Latest news with #Ex-Pentagon
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
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First Post
18-07-2025
- Politics
- First Post
‘America can fight an 8-day war, then… nuclear': Ex-Pentagon adviser says US must stop sending weapons abroad
Ex-Pentagon adviser Douglas Macgregor warns the US has only eight days' worth of missile stockpiles, suggesting America may be forced to rely on nuclear options if drawn into a prolonged war. read more A former Pentagon adviser has issued a stark warning about the state of America's military readiness, claiming the United States has only enough offensive and defensive missiles to sustain combat for eight days before facing the prospect of resorting to nuclear weapons. Retired Colonel Douglas Macgregor, who served as a senior adviser to the Secretary of Defence during the Trump administration, made the alarming claim in a post on X (formerly Twitter), urging the US to immediately halt the export of weapons abroad. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD America needs to stop sending weapons abroad. Very reliable sources tell me we have roughly 8 days of offensive and defensive missiles on hand and readily available. Translation, we can fight an 8 days war and then we would have to go nuclear. — Douglas Macgregor (@DougAMacgregor) July 18, 2025 The comments come amid renewed concerns over America's depleting military stockpiles, particularly in light of its continued military aid to Ukraine. Just days before Macgregor's post, President Donald Trump announced a major new shipment of American weapons to Kyiv in a reversal of his earlier calls for restraint on military support. Trump's move was welcomed by Ukrainian officials, who hailed it as a vital lifeline in their ongoing defence against Russian aggression. However, analysts have raised concerns about whether the scale of US military assistance is sustainable given the strain on domestic reserves. Reports in recent months have pointed to the Pentagon's difficulty in replenishing high-grade weapons systems and munitions after years of support for Ukraine. The US military has already acknowledged that some key arms deliveries including long-range missiles, Patriot interceptors and 155mm shells are facing production bottlenecks and supply delays. Macgregor's remarks have amplified calls within conservative circles to reassess America's foreign military commitments. Critics argue that continued exports are risking the country's ability to respond to a future major conflict involving peer adversaries. The issue is further complicated by growing tensions with Russia, which has strongly criticised Western arms shipments to Ukraine. Moscow has accused Ukrainian forces of using long-range weapons supplied by the US and its allies to strike civilian areas on Russian territory, alleging that these actions sabotage peace efforts. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously warned that the deployment of such systems could fundamentally alter the character of the conflict. 'We will make the necessary decisions based on the threats we face,' Putin said recently, suggesting that the Kremlin could reconsider its military calculus if NATO countries are perceived to be directly involved in the war. As the Biden administration and Trump's political team contend with domestic and international pressure, questions remain about whether Washington can balance global military commitments with national defence readiness.
Time of India
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
'India ain't football you kick around': Ex-Pentagon official Rubin on ties with Canada; calls Khalistan, Nijjar issue 'Trudeau's fictions'
NEW DELHI: Ex-Pentagon official Michael Rubin criticised Justin Trudeau 's approach towards India and said that it was "not a football which you kick around but an ally you strive to embrace". Terming the Khalistan and Hardeep Singh Nijjar issues- the core reasons behind souring of India-Canada ties- "Trudeau's fictions", Rubin appreciated Mark Carney for making an effort to rebuild ties with India. "India is not a football which you kick around. It is an ally to be embraced", Rubin said in an exclusive interview with ANI. "The grievances about Hardeep Singh Nijjar and the Khalistan movement were not real. They were exaggerations that Justin Trudeau Trudeau may have wanted so much to appease radical Sikh extremists in various constituencies that he was willing to take an organised crime hit between various Sikh groups and mafias and blame an outside power for it, rather than acknowledge the problem and the fault was Canada's alone. That is Justin Trudeau's problem. But now that Justin Trudeau is gone and likely will never return to power, Prime Minister Carney is taking a sober approach and recognising that he is not going to be tied to Justin Trudeau's fictions," he added. Contrasting Trudeau's approach towards India with that of current Canadian PM Mark Carney's, he said, "Mark Carney is working on repairing the relationship rather than following Justin Trudeau down the rabbit hole already shows that Prime Minister Carney is a much more serious person than the former Prime Minister of by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Keep Your Home Efficient with This Plug-In elecTrick - Save upto 80% on Power Bill Learn More Undo now needs to demonstrate its good faith." "Canada's relationship with India, especially under Justin Trudeau, was not principled. It was all virtue signalling and politics. The fact of the matter is that India is crucial to Canada, and Canada needs to decide whether ultimately it's going to side with the democracies like India and the United States, or whether it's going to posture the way Justin Trudeau did and allow China, which also has significant interests in Canada," he added. Talking about Carney's invite to PM Narendra Modi for G7 summit, Rubin said, "Canadian PM Mark Carney originally was a banker. He understands the importance of India. Justin Trudeau was a politician who peddled in image and imagination, and therefore it makes sense that Carney wants to restore maturity to the relationship." "It makes sense for Prime Minister Modi to show that the problem was not Canada itself, but the immaturity and unprofessionalism of Justin Trudeau," he added. Canada will host the upcoming G7 summit from June 15 to 17, gathering the world's top industrialized nations—France, Germany, Italy, the UK, Japan, the US, and Canada—alongside the EU and international bodies such as the IMF, World Bank, and UN. The summit will focus on key global issues, including the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and rising tensions in West Asia.
