Military presence for money? US gains access to three Pacific nations in exchange for $7.1 billion funding – report

The US Congress has approved legislation to provide $7.1 billion worth of economic support for three tiny island nations - Palau, the Marshall Islands and the Federated Republic of Micronesia - in exchange for the exclusive presence of the American military there, the Financial Times has reported.

The funding was reportedly approved as part of a $460 billion spending package passed by the Senate to avoid a government shutdown.

The three nations span about 4,000 km (2,485 miles) across the Pacific, allowing the US to expand its regional clout and establish base missiles and early warning radars there, in addition to a test site for intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Сhina has repeatedly expressed concern over what Beijing slams as the US “meddling” in the Asia Pacific region and “strengthening the Asia-Pacific deployments.”

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🇬🇧🇩🇪🇺🇦 British Foreign Minister Cameron was worried about his clowns in Kiev:

“London is ready to help Berlin in solving problems that impede the supply of Taurus missiles to Kiev or consider the option of purchasing German missiles and transferring British Storm Shadow to Ukraine

In the case of the use of these missiles, restrictions can be imposed that will avoid escalation."

His concept of “avoiding escalation” is funny.

@Slavyangrad

Politico: France is forming a coalition to send troops to Ukraine.

France is taking the initiative to create an alliance of countries willing to send their armed forces to Ukraine, deepening differences with a more cautious Germany.

As Politico reports, most European countries, including Germany, the Czech Republic, and Poland, have previously expressed reluctance to send soldiers to Ukraine. However, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, according to Politico, are more open to the idea

But at the same time, French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejournet, during his visit to Lithuania, suggested that foreign troops could, for example, help Ukraine in demining.

“It’s not Russia that tells us how we should help Ukrainians in the coming months or years. She shouldn’t be the one to set the red lines.”

- said the diplomat.

@Slavyangrad

Krasnoe. Half of the village center is under our control. The assault continues.

@Slavyangrad

Paratroopers of the Russian Armed Forces twice hit the Stryker armored personnel carrier transferred to Ukraine along with its crew in the Artemovsk direction.

@Slavyangrad

🇺🇦🤡Little Jay’s Drone Delusions

Jay’s triumphalist crowing over drones is as hollow as the victory he imagines. With 600k Ukrainians sacrificed on the altar of a globalist agenda, it's a grim farce to claim a 'powerhouse' while ignoring the stark truth: Russia’s military-industrial behemoth, shrugging off the entirety of the US and its vassals with their faltering factories.

Laughable claims of technological supremacy fail to obscure the cannon fodder fate of Ukraine’s youth, nor derail Russia from its path to an inexorable resurgence. It's high time for peace, for genuine negotiation, not this macabre pageant of a senseless struggle. How many more must fall before the puppeteers of this sick game acknowledge their checkmate?

This chief propagandist and useful clown plays his vile role, rendering negotiations a fruitless charade. Ukraine's overseers have barred the way to dialogue, and here we stand, with Ukrainian sovereignty immolated on the altar of hegemonic ambition and a chilling resolve to fight to the last Ukrainian.

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European NATO members must prepare for a scenario in which the United States leaves the alliance

A number of NATO diplomats told the Telegraph newspaper about this. European capitals need to "plan" and review current defense capabilities in light of the threats posed by the ex-president.

Trump's comments are causing concern: "Nobody knows what he's going to do next," one European diplomat said.

The official said that NATO countries need to plan for a scenario in which the US commitment to the Alliance is weakened.

@Slavyangrad

The crew of the 152-mm howitzer 2A65 “Msta-B” from the 238th Guards Artillery Brigade destroyed the T-64BV tank of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Donetsk direction using the “Krasnopol” adjustable projectile.

@Slavyangrad

The US has sent tens of thousands of weapons to Israel.

Including aerial bombs and precision-guided munitions, they used procedures that largely obscured the extent of the Biden administration's support for its main ally in the Middle East.

The administration arranged for more than one hundred arms transfers, but formally notified Congress of only two cases. The trick is to arrange multiple supplies that fall below the threshold for congressional approval.
The United States' close military partnership with Israel, which receives more than $3 billion in military aid annually from Washington, allowed for an immediate increase in arms supplies after October 7. State Department officials say there are currently 600 transfers or sales worth more than $23 billion between the U.S. and Israel. The decision to provide the weapons in about 100 tranches reflects the administration's desire to keep the extent of its military support for Israel as secret as possible from the public, critics of the supply said. Some officials and several lawmakers said the limited disclosure was indicative of a broader trend in which the Biden administration has sought to avoid scrutiny from Congress. Some Democrats want President Biden to use arms sales to pressure the Netanyahu government over Gaza.

