Military Aid To Ukraine Drops 90% Amidst US And EU Delays

MONDAY PDB – Ukraine Support Tracker: New aid drops to lowest level since January 2022. Newly committed aid has reached a new low between August to October 2023 – an almost 90 percent drop compared to the same period in 2022.

Ukraine now increasingly relies on a core group of donors such as the U.S., Germany and the Nordic and Eastern European countries that continue to pledge and deliver both financial aid and important weaponry, such as F-16 fighter jets.

The outlook is unclear, since the largest pending aid commitment – by the European Union – has not been finally approved, and aid by the U.S. has been on the decline.

The U.S. should continue to support Ukraine but push Europe to take on the brunt of the military assistance effort. It is their front yard.

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

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

ISRAEL'S WAR AGAINST HAMAS TERROR

Hamas terrorists: Not a single hostage will leave Gaza alive unless our demands are met. “Neither the fascist enemy and its arrogant leadership… nor its supporters… can take their prisoners alive without an exchange and negotiation and meeting the demands of the resistance,” A spokesman for Hamas's armed wing, says.

Meanwhile, 430 Israeli soldiers have died since October 7, including 101 during the ground offensive, and Israel says it has killed between 6,000-7,000 Palestinian terrorists.

PENTAGON WOKE WATCH

Inside the closed-door meeting where Tuberville caved. Colleagues spent months getting the Alabama senator to drop his abortion protest.

GOOD RIDDANCE – POLITICIZED WITCH-HUNT – The Pentagon working group to combat extremism could be finished. Lawmakers moved this week to abolish a Pentagon working group aimed at preventing extremism in the military, a decision some advocates said reveals a lack of concern about the issue from Congress.

NATIONAL SECURITY

A new ICBM will take US nuclear missiles out of the Cold War-era. A new nuclear missile is coming, a gigantic ICBM called the Sentinel.

Cyber Command's Nakasone urges renewal of foreign spy law. Section 702 allows the government to collect and review communications like emails and text messages of foreigners abroad. Critics say it's ripe for abuse.

HOMELAND SECURITY

Maine's congressional delegation calls for Army probe into shooting. Army reservist Robert Card killed 18 people in a bowling alley and a restaurant in Lewiston, Maine, in October.

CHINA THREAT

Chinese ships ram Philippine vessels, hits crews with water cannons in series of South China Sea incidents. Chinese maritime forces damaged three Philippine vessels in two consecutive incidents in the South China Sea since Friday.

IRAN THREAT

Navy releases video of US warship downing drones, missiles in Red Sea; the USS Carney is 22-0. Cmdr. Jeremy Roberston of the USS Carney took time out of his very busy schedule patrolling the Red Sea to give a shout out to the Navy Midshipmen ahead of the 124th Army-Navy Game on Saturday.

Expand existing task force to protect Red Sea from Houthi attacks. The Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen struck three commercial vessels with missiles in the southern Red Sea on Dec. 3, according to U.S. Central Command. In response, Washington is working to form a maritime task force to ensure the safe passage of ships.

SPACE THREAT

Space Force sets up shop in Europe, Africa combatant commands. SPACEFOREUR-AF is the latest office created to serve warfighting commands around the world.

US POWER OVERSEAS

Poland to spend $284 million on base improvements for US troops. Poland plans to spend nearly $300 million to upgrade several military sites used by U.S. forces in the country, a move expected to eventually improve the quality of life for soldiers deployed there.

US forces have killed or captured dozens of ISIS fighters in Mideast in recent weeks. American forces have killed or captured dozens of Islamic State fighters in Iraq and Syria in the past month, amid an uptick in attacks against U.S. bases in those countries.

INTERNATIONAL SECURITY

Russia's Putin meets Iran's Raisi in Moscow after whirlwind Gulf visit. US partners Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates are sending a message to the US with high-profile Putin meetings.

US MILITARY

Defense bill calls for outside scrutiny of Marines' modernization plan. A provision in Congress' not-yet-final annual defense authorization bill calls for “an independent review, assessment, and analysis” of Force Design 2030.

US, UK, Australia agree to new space tracking system: What it means, when it's coming. The U.S., U.K., and Australia have agreed to place advanced space tracking radar sites in their countries in a major new initiative that will expand the AUKUS agreement.

Divers recover seventh crew member killed in Osprey crash in Japan. Navy divers recovered the remains of the seventh of the eight crew members from a U.S. military Osprey aircraft that crashed off southern Japan.

US Army receives first long-range Precision Strike Missiles. The U.S. Army has taken delivery of the first Precision Strike Missiles that will begin replacing the legacy Army Tactical Missile System.

Air Force again dangles $600,000 in bonuses to keep pilots in uniform. Air Force pilots and others in rated fields who opt to stay in uniform can earn up to $600,000 over 12 years under the latest round of retention bonuses.

Air Force to start tracking why some recruits back out before joining up. Starting in January, the Air Force Recruiting Service will track why applicants leave the accessions process before signing the dotted line.

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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