Latest news with #PatriotSystems
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Germany outlines drone and Patriot plan for Ukraine
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius detailed on Monday what additional help Berlin plans to provide to Ukraine as it holds off Russian forces. Speaking at a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group in London - a gathering of Kiev's Western allies - Pistorius said that Germany was financing the procurement of long-range drones, being manufactured in Ukraine itself. "They will destroy Russian aircraft, drones and missiles on the ground before they can pose a threat to Ukraine, its cities or infrastructure," he said. "The first of the systems financed by Germany will be delivered to the Ukrainian armed forces in the coming days and can be deployed immediately." When it comes to the Patriot air defence systems, Pistorius said that Ukraine needed five additional systems to defend itself against Russian airstrikes. Germany has promised to supply Ukraine with two Patriot missile systems, purchased from the United States. Germany's original plan was to purchase two, each costing around €1 billion ($1.16 billion), from the US and deliver them directly to Ukraine. However, as the systems are not yet available, Germany will hand over two of its nine remaining Patriot systems to Ukraine and later receive replacements from the US. Solve the daily Crossword
Russia Today
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Trump's ultimatum isn't an ultimatum – and Moscow knows it
US President Donald Trump has finally issued his much-anticipated 'important statement' on Russia. For days, speculation swirled, particularly among pro-Ukrainian circles, that the long-awaited U-turn was coming. Trump, they hoped, would finally get tough – perhaps inspired by the increasingly hawkish rhetoric of Senator Lindsey Graham (who, incidentally, is designated a terrorist and extremist in Russia). Even sceptics began to believe that Trump was gearing up to show Moscow 'Kuzka's mother,' a famous idiomatic expression of aggression used by Nikita Khrushchev during the Cold War But in classic Trump fashion, expectations were dashed. The supposedly 'extremely tough ultimatum' turned out to be something else entirely. Trump threatened tariff sanctions against Russia and its trading partners – but scrapped Graham's extreme proposal of 500% duties. Instead, he floated the idea of 100% tariffs that would only take effect after 50 days, if he chooses to enforce them, and if Russia fails to strike a deal. Trump also announced new arms deliveries to Ukraine. But these aren't gifts – they'll be sold, not given, and passed through European intermediaries. Supposedly, Ukraine will receive 17 Patriot systems. Yet we soon learned the first of these deliveries won't arrive for at least two months – again, 50 days. And even now, basic questions remain unanswered. What exactly did Trump mean by '17 Patriots'? Seventeen batteries? Launchers? Missiles? If he meant 17 batteries, that's simply not plausible. The US itself only operates around 30 active batteries. Germany and Israel combined don't have anywhere near that many available systems. Such a figure would significantly boost Ukraine's air defences – but it's almost certainly exaggerated. Seventeen missiles? That would be laughable – but not unthinkable. Washington recently sent just 10 Patriot missiles in a 'military aid' package so modest it wouldn't suffice for a single battle. Seventeen launchers? That seems more realistic. A typical battery consists of six to eight launchers, so this would amount to two or three batteries – more than what Germany and Norway have promised to purchase for Ukraine. Yet even the Pentagon can't confirm the details. And one suspects Trump himself may be fuzzy on the specifics. His role, after all, is to make the pronouncements; others are left to clean up the mess. The so-called '14 July ultimatum' has already become a textbook example of Trump's diplomatic approach. In fact, a new phrase has emerged in American political slang: 'Trump Always Chickens Out' or TACO. The acronym speaks for itself. It refers to the president's habit in trade and security talks of making grandiose threats, only to backtrack or delay implementation. This appears to be another case in point. The negotiations are at an impasse. Trump still craves a Nobel Peace Prize. And he's reluctant to become too entangled in the Ukrainian conflict. So he's reached for the oldest trick in his playbook: the non-ultimatum ultimatum. This allows him to sound tough while giving Moscow space – and perhaps even time – to act. It also offers cover with his MAGA base, many of whom are frustrated by distractions like Iran or the Epstein scandal and aren't eager to see America dragged further into Ukraine. The genius of it, from Trump's perspective, is that it promises everything and nothing at once. No clear strategy. No detailed demands. Just an open-ended threat backed by ambiguous timelines. It's pressure without posture. Leverage without leadership. What's striking is that the White House didn't even ask Russia to de-escalate. There were no appeals to halt the almost daily strikes on Ukraine or curb battlefield activity. In effect, Russia has been handed a 50-day window – intentionally or not – to do as it sees fit. A quiet concession to the Kremlin? Perhaps. A careless side effect? Possibly. Either way, Moscow gains. America, too, comes out ahead – at least financially. Under the new arrangement, Western Europe picks up the tab for Ukraine's defence, while US companies get paid to offload ageing equipment. Trump's famed 'art of the deal' may amount to little more than selling junk with a smile. But if so, he's done it masterfully. Still, as a political manoeuvre, the outcome is more uncertain. Trump may believe he's found the sweet spot between hawks and doves, between NATO allies and nationalist critics. But trying to be all things to all people rarely ends well. Appeasement disguised as firmness satisfies no one for long. And while Trump plays for time, Russia holds the initiative. That's the real story article was first published by the online newspaper and was translated and edited by the RT team
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ukraine's Patriot demand is showing the US Army that it needs to be stockpiling interceptor missiles
