Latest news with #PeaceThroughStrength
The National
15-05-2025
- Business
- The National
Donald Trump says his priority is to end conflicts as Doha visit ends
Live updates: Follow the latest on Trump's Gulf trip US President Donald Trump said on Thursday his priority was to end wars, but he would not hesitate to 'wield American power if it's required', while addressing US troops in Qatar at the conclusion of his visit, the second leg of his multi-day tour of the Gulf. The US leader began his tour on Tuesday with a stop in Riyadh and is scheduled to finish it in Abu Dhabi on Friday. 'My priority is to end conflicts, not start them, but I will never hesitate to wield American power, if it's necessary, to defend the United States of America or our partners, and this is one of our great partners right here,' he said. Mr Trump delivered his remarks at Al Udeid Air Base, the largest US military installation in the Middle East and a key strategic post for American and coalition forces. He also praised US troops at the American airbase in Qatar. 'You are the greatest fighting force in the history of the world. We have the strongest military in the world,' he said to applause from hundreds of servicemen and women. 'Best equipment. Nobody has the planes, missiles or anything else. As your commander-in-chief, I'm here to say America's military will be bigger, better, stronger and more powerful than ever before. 'Over $1 trillion – peace through strength. We don't have to use it – because if we use it, I feel sorry for the other guy.' Built in the 1990s by Qatar and expanded to host US operations after 2001, Al Udeid Air Base plays a central role in regional air operations, including combat missions, aerial refuelling and intelligence-gathering across the Middle East. The base houses more than 10,000 US and coalition personnel and hosts the forward headquarters of US Central Command, US Air Forces Central Command and the Combined Air Operations Centre, making it a critical site in the region. Mr Trump arrived in Doha on Wednesday, where he was received with a grand welcome ceremony. He signed several agreements with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim, including major deals on aviation and defence co-operation. Among them was a $96 billion order by Qatar Airways for Boeing jets – the largest in the company's history. From his visits to Riyadh and Doha, Mr Trump secured deals worth billions in investment and defence. Further economic and security talks are expected during his stop in Abu Dhabi. Before heading to Al Udeid, about 30km south-west of Doha, Mr Trump said that a deal was close with Iran to avert a military strike on the country's contested nuclear sites. 'We're not going to be making any nuclear dust in Iran,' said Mr Trump. 'I think we're getting close to maybe doing a deal without having to do this.' The US and Iran have held four rounds of nuclear talks since April, all mediated by Oman. The negotiations aim to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons. 'Iran is very lucky to have the Emir because he's actually fighting for them,' said Mr Trump. 'He doesn't want us to do a vicious blow to Iran, he said you can make a deal and he's really fighting for that. 'A lot of people want me to go the other route – they say knock it out.' He would instead choose the diplomatic route, he added. Reports suggest that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attempted to convince Mr Trump to allow an Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear plants. Observers believe that Mr Netanyahu could still be planning a limited attack on Iran's nuclear centres in the coming months despite Mr Trump telling him that the US was for now unwilling to support such a move. Ali Shamkhani, adviser to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, told NBC News on Wednesday that Iran could accept curbs on its nuclear programme and forgo highly enriched uranium in exchange for a deal that would see sanctions lifted. Mr Trump has repeatedly said Iran cannot be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon. Iran maintains that its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful and insists it has no intention of developing nuclear weapons. However, since the US withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal under Mr Trump, Tehran has repeatedly breached the accord in response to renewed American sanctions, stockpiling enough highly enriched uranium to potentially produce multiple nuclear bombs. The 2015 deal, which is set to expire this year, limited Iran to enriching uranium up to 3.67 per cent for 15 years. But as of February, the IAEA reported that Iran had enriched uranium to 60 per cent and could rapidly reach weapons-grade levels of 90 per cent. In his remarks in Doha, Mr Trump also addressed other regional flashpoints, including Syria and Gaza. He said he wanted the US to 'take' Gaza and turn it into a 'freedom zone'. 'I have concepts for Gaza that I think are very good, make it a freedom zone, let the United States get involved and make it just a freedom zone,' he said. The proposal is reminiscent of his earlier controversial suggestions for Gaza's economic redevelopment, which were widely rejected by Arab and European states for implying the forced displacement of Palestinians. On Syria, Mr Trump said he liked the country's new leader Ahmad Al Shara 'a lot' despite his 'strong past' and that the lifting of sanctions would give him a chance at leading the country. Mr Trump met Mr Al Shara in Riyadh, after announcing the lifting of US sanctions to give Syria an opportunity for economic recovery and signal a pivot in American Middle East policy. It was the first meeting between US and Syrian heads of state in 25 years.
