Free Republic

Everyone agrees: it's getting worse. The people of Kyiv have, like the citizens of other Ukrainian cities, been through a lot. After three and a half years of fluctuating fortunes, they are tough and extremely resilient. But in recent months, they have been experiencing something new: vast, coordinated waves of attacks from the air, involving hundreds of drones and missiles, often concentrated on a single city. Last night, it was Kyiv. And the week before too. In between, it was Lutsk in the far west. Three years ago, Iranian-supplied Shahed drones were a relative novelty. I remember hearing my first,...

President Donald Trump for the first time since returning to office will send weapons to Kyiv under a presidential power frequently used by his predecessor, two sources familiar with the decision said on Thursday, a move suggesting new interest by the president in defending Ukraine. More than three years after Russia's invasion of its neighbor, Trump's team will identify arms from U.S. stockpiles to send to Ukraine under the Presidential Drawdown Authority, the sources said, with one saying they could be worth around $300 million. Trump on Tuesday said the U.S. would send more weapons to Ukraine to help the...

Speaking on the State TV channel Russia-1, pro-government host Vladimir Solovyov warned that Russia could destroy both US coasts using nuclear-powered Poseidon torpedoes—underwater weapons designed to trigger a “radioactive tsunami.” During the broadcast, Solovyov directly addressed US President Donald Trump: “Will Trump understand that two Poseidons, launched from different sides, could wipe out the US and create a radioactive disaster? That would be the end—nothing will save them.” “No protective element will help them,” Solovyov declared, referring to US missile defense systems. Framing the hypothetical strike as a response to “Western aggression,” he suggested that Washington underestimates Russia’s capabilities and...

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he expressed the United States' frustration that more progress has not been made on ending the war in Ukraine in a meeting on Thursday with Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. "It was a frank conversation. It was an important one," Rubio said his 50-minute talks with the Russian foreign minister on the sidelines of the ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting in Malaysia. He said he expressed to Lavrov what U.S. President Donald Trump has said publicly, "that there's not been more flexibility on the Russian side to bring about an end to this conflict." The envoys'...

While Russia's overnight drone and missile attacks on Ukraine have hit record levels, on the ground its military is claiming territorial gains. Last month Russian forces seized 556 sq km (215 sq miles), its biggest land grab this year, according to the open-source DeepState monitoring website in Ukraine. That is an area four times the size of Liverpool and nearly the same size as the city of Chicago. Russia's goal is to cut off supply routes used by Ukrainian troops in the east, and create a buffer zone inside Ukraine's northern borders. But its advance remains relatively slow. At this...

President Trump said he has bigger worries than investigating who in his administration last week ordered the halt of arms to Ukraine. The president on Monday announced the resumption of weapons sent to help Ukraine’s war with Russia, signaling that he and the Pentagon were not on the same page about arming Kyiv. “Well, I haven’t thought about it because we’re looking at Ukraine right now and munitions, but no, I have not gone into it,” Mr. Trump said Wednesday while meeting with African leaders. Pressed about the disconnect between the White House and the Pentagon, Mr. Trump said he...

The Trump administration has resumed sending some weapons to Ukraine, a week after the Pentagon had directed that some deliveries be paused. The weapons now moving into Ukraine include 155 mm munitions and precision-guided rockets known as GMLRS, two U.S. officials told The Associated Press on Wednesday. They spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details that had not been announced publicly.

Russia fired a record 728 Shahed and decoy drones at Ukraine overnight, as well as 13 missiles, the Ukrainian air force said Wednesday, in the latest escalation amid mounting Russian aerial and ground attacks in the more than three-year war. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the city of Lutsk, which lies in Ukraine’s northwest along the border with Poland and Belarus, was the hardest hit, though 10 other regions were also struck. Lutsk is home to airfields used by the Ukrainian army. Cargo planes and fighter jets routinely fly over the city. No casualties were immediately reported, as emergency crews...

The United States only has about 25% of the Patriot missile interceptors it needs for all of the Pentagon’s military plans after burning through stockpiles in the Middle East in recent months, an alarming depletion that led to the Trump administration freezing the latest transfer of munitions to Ukraine.The stockpile of the Patriot missiles has fallen so low that it raised concern inside the Pentagon that it could jeopardize potential US military operations, and deputy defense secretary, Stephen Feinberg, authorized the transfer to be halted while they reviewed where weapons were being sent.snipTrump also told Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in...

SummaryTrump criticizes Putin, says his statements 'meaningless' Trump says he is considering Senate bill on Russia sanctions Ukraine's Zelenskiy calls for intensified contacts to secure U.S. arms supplies WASHINGTON, July 8 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he had approved sending U.S. defensive weapons to Ukraine and was considering additional sanctions on Moscow, underscoring his frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the growing death toll in Russia's war with Ukraine.Trump, who pledged as a presidential candidate to end the war within a day, has not been able to follow through on that promise and efforts by his...

