Trump Says U.S. Will License Patriot Production for Ukraine
U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington will grant Ukraine a license related to Patriot air-defence production after meeting President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, describing the move as a way to strengthen Ukraine’s ability to defend itself against Russia’s sustained missile campaign."We’re going to give a license to you to make Patriots," Trump said, adding that Ukraine would "figure out the complexity quickly." He argued the arrangement would allow Kyiv to build its own capability rather than depend solely on additional U.S. deliveries, telling Zelenskyy that Washington could "tell you to make them yourselves."If implemented, the proposal would represent a shift from emergency weapons transfers toward longer-term defence-industrial cooperation. Rather than relying exclusively on shipments from existing U.S. inventories, licensed production could eventually expand the industrial base supporting Ukraine’s air-defence network. The practical scope of the proposal, however – including whether it would cover…
Russia Accelerates Ballistic Strikes on Kyiv
Russia struck Kyiv with ballistic missiles for the third time in less than a week overnight on July 7–8, killing one woman and wounding two as Ukraine again failed to intercept any of the ballistic missiles fired at the capital.Ukraine’s air force said it downed 139 of 169 drones launched across the country, but none of the five ballistic missiles used in the attack, Reuters reported. Fires broke out in warehouses and non-residential buildings in Kyiv, while Kharkiv also came under missile attack.The drone figures show that Ukraine can still defeat much of Russia’s mass unmanned barrage. But they also hide the harder problem: ballistic missiles require scarce Patriot-class interceptors, and Kyiv’s stock of those weapons is under acute pressure.The pattern is becoming more severe. Since the start of July, Russian strikes on Kyiv and the surrounding region have killed 60 people, according to Reuters. Ukrainian air-force data cited by…
NATO’s GlobalEye Deal Tests Europe’s Surveillance Autonomy
NATO’s decision to move toward Saab’s GlobalEye as its next airborne early warning and control platform is a major signal of Europe’s growing defence-industrial weight — but not a clean break from U.S. systems.The announcement came on July 7 at the NATO summit in Ankara, where Secretary General Mark Rutte said allies would begin joint procurement of up to 10 GlobalEye aircraft to replace the alliance’s ageing Boeing E-3 AWACS fleet. Reuters reported that the potential deal could be worth up to about $4.5 billion, with deliveries possible from 2030 if a contract is signed soon.The decision is still at the negotiation stage. Saab said NATO will begin formal talks with the company through the NATO Support and Procurement Agency, and that Saab has not yet signed a contract or received an order linked to the announcement.GlobalEye was selected over Boeing’s E-7 Wedgetail, making the choice politically significant as well…
Ankara Missile Deals Aim to Close NATO’s Firepower Gap
NATO’s Ankara summit produced a series of missile-production deals designed to ease pressure on U.S. factories and push Europe toward a more durable defence-industrial base.The most immediate track concerns air defence. Reuters reported that the United States is moving closer to European co-production of Raytheon’s AIM-120 AMRAAM missile and plans to establish a European maintenance facility for Lockheed Martin’s PAC-3 interceptor, used in Patriot air-defence systems. Both missiles are in high demand because of Ukraine’s need to defend against Russian air attacks.The AMRAAM initiative involves Belgium, Canada, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Britain, according to Reuters. The Wall Street Journal reported that Raytheon and NATO partners are seeking to qualify European suppliers for key AMRAAM components, expanding the missile’s production footprint in Europe. Idle State: A live AIM-120 interceptor locked into the wingtip launcher rail of a multirole fighter jet. Source: mtcurado / Getty ImagesThe PAC-3 plan is more…
Ukraine Strikes Russian Shadow Fleet Tankers
Ukraine said it struck Russian shadow fleet tankers in the Sea of Azov, targeting a fuel route used to supply occupied Crimea and Russian forces in southern Ukraine.Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces said drones hit eight tankers overnight on July 6–7, after two vessels were struck a day earlier. The tankers, each with a deadweight of about 7,000 metric tons, were carrying fuel from Taganrog to occupied Crimea, according to Reuters.The attack points to a widening Ukrainian effort to pressure Russia’s maritime logistics, not only its front-line positions. The Sea of Azov has become a key supply corridor for Russian forces because it connects Russian ports with Crimea and occupied parts of southern Ukraine, Reuters reported.Kyiv describes the targeted vessels as part of Russia’s shadow fleet – the opaque network of tankers used to move fuel and oil despite sanctions and maritime restrictions. Reuters has reported, however, that only two of…
Houthi Assault, Unclaimed Ship Attack Follow Saudi Coalition’s Naming of Hodeidah as Strike Target
Yemen's Houthi movement launched its deadliest ground assault in years near Hodeidah on July 5, and an unclaimed attack on a cargo ship followed within a day. The rapid escalation on both land and sea came just 24 hours after Saudi Arabia's coalition publicly named Hodeidah's port among the targets it would strike if Houthi "provocations" continued. The sequence began on July 3, when Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree threatened a "comprehensive response targeting airports and vital interests on land and at sea," after accusing Saudi warplanes of trying to block an Iranian civilian flight from landing in Sanaa. Coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki answered the next day, warning of "unprecedented determination and force" against any attack on the kingdom and naming Hodeidah port, the Ras Isa oil terminal, as-Salif port, and Sanaa International Airport as infrastructure now exposed to potential strikes, according to Al Jazeera and Middle East Eye. Roughly…
