump promised to send defensive weapons to Ukraine in a U-turn after the administration had ordered a pause on weapons shipments that included Patriot interceptors. Axios news reported that Trump promised to send 10 interceptors to Ukraine, underscoring how precious a commodity patriots have become. The war in Ukraine, the US campaign against the Houthis and the Israel-Iran conflict have exhausted the supply of interceptors. Patriot batteries are also in short supply. Middle East Eye was the first to reveal during the recent Israel-Iran conflict that US officials were concerned about the pace at which they were using interceptors to defend Israel from ballistic missile attacks. The Guardian later reported that it only has about 25 percent of the Patriot missile interceptors that planners at the Pentagon assess are needed for all the US's military operations globally. A US official confirmed that classified number to MEE. Iran receives Chinese surface-to-air missile batteries after Israel ceasefire deal Read More » During the recent conflict with Iran, the US joined directly in Israel's defence using Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (Thaad) batteries and guided-missile destroyers firing SM-3/6 ship-based missiles to shoot down Iranian ballistic missiles. The Trump administration has already pulled at least one older Patriot battery from Israel, a US official told MEE. The US planned to refurbish the system before sending it to Ukraine. It's unclear if that delivery has taken place. According to leaked classified documents, Ukraine received the newer Pac-3 interceptors from the US, the Netherlands and Germany in the early years of Russia's invasion. Israel maintains a stockpile of Pac-2 interceptors, which would also meet Ukraine's needs and address shortages. Israel decommissioned its Pac-2 air-defence systems when it developed its three-tiered air defence of the Iron-dome, David's Sling and Arrow 2 and 3 systems. These systems are co-produced and co-developed with the US. The US is informed of Israeli supplies and production, but one US official familiar with the programme told MEE that it's likely Israel does not disclose its entire production capabilities to the US. Israel, like the US and its other partners, has a motivation to keep its stockpile high. Israel has been reluctant to meet all of Ukraine's demands for weaponry and ammunition since Russia's 2022 invasion. One of Israel's main points was that it could not afford to irk Moscow, which had air defence systems in Syria, but allowed Israeli warplanes freedom of action to bomb Iranian targets. However, Bashar al-Assad, Russia and Iran's ally, was toppled from power in December 2024. Russia has also demurred on providing the Islamic Republic of Iran with S-400 air defence systems, instead selling it the S-300, experts say. 'Israel also needs to take into account its own relations with Russia - who so far has held back supplying certain advanced weapons to Iran,' Caldwell said.
Korea Herald
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Korea Herald
US think tank proposes slashing USFK troop level to about 10,000 from 28,500
A US think tank recommended a reduction of the US Forces Korea troop level to about 10,000 from the current 28,500 in a report released Wednesday, amid speculation that the Pentagon might weigh the idea of a troop drawdown on the Korean Peninsula to prioritize deterring Chinese threats. Defense Priorities, a Washington-based institution, released the report, titled "Aligning global military posture with US interests," saying that the US troop presence should be reduced even further if Seoul limits the US ability to use USFK assets to address other regional security crises outside the peninsula. The report was written by Jennifer Kavanagh, senior fellow and director of military analysis at the think tank, and Dan Caldwell, a former senior adviser to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The think tank recommended cutting all ground combat units not tied to base security from South Korea, along with Army signal, intelligence, and headquarters units, and some of their associated support and sustainment units -- a reduction that would remove most of the 2nd Infantry Division from Korea, including the rotational brigade combat team and Army combat aviation units. It also said that the US should cut airpower based in Korea, moving two fighter squadrons from US bases in South Korea back to the US and that about a third of air maintenance and other support units and personnel can also be returned stateside. "In total, this would reduce the total US military presence in South Korea by more than 50 percent, leaving about 10,000 personnel along with two fighter squadrons (including a larger super squadron) and support forces," the report said. "The ground personnel left would be primarily for support, sustainment, logistics, and maintenance, leaving the responsibility for combat operations in the event of any crisis on the peninsula to South Korean forces." The think tank called for the troop reduction, arguing that Seoul has not offered the US "unrestricted contingency access" to use its bases for operations elsewhere in the theater during a conflict. "(US) forces left in South Korea might be sidelined in the event of a regional war," the report noted. In May, The Wall Street Journal reported that the US is weighing the idea of pulling out roughly 4,500 troops from South Korea and moving them to other locations in the Indo-Pacific, including Guam. The Pentagon dismissed the report as "not true," reaffirming that America remains "fully" committed to the defense of South Korea. Making the recommendation for a troop reduction, the authors said that the US military posture in East Asia should be realigned to focus on balancing Chinese power and protecting US interests, while calling for moving US forces away from the Chinese coast and shifting more frontline defense responsibilities to allies, including Japan and the Philippines. They also underscored the need to focus a US global military posture review on four priorities: defending the homeland, preventing the rise of a rival regional hegemon in key areas, burden shifting to allies and partners, and protecting US economic security. Kavanagh, one of the authors, told Yonhap News Agency that the report has been shared widely in Washington, and the authors hope to discuss it with Trump administration officials. Last month, Ambassador Matthew Whitaker, US permanent representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, said that the US' global force posture review is expected to be completed in late summer or early fall. Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby is expected to play a key role in reshaping the US force posture and missions. During an interview with Yonhap News Agency in May last year, Colby advocated for an adjustment of USFK's role to focus more on threats from China rather than "being held hostage" to countering North Korean challenges. He also stressed the need for South Korea to undertake "overwhelming" responsibility for its own defense, while saying that if the US gets heavily involved in a war with North Korea, it would be a "perfect distraction" when America should prioritize countering Chinese threats. (Yonhap)
Arab News
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
MAGA faithful cheer Trump for pausing Ukraine weapons after bristling at Iran strikes
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump is getting praise from his most ardent supporters for withholding some weapons from Ukraine after they recently questioned the Republican leader's commitment to keeping the US out of foreign conflicts. This week's announcement pausing deliveries of key air defense missiles, precision-guided artillery and other equipment to Ukraine comes just a few weeks after Trump ordered the US military to carry out strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. Bombing those sites in Iran had some hardcore supporters of the 'Make America Great Again' movement openly questioning whether Trump was betraying his vow to keep America out of 'stupid wars' as he inserted the US military into Israel's conflict with Tehran. With the Ukraine pause, which affects a crucial resupply of Patriot missiles, Trump is sending the message to his most enthusiastic backers that he is committed to following through on his campaign pledge to wind down American support for Ukraine's efforts to repel Russia, a conflict he has repeatedly described as a costly boondoggle for US taxpayers. 'The choice was this: either prioritize equipping our own troops with a munition in short supply (and which was used to defend US troops last week) or provide them to a country where there are limited US interests,' Dan Caldwell, who was ousted as a senior adviser to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, posted on X. Caldwell publicly worried before the Iran strikes that US involvement could incite a major war and ultimately cost American lives. Far-right influencer Jack Posobiec, another ardent MAGA backer, warned as Trump weighed whether to carry out strikes on Iran last month that such a move 'would disastrously split the Trump coalition.' He was quick to cheer the news about pausing some weapons deliveries to Ukraine: 'America FIRST,' Posobiec posted on X. Both the White House and the Pentagon have justified the move as being consistent with Trump's campaign pledge to limit US involvement in foreign wars. 'The president was elected on an America first platform to put America first,' Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell said. At the same time, the decision is stirring anxiety among those in the more hawkish wing of the Republican Party. Many are flummoxed by Trump's halting the flow of US arms just as Russia accelerates its unrelenting assault on Ukraine. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a Pennsylvania Republican who hails from a district that former Vice President Kamala Harris won in 2024, wrote to Trump and the Pentagon on Wednesday expressing 'serious concern' about the decision and requesting an emergency briefing. 'We can't let (Russian President Vladimir) Putin prevail now. President Trump knows that too and it's why he's been advocating for peace,' Rep. Michael McCaul, a Texas Republican, wrote on X. 'Now is the time to show Putin we mean business. And that starts with ensuring Ukraine has the weapons Congress authorized to pressure Putin to the negotiating table.' Trump spoke by phone with Putin on Thursday, the sixth call between the leaders since Trump's return to office. The leaders discussed Iran, Ukraine and other issues but did not specifically address the suspension of some US weapons shipments to Ukraine, according to Yuri Ushakov, Putin's foreign affairs adviser. Zelensky said in Denmark after meeting with major European Union backers that he hopes to talk to Trump in the coming days about the suspension. The administration says it is part of global review of the US stockpile and is a necessary audit after sending nearly $70 billion in arms to Ukraine since Putin launched the war on Ukraine in February 2022. The pause was coordinated by Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby. Colby, before taking his position, spoke publicly about the need to focus US strategy more on China, widely seen as the United States' biggest economic and military competitor. At his Senate confirmation hearing in March, he said the US doesn't have a 'multi-war military.' 'This is the restrainers like Colby flexing their muscle and saying, 'Hey, the Pacific is more important,'' said retired Navy Adm. Mark Montgomery, an analyst at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies. Backers of a more restrained US foreign policy say the move is necessary, given an unsettled Middle East, rising challenges in Asia and the stress placed on the US defense industrial complex after more than three years of war in Ukraine. 'You're really coming up to the point where continuing to provide aid to Ukraine is putting at risk the US ability to operate in future crises,' said Jennifer Kavanagh, a senior fellow and director of military analysis at Defense Priorities. 'And you don't know when those crises are going to happen.' 'So you have to be a little bit cautious,' she added.
