Latest news with #military aid
Al Arabiya
18 hours ago
- Business
- Al Arabiya
US approves $322 million in arms sales to Ukraine
The United States on Wednesday announced the approval of $322 million in arms sales to bolster Ukraine's air defenses and its armored combat vehicles. The announcement of the sales comes after Washington temporarily halted some weapons shipments to Ukraine earlier this month even as Kyiv faced heavy Russian missile and drone attacks. The sale of HAWK air defense equipment and sustainment will cost up to $172 million, while Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle equipment and services will total up to $150 million, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said. The proposed HAWK equipment sale 'will improve Ukraine's capability to meet current and future threats by further equipping it to conduct self-defense and regional security missions with a more robust air defense capability,' DSCA said. And the Bradley equipment and services will help meet Ukraine's 'urgent need to strengthen local sustainment capabilities to maintain high operational rates for United States provided vehicles and weapon systems,' it said. The State Department approved the possible sales and the DSCA provided the required notification to the US Congress, which still needs to sign off on the transactions. The latest proposed military sale to Ukraine follows another announced in early May valued at $310.5 million for F-16 training and sustainment. Russia's President Vladimir Putin launched the full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine in 2022 and has shown little willingness to end the conflict despite pressure from the United States. Under former president Joe Biden, Washington committed to providing more than $65 billion in military assistance to Ukraine. But President Donald Trump – long skeptical of assistance for Ukraine – has not followed suit, announcing no new military aid packages for Kyiv since he returned to office in January.
France 24
3 days ago
- Politics
- France 24
UK calls for 50-day drive to arm Ukraine
Earlier this month, Trump gave Russian President Vladimir Putin 50 days to strike a peace deal with Kyiv in the three-year war or face sanctions. UK Defence Secretary John Healey told a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG) that Kyiv's backers stand at a moment of "maximum opportunity". "As members of this UDCG, we need to step up, in turn, a 50-day drive to arm Ukraine on the battlefield and to help push Putin to the negotiating table," Healey told the virtual meeting of 52 nations. Trump also pledged to supply Kyiv with new military aid, sponsored by NATO allies, as its cities suffer ever-increasing Russian aerial attacks since Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Healey, chairing the meeting alongside German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, said the UK "backs this policy". "We will play our full part in its success," he added. Russia has escalated long-range aerial attacks on Ukrainian cities as well as frontline assaults and shelling over recent months, defying Trump's warning. Healey said Britain and Germany have "agreed to partner in providing critical air defence missiles to Ukraine". Pistorius said the two countries would provide 220,000 rounds of 35 millimetre ammunition for anti-aircraft guns used by Ukraine. According to the UK defence ministry, Britain has sent £150 million ($200 million) worth of air defence missiles and artillery rounds to Ukraine in the past two months. The UK has pledged to spend £700 million on air defence and artillery ammunition for Ukraine this year. The commitment is in addition to other funding to provide more of the drones that have become key weapons in the war with Russia. Some 50,000 drones have been delivered to Ukraine in the last six months, with another 20,000 coming from a coalition of nations led by Britain and Latvia. © 2025 AFP
CNN
6 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
Just 23% of Americans say Israeli military actions in Gaza are fully justified, CNN poll finds
Americans are increasingly skeptical of Israeli actions in Gaza, according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS that also finds rising sentiment that the US should pull back on military aid to Israel. Only 23% of Americans say Israel's actions have been fully justified, a 27-point drop from a October 2023 poll taken shortly after Hamas' October 7 attacks. Another 27% now say those actions have been partially justified and 22% say that they have not been justified at all. In October 2023, just 8% said Israel's actions were not justified at all. This drop cuts across party lines but is far larger among Democrats and independents. Since 2023, the share of Democrats who say that Israel's actions have been fully justified has dropped from 38% to just 7%, the share among independents from 45% to 14%, and the share among Republicans from 68% to 52%. Since this March, the share of Democrats and Democratic-leaning adults saying that the US provides too much military aid for Israel has risen from 44% to 59% while the share of Republican-aligned adults saying that has stayed steady at 24%. Democratic-aligned adults under the age of 35 are particularly opposed to US military aid to Israel, with 72% saying the US is doing too much, including 43% who say that the US should stop aid to Israel entirely and another 29% saying that it should reduce the amount of military aid. Younger adults across parties express the most skepticism towards Israel. Just 1 in 10 adults under 35 say that Israel's military actions in Gaza have been fully justified while a third say that Israel's actions have not been justified at all. Younger adults are also most likely to say that Israel has used too much military force (61%) and that the US is doing too much to help Israel in its war with Hamas (56%). People of color are similarly skeptical: 13% say that Israel's actions in Gaza have been