Schlock Art of the Ukraine Deal
The U.S. never put the chips on the table seriously to threaten Russia's hold on Crimea, but it still owns a giant and valuable carrot in being able to offer, as a result of negotiation, a path to legalize that hold. One analysis, by the Jamestown Foundation, mentions a figure of $40 billion.
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Washington Post
an hour ago
- Washington Post
UK jury finds man who dreamed of being James Bond guilty of attempting to spy for Russia
LONDON — A British man who dreamed of being like James Bond was convicted on Tuesday of attempting to spy for Russia. Howard Phillips, 65, sought to pass information about former Defense Secretary Grant Shapps to two men he believed were Russian agents. However, the agents were undercover British intelligence agents. A jury at Winchester Crown Court found Phillips guilty of assisting what he believed to be a foreign intelligence agency. The unanimous verdict came after four hours of deliberations. He was remanded into custody and will be sentenced in the fall. No precise date was set. Prosecutors said Phillips offered to turn over Shapps' contact details as well as the location where he kept his private plane to 'facilitate the Russians in listening on British defense plans.' The defendant's ex-wife told the court that Phillips 'would dream about being like James Bond,' and watched films about the British secret services because he was 'infatuated with it.' Bethan David, head of the Crown Prosecution Service's counterterrorism division, said the conviction sends a clear message to anyone considering spying for Russia. 'Phillips was brazen in his pursuit for financial gain, and unbothered about the potential detriment to his own country,' David said.
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
US Ally Issues Ominous Warning Over Middle East War
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Turkey's foreign minister has warned that the NATO member country could intervene in Syria to deter what it sees as emerging threats to its national security following recent violence and Israeli military operations. Newsweek has reached out to the U.S. State Department, the Syrian government and the Israeli Prime Minister's office for comment. Why It Matters The threat highlights the danger of Syria becoming a direct battleground for the Middle East's major military powers. Turkey, which maintained a significant military presence in Syria throughout the civil war, remains entangled in a country that sits at the intersection of conflicts involving major Middle Eastern powers — Israel, Iran, and Turkey and also has a presence of ISIS. A broader regional war could also pull in the United States, which has backed Syria's interim leader in efforts to end the conflict, reshape alliances, and push for more peace treaties with Israel. Both Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are close to President Donald Trump, but they remain deeply at odds over Gaza and Syria. Syrian Druze people cross back into Syria as they walk at the Israeli-Syrian border, in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights town of Majdal Shams, Thursday, July 17, 2025. Syrian Druze people cross back into Syria as they walk at the Israeli-Syrian border, in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights town of Majdal Shams, Thursday, July 17, 2025. Leo Correa/AP Photo What To Know Turkey "views any attempt to divide Syria as a national security threat and would directly intervene" if necessary, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said, blaming both Israel and armed Syrian factions for fueling unrest in Syria's Druze-majority south, according to Daily Sabah's website. "As Türkiye, we could never stay silent against such a move," Fidan was quoted as saying on Tuesday at a news conference with his El Salvadorian counterpart in Ankara. Israel launched airstrikes on government sites in Syria last week, citing the need to protect the Druze community after accusing the Syrian government forces of violence against the religious minority sect in the southwest — where hundreds of people were killed in clashes with Bedouin tribes in Suwayda. Israel's intervention marked a new escalation in its expanding military operations in Syria. "Israel is unwilling to see a stable country around itself and aims to divide Syria with the violent unrest in southern Suwayda province," Fidan said. Israel's actions in Syria have drawn sharp condemnation from Turkey, which supported a number of the rebel factions that participated in the operation to oust Assad, particularly the Syrian National Army. Israel has warned Turkey against using Syrian territory to launch attacks that could destabilize the region. What People Are Saying Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said, according to Türkiye Today's website: "If the groups in Syria move toward division and destabilization, Türkiye will consider it a direct threat to its national security and will intervene. Israel pursues a policy aimed at weakening its region and keeping it in chaos." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in April: "We don't want to see Syria being used by anyone, including Turkey, as a base for attack on Israel." What Happens Next The Syrian government has vowed accountability over the Suwayda incidents while a fragile U.S.-backed truce with Israel holds. Risks are growing of a bigger conflict.