Associated Press
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
MAGA faithful cheer Trump for pausing Ukraine weapons after bristling at Iran strikes
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is getting praise from his most ardent supporters for withholding some weapons from Ukraine after they recently questioned the Republican leader's commitment to keeping the U.S. out of foreign conflicts. This week's announcement pausing deliveries of key air defense missiles, precision-guided artillery and other equipment to Ukraine comes just a few weeks after Trump ordered the U.S. military to carry out strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. Bombing those sites in Iran had some hardcore supporters of the 'Make America Great Again' movement openly questioning whether Trump was betraying his vow to keep America out of 'stupid wars' as he inserted the U.S. military into Israel's conflict with Tehran. With the Ukraine pause, which affects a crucial resupply of Patriot missiles, Trump is sending the message to his most enthusiastic backers that he is committed to following through on his campaign pledge to wind down American support for Ukraine's efforts to repel Russia, a conflict he has repeatedly described as a costly boondoggle for U.S. taxpayers. 'The choice was this: either prioritize equipping our own troops with a munition in short supply (and which was used to defend U.S. troops last week) or provide them to a country where there are limited U.S. interests,' Dan Caldwell, who was ousted as a senior adviser to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, posted on X. Caldwell publicly worried before the Iran strikes that U.S. involvement could incite a major war and ultimately cost American lives. Far-right influencer Jack Posobiec, another ardent MAGA backer, warned as Trump weighed whether to carry out strikes on Iran last month that such a move 'would disastrously split the Trump coalition.' He was quick to cheer the news about pausing some weapons deliveries to Ukraine: 'America FIRST,' Posobiec posted on X. Both the White House and the Pentagon have justified the move as being consistent with Trump's campaign pledge to limit U.S. involvement in foreign wars. 'The president was elected on an America first platform to put America first,' Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell said. At the same time, the decision is stirring anxiety among those in the more hawkish wing of the Republican Party. Many are flummoxed by Trump's halting the flow of U.S. arms just as Russia accelerates its unrelenting assault on Ukraine. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a Pennsylvania Republican who hails from a district that former Vice President Kamala Harris won in 2024, wrote to Trump and the Pentagon on Wednesday expressing 'serious concern' about the decision and requesting an emergency briefing. 'We can't let (Russian President Vladimir) Putin prevail now. President Trump knows that too and it's why he's been advocating for peace,' Rep. Michael McCaul, a Texas Republican, wrote on X. 'Now is the time to show Putin we mean business. And that starts with ensuring Ukraine has the weapons Congress authorized to pressure Putin to the negotiating table.' Trump spoke by phone with Putin on Thursday, the sixth call between the leaders since Trump's return to office. The leaders discussed Iran, Ukraine and other issues but did not specifically address the suspension of some U.S. weapons shipments to Ukraine, according to Yuri Ushakov, Putin's foreign affairs adviser. Zelenskyy said in Denmark after meeting with major European Union backers that he hopes to talk to Trump in the coming days about the suspension. The administration says it is part of global review of the U.S. stockpile and is a necessary audit after sending nearly $70 billion in arms to Ukraine since Putin launched the war on Ukraine in February 2022. The pause was coordinated by Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby. Colby, before taking his position, spoke publicly about the need to focus U.S. strategy more on China, widely seen as the United States' biggest economic and military competitor. At his Senate confirmation hearing in March, he said the U.S. doesn't have a 'multi-war military.' 'This is the restrainers like Colby flexing their muscle and saying, 'Hey, the Pacific is more important,'' said retired Navy Adm. Mark Montgomery, an analyst at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies. Backers of a more restrained U.S. foreign policy say the move is necessary, given an unsettled Middle East, rising challenges in Asia and the stress placed on the U.S. defense industrial complex after more than three years of war in Ukraine. 'You're really coming up to the point where continuing to provide aid to Ukraine is putting at risk the U.S. ability to operate in future crises,' said Jennifer Kavanagh, a senior fellow and director of military analysis at Defense Priorities. 'And you don't know when those crises are going to happen.' 'So you have to be a little bit cautious,' she added.
