Latest news with #Pevkur
United News of India
5 days ago
- Business
- United News of India
US to review, reduce number of its troops in Europe
Washington, July 26 (UNI) The United States is reviewing the positions of its troops on a global scale, the presence of US forces in the European region will decrease, Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said. On Friday, during a visit to Washington, Pevkur, with counterparts from Latvia and Lithuania, met with US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to discuss cooperation aimed at enhancing transatlantic ties, the ERR broadcaster reported. "As for the position of the US troops on a global scale, it is now under review... This process is being carried out in cooperation with the Supreme Commander of Forces in Europe and NATO headquarters. It is possible that more precise figures will be announced in the autumn," Pevkur told the ERR. The focus of the United States' attention is now shifting to the Indo-Pacific region, the military presence of its troops in Europe will decrease, however, Hegseth "could not answer exactly to what extent," Pevkur also said. In early July, the Euractiv portal reported that European NATO members started preparing for a possible reduction in the number of US troops on the continent. These countries are convinced that US President Donald Trump will reduce the number of forces there, now amounting to about 80,000 people, and redirect them to Asia and the Middle East, the news portal added. Since his return to office in January, US President Donald Trump has been pushing the idea of greater military spending by US partners, including the members of NATO. The June 24-25 NATO summit in The Hague raised the target threshold for defense spending by alliance members to 5% of GDP, which countries are expected to reach by 2035. In recent years, Russia has been flagging up NATO's unprecedented activity near its western borders. NATO is expanding its initiatives and calling it "containing Russian aggression." Moscow has repeatedly expressed concern about the buildup of alliance forces in Europe. The Kremlin noted that the Russia did not threaten anyone, but would not ignore actions potentially dangerous to its interests. UNI SPUTNIK AAB
Iraqi News
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Iraqi News
Estonia to withdraw its troops from in US-led coalitionin Iraq
Baghdad ( – Estonia's greatest military deployment overseas is coming to a conclusion, with soldiers returning from Iraq in September. The Estonian Minister of Defense, Hanno Pevkur, stated on Thursday that its forces will withdraw from the US-led Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR), a military operation aiming to defeat ISIS and increase regional stability, according to the Estonian Public Broadcasting (ERR), an Estonian publicly funded and owned radio and television organization. The Estonian military has been contributing to the mission since 2023, with about 80 Estonian servicemen now stationed in the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, Erbil. Estonian troops have to get used to a new culture, sweltering heat, and a rapidly changing security situation. The Estonians believe that training alongside allies and acquiring experience in a battle zone is particularly beneficial. The Estonian troops are gradually packing up at the base. However, this does not imply that they will totally disappear from the region. One staff officer will remain at the NATO Mission Iraq (NMI) in Baghdad, according to Estonia's ERR. Pevkur mentioned in a statement that recent developments in the Middle East have a clear impact on the region's already unstable security situation, but Iraq remains stable. According to Pevkur, the stability Iraq witnesses allows Estonian troops to end their involvement in the military operation and focus on strengthening Estonia's national defense.
Business Insider
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Insider
After watching Ukraine, Russia's NATO neighbors are betting big on US-made HIMARS rocket artillery
NATO allies sharing a border with Russia are turning to the US-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket System as they arm themselves for the possibility of Russian aggression. The HIMARS, made by US defense giant Lockheed Martin, is a multiple rocket launcher. Ukraine has been using it as part of its fight against Russia's a game changer when first introduced, the system's effectiveness has diminished. Still, it's considered a necessary capability by Russia's neighbors. The three Baltic countries are concerned that Russia could attack them next after Ukraine. Boosting their defenses, they have selected the HIMARS as a key weapon. Estonia received six HIMARS in April, Latvia has an agreement with the US for six of the systems, expected by 2027, and Lithuania is purchasing eight of them, with the first deliveries expected this year. These countries see the deep strike capability as critical based on watching Ukraine. Hanno Pevkur, Estonia's defense minister, explained to Business Insider that his country believes the combat-tested HIMARS send a "deterrence message" to Russia. "We have the long strike capability, deep strike capability in Estonia already today," he said. Ukraine shows the need Beyond lessons on the importance of maintaining robust air defenses, deep ammunition stockpiles, and strong electronic warfare capabilities, the war in Ukraine has shown that the ability to strike deep behind enemy lines or into hostile territory is essential, Pevkur said. The HIMARS deliver that capability. When Ukraine first received HIMARS from the US, Russian ammo depots, command and control centers, and more that had been out of reach of Ukrainian artillery were suddenly vulnerable. The Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System had the reach needed to strike critical Russian targets. These surface-to-surface rockets have a range of around 70 kilometers, and Ukraine put them to use battering tactically significant Russian targets. Specifically, Ukraine has used the weapons to strike Russian troops, ammunition depots, and aircraft. Ukraine later received Army Tactical Missile Systems with significantly longer range but was initially barred from striking into Russia, leaving Russian forces free to mass troops and weaponry in a safe haven. By the time those restrictions were lifted, Ukraine lacked a sufficient supply of them to properly prosecute Russian targets using those missiles. Ukraine's deep strike campaign has largely depended on homemade drones and anti-ship missiles modified for land attack. The HIMARS served Ukraine well but had far greater potential. In a war with Russia, NATO allies wouldn't have to fight with one hand tied behind their backs as Ukraine often has and would be able to use the weapon as intended. HIMARS were among the first big weapons the West trusted Ukraine to receive. Their effective use