Latest news with #PatriotMissiles
Telegraph
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Battle Lines: ‘If it flies it dies'
Donald Trump—never one to shy away from controversy—has done another dramatic U-turn. After flatly refusing to send any more Patriot missiles to Ukraine, he's now decided to send them anyway. So what's changed? And why do these missiles matter so much? Let's cut through the noise. Are Patriot missiles genuinely game-changers on the battlefield, or are they just a powerful symbol in modern warfare? To get to the truth, we're speaking to someone who's actually been there—Air Marshal Edward Stringer. He spent 39 years in the RAF, flew combat missions over Iraq, and went up against anti-aircraft systems himself. If anyone knows what Patriot missiles can really do, it's him.
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump news at a glance: president threatens 100% tariff on Russia and says he is keeping Club World Cup trophy
Donald Trump has said he sealed an agreement with Nato allies that will deliver Patriot missiles and other key arms to Ukraine – and warned Russia it would face severe sanctions if the war did not end within 50 days. Unveiling the military assistance deal, the US president expressed increased frustration with Vladimir Putin, whom he accused of giving the impression of pursuing peace while intensifying attacks on Ukrainian cities. He gave the Russian president a new deadline of 50 days to make peace or face 100% tariffs on Russian goods, and more importantly, sweeping 'secondary tariffs', suggesting trade sanctions would be imposed on countries that continue to pay for Russian oil and other commodities. Here is more on this and other key Trump stories of the day: Trump hails US-Nato deal to arm Ukraine After a meeting with the Nato secretary general, Mark Rutte, Trump said they had agreed 'a very big deal' in which 'billions of dollars' worth of military equipment is going to be bought from the United States, going to Nato … And that's going to be quickly distributed to the battlefield'. Speaking in the White House alongside a clearly delighted Rutte, the US president said the arms deliveries would be comprehensive and would include the Patriot missile batteries that Ukraine desperately needs for its air defences against the daily Russian aerial onslaught. Read the full story Epstein files plunge Trump's Maga base into turmoil The Department of Justice's announcement that it did not have a list of Jeffrey Epstein's alleged clients, and that the convicted sex offender was not murdered, has plunged the rightwing world into turmoil. Conservative commentators and media figures, some of whom spent years pushing conspiracy theories about Epstein's death, have accused the government of covering up the hedge fund manager's crimes, with calls growing for Pam Bondi, the attorney general, to resign. The FBI deputy director, Dan Bongino, is reportedly considering quitting over the controversy. The saga has pitted Trump – who was friends with Epstein for many years before later disowning the financier – against his base, with the president pleading over the weekend for his supporters to 'not waste time and energy on Jeffrey Epstein'. Here is how we got here Trump keeps Club World Cup trophy The president has claimed that the Club World Cup trophy that has featured prominently in the Oval Office will stay there, and that Fifa made a copy of the trophy that was awarded to Chelsea after their win in the tournament's final on Sunday. Trump attended the final along with numerous members of his cabinet and Fifa president Gianni Infantino. The pair of presidents jointly presented the trophy to Chelsea captain Reece James, with Trump staying front-and-center despite the apparent confusion of Chelsea players and the pleading of Infantino. Read the full story Supreme court allows Trump to gut education department The US supreme court on Monday cleared the way for Donald Trump's administration to resume dismantling the Department of Education as part of his bid to shrink the federal government's role in education in favor of more control by the states. In the latest high court win for the president, the justices lifted a federal judge's order that had reinstated nearly 1,400 workers affected by mass layoffs at the department and blocked the administration from transferring key functions to other federal agencies. A legal challenge is continuing to play out in lower courts. Read the full story US dairy industry to remove synthetic dyes from ice-cream, RFK Jr says In what Trump administration officials dubbed a 'major announcement', health and agriculture department leaders said the US dairy industry agreed to voluntarily remove synthetic dyes from ice-cream. Read the full story What else happened: Pam Bondi fired the justice department's top ethics adviser, Joseph Tirrell, on Friday, the latest in a series of dismissals that comes as Donald Trump and allies have sought retribution against civil servants in the agency. Trump officials' recent attempt to dispel concerns about 'chemtrails' has perplexed and angered some experts who say the administration has itself promoted the conspiracy theory while also spreading climate misinformation. Catching up? Here's what happened 13 July.
CBC
16-07-2025
- Business
- CBC
Why the U.S. is rearming Ukraine
President Donald Trump is pushing a new two-part plan to end Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine: threatening a 100% tariff on Russia's key trading partners if a deal isn't reached in 50 days, and supplying Ukraine with Patriot missiles. Andrew Chang explains why Ukraine so desperately needs these air defence capabilities and what's behind Trump's change of course. Images provided by Getty Images, The Canadian Press and Reuters.