Fox News
an hour ago
- Fox News
EU defense chief warns of 'most dangerous moment' – coordinated Russian-Chinese aggression by 2027
The European Union's first-ever defense commissioner has issued a stark warning: the world's "most dangerous moment" could arrive as soon as 2027, when Russia and China may coordinate aggressive moves designed to overwhelm Western defenses. Andrius Kubilius, the EU's commissioner for defense and space, echoed recent remarks by U.S. Air Force Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, NATO's top commander for air operations. Both officials highlighted 2027 as a potential flashpoint year when simultaneous military actions by Moscow and Beijing could stretch the transatlantic alliance to its limits. "The most dangerous moment can be in 2027, when both Russia and China will make these aggressive moves in a coordinated way," Kubilius told reporters during a briefing in Washington. Grynkewich had warned last week that the United States and its European allies must be prepared to fight two wars simultaneously – one in Europe, should Russian President Vladimir Putin escalate in Ukraine or Eastern Europe, and another in the Pacific if Chinese President Xi Jinping launches an invasion of Taiwan. "We're going to need every bit of kit and equipment and munitions that we can in order to beat that," Grynkewich said. In a speech later Monday evening, Kubilius said the U.S. has the "right and reason" to turn its focus to China. "We are recognizing that you, Americans, have really the right and the reason in the longer-term perspective to start to shift more and more toward the Indo-Pacific in order to mitigate Chinese rising military power," he said. "We Europeans need to ramp up our defense capabilities," the former Lithuanian prime minister said, adding: "That is what we are doing." Their warnings align with growing concerns across the U.S. defense establishment over what is often referred to as the "Davidson Window" – a term coined by former Indo-Pacific Command chief Adm. Philip Davidson, who testified before Congress in 2021 that China could attempt to forcibly reunify with Taiwan by 2027. The assessment has since become a widely cited benchmark for military planners preparing for a potential crisis in the Indo-Pacific. The 2027 window has taken on added urgency as China rapidly accelerates its military modernization program, aiming to achieve what Xi Jinping has called "world-class" warfighting capabilities by the People's Liberation Army's centennial in 2027. U.S. and NATO officials also fear that Russia, despite sustaining major losses in Ukraine, could reconstitute and redirect its forces toward renewed aggression in Eastern Europe by that same timeframe – placing strategic pressure on two fronts simultaneously. Kubilius traveled to Washington to assess potential shortfalls in European defense capabilities as the U.S. increasingly pivots its strategic attention toward the Indo-Pacific. He said EU member states are actively preparing for a shift in the American military posture on the continent. As of 2025, more than 80,000 U.S. troops are stationed in Europe – a presence widely expected to decline in the coming years as the Pentagon presses its European allies to assume greater responsibility for their own defense. "We are preparing ourselves to take responsibility on our shoulders," Kubilius said. "We don't know what Americans will decide." Kubilius emphasized that Europe must not only fund its own defense but also build it. He noted that the EU has reduced its reliance on U.S.-made weapons from 60% of total imports to 40%, and hopes to lower that dependency further through increased domestic production. As defense commissioner, Kubilius is tasked with implementing an $840 billion framework to "Re-Arm Europe," including a €150 billion loan facility available to member states for building out their armed forces and industrial capacities. Separately, NATO leaders at last month's summit in Washington agreed to a sweeping pledge to increase defense spending – raising the benchmark from 2% of GDP to 5% for member countries, a historic shift in alliance posture amid growing global instability. Adding to the sense of urgency, President Donald Trump announced that the United States would offer advanced weapons systems to Ukraine – on the condition that European partners cover the cost. Western defense ministers convened on Monday to discuss the proposed financing mechanism. "We're going to be sending Patriots to NATO and then NATO will distribute that," Trump said last week, referring to the high-value air defense systems that Kyiv has long sought. Kubilius declined to elaborate on which other weapons may be included in the package, but underscored the critical importance of maintaining unwavering support for Ukraine's defense against Russia's full-scale invasion. "China is watching," he said. "China will be able to make a conclusion that if the West is weak in Ukraine, then we can expect aggressive behavior from China against anyone."
