Free Republic

Allied air forces began the largest deployment exercise in NATO’s history on Monday (12 June 2023). Twenty-five nations are taking part in the two-week long “Air Defender” exercise, with around 10,000 personnel and 250 aircraft. “Air Defender sends a clear message that NATO is ready to defend every inch of Allied territory”, said NATO spokesperson Oana Lungescu, adding, “Air Defender is necessary because we live in a more dangerous world. As we face the biggest security crisis in a generation, we stand united to keep our countries and our people safe.” The exercise, she added, “is a strong display of...

WASHINGTON, March 1 (Reuters) - The United States is sounding out close allies about the possibility of imposing new sanctions on China if Beijing provides military support to Russia for its war in Ukraine, according to four U.S. officials and other sources. The consultations, which are still at a preliminary stage, are intended to drum up support from a range of countries, especially those in the wealthy Group of 7 (G7), to coordinate support for any possible restrictions. It was not clear what specific sanctions Washington will propose. The conversations have not been previously disclosed. The U.S. Treasury Department, a...

A few days ago, on several internet news sites, a bone-chilling claim appeared: The U.S. is looking to the Ukraine war to shape its planning for the coming conflict with China over Taiwan. This is completely wrong because there is no connection between events in Ukraine and a possible Chinese assault on Taiwan. The comparison between current events in Ukraine and possible future events in Taiwan has been common practically since the Ukraine conflict began. On May 19, 2022, Politico wrote that “U.S. officials are pushing their Taiwanese counterparts with new urgency to look to Ukraine’s success in fending off...

By any accounting, Tuesday’s State of the Union was short on talk of foreign policy. President Biden made scant reference to America’s role in the world, absent a brief but cadenced assertion of commitments to “the most basic of principles;” namely, “sovereignty,” life “free of tyranny,” and “the defense of democracy.” About an hour in, the address showcased Oksana Markarova, Ukraine’s ambassador to Washington, but reference to American material support came only in passing assurance of “as long as it takes.” This stands in stark contrast to last year’s address, delivered during the opening weeks of Russia’s invasion, when President...