Trump Turns to US Military Leaders for Diplomatic Efforts on Iran and Ukraine
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has taken the unusual step of tapping military leaders for high-level diplomacy, sending the top U.S. commander in the Middle East to talks over Iran’s nuclear program and positioning the Army secretary as a key negotiator on ending the Russia-Ukraine war. Adm. Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command, […]
American Senators Rip Trump’s Ukraine Peace Proposal at International Security Conference in Canada
HALIFAX, Nova Scotia (AP) — American senators panned a U.S. peace proposal on Ukraine at an international security conference Saturday, with one calling it one of the most serious geopolitical mistakes of his lifetime. The 28-point peace plan was crafted by U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration and the Kremlin without Ukraine’s involvement. It acquiesces to […]
Army Secretary Set to Meet with Zelenskyy to Help with Ukraine Peace Talks, Officials Say
WASHINGTON — Several high-ranking Army officials, including Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, are in Ukraine to help with peace talks, U.S. officials said Wednesday, as Trump administration efforts to halt Russia’s war in Ukraine have stalled. Driscoll had been planning a trip to Ukraine for some time to discuss the country’s drone warfare innovations and tactics, […]
Body of a US Army Vet Killed Fighting in Ukraine Returns Home
GRAPEVINE, Texas — The phone call came in early April this year from the U.S. embassy in Kyiv. At 1 in the morning in Texas, Raquel Hamm steeled herself for the news she had dreaded since her son enlisted as a U.S. Army Ranger eight years earlier. Cedric “Charlie” Hamm was 26 years old and […]
Trump Selects Retired General Keith Kellogg as Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — President-elect Donald Trump said Wednesday that he has chosen Keith Kellogg, a highly decorated retired three-star general, to serve as his special envoy for Ukraine and Russia. Kellogg, who is one of the architects of a staunchly conservative policy book that lays out an “America First” national security agenda for […]
Ex-US Soldier Charged in 'International Crime Spree' Extradited From Ukraine, Officials Say
A former U.S. soldier has been extradited from Ukraine on years-old charges that he went on an alleged “international crime spree,” including the 2018 killings and robbery of a couple in Florida to fund travel plans to Venezuela to wage military-style raids against its government, federal prosecutors announced Monday. In a U.S. Department of Justice […]
US Special Operations Leaders Are Having to Do More With Less and Learning From the War in Ukraine
FORT LIBERTY, N.C. (AP) — Forced to do more with less and learning from the war in Ukraine, U.S. special operations commanders are juggling how to add more high-tech experts to their teams while still cutting their overall forces by about 5,000 troops over the next five years. The conflicting pressures are forcing a broader […]
Army Fires Commander of Germany Air Defense Unit Activated After Ukraine Invasion
In October, the Army stood up a new key air defense unit in Germany as a reaction to Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine. But after only six months, the unit’s commander has been fired. Lt. Col. Eric Ackles, commander of 1st Battalion, 57th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, was relieved of command Monday, the service confirmed […]
US Military Drills in Philippines Unaffected by America’s Focus on Ukraine and Gaza, US General Says
MANILA, Philippines — Combat exercises between the United States and the Philippines involving thousands of forces each year will not be affected by America’s focus on the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, a U.S. general said Thursday. The Biden administration has been strengthening an arc of military alliances in the Indo-Pacific region to […]
Army Warns Recruiting Efforts Could Take a Hit if Congress Doesn’t Pass Ukraine and Israel Funding
SIMI VALLEY, Calif. — If Congress does not approve extra funding to cover the bulked-up U.S. troop presence in Europe and the Middle East, the Army could have to dip into funding meant for recruitment to cover costs of the deployments, a top service official warned this weekend. Speaking at the annual Reagan National Defense […]