Latest news with #Europe-Africa
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
US pulling troops from Poland hub key in shipping arms to Ukraine
The U.S. military will pull its forces and equipment from a southeastern Polish logistics hub that is key in shipping weapons into Ukraine, a move a senior defense official claimed would save 'tens of millions of dollars.' U.S. Army Europe-Africa head Gen. Christopher Donahue on Monday announced the planned repositioning of the command's personnel from Jasionka to other sites in the country, which permanently stations about 10,000 U.S. troops. In a statement, the command said the transition is 'part of a broader strategy to optimize U.S. military operations and comes after months of assessment and planning in coordination with Poland and NATO allies.' 'After three years at Jasionka this is an opportunity to right-size our footprint and save American taxpayers tens of millions of dollars per year,' Donahue said in the statement. U.S. forces established a temporary presence in Jasionka in 2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine, igniting a bloody war that has stretched on for more than three years. Jasionka, though not a permanent Polish military base, has been a key hub for getting weapons into Ukraine as it is close to the border. Poland's defense minister in January said up to 95 percent of the military assistance to Ukraine moves through Jasionka. While the U.S. military will no longer have a lead role at Jasionka, the command stressed that the 'important work of facilitating military aid to Ukraine via Jasionka will continue under Polish and NATO leadership.' The duties previously carried out by U.S. forces in Jasionka are now being taken over by other allies, Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz confirmed Tuesday on social media. 'U.S. troops remain in Poland, but are stationed at different locations. The mission in Jasionka is now primarily carried out by Norwegian, German, British, and Polish forces, along with other allied troops,' he posted to X. The move comes amid increasing worry the U.S. may pull away from its commitments to NATO and European defense. President Trump has often threatened not to come to the defense allies countries he thinks are not spending enough on defense. Poland is the exception on defense spending in Europe, with 4.7 percent of its GDP spent on its military, the highest in NATO. There are also concerns over whether Trump could give up Washington's leadership role within the alliance and shift troops out of Europe en masse, a move that several Republican lawmakers and the commander of U.S. forces in Europe argued against on Tuesday. 'It would be a grave mistake to pull forces out of Europe right now,' Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) said during a House Armed Services Committee hearing on Tuesday. 'This is a time to deter Russia, and I think withdrawing forces is a sign of weakness.' U.S. European Command head Gen. Christopher Cavoli, who testified before House lawmakers, said that he's 'consistently recommended' keeping the same level of U.S. troops on the conntinent since Russia began its war in Ukraine. 'It's my advice to maintain that force posture as it is now,' he said. Further exacerbating concerns, Trump on Monday fired Navy Vice Adm. Shoshana Chatfield, the U.S. representative to NATO's military committee. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
08-04-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
US pulling troops from Poland hub key in shipping arms to Ukraine
The U.S. military will pull its forces and equipment from a southeastern Polish logistics hub that is key in shipping weapons into Ukraine, a move a senior defense official claimed would save 'tens of millions of dollars.' U.S. Army Europe-Africa head Gen. Christopher Donahue on Monday announced the planned repositioning of the command's personnel from Jasionka to other sites in the country, which permanently stations about 10,000 U.S. troops. In a statement, the command said the transition is 'part of a broader strategy to optimize U.S. military operations and comes after months of assessment and planning in coordination with Poland and NATO allies.' 'After three years at Jasionka this is an opportunity to right-size our footprint and save American taxpayers tens of millions of dollars per year,' Donahue said in the statement. U.S. forces established a temporary presence in Jasionka in 2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine, igniting a bloody war that has stretched on for more than three years. Jasionka, though not a permanent Polish military base, has been a key hub for getting weapons into Ukraine as it is close to the border. Poland's defense minister in January said up to 95 percent of the military assistance to Ukraine moves through Jasionka. While the U.S. military will no longer have a lead role at Jasionka, the command stressed that the 'important work of facilitating military aid to Ukraine via Jasionka will continue under Polish and NATO leadership.' The duties previously carried out by U.S. forces in Jasionka are now being taken over by other allies, Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz confirmed Tuesday on social media. 'U.S. troops remain in Poland, but are stationed at different locations. The mission in Jasionka is now primarily carried out by Norwegian, German, British, and Polish forces, along with other allied troops,' he posted to X. The move comes amid increasing worry the U.S. may pull away from its commitments to NATO and European defense. President Trump has often threatened not to come to the defense allies countries he thinks are not spending enough on defense. Poland is the exception on defense spending in Europe, with 4.7 percent of its GDP spent on its military, the highest in NATO. There are also concerns over whether Trump could give up Washington's leadership role within the alliance and shift troops out of Europe en masse, a move that several Republican lawmakers and the commander of U.S. forces in Europe argued against on Tuesday. 'It would be a grave mistake to pull forces out of Europe right now,' Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) said during a House Armed Services Committee hearing on Tuesday. 'This is a time to deter Russia, and I think withdrawing forces is a sign of weakness.' U.S. European Command head Gen. Christopher Cavoli, who testified before House lawmakers, said that he's 'consistently recommended' keeping the same level of U.S. troops on the conntinent since Russia began its war in Ukraine. 'It's my advice to maintain that force posture as it is now,' he said.