Ukraine's inventory of US-made Patriot systems has been crucial for air defense. The US Army is closely watching the engagements and using them to inform its planning. Two Army officers told BI it underscores the need for sufficient interceptor stockpiles. Ukraine's high demand for US-made Patriot air defense systems and interceptors to defend against Russian attacks is showing the US Army that it needs to stockpile missiles for future fights, two officers told Business Insider. The MIM-104 Patriot is Ukraine's best surface-to-air missile system and a critical shield since it arrived in the country over two years ago. Kyiv is believed to be operating six batteries, which are a critical element in its defense against Russia's massive attacks on Ukrainian cities, especially those involving ballistic missiles. However, this high-tempo operating environment has strained Patriot interceptor stockpiles. Ukraine has long been hamstrung by a shortage of missiles, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy repeatedly calling on the US and NATO allies to send more. The country has been unable to get enough of these weapons. Patriot interceptors come in multiple variants, and Ukraine is known to have received several different types of missiles since it started operating the system in 2023. This diversity of ammunition is helping inform US war planning. Lt. Col. James Compton, the deputy operations officer for the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, said that the Ukraine conflict "has highlighted that you should not stockpile one or two types of interceptors. It is obviously important to have a large number, but there are several variants of the Patriot missile," each bringing its own capability against a threat. "There is not a 'one size fits all' solution," he added, explaining that "you do not want to use the same missile against a drone that you would against a ballistic missile, and this conflict reinforces the need to plan how units are postured accordingly." Ensuring sufficient stockpiles of each of the interceptors requires a strong defense industry and global supply chain. Chief Warrant Officer Sanjeev "Jay" Siva, a technician with the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, said recent conflicts, especially the Ukraine war, have demonstrated an "urgent need for increased global production and distribution of Patriot interceptor missiles," specifically the Patriot Advanced Capability-2, PAC-3, and MSE variants. Reinforcing that point are conflicts in the Middle East, where the Army has used Patriot batteries to help fend off multiple Iranian ballistic missile attacks since April 2024; the most recent engagement was last month. In Ukraine, at least two interceptors are thought to be needed to destroy an incoming ballistic missile, so a medium-sized barrage can quickly eat away at stockpiles. As the US military looks across the Pacific at China's growing military power and substantial arsenal of ballistic missiles, land- and ship-based air defense is top of mind. Analysts and officials have voiced concern that American forces are using up interceptors without clear plans for replacing them. Having a large number of Patriot interceptors would be critical for the US in a large-scale conflict with a peer adversary, like China or Russia. The head of Indo-Pacific Command, Adm. Samuel Paparo, has said that shipments of Patriots and interceptors to the Ukrainians have been "eating into stocks." He said that "to say otherwise would be dishonest." Last year, the Army awarded Lockheed Martin, one of the Patriot manufacturers, a contract to boost the annual production of PAC-3 MSE missiles to 650, up from 350 just a few years ago. The company said in March that it expects to reach this milestone by 2027. Siva stressed that the Patriot "represents a critical final tier of defense against increasingly complex threats," like one-way attack drones and cruise missiles, and the weapons remain "the sole effective" protection against tactical ballistic missiles. He said that "addressing this capability gap is paramount to maintaining regional and global security." Read the original article on Business Insider
The Independent
07-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Ukraine-Russia war latest: Moscow and Kyiv trade aerial attacks as Zelensky signs deals to boost drone production
Russia and Ukraine struck each other with hundreds of drones over the weekend, forcing shutdown of airports in Moscow and throwing Russian air travel in disarray. Russia's defence ministry said its air defences shot down 120 Ukrainian drones during the nighttime attacks, and 39 more before 2pm Moscow time (1100 GMT) yesterday. The Ukrainian drone attack caused flight disruptions at Moscow's Sheremetyevo and St Petersburg's main Pulkovo airports. Other airports in western and central Russia also faced disruptions. Russia also fired large-scale drone strikes on Ukraine yesterday, injuring three civilians in Kyiv and at least two in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city in the northeast. The continuing onslaught comes as Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky announced deals with his European allies and a leading US defence company that would allow Kyiv to scale up drone production to 'hundreds of thousands' more this year. Mr Zelensky also hinted that he spoke to the US president Donald Trump on securing more Patriot systems to fight back Russian attacks. Russia and Ukraine trade drone strikes in weekend attack Russia and Ukraine struck each other with hundreds of drones yesterday, forcing shutdown of airports and throwing Russian air travel in disarray. Russian air defences shot down 120 Ukrainian drones during the nighttime attacks, and 39 more before 2pm Moscow time (1100 GMT) yesterday, Russia's defence ministry said. It did not clarify how many had hit targets, or how many had been launched in total. Photos and videos of the attack showed crowds huddling at Russian airports including key international hubs in Moscow and St Petersburg, as hundreds of flights were delayed or canceled due to Ukrainian drone strikes on Saturday and overnight, according to Russia's transport ministry. The flight disruptions hit Moscow's Sheremetyevo and St. Petersburg's main Pulkovo airports. Other airports in western and central Russia also faced disruptions.
Bloomberg
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Germany in Talks With US to Get Patriot Air Defense for Kyiv
Germany is in advanced talks with the US to secure at least two additional Patriot air-defense systems for Ukraine as Russia steps up its drone and missile attacks and Washington places a hold on weapons deliveries this week. Chancellor Friedrich Merz spoke on the phone with US President Donald Trump on Thursday to discuss how to provide Ukraine with more air-defense systems, a German government spokesman said on Friday. Both leaders also discussed trade and tariffs, the spokesman added.