Korea Herald
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Korea Herald
Hegseth orders crafting of 2025 defense strategy to prioritize allies' burden sharing, China deterrence
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the development of the Pentagon's 2025 National Defense Strategy to prioritize raising "burden-sharing" with allies and deterring China threats in the Indo-Pacific, a Pentagon official said Friday. Sean Parnell, assistant to the secretary for public affairs, said that Hegseth directed Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby to begin the NDS development, amid speculation that President Donald Trump might seek a rise in South Korea's share of the cost for stationing the 28,500-strong US Forces Korea. The Pentagon chief directed that a final NDS draft be provided to him no later than Aug. 31. The NDS is a strategic roadmap that provides a clear direction for the Pentagon to implement President Donald Trump's "America First and Peace Through Strength" agenda," Parnell said. "Consistent with the president's intent, the NDS will prioritize defense of the U.S. homeland, including America's skies and borders, and deterring China in the Indo-Pacific," the official said in a statement. "At the same time, the NDS will prioritize increasing burden-sharing with allies and partners around the world, in the process strengthening those relationships and setting conditions for lasting peace," he added. Colby will lead the NDS development in coordination with the Joint Staff and other Pentagon components, according to Parnell. Observers said that the envisioned NDS might focus on countering evolving threats from China, and call for allies and partners to step up their defense contributions to address other security challenges, including those from North Korea and Iran. Colby has stressed the need for a USFK overhaul to make it "more relevant" to handling China-related contingencies rather than being held "hostage" to countering North Korean challenges. The strategy could add pressure on South Korea to jack up its financial contributions to station American troops on its soil, as Trump has claimed that the US is not sufficiently reimbursed for America's security protection for the Asian ally.
The Hill
03-05-2025
- Business
- The Hill
Trump's budget is here; GOP defense hawks aren't happy
House Armed Services Committee Chair Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) said Friday he was 'very concerned' about the president's defense spending request. 'We are currently at the lowest level of defense spending as a percentage of GDP since before World War II. That is no longer sustainable in the threat environment we face,' he warned in a statement. 'I am very concerned the requested base budget for defense does not reflect a realistic path to building the military capability we need to achieve President Trump's Peace Through Strength agenda,' he said, adding he looks forward to working with the president and Senate allies to 'achieve real growth in the defense budget.' Former Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.), who now chairs the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, said the White House request would extend the Biden administration's 'material neglect' of defense spending needs. 'The Trump administration missed a tremendous opportunity to answer their predecessor's chronic underinvestment in the U.S. military with robust, full-year funding for [fiscal 2025.] Now, it appears the Trump Administration's FY26 defense budget request will double down on the Biden administration's material neglect for the glaring national security threat challenges about which they speak with great alarm,' McConnell said in a statement. While the White House budget office touted its proposal for raising defense spending by 13 percent to $1.01 trillion in fiscal 2026, critics on Capitol Hill argued the Office of Management and Budget plans to meet that target by pulling $119 billion from the pot of money expected to be included for defense in the budget reconciliation bill — the package that will extend the 2017 tax cuts and provide $175 billion for border security. Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) criticized the White House proposal for keeping the annual discretionary defense spending level flat at $893 billion. 'For the defense budget, OMB has requested a fifth year straight of Biden administration funding, leaving military spending flat, which is a cut in real terms,' Wicker said in a statement. And Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) said she had 'serious objections' to what she called 'the proposed freeze in our defense funding,' citing the 'security challenges' the nation faces.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
GOP defense hawks in Congress slam Trump budget as inadequate