The dominant Western narrative that Europe can arm Ukraine to victory against Russia is a “dangerous fantasy.” Europe’s defense industrial base is too hollowed out, its weapons production timelines too long, and its political will too fragile to offset Russia’s formidable military and industrial might.

Former Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) praised President Trump on Tuesday for announcing that he would send additional weapons to Ukraine and blasted “isolationists and restrainers” at the Department of Defense (DOD), possibly taking aim at the Pentagon’s No. 3-ranking official. “I’m glad that President Trump wants to resume deliveries of lethal capabilities to Ukraine. America’s policy of providing lethal support to Ukraine began during his first term, and likely helped deter earlier Russian escalation,” McConnell said in a statement. “This time, the president will need to reject calls from the isolationists and restrainers within his administration to limit...

Russia soon could be bombing Ukraine with 1,000 missiles and drones nightly, it was reported. An expanded missile plant in Votkinsk, Russia and quickly expanding supply chains have bolstered President Vladimir Putin’s forces and their ability to fire on Ukraine, The Telegraph reported Monday. Putin's intent is for the onslaught to wear down morale among Ukrainians, deplete Kyiv’s defenses and undermine the West's interest to maintain its support, the London outlet added. On Friday, Russia fired a record 550 missiles and drones at Ukraine. Most of the drones were Iranian-made Shaheds. A Ukrainian intelligence source told The Telegraph that the...

Pete Hegseth, the US defense secretary, unilaterally halted an agreed shipment of military aid to Ukraine due to baseless concerns that US stockpiles of weapons have run too low, it has been reported. A batch of air defense missiles and other precision munitions were due to be sent to Ukraine to aid it in its ongoing war with Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbor in 2022. The aid was promised by the US during Joe Biden’s administration last year. But the Pentagon halted the shipment, with NBC reporting that a decision to do so was made solely...

Germany was exploring the possibility of purchasing more Patriot air defense systems from the United States for Ukraine, a government spokesman said Friday, as Russia intensifies its aerial attacks. Asked to comment on reports that the government in Berlin had reached out to Washington over a deal for new anti-missile systems, government spokesman Stefan Kornelius said he could “confirm that more intensive discussions are indeed taking place on this.” Chancellor Friedrich Merz had raised the issue in a telephone call with US President Donald Trump on Thursday, Der Spiegel magazine reported subsequently. The exchange was confirmed to AFP by Kornelius....

The war in Ukraine has thrust advanced air defense systems like the Patriot missile into the spotlight, creating a unique confluence of geopolitical urgency and defense sector opportunity. As Russia's relentless drone and missile strikes escalate, Ukraine's reliance on Western military aid has exposed both the strategic importance of advanced air defense systems and the fragile global supply chains supporting their production. For investors, this dynamic presents a compelling narrative of growth for defense contractors—but also risks tied to production bottlenecks and shifting geopolitical alliances. The Demand Surge: Patriots as the New “Must-Have” Asset The U.S. decision to pause Patriot...

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth unilaterally suspended military aid to Ukraine for the third time, despite military conclusions that there was no threat to US stockpiles. This decision surprised the State Department, Congress, and European allies, drawing bipartisan criticism. The suspension of military aid to Ukraine was a unilateral step by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, citing three congressional aides and a former US official familiar with the matter, NBC News reports, writes UNN. "The Department of Defense (US) this week delayed the delivery of American weapons to Ukraine due to, according to officials, concerns about its low...

@RepDonBacon Mr President, your policy towards Russia is not working. While we negotiate, Putin bombs Ukrainian cities. Here is Kyiv today. It is time to change strategy. We and our allies must arm Ukraine to the teeth & we need the toughest sanctions. Putin is mocking you and America.

US President Donald Trump said Ukraine would need Patriot missiles for its defence, after speaking to President Volodymyr Zelensky on July 4, and voiced frustration over Russian President Vladimir Putin’s failure to end the fighting. Mr Trump told reporters on board Air Force One that he had a good call with Mr Zelensky, repeating that he was “very unhappy” about his call with Mr Putin a day earlier, given what he called the Russian leader’s refusal to work on a ceasefire. When asked whether the US would agree to supply more Patriot missiles to Ukraine, as requested by Mr Zelensky,...

Mr. President, we know you understand that the primary obstacle to peace in Ukraine is Russia’s aggression. You said you were “disappointed” in the conversation with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, and that you “don’t think he’s looking to stop.” Putin again insisted he was unwilling to commit to a ceasefire until the “root causes” of the conflict were addressed. For Vlad, the “root cause” is the existence of Ukraine. He followed your call with the largest drone and missile strike of the war, killing at least one. So why, Mr. President, is your administration punishing Ukraine? The Pentagon has halted...