The Pentagon

U. S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov discussed developments on the battlefield and the upcoming meeting on the defense of Ukraine, with Austin reaffirming U.S. support for Russian aggression.

This month, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will testify before the House Armed Services Committee about his decision to conceal his recent hospitalization from senior national security officials.

The United States continues to supply Ukraine with military equipment purchased under the USAI program and will do so for years under long-term contracts, the Pentagon says.

According to Sky News sources in Washington, the United Kingdom has launched joint strikes on Yemen using more than 20 fighter jets.

Norway grants the Pentagon access to eight additional military facilities in Norway as part of an amendment to the bilateral defense cooperation agreement until 2022.

The United States approves the sale of 386 Hellfire missiles and military equipment worth $150 million to the Netherlands to strengthen the security of its NATO ally.

The U. S. military struck seven targets in Iraq and Syria used by Iranian-backed militants in response to a missile attack in Iraq that killed three U.S. servicemen.

The US State Department approves the sale of 31 MQ-9B SkyGuardian military drones and related equipment to India for $4 billion.

Secretary of the Pentagon Lloyd Austin and UK Defense Secretary Grant Shapps discussed further joint support for Ukraine against Russian aggression.

The U. S. Deputy Secretary of State announced that U.S. small-diameter guided bombs are now on their way to the front lines in Ukraine to continue to provide security support. According to her, Washington continues to provide Kyiv with security support, including new weapons.

The United States plans to provide Ukraine with weapons by transferring them to Greece with the understanding that Greece will then transfer some of its surplus weapons to Ukraine.

Five EU leaders call on the bloc to fulfill its promises and provide Ukraine with enough weapons.

The CIA Director warned that reducing US support for Ukraine would be a geopolitical mistake of historic proportions, and that continuing to provide assistance is a modest investment with a significant return.

A Pentagon spokesman says he is "not tracking any changes" in the top of the Ukrainian command amid rumors of replacing Commander-in-Chief Valeriy Zaluzhny.

The Pentagon spokesman said that Ukraine will receive GLSDB bombs in accordance with last year's agreements, but did not provide specifics on the timing of their transfer for security reasons.

The total value of U. S. arms exports in 2023 reached a record $238 billion, up 16% from 2022. Of this amount, $80.9 billion was foreign military sales, up 55.9%, and $157.5 billion was direct commercial sales, up 2.5%. The growth is explained by the fact that countries are replenishing stocks sent to Ukraine and preparing for large-scale conflicts.

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin threatened retaliation for the attack near the Jordanian-Syrian border that killed 3 US soldiers and wounded others. Austin blamed the attack on Iranian-backed militias and said that the United States would respond at a time and place of its choosing.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin plans to return to the Pentagon on January 30 after being absent due to treatment for prostate cancer. Austin, 70, has not publicly discussed his health problems.