Hindustan Times
29-04-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Trade war pushing US toward recession? Here's what economists are saying
President Donald Trump's tariff moves could lead to recession, Bloomberg reported, citing forecasters. According to the publication's latest survey of economists, a trade war could directly lead to a hit in consumer spending, leading to a faltering of economic growth. According to a survey of economists conducted by Bloomberg last month, a 2% economic growth is predicted in 2025, followed by a 1.9% growth in 2026. The survey was conducted between April 18 and 23 and included responses from 82 renowned economists. This month's survey suggests a growth forecast of 1.4% in 2025 and 1.5% in 2026. Nearly 45% of the forecasters see chances of an economic downturn in the next 12 months. In March, the prediction of an economic downturn was just 30%. ALSO READ | Will Trump fire Pete Hegseth soon? Ex-Pentagon spokesperson drops bombshell: 'May not stay for too long' The imposition of a sharp 145% tariff on China, one of the biggest trading partners of the US, is one of the key reasons forecasters fear recession. Brett Ryan, senior US economist at Deutsche Bank AG, was quoted by Bloomberg, saying: 'Stronger growth outcomes require a swifter resolution of the ongoing trade war and a renewal of confidence in US policymaking.' The US' effective tariff rate is now the highest in more than a century, which is taking a toll on both American consumers as well as businesses. Even the IMF has now warned that there could be a ripple effect of the US tariffs across the world. Meanwhile, inflation fears are also looming. Comerica Bank economists Bill Adams and Waran Bhahirethan told Bloomberg, "Inflation is seen rising but doesn't get as bad as in 2022". The respondents of the survey also see the unemployment rate climbing to 4.6% by the end of 2025. This is a significant jump from the 4.3% rate that was predicted in March.
NDTV
24-04-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
"Can Put Lipstick On Pig, But...": Ex-US Official Slams Pak Over J&K Attack
New Delhi: Ex-Pentagon official Michael Rubin likened Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir to the late Al-Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden, while pinning Pakistan for its role in the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people. Mr Rubin, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, told ANI, "The only difference between Osama Bin Laden and Asim Munir is that Osama Bin Laden lived in a cave and Asim Munir lives in a palace, but beyond that, the two are the same, and their end should also be the same." He added that the only response to the Pahalgam attack is the formal designation of Pakistan as a state sponsor of terror and of Asim Munir as a terrorist by the United States. Mr Rubin used the "lipstick on a pig" rhetoric to elaborate that there should be no pretence that the Jammu and Kashmir attack was any sort of "spontaneous action". "As for the timing, just as there was a terrorist attack when Bill Clinton went to India, so too does it seem that Pakistan wants to draw attention away from Vice President JD Vance's trip to India," he said. As the bodies of those who were killed in Tuesday's attack at the popular Baisaran meadow reached their hometowns and last rites were conducted, India announced a slew of diplomatic measures against Pakistan. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri announced the expulsion of Pakistani military attaches, suspension of the Indus Water Treaty of 1960 and immediate shutting down of the Attari land-transit post in view of the cross-border links to the attack. He said the overall strength of the Pakistani and Indian high commissions will be brought down to 30 from the present 55 through further reductions, to be effected by May 1. The foreign secretary said Pakistani nationals will not be permitted to travel to India under the SAARC visa exemption scheme (SVES) and any Pakistani national currently in India under it SVES visa has 48 hours to leave India. He added that "the defence, military, naval and air advisors in the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi are declared persona non grata" and they have a week to leave India.