in battle opened the door to more substantial military aid, including armored fighting vehicles, tanks, and even fighter aircraft like American-made F-16s and French Mirages. HIMARS have become less effective in Ukraine over time as Russia's electronic warfare capabilities have improved. But Justin Bronk, a warfare expert at RUSI, told BI earlier this year that the weapon was "still an important part of the Ukrainian capabilities." Ukraine often hasn't had the launcher or ammunition numbers it needs to be as effective as it could be, an issue complicated by US flip-flopping on support, but the value is nonetheless clear, which explains interest from the Baltic nations. Ukraine's international partners are watching the war closely to see not just what Ukraine needs, but what they need, in terms of tactics and weaponry, to be ready for a possible war with Russia. Protecting NATO The Baltic countries are among the most vocal countries in Europe about the Russian threat given their proximity, but they are not alone. A host of nations, including the UK, Germany, France, Finland, and Denmark, have all warned that Russia could attack. Former CIA director David Petraeus warned earlier this year that Lithuania is the most likely NATO country to be invaded. NATO's collective defense clause means that an attack on any one country is an attack on the alliance. A Russian invasion of an alliance member could quickly spiral into a major conflict. Allies have invested resources like troops and weaponry in those front-line countries, with the head of NATO calling them and neighboring Poland "a first line of defense" in May. A Russian advance would ideally be stopped there, but those countries may only be able to slow it down. Pevkur said it's important for all of NATO to help the region: "The eastern flank is the front door of NATO, so we need to keep it closed." Allies, including the US, also have troops in the Baltic states, and allied F-35s are often deployed there as part of NATO's Baltic Air Policing mission. The Baltic countries have also taken strong action themselves, not merely relying on more powerful countries for protection. They spend among the highest in NATO on defense as a proportion of their GDP and lead calls for the alliance to massively increase spending. Their resources have not just been going into HIMARS. They are also buying missiles, howitzers, air defense systems, ammunition, and other weaponry. Many of their choices have been informed by the way Russia is fighting and what is working for Ukraine. Vaidotas Urbelis, the policy director of Lithuania's defense ministry, told BI last year that his military was buying tanks for the first time in its history because this war had shown them to be important. Tanks have faced serious challenges in this war, but they still have a role. It's a constant process to figure out what is needed from a rapidly changing battlefield and shifting alliances, with the US pulling away from its longstanding support for Europe. Pevkur was asked in May if it was wise to rely on US weaponry like HIMARS, given US relations. He said Estonia was considering getting more HIMARS as well as alternatives to the system and alluded to problems with getting enough ammunition for HIMARS. "If we choose HIMARS, we need to be certain that the system can be fully operational and that the necessary ammunition will be available," he said. The Baltic states are also building huge border defenses and defense companies in the region are also building with Russia in mind.
Japan Today
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Japan Today
Kremlin says Estonia's readiness to host nuclear-capable NATO jets threatens Russia
FILE PHOTO: A general view shows the Kremlin on the bank of the Moskva River in central Moscow, Russia, May 7, 2025. REUTERS/Anton Vaganov/ File Photo The Kremlin said on Friday that Estonia's stated readiness to host NATO allies' U.S.-made F-35A stealth jets, capable of carrying nuclear weapons, posed a direct threat to Moscow. Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur told the Postimees news outlet on Thursday that Estonia - which borders Russia and is a rotating base for NATO jets tasked with protecting Baltic airspace - was ready to host nuclear-capable jets if necessary. "If some of them, regardless of their country of origin, have a dual-use capability to carry nuclear weapons it doesn't affect our position on hosting F-35s in any way," the outlet cited him as saying. "Of course we are ready to host our allies." Pevkur was speaking after Britain, a NATO member, announced it would buy at least 12 F-35A jets capable of carrying nuclear warheads and that they would join NATO's airborne nuclear mission. Asked about Pevkur's comments, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said such a move would be an obvious threat to Russia. "Of course it would be an immediate danger," Peskov told a journalist from Russia's Life news outlet. He said the statement was one of many "absurd thoughts" voiced by politicians in the Baltic region, which comprises Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. "We have practically no relations with the Baltic republics because it is very difficult to make them worse," he said. © Thomson Reuters 2025.
Miami Herald
27-06-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Russia Reacts to NATO Neighbor Hosting Nuclear-Capable Jets
Russia said it would pose an "immediate danger" to Moscow if neighboring NATO ally Estonia hosts nuclear-capable jets. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov gave the reaction to Russian state media after Estonia's defense minister Hanno Pevkur said his country was ready to host F-35s again, as it had done before. "The F-35s have already been in Estonia and will soon return again in rotation. We are ready to continue to host allies on our territory, including those who use such platforms," Pevkur told Estonian radio. Pevkur's comments come as the U.K., another NATO ally, said it would purchase at least 12 nuclear-capable F-35A fighter jets. Sir Keir Starmer, the British prime minister, said his country "will make these aircraft able to bear nuclear weapons if necessary" and that the purchase was in "response to a growing nuclear threat". NATO allies have agreed to increase their defense spending target to 5 percent of GDP in response to a push by the Trump Administration. The increased spending is seen as needed to broaden the burden-sharing across the alliance and lessen its dependence on the U.S. Moreover, the increased spending is a response to heightened threats from Russia and China. This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow. Related Articles The Major Trump Question Left Unanswered at NATO SummitWas Donald Trump Mocked by Dutch Royalty? What We KnowNATO Member Expects F-35 Fighters in Trump DealWhite House Posts 'Daddy's Home' NATO Supercut 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
