Latest news with #military support
The Independent
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
China denies supplying new weapons to Cambodia amid its border conflict with Thailand
China has dismissed allegations that it was supplying weapons to Cambodia amid its ongoing border conflict with Thailand that has led to at least 33 people dying and hundreds of thousands displaced. Chinese officials denied supplying any new weapons or military support to the Cambodian Armed Forces amid the conflict, which has spilled into its third day. Senior Col Sheng Wei, deputy director of the Asia division of the Office of International Military Cooperation (OIMC) of China's People Liberation Army said all the Chinese military equipment currently possessed by Cambodia are 'the result of historical cooperation projects'. 'Since tensions began along the Thailand-Cambodia border, China has not provided any military equipment to Cambodia for use against do not believe fake news generated by malicious actors,' Col Sheng Wei said, according to The Straits Times. The conflict began on Thursday, with the two nations trading air strikes along contested stretches of their 817km border. Over a dozen people were killed on the first day of conflict, prompting hundreds of thousands to evacuate from border areas between the two nations. Thailand reported clashes in multiple areas along the border on Friday, including near the ancient Ta Muen Thom temple, which is claimed by both nations. The Thai Army accused Cambodian forces of using heavy artillery and Russian-made BM-21 rocket launchers, prompting them to engage in what they called 'appropriate supporting fire' in return. Thailand's UN Ambassador Cherdchai Chaivaivid called Cambodia's actions a "flagrant act of aggression" and a "serious" breach of international law. "Thailand further strongly condemns Cambodia's indiscriminate attacks against civilians, civilian objects, and public facilities, particularly hospitals, which constitute a flagrant violation of the Geneva Conventions of 1949,' the Thai UN Ambassador said. Thailand also blamed Cambodia for laying new landmines – one of which injured a Thai soldier, and called for quick military response. Cambodia, on the other hand, accused Thailand of launching air strikes and dropping bombs on roads inside its territory. It expressed outrage at Thailand's use of what it claimed was a large amount of cluster munitions, labelling it a violation of international law. Both sides claim to have acted in self-defence. Cambodia also said it sought a 'peaceful solution to the dispute'. Cambodia's UN Ambassador Chhea Keo told reporters that the country 'asked for immediate ceasefires, unconditionally'. He responded to accusations that Cambodia attacked Thailand, asking how a small country with no air force could attack a much larger country with an army three times its size. Cambodia has a defence budget of $1.3bn in 2024 with 124,300 active military personnel, compared to Thailand's well-funded military that has a defence budget of $5.73bn in 2024 and over 360,000 active army personnel. The conflict has entered its third day on Satuday, with the death toll climbing to 33 and tens of thousands seeking refuge. Amid speculations of China providing weapons to the Cambodian army, a Chinese delegation meeting Thai officials in Beijing requested that its clarification be communicated to the Thai public in the interest of regional stability and trust. The delegation said the Chinese weapons in the Cambodian armoury are from past military cooperation agreements, adding that no new military support has been provided.
New York Times
21-07-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Hegseth Attends Meeting on Ukraine After Skipping Last Session
Days after President Trump shifted his tone on Ukraine, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth participated in a meeting on Monday of the roughly 50 nations supporting the embattled country. The meeting was held virtually and led by the defense ministers of Britain and Germany. The collection of countries, which is known as the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, was founded during the Biden administration by Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III. But Mr. Hegseth has largely taken a hands-off approach, ceding leadership of it to Britain shortly after Mr. Trump took office in January. When the contact group met in person at NATO headquarters in April, Mr. Hegseth opted to call in. He did not participate in the next meeting, which was in June. Mr. Trump initially expressed deep skepticism of giving U.S. military support to Ukraine, which Russian forces invaded in 2022. But last week, he said the United States would help Europe send more weapons to Ukraine and warned Russia that if it did not reach a peace deal within 50 days, he would impose a new round of punishing sanctions. A spokesman for the Pentagon declined to comment on Monday regarding Mr. Hegseth's role in Monday's meeting. The Defense Department said in a statement that it would not comment on internal discussions between the administration and partner nations. A senior American official, speaking on the condition of anonymity before the meeting to discuss internal planning, said the United States expected 'several countries' to commit to purchasing additional 'capabilities' — weapons, munitions and equipment — to donate to Ukraine. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Healey to call for '50-day drive' to arm Ukraine and force Putin to negotiate
The Defence Secretary will call for a '50-day drive' to arm Ukraine when he chairs a meeting of Kyiv's allies on Monday. John Healey is expected to argue that the West should again boost its military support for Ukraine in an effort to bring Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table. Donald Trump has already threatened to impose 'very severe' tariffs on Russia if it does not agree a ceasefire by September 2, 50 days on from the US president's announcement that he would sell 'top-of-the-line' weapons to Nato that could then be given to Ukraine. On Monday, Mr Healey will use a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG) to back Mr Trump's proposal and pledge that the UK will 'play our full part in its success to bolster Ukraine's immediate fight'. Calling for more support from Western allies, he is expected to say: 'Alongside this, the US has started the clock on a 50-day deadline for Putin to agree to peace or face crippling economic sanctions. 'As members of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, we need to step up in turn with a '50-day drive' to arm Ukraine on the battlefield and force Putin to the negotiating table.' Monday will be the fourth time Mr Healey has chaired the UDCG, and the third occasion he has done so alongside German defence minister Boris Pistorius. The group, which brings together defence ministers and officials from Ukraine's allies, was chaired by the US until Mr Trump came to power and began rowing back on American support for Kyiv and European security. Mr Healey's comments come as the Ministry of Defence confirmed the UK had sent £150 million worth of air defence missiles and artillery rounds to Ukraine in the past two months. The deliveries are part of a commitment to spend £700 million on air defence and artillery ammunition for Ukraine this year, alongside other funding to provide more of the drones that have become key weapons in the war with Russia. The UK has delivered 50,000 drones to Ukraine in the last six months, with another 20,000 coming from a coalition of nations led by Britain and Latvia. Monday's UDCG is expected to see further commitments, with Germany and the UK agreeing to procure more air defence missiles using 170 million euros of funding from Berlin. Shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge said it was 'right' that the Government 'continues to provide all possible support to Ukraine'. He added: 'It is also important that we stand firm alongside the United States in reinforcing their 50-day deadline to ensure Putin is under maximum pressure to pursue peace. 'That means all of our allies playing their part, and following the PM's recent summit with Chancellor Merz, we hope that this 50-day drive will include German confirmation that it intends to provide Taurus missiles to Ukraine.' Meanwhile, Russia continues to bombard Ukraine with drones and missiles. Confirming a string of attacks on civilian targets in Odesa and critical infrastructure in the Sumy region on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also thanked international leaders 'who understand how important it is to promptly implement our agreements' aimed at boosting Ukraine's defence capabilities.