Al Mayadeen
15-07-2025
- Business
- Al Mayadeen
US Patriot missile stockpile at 25% as Trump vows more arms to Ukraine
The United States' reserve of Patriot missiles has dropped to approximately 25% of its total stockpile, even as former President Donald Trump pledges to send additional weapons to Ukraine, according to a report by The Guardian. The report highlights growing concerns within the Pentagon over the sustainability of US military aid, particularly after recent military operations in West Asia placed further strain on critical defense assets. The 12-day Israeli-imposed war on Iran significantly impacted US munitions reserves. Per the report, the US military expended nearly 30 Patriot missiles to help repel Iranian missile strikes against "Israel" last month. As a result, the Pentagon's supply of key air defense systems, particularly Patriot interceptors, has been severely depleted, raising concerns about the US military's preparedness for potential conflicts elsewhere. Due to the diminished supply, the Pentagon temporarily paused the transfer of specific munitions to Ukraine in June. This decision was part of a broader review of global military aid that began in February, the report adds. The US Department of Defense is reportedly assessing its ability to sustain high-demand systems like the Patriot missile while meeting global commitments, including to Kiev. Despite the shortage, Trump announced on Monday that his administration plans to send 'some more weapons' to Ukraine. However, he did not specify which systems would be included or whether Patriot missiles would form part of the new package. Earlier on Tuesday, Axios reported that Trump had promised to send 10 Patriot interceptor missiles to Ukraine and assist in sourcing additional military supplies. Patriot missiles, particularly the PAC-3 MSE variant, are manufactured by Lockheed Martin. According to US Army budget documents, each interceptor costs approximately $4.1 million. Given the complexity and expense of replenishing these systems, US military planners are grappling with how to balance continued support for Ukraine with domestic defense needs. On June 30, US media outlets reported that the Pentagon had suspended deliveries of certain precision-guided munitions and air defense systems to Ukraine. The move, officials indicated, was motivated by concerns over diminishing stockpiles. White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly confirmed the suspension to NBC News. On July 7, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt emphasized that the decision was part of a standard global audit of military assistance and not solely related to Ukraine. Since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, Ukraine has received an estimated 6 to 8 Patriot air defense batteries from various sources, with over 1,000 Patriot missiles transferred, comprising both PAC-2 GEM-T and PAC-3 MSE variants. Despite this, Ukraine has requested at least 25 batteries for full airspace coverage, while President Volodymyr Zelensky has stated that even 10 systems would offer only minimal protection. Direct US contributions include three Patriot batteries, as well as 90 missiles transferred from Israeli stockpiles through US mediation in January 2025. Trump's newly announced delivery of 10 missiles, though fewer than the 30 originally planned, follows a temporary pause in shipments due to US shortages. Financially, the US has provided $66.9 billion in military aid to Ukraine as part of more than $114 billion in total assistance, according to international tracking sources. Roughly 70% of this aid is spent within the US, supporting domestic arms manufacturers like Lockheed Martin. Despite such large-scale support, strategic concerns remain as European allies are now being urged to expand their own contributions to offset US limitations. As Washington weighs its options, the dwindling supply of Patriot missiles underscores the challenges facing US military planners, namely, maintaining defense readiness while continuing extensive foreign military aid programs.
Al Mayadeen
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Mayadeen
Trump approves Patriot missiles to Ukraine, bills EU for costs
US President Donald Trump on Monday confirmed that the United States will send Patriot air defense missiles to Ukraine, emphasizing that the European Union will cover the costs. The US president had announced last week that Washington would be supplying Kiev with more weapons as the Ukraine war rages on. Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews upon his return to Washington, Trump said: "I haven't agreed on the number yet, but they're going to have some because they do need protection, but the European Union is paying for it. We're not paying anything for it, but we will send it." Trump also took a jab at Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying, "We will send them Patriots, which they desperately need because Putin has really surprised a lot of people. He talks nice and then he bombs everybody in the evening. A little bit of a problem there. I don't like it."Read more: Trump hints at Russia confrontation: 'You'll see things happening' The decision follows a short-lived halt by the Defense Department last week, which paused delivery of certain air defense missiles and munitions to Ukraine, citing concerns over depleted US military stockpiles. The White House later confirmed that the halt came after a global assessment of American military commitments. However, the Pentagon reversed the decision days later, announcing on Tuesday that it would resume shipments of additional defensive weapons to Ukraine. The reversal followed Trump's directive, with the Pentagon stating the move was intended "to ensure the Ukrainians can defend themselves while we work to secure a lasting peace and ensure the killing stops." Trump later told reporters that he was unaware of who had approved the earlier pause in deliveries. Trump also announced that he will meet NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House today, on Monday. This comes after his statement last Thursday, where he said a deal had been reached with NATO to send weapons to Ukraine, with the military alliance bearing most of the financial burden. In a statement to NBC News, Trump said, "We're sending weapons to NATO, and NATO is paying for those weapons, 100%. So what we're doing is the weapons that are going out are going to NATO, and then NATO is going to be giving those weapons [to Ukraine], and NATO is paying for those weapons." He noted that the deal was reached during the last NATO summit. "We send weapons to NATO, and NATO is going to reimburse the full cost of those weapons," Trump added. Read more: US redirects $1.6bln in Ukraine aid to boost shell production
