Editor's note: For security reasons, the real names of the soldiers mentioned in this story have not been used. A reduction in U.S. military aid to Ukraine would be "painful" and could have potentially "dire consequences" for the global order, Ukrainian lawmakers and soldiers have told the Kyiv Independent.
Speaking at the University of Toronto, Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney said the move is part of a strategic pivot away from reliance on the U.S. and toward deeper cooperation with the European Union, citing growing security threats from Russia, China, and other adversaries.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on June 2 that the United Kingdom is moving to "warfighting readiness," in large part in response to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the threat Russia poses to Europe. He made the comment as his government unveiled its latest Strategic Defense Review, which
The UK pledged on June 4 to supply Ukraine with 100,000 drones by the end of April 2026, marking a tenfold increase from the previous year.
Every part of society, every citizen of this country, has a role to play because we have to recognize that things have changed in the world of today... The front line, if you like, is here," U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said.
The British military is looking at F-35A Lightning stealth fighter jets, made by Lockheed Martin.
The number includes 1,230 casualties Russian forces suffered over the past day.
Despite grand plans, the European Union’s hoped-for rearmament remains fully dependent on member nations stepping up their own defenses. In March, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced an 800-million-euro "Rearm Europe" plan to build out a defense architecture that has depended on the U.S. since the
NATO is expected to ask Berlin to at least quadruple its air defense systems, ranging from long-range platforms such as the Patriot to short-range interceptors, according to Reuters.
As part of a broader policy realignment, this office would be merged into the Pentagon's Europe and NATO office, reducing its prominence despite its critical role since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The Kurganpribor, which produces a range of equipment for Russia’s defense industry, including components for rocket systems, missiles, and bombs, is under U.S. and EU sanctions in response to Moscow’s full-scale war against Ukraine. It is described as one of the leading enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex.
* Mass Ukrainian drone strike targets Moscow, Russia claims, multiple airports closed * 9 Ukrainian children rescued from Russian-occupied territories, President's Office says * Trump tells European leaders Putin doesn’t want peace because he believes Russia winning war in Ukraine, WSJ reports * Kyiv proposes EU partners help directly fund Ukrainian military under
Ukrainian Finance Minister Serhii Marchenko said Kyiv is proposing a new model: EU partners would help fund the Ukrainian military, and in return, Ukraine would be further integrated into the continent's defense system.
"SAFE is an advantageous, low-interest, multi-year loan guaranteed by the EU budget," the Council of the EU said.
The European Union is preparing to downsize its diplomatic service – the European External Action Service (EEAS) – and redirect funds toward strategic interests such as enforcing sanctions against Russia, POLITICO reported on May 20.
The new mechanism, proposed by the European Commission in March, will allow member states to borrow money from the EU to purchase weapons and military equipment.
Editor’s note: Due to the security protocols of the unit featured in this story, the Ukrainian soldiers are identified by first name only. Russia’s air strikes on Ukraine have become far more deadly in recent months. Part of the uptick is due to limited air defense to bring
"It’s more than 30 years of U.S. desire (to reduce troops in Europe), President Trump just said, enough, this is going to happen and it’s going to happen now," U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said.
"We are headed for a summit in six weeks in which virtually every member of NATO will be at or above 2%, but more importantly, many of them will be over 4% and all will have agreed on a goal of reaching 5% over the next decade," U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.
Trump has long demanded that NATO allies increase their military spending, previously calling for the alliance to raise its benchmark from 2% to 5% of GDP.
"Only member states can take out loans within the 150 billion euros instrument, but they can use these funds for joint procurement with Ukraine," EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius said.
EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius called for EU members to invest in Ukraine's domestic defense industry to increase the effectiveness and value of military aid provided to Ukraine.
Lithuania will upgrade and fortify a second route through the Suwałki Gap, a strategically critical stretch of land along the Polish border viewed as one of the most likely targets for a future Russian attack on NATO.
The European Commission recently unveiled a plan for rearming the European Union and strengthening the bloc’s defense capabilities. By 2030, the Commission intends to arm Ukraine and develop member states’ militaries to the extent needed to deter or counter Russian aggression. To fund this effort, the Commission plans to
Editor's note: This article has been updated to include the official response to the Kyiv Independent from Ukraine's General Staff, which came a few days after initial publication. Last February, a Ukrainian company commander going by his callsign Veter was ordered to send his people to reinforce another unit’s
Ukraine’s drone wizardry has drawn the attention of militaries around the world. In addition to an ever-growing drone industry, the rise of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has necessitated new education. Since 2022, a crop of drone schools has popped up around Ukraine to train drone pilots to fight back
"This allowed us not only to save our soldiers, but also to improve our defense. (Russia) is suffering losses, and we can act more effectively," Lieutenant General Serhii Naiev said.
When Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, he knew that he was upending Europe’s security order. But this was more of a tactical gambit than a calculated strategy, and he could not have predicted what would follow. Though U.S. President Donald
Lithuania ranks among Europe's top defense spenders, allocating 2.85% of its GDP to defense in 2024, according to NATO estimates.
Geopolitical events over the past three years have forced a rethinking of the global security framework. Ukraine’s battlefield has evolved into an innovation lab for modern defense technologies — transforming not only how wars are fought but also how peace is secured. Drawing insights from the recent Brave1 Defense Tech
Russia’s war against Ukraine is not only about Ukraine’s freedom and survival, but also about the future of Europe’s hard security. Russia wants to replace the cooperative, democratic security order in Europe, the principles of which were outlined 50 years ago in the Helsinki Final Act, with
"The best security guarantee are the Ukrainians themselves," European Council President Antonio Costa said at the end of a special EU summit in Brussels.
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