Morocco World
27-02-2025
- Business
- Morocco World
UM6P Inaugurates Presence at STATION F, Launches NextAfrica Program
Doha – University Mohammed VI Polytechnic (UM6P) officially inaugurated its presence at STATION F, the world's largest startup campus, on Thursday in Paris. The event also marked the launch of NextAfrica, UM6P's acceleration program at STATION F. NextAfrica is the first transcontinental Europe-Africa acceleration program dedicated to Greentech, Agritech, and Healthtech. It offers a hybrid approach combining immersion at STATION F with access to UM6P's infrastructure in Morocco, allowing startups to develop, test, and structure their innovations. 'NextAfrica reflects our ambition to create an ecosystem where African and European startups collaborate, innovate, and grow together,' said Fahd Benkirane, Managing Director at UM6P France. 'Through our presence at STATION F and UM6P's strong foothold in Africa, we offer entrepreneurs a unique framework to accelerate their development and address tomorrow's technological and societal challenges,' he added in a press release. The inauguration, themed 'Innovating Together: A Bridge Between Europe and Africa to Shape the Future,' underlines UM6P's vision of building an intercontinental ecosystem that drives the emergence of groundbreaking solutions. Over a six-month period, selected startups will benefit from STATION F's cutting-edge entrepreneurial environment while gaining access to UM6P's advanced technological infrastructure through StartGate, its startup-dedicated campus. Participants will also receive mentorship from African and European experts and strategic connections to investors and industrial partners. As part of this initiative, UM6P Ventures will also establish a presence at STATION F to enhance funding opportunities for startups and foster synergies between European and African venture capital ecosystems. Read also: UM6P Science Week 2025 Closes with Promise of African Leadership in Science 'By alternating between STATION F and StartGate, startups will experience a dual immersion — gaining exposure to the European market while staying anchored in an African innovation hub,' explained Yassine Laghzioui, Director of Entrepreneurship & Venturing at UM6P and CEO of UM6P Ventures. 'This initiative reflects UM6P's vision: to connect talent, infrastructure, and capital in order to nurture the next generation of African tech scale-ups,' he continued. The event introduced the first NextAfrica cohort, featuring twelve promising startups from both continents across two key sectors: HealthTech — represented by Pelican Health, SenseBiotek, VG2D Pharma, Inn'Pulse, NeuralTeks, BlocReg Solutions, iAvicenne, and Rosetta Omics — and AgriTech, represented by Sand to Green, ISTYA, AgroSfer, and IrWise. This inauguration builds on the partnership announced on January 29, when UM6P and STATION F first revealed their collaboration to promote innovation while bridging Europe and Africa. At that time, UM6P President Hicham El Habti stated that the alliance would provide startups with tools to 'tackle Africa's technological, economic, and environmental challenges while strengthening this bridge between the two continents.' STATION F, located in Paris's 13th district, opened in 2017 and is housed in a former rail freight depot spanning 34,000 square meters. The facility supports over 1,000 startups and has established partnerships with major technology companies including Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Ubisoft, and Zendesk. Tags: Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P)UM6P
