Latest news with #weapons
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Business
- Telegraph
France and Italy refuse to join Trump's Ukraine weapons fund
France and Italy have refused to participate in Donald Trump's plan to send US-made weapons to Ukraine. Governments across Europe are pondering whether to take part in the $10bn initiative. It will involve Ukraine's allies on the continent, along with Canada, buying 'top of the range' weapons – including Patriot air defence systems – from Washington before giving them to Kyiv. But without the release of key details, some countries have yet to make a decision on whether to join the scheme, which was presented by Mr Trump and Mark Rutte, the Nato secretary general, in the Oval Office on Monday. France has told allies it will not join the initiative, according to officials briefed on the discussions. Paris is currently wrangling over its domestic budget and demands to boost its defence spending while navigating concerns over the country's growing debt pile. Emmanuel Macron has always favoured arming Ukraine with locally produced weapons to boost the EU's own industrial base and make the bloc less reliant on Washington for its defence. The Italian government has said it will not purchase weapons but could help with the logistics of transporting them to Ukraine, Italian media reported. 'Here there has never been talk of buying American weapons,' the source quoted by the La Stampa newspaper said. While the Czech Republic has not officially ruled itself out of the US initiative, its foreign minister told The Telegraph that 'no decisions' had been taken on whether to join. Jan Lipavský said: 'We are already participating in so many mechanisms that there is currently no discussion of new resources. But I cannot say it won't change because it's really too soon.' Prague already manages a coalition of 12 countries that contribute money to a pot to buy artillery shells for Ukraine. Last year, it donated around 1.5 million rounds to Kyiv's troops and it is planned to deliver more in 2025. There are dozens of similar programmes delivering everything from drones to fighter jets, which could make participation in a new scheme difficult for some countries. But Nato officials say at least eight countries have shown interest in joining the Trump-led pipeline. They will either contribute cash or donate their existing US-made equipment to Ukraine before being fast-tracked replacements by Washington. Germany is believed to be the nation most invested in the scheme. Friedrich Merz, its chancellor, proposed buying Patriot air defence batteries for Ukraine in a deal with the US president. Mr Rutte said the scheme would also involve missiles and other forms of ammunition being purchased from the Americans. British sources have told The Telegraph that they support the programme, but have not taken a decision on how to contribute with details yet to be shared with allies. Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Canada, and the Netherlands were also named as possible participants. Each of the countries' armed forces already operate US-manufactured equipment, from Patriots to fighter jets. It is understood that any money poured into the scheme will count towards Nato allies' new defence spending goal of 3.5 per cent, making it an attractive proposition for governments struggling to find money to reach the target.
Al Jazeera
2 hours ago
- Business
- Al Jazeera
Russia monitoring Western weapons deliveries to Ukraine, Kremlin says
Moscow is closely monitoring the West's supply of weapons to Ukraine, the Kremlin's spokesperson says shortly after United States President Donald Trump announced the resumption of arms deliveries to Kyiv. Dmitry Peskov also noted on Wednesday that a new phone call between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin was not currently planned but could quickly be arranged, according to Russian news reports. The comments from the Kremlin came two days after the US president showed growing impatience with Russia over its war in Ukraine. In his sharpest rebuke of Moscow so far, Trump announced on Monday that Putin had until early September, 50 days, to accept a peace deal or his country would face steep US sanctions. Trump said they would be secondary tariffs targeting Russia's trading partners in a bid to isolate it from the global economy. Russia's approach, in the meantime, is to 'keep calm and carry on' in the face of Trump's threats, experts said. There's no certainty the pressure will push Putin towards ending the war. On the campaign trail before November's presidential election, Trump boasted that he would end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours of taking office. However, after at least six phone conversations between Trump and Putin as well as several meetings between US officials and officials from Russia and Ukraine, no ceasefire has been reached. 'My conversations with him are very pleasant, and then the missiles go off at night,' Trump said of his frustration with Putin. The US leader added that he would supply more weapons to Ukraine with European allies buying 'billions and billions' of dollars of US military equipment to be transferred to Kyiv. Patriot air defence systems are included in the plan, which Ukraine needs to defend itself against Russian missile and drone attacks. Trump, however, has said Ukraine should not target Moscow after he reportedly asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy if Kyiv could strike the Russian capital if he provided long-range weaponry. Trump made the comments after The Financial Times on Tuesday reported that Trump had encouraged Zelenskyy to step up strikes deep inside Russian territory during their phone call on July 4. The report, which quoted two unnamed people familiar with the discussion, said Trump had also asked his Ukrainian counterpart whether he could hit Moscow and St Petersburg if supplied with weapons with enough range. In response to a question on Tuesday about whether Zelenskyy should target Moscow, Trump told reporters at the White House that he should not. Overnight, the Russian military launched 400 drones and one ballistic missile, targeting cities across Ukraine, including Kharkiv, Kryvyi Rih and Vinnytsia. The strikes injured at least 15 people and damaged energy infrastructure, the Ukrainian authorities said on Wednesday. Power was down for 80,000 families in Kryvyi Rih and other parts of the Dnipropetrovsk region, Ukraine's private energy company DTEK said on Telegram. The Ukrainian air force stated it had successfully shot down most of the drones but 12 targets were hit by 57 drones and the missile. In recent weeks, Moscow has increased its aerial bombardments against Ukraine with daily record numbers of drones and missiles being fired. 'Russia does not change its strategy, and to effectively counter this terror, we need a systemic strengthening of defences: more air defences, more interceptor [missiles], more determination to make Russia feel our response,' Zelenskyy wrote on X on Wednesday. After starting his second presidential term in January, Trump sought to portray Washington's support for Ukraine as a drain on US resources. Despite Trump's more critical stance against Moscow this week, some American politicians continue to express concerns about his approach, warning that Putin could use the 50-day tariff deadline to capture more Ukrainian territory. In a report that has yet to be independently verified, Russia's Ministry of Defence said on Wednesday that its army seized the settlement of Novokhatske in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine.
