European Ground Troops Join With US Airpower To Secure Ukraine

PAUL’S DEFENSE BRIEF (PDB) – President Trump offered his assurances that U.S. troops would not be sent to help defend Ukraine against Russia after seeming to leave open the possibility the day before.

While ruling out putting U.S. troops on the ground in Ukraine in any post-war peacekeeping effort, Trump said America could instead provide some unspecified type of aerial support.

Former NATO Secretary General has warned that Ukraine cannot be guaranteed protection from future Russian aggression unless European nations deploy troops on Ukrainian soil.

Nordic countries, Canada signal support for Ukraine security guarantees amid Russia’s ongoing missile attacks on Ukraine, as well as a willingness to play a part in any future security guarantees for Kyiv.

FOR YOUR EYES ONLY – Here’s a roundup of today’s other top defense stories ending the week from conservative national security expert PAUL CRESPO.

Not the President’s Daily Brief, but almost as good – PAUL’S DEFENSE BRIEFING – the PDB:    

HOMELAND SECURITY

More than 2,000 National Guardsmen from D.C. and six states have been activated as part of the federal operation in the capital.

Task force of 500 U.S. Marines and sailors is working to construct new fortifications at Arizona’s southern border with Mexico, including adding barbed and concertina wire.

DOD to offer new medal for personnel deployed to Southern Border.

After chase, Navy, Coast Guard disables vessel, intercepts 1,296 pounds of cocaine in the Eastern Pacific.

DEFENSE POLITICS

Program to relocate vulnerable Afghans, including allies who helped the U.S. during the war and families of U.S. service members, that was dismantled by the Trump administration would be reestablished under a bipartisan bill.

Air Force lays out process to dismiss transgender Airmen and Guardians from military service.

With a new administration in power that’s skeptical of many green initiatives, military vehicle makers say they’re keeping their ears out for any changes to the Army’s push into hybrid vehicles.

US POWER OVERSEAS

UPDATED: Iwo Jima ARG back in Norfolk to avoid Hurricane Erin off the East Coast, interrupting the southern Caribbean deployment that began last week.

Mercy-class hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) returned to Norfolk, after the successful completion of Continuing Promise 2025. During the 79-day deployment, the ship provided medical care, and humanitarian assistance to partner nations in the Caribbean and South and Central America.

Off the British coast. The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest and most powerful aircraft carrier, has transited the Strait of Dover into the North Sea with its strike group.

USS George Washington and its carrier strike group recently pulled into Guam after several weeks of training.

B-1B Lancer bombers flew in formation with Hungarian and Swedish JAS-39 Gripens over Riga, Latvia, in a NATO maneuver intended to signal allied resolve to Russia on the Alliance’s eastern flank.

MIDDLE EAST THREATS

Israel has said it will deliver its response to international mediators by Friday over a new Gaza ceasefire plan accepted by Hamas.

Prison camps holding ISIS terrorists in Syria are a powder keg. There are approximately 50,000 ISIS terrorists and their families currently being held at 27 prisons across northeast Syria. They have been a frequent target of prison break attempts, some which have freed jihadists who have rejoined the group’s ranks.

CHINA THREAT

New Chinese missiles spotted during its massive military parade rehearsal. A number of new air combat drone designs that will make their official debut at the event, but a bevy of previously unseen missiles has also been capturing particular attention.

Can the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Survive Its Own Conflicts?

RUSSIA THREAT – UKRAINE WAR

The second Oval Office meeting in six months between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy went off smoothly Monday, in sharp contrast to their disastrous encounter in February. But major obstacles remain.

Kremlin plays down any Zelenskyy meeting as Trump warns Putin may not ‘want to make deal.’

For the first time since 1997, the Russian Navy’s 28,000-ton nuclear-powered battlecruiser Admiral Nakhimov is finally back in the water and moving under its own power, after years of repair work and modernization. It is now expected to become the future flagship of the Russian fleet.

NORTH KOREA THREAT

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has threatened to accelerate the expansion of his country’s nuclear arsenal, condemning ongoing U.S.-South Korea military exercises as a sign of “hostile intent.”

INTERNATIONAL SECURITY

Philippine and Australian forces teamed up in Manila’s westernmost province for Exercise Alon 2025 — Canberra’s largest deployment of troops to Southeast Asia since the 1999 East Timor crisis.

NATO beware: Drones can’t replace tanks, experts warn.

GMARS, NATO’s next big rocket artillery system. Systems like the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and the M270 have proven invaluable in recent and current conflicts. Now, Lockheed Martin and Rheinmetall have produced and test-fired the Global Mobile Artillery Rocket System.

German weapons maker Diehl Defense and RTX’s Raytheon have taken a major step towards coproduction of Stinger missile parts in Europe, to “support increased global capacity” of the surface-to-air munition, amid an urgent rush on the continent to rearm at pace.

A massive suspension bridge planned to connect Italy’s southern mainland to the island of Sicily not only would ease travel but could be a military asset, potentially boosting the country’s defense spending.

US MILITARY

New weapons and improved technology are at the forefront of budget priorities for the Air Force and Space Force, with plans to also slash more than 5,700 civilian jobs through billions in spending cuts.

What is the EC-130J? Navy earlier revealed the popular name for its EC-130J nuclear command and control plane, Phoenix II.

Space Force unveils new dress and appearance policy as it preps for fresh uniforms. But a big revamp is likely coming soon.

Army’s Fort Rucker launches its first-ever advanced drone training — Unmanned Advanced Lethality Course.

Army seeks tech to dominate drone-filled ‘Air-Ground Littoral’ domain, which it describes as the increasingly drone-filled area between the ground and a “few thousand” feet up.

Amid significant demand, Army has opened the door to potentially acquiring new types of 70mm rockets similar to, but different from the Hydra-70 family it employs today, to bolster its stocks of Hydra-70s or “Hydra-like” rockets.

DOD unveils ship off Puget Sound that has no crew as it seeks new advantages in naval warfare.

Get a look at the Coast Guard’s newest ice breaker: the USCGC Storis.

END of PDB

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.

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