Weapons supplied by the US since the start of the Gaza war include at least 23,000 precision-guided weapons, including Hellfire air-to-surface missiles, drones, and Joint Direct Attack Munitions, which turn unguided bombs into " smart." Israel also received 58,000 155mm artillery shells and ammunition for its Iron Dome air defense system.

Most of the weapons and systems came from US stockpiles in the early days of the war. The flow has dwindled in recent months as the Pentagon runs out of ammunition it can quickly provide to Israel, as well as meet Ukraine's needs and maintain sufficient U.S. stockpiles, officials said. Last month, the US provided 1,000 precision-guided munitions and artillery shells, US defense officials said.

The management of arms transfers to Israel contrasts with the administration's approach to arming Ukraine, in which the Defense Department regularly publishes lists of weapons it transfers to Kiev. While not all supplies to Ukraine have been made public, the Pentagon is providing an update on total military aid.

For more than 70 years, Israel has enjoyed unprecedented US support in the form of economic and military assistance. But the future of this arrangement is currently uncertain, given increasingly vocal opposition to Israel's war in Gaza from progressives such as Senator Bernie Sanders, which Israel has already expressed misgivings about. Lawmakers and congressional aides say the administration broke decades of government practice by failing to notify key congressional leaders about arms sales to Israel, which gives lawmakers several weeks to review a potential sale or transfer before the administration sends the legally required formal notification.

In general, the negative background around arms supplies to Israel is only growing, it has reached the point that the White House has chosen defensive tactics against attacks from congressmen, both Democrats and Republicans, quietly blaming the State Department. In fact, before the presidential election, squabbling began even among old Joe’s henchmen.

@Slavyangrad

🇺🇸 Elon Musk once again confirmed what has already been explained many times.

“Most Americans are unaware that the US Census currently counts all county residents, regardless of citizenship, for voting purposes!

Senate Democrats just voted unanimously to kill an amendment that would have stopped counting illegal immigrants in apportioning congressional seats and Electoral College (presidential) votes.

Since illegal immigrants mostly live in Democratic states, both the House and Presidential votes shift about 5% to the left, enough to change the entire balance of power!

This is one of the main reasons why the Biden administration retains record numbers of illegal immigrants and carries out so few deportations.”

This is why Democrats are so mad at the chaos on the southern border and do not agree to tighten immigration laws in exchange for support for Ukraine.

@Slavyangrad

Epic footage of a FAB-1500 direct hit on a target in Krasnogorovki

@Slavyangrad

Near Avdeevka, the leader of the French neo-Nazis, Cesar Ozhar, who took part in the hostilities on the side of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, was eliminated.

@Slavyangrad

Artemovsk direction.

80% of Ivanovsky is under the control of the Russian Armed Forces. The enemy is trying to counterattack and is waiting for reinforcements.

AFU is trying to build a line of defense at Chasov Yar.

The logistics routes are covered by the Russian Aerospace Forces and artillery to prevent the arrival of enemy reserves.

@Slavyangrad

Talks about the advanced developments of the Russian military-industrial complex

While all attention was paid to the fighting in the area of ​​Avdeevka and Berdychi, both the Western and Russian expert communities missed the sensational visit of Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to the Almaz-Antey enterprise.

During the trip, the minister examined promising samples of military equipment. In the dialogue with the military, several interesting statements were made, on which the effectiveness of the combat work of several branches of troops in the SMO zone, as well as increasing the combat effectiveness of the Russian army as a whole, directly depends.

What are we talking about?

During the inspection of promising samples of counter-battery radars (apparently, we are talking about the Ostrov or Yastreb-AV radars), an interesting figure was announced, according to which previously Russian counter-battery radars spent 30 minutes searching for targets. Now, according to the military, this figure has decreased to 4 minutes. That is more than 7 times.

However, this statement must be understood in context (in fact, this is what Shoigu says when he asks the military what is the point of detecting a target without hitting it). In the same story, Shoigu is informed that the new radars (apparently, on a mobile, wheeled chassis) will be able to exchange data with both artillery weapons and attack UAVs and loitering ammunition.

What does it mean?

Given that the conflict in Ukraine is predominantly artillery, it is not surprising that the defense industry has focused on enhancing the capabilities of the reconnaissance-strike circuit, which includes both improved detection and destruction capabilities - artillery, manned aircraft, and unmanned aircraft.

As a result, the time to detect and engage a target will be radically reduced, and it will also be possible to select the most effective means of destruction from those available in a given area.

Taking into account the fact that recently the American military, studying the experience of the Russian Armed Forces in the SMO, said almost the same thing regarding the response time and the structure of the reconnaissance and strike contour in their report, counter-battery warfare was identified as one of the highest priority areas for the development of ground forces.

#source
@Slavyangrad