fully justified, compared to 29% saying they have not been justified at all. Nearly 6 in 10 people of color. (57%) say Israel has used too much military force. Americans are split on Israel's use of military force and American aid to Israel. Half of Americans say that Israel has used too much military force in Gaza (39% say the amount of force has been about right and 10% say it's been too little). A rising share says the US is doing too much to help Israel in its war with Hamas (42%, up from 34% in March of this year and 33% in January 2024), with 42% saying the US is doing the right amount to help and 14% too little. Americans who think the US is doing too much split evenly between reducing military aid (22% of all adults) and stopping it entirely (21%). The rising share of Americans who express concerns about the extent of US aid to Israel comes amid broader questions about the nation's involvement in international affairs. A majority (56%) say the US should not take a leading role in trying to solve international problems (43% said the US should take such a role), a change from March, when the public split roughly evenly. Democratic-aligned adults in particular have shifted away from support for an active US role in the world. A majority of Democrats and Democratic-leaners (58%) said the US should take a leading role in solving international problems in March, weeks after the confrontation in the Oval Office between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump, and Vice President JD Vance led to a pause in US military aid to Ukraine. That portion is down to 44% now, a reversion to more familiar ground (42% of Democratic-aligned adults favored a leading role in 2004 and 37% said the same in 2015). This poll was fielded weeks after the US military struck three nuclear sites in Iran, an action that was deeply unpopular among Democrats. The split among Democratic-aligned adults in the country's role in international affairs further divides the party's views on Israel. Among Democrats and Democratic-leaning adults who say the US should not take a leading role generally, just 25% think Israel's military actions against Hamas have been fully or partially justified (compared to 61% among those who say the US should take a leading role), and they're about twice as likely to favor halting US military aid to Israel (37%, compared to 19% of those who say the US should take a leading role). Before Trump was first elected, Republican-aligned adults were more supportive of the US taking a leading role (65% in 2004 and 54% in 2015), and the Republican Party has historically been more inclined toward US interventionism. After Trump made the end of US interventionism a key pillar of his presidential campaigns, the party has become split between more traditional hawks and isolationists, and Republican-aligned adults now split evenly on whether the country should take a leading role. Reflecting the more traditional view, one Republican from North Carolina included in the poll writes that helping Ukraine defeat Russia is the most important issue facing the country. But other Republicans felt that US interventionism led to worse outcomes for American citizens, including one person from Pennsylvania who says that 'we help and worry about people in other countries before our own. I think we need to make our country and people great again before we can help others.' Still, foreign affairs are top of mind for few Americans, with just 5% naming an issue related to foreign policy as the most important issue facing the country. Americans remain broadly skeptical of Trump's handling of foreign affairs (40% approve to 60% disapprove, almost identical to April). In the aftermath of the US military strikes in Iran, the public also expresses doubt about Trump's handling of his role as commander-in-chief, with an approval rating of 40% and a disapproval rating of 59%, higher than at any point in his first term – including January 2020, when his disapproval rating stood at 53% shortly after he ordered the assassination of an Iranian military leader, Qasem Soleimani. A majority of the public (53%) also say that Trump's foreign policy decisions have hurt America's standing in the world, compared to just 31% who say his decisions have helped America's standing (15% say they have not made any difference). One independent in Michigan responding to the poll writes that the most important issue facing the country is how 'the world is now viewing the United States. We were a beacon of hope at one time. Not anymore.' While Republicans generally approve of Trump's handling of foreign affairs (86% approve) and his role as commander-in-chief (84%), a smaller portion (69%) say his foreign policy decisions have helped America's standing in the world (15% say they have hurt and 17% that they haven't made any difference). Democrats have a more uniformly negative view of Trump's handling of foreign affairs: 93% say they disapprove of his handling of foreign affairs, 91% how he handles his role as commander-in-chief, and 89% say his decisions have hurt America's standing in the world (with just 4% saying they've helped). Several key figures in the Trump administration's handling of foreign affairs are viewed unfavorably by the American people, including Vance (45% unfavorable to 33% favorable), Secretary of State Marco Rubio (36% unfavorable to 24% favorable), and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (34% unfavorable to 17% favorable). Among Republicans, all three are broadly popular, though with sizable shares still unsure about their feelings on Rubio or Hegseth. The CNN poll was conducted by SSRS from July 10-13 among a random national sample of 1,057 US adults drawn from a probability-based panel. Surveys were either conducted online or by telephone with a live interviewer. Results among all adults have a margin of sampling error of ±3.5 percentage points. CNN's Jennifer Agiesta and Ariel Edwards-Levy contributed to this report.