Four prominent defense hawks on Capitol Hill on Friday slammed President Trump's 2026 budget request as inadequate, arguing it would freeze defense funding for the second year in a row at a time when the nation faces growing threats from China, Russia and other adversaries. House Armed Services Committee Chair Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) said Friday he was 'very concerned' about the president's defense spending request. 'We are currently at the lowest level of defenses spending as a percentage of GDP since before World War II. That is no longer sustainable in the threat environment we face,' he warned in a statement. 'I am very concerned the requested base budget for defense does not reflect a realistic path to building the military capability we need to achieve President Trump's Peace Through Strength agenda,' he said, adding he looks forward to working with the president and Senate allies to 'achieve real growth in the defense budget.' Former Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.), who now chairs the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, said the White House request would extend the Biden administration's 'material neglect' of defense spending needs. 'The Trump administration missed a tremendous opportunity to answer their predecessor's chronic underinvestment in the U.S. military with robust, full-year funding for [fiscal 2025.] Now, it appears the Trump Administration's FY26 defense budget request will double down on the Biden administration's material neglect for the glaring national security threat challenges about which they speak with great alarm,' McConnell said in a statement. Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) said she had 'serious objections' to what she called 'the proposed freeze in our defense funding,' citing the 'security challenges' the nation faces. While the White House budget office touted its proposal for raising defense spending by 13 percent to $1.01 trillion in fiscal 2026, critics on Capitol Hill argued the Office of Management and Budget plans to meet that target by pulling $119 billion from the pot of money expected to be included for defense in the budget reconciliation bill — the package that will extend the 2017 tax cuts and provide $175 billion for border security. Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) criticized the White House proposal for keeping the annual discretionary defense spending level flat at $893 billion. 'For the defense budget, OMB has requested a fifth year straight of Biden administration funding, leaving military spending flat, which is a cut in real terms,' Wicker said in a statement. He balked at the White House plan to pull roughly 85 percent of the funding that Senate Republicans plan to add to this year's budget reconciliation package to make up for freezing annual discretionary defense spending, which is doled out through the appropriations process. Congress froze discretionary defense spending in 2025 by passing a yearlong continuing resolution in mid-March. Wicker said the defense funding from the budget reconciliation package, which would be directed spending and separate from the annual appropriations process, should be reserved for new initiatives, such as President Trump's 'Golden Dome' missile defense program. 'The Big, Beautiful Reconciliation Bill was always meant to change fundamentally the direction of the Pentagon on programs like Golden Dome, border support, and unmanned capabilities – not to paper over OMB's intent to shred to the bone our military capabilities and our support to service members,' Wicker said. Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought wrote in a letter to Collins (R-Maine) that Trump's budget would increase defense spending by 13 percent for fiscal 2026, bringing it to $1.01 trillion. But a Senate GOP aide said the White House budget office has requested $893 billion in baseline defense spending for next year through the annual appropriations process and getting to the target by counting money from the reconciliation bill, which defense hawks on Capitol Hill believe should be considered separately. The aide said that the Trump administration appears to keep defense spending essentially frozen over the next four years and noted the $150 billion in direct defense spending will is slated to be included in the reconciliation package was supposed to be spread out over the rest of Trump's second term. Defense hawks on Capitol Hill believe the White House budget office is trying to portray its proposal as increasing defense spending by 13 percent by relying on a budget gimmick, the aide said. In his statement, Wicker argued the Office of Management and Budget 'is not requesting a trillion-dollar budget' for defense. 'It is requesting a budget of $892.6 billion, which is a cut in real terms. This budget would decrease President Trump's military options and his negotiating leverage,' Wicker said in his statement. He warned of an 'Axis of Aggressors led by the Chinese Communist Party, who have already started a trade war rather than negotiate in good faith.' 'We need a real Peace through Strength agenda to ensure Xi Jinping does not launch a military war against us in Asia, beyond his existing military support to the Russians, the Iranians, Hamas and the Houthis,' Wicker said. Vought told reporters in a briefing call Friday that the White House budget provides a 'more durable way to get to a trillion dollars in defense spending.' He said the White House proposal for total defense spending in 2026, which would include a large chunk of defense funding from the budget reconciliation package, calls for 'a very healthy increase' to the Pentagon's budget. 'We want to make sure that it is going towards capabilities that [the Department of Defense] needs, says it wants, says are vital,' Vought said. 