Latest news with #aerialdefense
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
US, NATO officials discuss possible weapons sales to aid Ukraine
United States military and NATO officials are discussing a possible plan that could be unveiled in the coming days that would provide Ukraine with much-needed aerial defense weapons, including Patriot systems, by funneling U.S. weapons through the European alliance, officials said. The idea of NATO buying weapons from the U.S. -- which President Donald Trump said he supports -- comes after months of uncertainty about Ukraine's ability to fend off Russia's brutal air assaults without sophisticated U.S. air defenses. Still unclear, though, is if the U.S. plans to pull weapons systems from its own military stocks to sell to European allies – an approach that would help Ukraine in the near term. Defense officials, however, have recently expressed previous concerns that the U.S. supply of some weapons could be too low. MORE: 70% of children in Ukraine don't have access to basic goods, services: UNICEF A senior NATO military official and a second U.S. official confirmed that discussions were underway on how to make the idea work. "President [Donald] Trump has spoken about this, not just with the press, but with the NATO Secretary General, who is working with Allies to get Ukraine the help they need," the senior NATO military official told ABC News. "This includes urgent efforts to procure key supplies from the U.S., including air defense and ammunition." The official added that "NATO has effective mechanisms in place to make something like this possible." MORE: Rubio meets with Russia's Lavrov after Trump criticizes Putin According to a U.S. official, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte held a conference call on Friday with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Dan Caine and Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, the top military commander for U.S. and NATO forces in Europe, to discuss possible ways to provide the aid. In an interview with NBC News on Thursday, Trump suggested the concept of selling weapons to NATO was a done deal. "We're sending weapons to NATO, and NATO is paying for those weapons, 100%," he said, adding that an announcement on Russia was expected Monday. Speaking at the ASEAN Summit in Malaysia, Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested one option could be for Europeans to ship their own air defense systems to Ukraine now and purchase replacements from the U.S. Earlier this month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was "actively working" with Germany to "speed up decisions" on receiving the air defense systems Ukraine needs. Germany's Defense Minister Boris Pistorius was scheduled to visit the Pentagon for talks with Hegseth on Monday. ABC's Hannah Demissie and Chris Boccia contributed to this report.
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
US, NATO officials discuss possible weapons sales to aid Ukraine
United States military and NATO officials are discussing a possible plan that could be unveiled in the coming days that would provide Ukraine with much-needed aerial defense weapons, including Patriot systems, by funneling U.S. weapons through the European alliance, officials said. The idea of NATO buying weapons from the U.S. -- which President Donald Trump said he supports -- comes after months of uncertainty about Ukraine's ability to fend off Russia's brutal air assaults without sophisticated U.S. air defenses. Still unclear, though, is if the U.S. plans to pull weapons systems from its own military stocks to sell to European allies – an approach that would help Ukraine in the near term. Defense officials, however, have recently expressed previous concerns that the U.S. supply of some weapons could be too low. MORE: 70% of children in Ukraine don't have access to basic goods, services: UNICEF A senior NATO military official and a second U.S. official confirmed that discussions were underway on how to make the idea work. "President [Donald] Trump has spoken about this, not just with the press, but with the NATO Secretary General, who is working with Allies to get Ukraine the help they need," the senior NATO military official told ABC News. "This includes urgent efforts to procure key supplies from the U.S., including air defense and ammunition." The official added that "NATO has effective mechanisms in place to make something like this possible." MORE: Rubio meets with Russia's Lavrov after Trump criticizes Putin According to a U.S. official, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte held a conference call on Friday with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Dan Caine and Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, the top military commander for U.S. and NATO forces in Europe, to discuss possible ways to provide the aid. In an interview with NBC News on Thursday, Trump suggested the concept of selling weapons to NATO was a done deal. "We're sending weapons to NATO, and NATO is paying for those weapons, 100%," he said, adding that an announcement on Russia was expected Monday. Speaking at the ASEAN Summit in Malaysia, Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested one option could be for Europeans to ship their own air defense systems to Ukraine now and purchase replacements from the U.S. Earlier this month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was "actively working" with Germany to "speed up decisions" on receiving the air defense systems Ukraine needs. Germany's Defense Minister Boris Pistorius was scheduled to visit the Pentagon for talks with Hegseth on Monday. ABC's Hannah Demissie and Chris Boccia contributed to this report.
Russia Today
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Over 80k aerial targets shot down during conflict with Ukraine
Russian forces have shot down more than 80,000 aerial targets during the conflict with Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin has revealed, adding that the country is seeking to create a universal anti-aircraft system capable of intercepting any incoming projectile. Putin made the remarks on Thursday while meeting with senior civilian and military officials to discuss Russia's armament plans for the period between 2027 and 2036. The conflict with Ukraine has been marked by the rapid development of aerial weaponry, the evolution of its role and the tactics of its use, Putin noted. 'The new state armament program should ensure the creation of a universal air defense system that is capable of operating in any conditions and effectively destroying aerial strike weapons regardless of their type,' the president stated. The 80,000 figure includes some 7,500 sophisticated munitions, such as tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and projectiles fired by multiple rocket launchers, Putin noted, adding that nearly all such weapons destroyed had been supplied to Kiev by the West. However, drones constitute the vast majority of aerial targets intercepted during the conflict. According to the latest figures by the Russian Defense Ministry, more than 63,000 Ukrainian UAVs of all types have been destroyed amid the hostilities. 'The fight against various types of unmanned aerial vehicles required new approaches and non-standard solutions. This field remains particularly relevant,' the president stressed.