CNN
6 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
Just 23% of Americans say Israeli military actions in Gaza are fully justified, CNN poll finds
Americans are increasingly skeptical of Israeli actions in Gaza, according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS that also finds rising sentiment that the US should pull back on military aid to Israel. Only 23% of Americans say Israel's actions have been fully justified, a 27-point drop from a October 2023 poll taken shortly after Hamas' October 7 attacks. Another 27% now say those actions have been partially justified and 22% say that they have not been justified at all. In October 2023, just 8% said Israel's actions were not justified at all. This drop cuts across party lines but is far larger among Democrats and independents. Since 2023, the share of Democrats who say that Israel's actions have been fully justified has dropped from 38% to just 7%, the share among independents from 45% to 14%, and the share among Republicans from 68% to 52%. Since this March, the share of Democrats and Democratic-leaning adults saying that the US provides too much military aid for Israel has risen from 44% to 59% while the share of Republican-aligned adults saying that has stayed steady at 24%. Democratic-aligned adults under the age of 35 are particularly opposed to US military aid to Israel, with 72% saying the US is doing too much, including 43% who say that the US should stop aid to Israel entirely and another 29% saying that it should reduce the amount of military aid. Younger adults across parties express the most skepticism towards Israel. Just 1 in 10 adults under 35 say that Israel's military actions in Gaza have been fully justified while a third say that Israel's actions have not been justified at all. Younger adults are also most likely to say that Israel has used too much military force (61%) and that the US is doing too much to help Israel in its war with Hamas (56%). People of color are similarly skeptical: 13% say that Israel's actions in Gaza have been fully justified, compared to 29% saying they have not been justified at all. Nearly 6 in 10 people of color. (57%) say Israel has used too much military force. Americans are split on Israel's use of military force and American aid to Israel. Half of Americans say that Israel has used too much military force in Gaza (39% say the amount of force has been about right and 10% say it's been too little). A rising share says the US is doing too much to help Israel in its war with Hamas (42%, up from 34% in March of this year and 33% in January 2024), with 42% saying the US is doing the right amount to help and 14% too little. Americans who think the US is doing too much split evenly between reducing military aid (22% of all adults) and stopping it entirely (21%). The rising share of Americans who express concerns about the extent of US aid to Israel comes amid broader questions about the nation's involvement in international affairs. A majority (56%) say the US should not take a leading role in trying to solve international problems (43% said the US should take such a role), a change from March, when the public split roughly evenly. Democratic-aligned adults in particular have shifted away from support for an active US role in the world. A majority of Democrats and Democratic-leaners (58%) said the US should take a leading role in solving international problems in March, weeks after the confrontation in the Oval Office between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump, and Vice President JD Vance led to a pause in US military aid to Ukraine. That portion is down to 44% now, a reversion to more familiar ground (42% of Democratic-aligned adults favored a leading role in 2004 and 37% said the same in 2015). This poll was fielded weeks after the US military struck three nuclear sites in Iran, an action that was deeply unpopular among Democrats. The split among Democratic-aligned adults in the country's role in international affairs further divides the party's views on Israel. Among Democrats and Democratic-leaning adults who say the US should not take a leading role generally, just 25% think Israel's military actions against Hamas have been fully or partially justified (compared to 61% among those who say the US should take a leading role), and they're about twice as likely to favor halting US military aid to Israel (37%, compared to 19% of those who say the US should take a leading role). Before Trump was first elected, Republican-aligned adults were more supportive of the US taking a leading role (65% in 2004 and 54% in 2015), and the Republican Party has historically been more inclined toward US interventionism. After Trump made the end of US interventionism a key pillar of his presidential campaigns, the party has become split between more traditional hawks and isolationists, and Republican-aligned adults now split evenly on whether the country should take a leading role. Reflecting the more traditional view, one Republican from North Carolina included in the poll writes that helping Ukraine defeat Russia is the most important issue facing the country. But