Pentagon confirms upcoming US weapons shipment to Ukraine
US President Donald Trump had previously pledged to continue arming Ukraine, emphasizing that the shipments would focus on 'defensive' weapons.
In line with Trump's earlier statements, the latest weapons package aims to bolster Ukraine's defensive capabilities. However, the nature and quantity of the forthcoming shipment were not disclosed.
On that note, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned that any shipments containing weapons for Ukraine would be considered legitimate military targets by Moscow.
The Russian Foreign Ministry further stated that NATO member states were "playing with fire" by continuing to supply arms to Ukraine, asserting that increasing Western arms deliveries to Ukraine undermine negotiations and escalate tensions.
Lavrov added that the US and NATO are not merely supplying weapons but are also directly involved in the war through training Ukrainian personnel in countries including the UK, Germany, and Italy.
Meanwhile, Trump's special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, is expected to meet with Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov at an international assistance conference in Rome. This will be followed by additional meetings in Kiev over the coming week, the report said.Separately, reports from Politico indicate that US military deliveries to Kiev may resume following a series of meetings in Italy and Ukraine. The recent pause in support was attributed to the Pentagon's standard review of all military aid provided by the US globally, according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
On July 2, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly confirmed the suspension of certain supplies, including ammunition and anti-aircraft missiles, citing the need to prioritize "America's interests." Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov responded by saying that a reduction in arms deliveries to Ukraine would end the war sooner.
Read more: Dems accuse Hegseth of falsifying arms shortage to block Ukraine aid
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
L'Orient-Le Jour
an hour ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Taliban denies arresting or monitoring Afghans after UK data leak
The Taliban government said Thursday it had not arrested or monitored Afghans involved in a secret British resettlement plan after a data breach was revealed this week. Thousands of Afghans who worked with the UK were brought to Britain with their families in a secret programme after a 2022 data breach put their lives at risk, the British government revealed on Tuesday. The scheme was only revealed after the UK High Court on Tuesday lifted a super-gag order banning any reports of the events. UK Defence Minister John Healey said the leak was not revealed because of the risk that the Taliban authorities would obtain the data set and the lives of Afghans would be put at risk. "Nobody has been arrested for their past actions, nobody has been killed and nobody is being monitored for that," said the Afghan government's deputy spokesman, Hamdullah Fitrat, in a voice message to reporters on Thursday. "Reports of investigation and monitoring of a few people whose data has been leaked are false." After the Taliban swept back to power in 2021, their Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada announced an amnesty for Afghans who worked for NATO forces or the ousted foreign-backed government during the two-decade conflict. "We don't need to use the leaked documents from Britain. Regarding the general amnesty, nobody is investigated or monitored," Fitrat added. "The rumours being spread are just to scare these people and create fear and worry among their families, which we deny."
L'Orient-Le Jour
an hour ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
US strikes on Iran destroyed only one of three nuclear facilities hit, according to NBC
U.S. airstrikes in Iran demolished one of three nuclear facilities struck, U.S. officials told television channel NBC, adding that a more comprehensive airstrike plan had been rejected by President Donald Trump. Operation 'Midnight Hammer,' launched on June 22 by the U.S. military, attacked three key nuclear enrichment sites: Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan. Trump called the strikes 'a spectacular military success,' stating that 'Iran's key enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated," but a recent internal American assessment points otherwise, the report stated. While Fordow, viewed as the most critical site, was found to be set back by up to two years, Natanz and Isfahan were only slightly damaged, allowing for nuclear enrichment to potentially resume in a matter of months, U.S. officials familiar with the assessment said. Trump would strike Iran again 'without question' Highly enriched uranium remains intact underneath the Isfahan site, but was buried so deep by the strikes that it has become essentially unreachable, according to an Israeli government official who met with NBC reporters. Israel also maintains that it will continue to keep an eye on Iran, a sentiment echoed by Trump when asked if he would strike again if necessary: 'Without question. Absolutely.' There have reportedly been talks between the American and Israeli governments about whether or not to strike again if Iran is not open to restarting nuclear negotiations. The intelligence-gathering process on the aftermath of the strikes is set to continue for several months. Current officials state that as the process continues, greater damage is being uncovered. Alternative strike plan An alternative plan, proposed by the head of U.S. Central Command General Erik Kurilla before the war, recently came to light. The proposition was to strike six sites, instead of three, repeatedly as to completely incapacitate the nuclear program, and to target Iran's air defense. Trump reportedly was briefed on and then rejected the proposition, as it did not align with his isolationist foreign policy promises and involved a higher number of casualties on both sides. Yet, Washington officials generally still see the strikes on Iran as successful. In their eyes, the airstrikes created a credible threat to be used in case Iran tries to rebuild its nuclear capabilities, an issue on Trump's agenda since he pulled the United States out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action in 2018. The U.S.'s departure from the plan, imposing strict nuclear restrictions on Iran in return for the lessening of economic sanctions, left it to build up enough fissile material for around 9-10 bombs, officials told NBC. Since then, Trump has been attempting to forge a new agreement to stop the development of nuclear weapons, despite Iran repeatedly denying these claims.