The Independent
20-07-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Defence secretary to call for ‘50-day drive' to arm Kyiv and force Putin's hand
The defence secretary will call for a 50-day drive to arm Ukraine when he chairs a meeting of Kyiv 's allies on Monday. John Healey is set to argue that the West should again boost its military support for Ukraine in an effort to bring Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table. Donald Trump has already threatened to impose 'very severe' tariffs on Russia if it does not agree to a ceasefire by 2 September, 50 days on from the US president's announcement that he would sell 'top-of-the-line' weapons to Nato that could then be given to Ukraine. On Monday, Mr Healey will use a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG) to back Mr Trump's proposal and pledge that the UK will 'play our full part in its success to bolster Ukraine's immediate fight'. Calling for more support from Western allies, he is expected to say: 'Alongside this, the US has started the clock on a 50-day deadline for Putin to agree to peace or face crippling economic sanctions. 'As members of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, we need to step up in turn with a '50-day drive' to arm Ukraine on the battlefield and force Putin to the negotiating table.' Monday will be the fourth time Mr Healey has chaired the UDCG, and the third occasion he has done so alongside German defence minister Boris Pistorius. The group, which brings together defence ministers and officials from Ukraine's allies, was chaired by the US until Mr Trump came to power and began rowing back on American support for Kyiv and European security. Mr Healey's comments come as the Ministry of Defence confirmed the UK had sent £150 million worth of air defence missiles and artillery rounds to Ukraine in the past two months. The deliveries are part of a commitment to spend £700m on air defence and artillery ammunition for Ukraine this year, alongside other funding to provide more of the drones that have become key weapons in the war with Russia. The UK has delivered 50,000 drones to Ukraine in the last six months, with another 20,000 coming from a coalition of nations led by Britain and Latvia. Monday's UDCG is expected to see further commitments, with Germany and the UK agreeing to procure more air defence missiles using 170 million euros of funding from Berlin. Shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge said it was 'right' that the government 'continues to provide all possible support to Ukraine'. He added: 'It is also important that we stand firm alongside the United States in reinforcing their 50-day deadline to ensure Putin is under maximum pressure to pursue peace. 'That means all of our allies playing their part, and following the PM's recent summit with Chancellor Merz, we hope that this 50-day drive will include German confirmation that it intends to provide Taurus missiles to Ukraine.'
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
North Korea reaffirms support for Russia's war in Ukraine
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un offered Moscow his "unconditional support" on the war in Ukraine, according to Pyongyang state media reports. In talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in North Korea, Kim said that Pyongyang stood by "all the measures taken by the Russian leadership" to tackle the "root cause of the Ukrainian crisis". Western officials believe Pyongyang has sent an estimated 11,000 troops to Russia over the last year to fight against Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. According to North Korean state media KCNA news agency, Kim and Lavrov met on Saturday in "an atmosphere full of warm comradely trust". The North Korean leader also expressed a "firm belief that the Russian army and people would surely win victory in accomplishing the sacred cause of defending the dignity and basic interests of the country". On Telegram, Russia's foreign ministry posted a video showing the two men shaking hands and greeting each other with a hug. Lavrov also met with his North Korean counterpart Choe Son Hui and thanked the "heroic" North Korean soldiers deployed to aid Russia, Russia's TASS news agency reported. North Korea's renewed military support for Russia comes as US President Donald Trump has resumed military supplies to Ukraine, after a brief hiatus. Trump told NBC News on Thursday that he had made a deal with Nato for the US to send Patriot air defence systems to Ukraine via the alliance, after a surge of Russian aerial attacks. Pyongyang first publicly acknowledged sending troops to Russia in April, months after Ukraine and the West revealed the large-scale troop movement from North Korea to the Russian-Ukrainian frontline. Kim signed an accord with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in June last year, agreeing to support each other if either country was dealing with "aggression". Apart from soldiers, North Korea also promised to send thousands of workers to help rebuild Russia's war-torn Kursk region, Moscow's security chief said last month. N Korea confirms it sent troops to fight for Russia in Ukraine war North Korea has sent more troops to Russia, South's spy agency says Why did Putin's Russia invade Ukraine?