other Republicans felt that US interventionism led to worse outcomes for American citizens, including one person from Pennsylvania who says that 'we help and worry about people in other countries before our own. I think we need to make our country and people great again before we can help others.' Still, foreign affairs are top of mind for few Americans, with just 5% naming an issue related to foreign policy as the most important issue facing the country. Americans remain broadly skeptical of Trump's handling of foreign affairs (40% approve to 60% disapprove, almost identical to April). In the aftermath of the US military strikes in Iran, the public also expresses doubt about Trump's handling of his role as commander-in-chief, with an approval rating of 40% and a disapproval rating of 59%, higher than at any point in his first term – including January 2020, when his disapproval rating stood at 53% shortly after he ordered the assassination of an Iranian military leader, Qasem Soleimani. A majority of the public (53%) also say that Trump's foreign policy decisions have hurt America's standing in the world, compared to just 31% who say his decisions have helped America's standing (15% say they have not made any difference). One independent in Michigan responding to the poll writes that the most important issue facing the country is how 'the world is now viewing the United States. We were a beacon of hope at one time. Not anymore.' While Republicans generally approve of Trump's handling of foreign affairs (86% approve) and his role as commander-in-chief (84%), a smaller portion (69%) say his foreign policy decisions have helped America's standing in the world (15% say they have hurt and 17% that they haven't made any difference). Democrats have a more uniformly negative view of Trump's handling of foreign affairs: 93% say they disapprove of his handling of foreign affairs, 91% how he handles his role as commander-in-chief, and 89% say his decisions have hurt America's standing in the world (with just 4% saying they've helped). Several key figures in the Trump administration's handling of foreign affairs are viewed unfavorably by the American people, including Vance (45% unfavorable to 33% favorable), Secretary of State Marco Rubio (36% unfavorable to 24% favorable), and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (34% unfavorable to 17% favorable). Among Republicans, all three are broadly popular, though with sizable shares still unsure about their feelings on Rubio or Hegseth. The CNN poll was conducted by SSRS from July 10-13 among a random national sample of 1,057 US adults drawn from a probability-based panel. Surveys were either conducted online or by telephone with a live interviewer. Results among all adults have a margin of sampling error of ±3.5 percentage points. CNN's Jennifer Agiesta and Ariel Edwards-Levy contributed to this report.
Russia Today
16-07-2025
- Business
- Russia Today
India, China and Brazil facing ‘consequences' for Russia trade ties
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has warned India, China and Brazil of 'consequences,' if they continued to do business with Russia. Rutte's comment came after a meeting with US Senators on Tuesday, following President Donald Trump's announcement on providing new military aid for Ukraine and a threat to impose 100% secondary tariffs on purchasers of Russian exports , unless a peace agreement is reached within 50 days. 'My encouragement to these three countries, particularly is, if you live now in Beijing, or in Delhi, or you are the President of Brazil, you might want to take a look into this, because this might hit you very hard,' Rutte told reporters. 'So I urge you to make a phone call to Vladimir Putin and convey to him that he needs to get serious about peace talks, because if not, the consequences will have a massive impact on Brazil, India, and China,' he added. Since 2022, India and China have significantly increased their oil purchases from Russia. In May, New Delhi emerged as the second-largest buyer of Russian fossil fuels, with estimated purchases totaling $4.9 billion, of which crude constituted about 72% of the total value, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air. The US and India are engaged in negotiations for a trade agreement and are racing to meet an August 1 deadline set by Trump, in order to avoid reciprocal tariffs. Rutte's warning echoes US Senator Lindsey Graham, who in June said that he was working on a sanctions bill that he called an 'economic bunker buster', aimed at the three countries. ❗️NATO Chief Threatens BRICS Nations: If You're India, Brazil or China... Call Putin or Face 100% Secondary Sanctions - RutteNATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has warned those "living in Delhi" that they will get hit very hard if Russia isn't "serious about peace in 50 days."… Indian diplomats and officials have spoken with the Republican senator who sponsored the bill, which has Trump's backing. Since he began his second term in January, Trump has issued direct threats to BRICS and imposed new duties on countries perceived to be aligned with the bloc.