Arab News
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Houthi-linked arms traders using X, WhatsApp to sell weapons: Report
LONDON: Arms dealers linked to Yemen's Houthi militia have been using social media platforms such as X and WhatsApp to sell weapons, according to a new report. The Tech Transparency Project, or TTP, identified hundreds of accounts openly dealing in rifles, rocket-propelled grenades and other military-grade equipment, in apparent violation of the platforms' policies. 'X and WhatsApp are providing an essential platform to Houthi-linked arms dealers selling weapons of war,' the report read. 'The companies have policies in place that prohibit that kind of illicit trade but are allowing it to take place in the open.' TTP called the activity 'a threat to US national security interests,' noting the Iran-backed group is designated as a terrorist organization. The months-long investigation by the Washington-based watchdog, which monitors accountability in Big Tech, found that Houthi-affiliated arms dealers had been running commercial weapons stores on both platforms for months, and in some cases, years. Researchers identified at least 130 Yemen-based X accounts and 67 WhatsApp business accounts advertising military-grade equipment or promoting catalogues of guns for sale. These included US-manufactured weapons — some marked 'Property of US Govt' — and other Western arms labeled with 'NATO.' In one instance, a seller listed four M4 carbines — an assault rifle used by the US military and manufactured by FN Herstal and Colt — and directed buyers to WhatsApp. Another account offered a package deal that included a ballistic helmet, night-vision goggles and grenades. Russian weapons, including RPG-7 launchers and AK-47s, also featured prominently. A Soviet RPG-7 was offered for about $1,800, while another account advertised a 'zero mileage' Russian AK-47. Prices for some weapons reportedly reached $10,000, suggesting sales may be intended for other armed groups or insurgents. Many of the accounts displayed allegiance to the Houthi, including photos of weapons in crates marked with Houthi slogans such as 'Death to America, death to Israel.' More than half of the X accounts listed Sanaa — under Houthi control for more than a decade — as their location. Many accounts funneled buyers to WhatsApp business profiles, some of which openly displayed catalogs of rifles and ammunition. A number of these were also linked to Facebook and Instagram accounts, raising further concerns over Meta's enforcement of its firearms policies. Meta, which owns WhatsApp, says it reviews all images submitted to product catalogs, yet researchers found little evidence of enforcement. The company said it had since removed several accounts and claimed it does not profit from this type of activity but declined to answer how the content had bypassed existing filters. 'X and WhatsApp both have policies against weapons sales but they are allowing arms traders linked to a US-designated terrorist group to traffic weapons on their platforms,' said Katie Paul, the director of TTP. 'In some cases these companies may be profiting off violations of their own policies that create risks for US national security.' TTP's findings, which build on a similar August 2024 investigation by The Times, suggest most of the Houthi-linked arms dealer accounts were created or became active following mass layoffs at X and Meta that weakened enforcement capabilities. Many handles had blue ticks and were subscribed to premium services that are supposed to be moderated. Roughly two-thirds of the accounts appear to have posted weapons content in the past six months. 'Both Meta and X have the capital, the tools and the human resources to address this problem, but they're not doing so,' Paul said.
Russia Today
5 hours ago
- Business
- Russia Today
NATO state opts out of Trump's Ukraine arms plan
The Czech Republic will not participate in a new initiative proposed this week by US President Donald Trump to supply American weapons to Ukraine, Prime Minister Petr Fiala said on Tuesday. Trump unveiled the plan during a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, proposing that American arms be delivered to Kiev with funding from other NATO members. Rutte named Germany as the primary donor, with funding also offered by Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Canada. 'The Czech Republic is focusing on other projects and ways to help Ukraine,' Fiala told the news outlet Publico. 'Therefore, at this moment we are not considering joining this project.'Trump pitched the initiative as both a commercial opportunity for the US defense industry and a means for NATO countries to increase pressure on Russia. Moscow has likened the effort to the US preparing a deadly meal for Ukraine and forcing others to pay for it. Rutte said the participating nations represent the initial wave of contributors, with more expected to join. Politico reported on Tuesday that France, one of the EU's largest economies, would not be financially supporting the effort. According to the outlet, citing two French officials, Paris prefers to develop its own defense industry to meet European security needs. A similar position has reportedly been taken by Italy. The government believes it lacks the financial resources to commit to the plan, according to the Italian newspaper La Stampa. Fiala said his government will continue to back the Czech ammunition initiative, a program launched in early 2024. The initiative to provide artillery shells to Kiev has drawn support from more than a dozen countries, though it has also faced criticism over cost overruns, quality issues, and delivery delays. In an interview last week, Czech President Petr Pavel said the EU should reassess its approach to the Ukraine conflict, asking, 'What alternatives do we have, both us and Ukraine? To fight Russia endlessly?'
Al Arabiya
6 hours ago
- Business
- Al Arabiya
Kremlin says it is closely monitoring Western weapons supplies to Ukraine
The Kremlin said that the supply of weapons to Ukraine by the West is high on agenda and that Kremlin is monitoring this issue thoroughly, Russian news agencies reported on Wednesday. The supplies of weapons to Ukraine is a business and some European countries will pay for the weapons, spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. A new phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump is not planned, but it could be organized quickly, he added.