'And we are changing the way that this place works, and we're happy to continue to explain that to the Hill. And I'm not surprised that we'll have to do some work on that front.' But McConnell in his statement Friday echoed Wicker's argument that money from the reconciliation bill should not be counted toward the Defense Department's annual budget. 'Make no mistake: a one-time influx reconciliation spending is not a substitute for full-year appropriations. It's a supplement. OMB accounting gimmicks may well convince Administration officials and spokesmen that they're doing enough to counter the growing, coordinated challenges we face from China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and radical terrorists. But they won't fool Congress,' he said. Alex Gangitano contributed. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
New York Times
02-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Trump's Budget Flops With Some Powerful Republican Lawmakers
President Trump's budget drew harsh criticism on Friday from a trio of powerful Republican senators, who rejected what they said were woefully inadequate resources for the military, and suggested they would ignore his plan and ensure that Congress provided far more money for their priorities. In separate statements, the senior Republicans — Senators Roger Wicker of Mississippi, the chairman of the Armed Services Committee; Susan Collins of Maine, the chairwoman of the appropriations committee; and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the chairman of the appropriations subcommittee on defense — expressed their disdain for Mr. Trump's proposal. Their collective pushback amounted to a rare moment of defiance at a time when Republicans on Capitol Hill have done little to fend off the White House's efforts to slash federal programs. Mr. Wicker said the administration's proposed military spending levels would 'shred to the bone our military capabilities and our support to service members.' 'President Trump successfully campaigned on a Peace Through Strength agenda, but his advisers at the Office of Management and Budget were apparently not listening,' Mr. Wicker said. He said that Mr. Trump's budget would effectively flatline military funding for the fifth straight year, 'which is a cut in real terms.' Congressional Republicans are planning on approving roughly $150 billion in new defense spending through their sprawling tax cuts legislation. It is meant for specific new projects — not as a general-use boost to the Pentagon's budget. In their budget request, administration officials factored in that money, and made the case that they planned to increase military spending by 13 percent. Hawkish Republicans on Capitol Hill view that gambit as an accounting gimmick, and want to see military spending levels raised through the regular appropriations process. 'Make no mistake: A one-time influx reconciliation spending is not a substitute for full-year appropriations,' Mr. McConnell said. 'It's a supplement.' Ms. Collins, who called the budget proposal 'late' and lacking in important details, nonetheless made it clear she did not approve. After a preliminary review, she said, she had 'serious objections' to the defense portion. And she criticized Mr. Trump's plan to gut or eliminate domestic programs including the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which helps to offset high utility bills for low-income people across the country; another that provides federal educational services to students from disadvantaged backgrounds; and others that support biomedical research. 'Ultimately,' she noted in her statement, 'it is Congress that holds the power of the purse.' Mr. McConnell also noted in his statement that only Congress could set and approve federal spending levels, and that lawmakers often disregard the numbers laid out in the president's budget request. 'America cannot expect our allies to heed calls for greater annual defense spending if we are unwilling to lead by example,' Mr. McConnell, the former Republican leader, said. 'Fortunately, presidential budget requests are just that: requests. Congress will soon have an opportunity to ensure that American power — and the credibility of our commitments — are appropriately resourced. I hope and expect that my colleagues will join me in placing America's national security first.' Many Republicans cheered Mr. Trump's budget, which Speaker Mike Johnson called a 'bold blueprint that reflects the values of hardworking Americans and the commitment to American strength and prosperity.' But the dissent from some Republican lawmakers in both chambers was notable at a time when few of them have spoken out about any of the president's moves. Representative Mike Lawler, Republican of New York, called the cut to the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program 'reckless,' and said it would leave his constituents 'out in the cold.' Representative Mike Rogers, Republican of Alabama and the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, said he was 'very concerned the requested base budget for defense does not reflect a realistic path to building the military capability we need to achieve President Trump's Peace Through Strength agenda.'