Nahar Net
7 hours ago
- Nahar Net
Trump hosts Persian Gulf leaders at White House
by Naharnet Newsdesk 17 July 2025, 14:40 President Donald Trump hosted a pair of Arab Gulf leaders at the White House on Wednesday as violence between Israel and Syria renewed doubts about his pledge to impose peace on the Middle East. Trump held a meeting in the Oval Office with Bahrain's crown prince and dined privately with Qatar's prime minister. The Republican president has lavished attention on the Persian Gulf, a wealthy region where members of his family have extensive business relationships. He has already visited Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates on the first foreign policy trip of his second term. With little progress to share on the region's most intractable problems, including the war in Gaza, Trump was more focused Wednesday on promoting diplomatic ties as a vehicle for economic growth. "Anything they needed, we helped them," Trump said in the Oval Office while meeting with Bahrain Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa. "And anything we needed, they helped us." Meeting with Bahrain's crown prince Bahrain is a longtime ally that hosts the U.S. Fifth Fleet, which operates in the Middle East. Like other Arab leaders, Al Khalifa was eager to highlight the lucrative potential of diplomatic ties with the U.S., including $17 billion of investments. "And this is real," he said. "It's real money. These aren't fake deals." According to the White House, the agreements include purchasing American airplanes, jet engines and computer servers. More investments could be made in aluminum production and artificial intelligence. Bahrain's king, the crown prince's father, is expected to visit Washington before the end of the year. An important part of the relationship will be an agreement, signed on Wednesday, to advance cooperation on civilian nuclear energy. Dinner with Qatari prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, the prime minister of Qatar and a member of the country's ruling family, was at the White House for a private dinner with Trump on Wednesday evening. Trump visited Qatar during his trip to the region, marveling at its palaces and stopping at the Al Udeid Air Base, a key U.S. military facility. The base was targeted by Iran after the U.S. bombed the country's nuclear facilities. One ballistic missile made impact, while others were intercepted. Trump wants to use a luxurious Boeing 747 donated by Qatar as his Air Force One because he's tired of waiting for Boeing to finish new planes. However, the arrangement has stirred concerns about security and the ethics of accepting a gift from a foreign government. Aaron David Miller, who served as an adviser on Middle East issues to Democratic and Republican administrations, said "the Gulf represents everything that Trump believes is right about the Middle East." "It's rich, it's stable, it's populated by authoritarians with whom the president feels very comfortable," he said. Fighting in Syria The fighting in Syria began with clashes between Sunni Bedouin tribes and Druze factions in the country's south. Government forces intervened, raising alarms in Israel, where the Druze are a politically influential religious minority. On Wednesday, Israel launched strikes in the Syrian capital of Damascus. A ceasefire was later announced, but it was unclear if it would hold. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was in the Oval Office for Trump's meeting with the crown prince of Bahrain, said the fighting was the result of "an unfortunate situation and a misunderstanding." He said "we think we're on our way to a real de-escalation" that would allow Syria to "get back on track" to rebuilding after years of civil war. Despite an international outcry over its punishing military operations in Gaza, Israel has successfully weakened its enemies around the region, including Hezbollah and Iran. "There's a growing concern that Israel been a bigger sense of unpredictability," Brian Katulis, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, said. He also warned that "there's still no game plan to deal with the loose ends of Iran's nuclear program and its other activities in the region," such as support for the Houthis.
