live Rubio tells allies U.S. will hold off new Iran strikes
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told allied foreign ministers Washington will focus on sanctions and other pressure on Iran “for the time bein...
Sweden, Norway, and Denmark are stepping up military support for Ukraine with a $500 million contribution to a new NATO-coordinated initiative, aiming to deliver U.S. weapons like Patriot missiles swiftly to the front lines.
This move follows U.S. President Donald Trump's recent proposal that European allies fund American weapons shipments to Ukraine, highlighting urgent European coordination to bolster Ukraine’s defense against ongoing Russian threats.
Norwegian Defence Minister Tore O. Sandvik emphasized that the contribution is intended to ensure quick delivery of essential military equipment.
"With this contribution, we want to ensure that Ukraine quickly receives the equipment it needs, while strengthening NATO cooperation on Ukraine's defence and securing peace on Ukrainian terms," Norwegian Defence Minister said in a statement.
Echoing that urgency, Denmark’s Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen confirmed the funds are ready for immediate use and expressed openness to future contributions.
"Speed is absolutely critical," he said in a statement.
In terms of specific figures, Denmark will provide around $90 million, Norway about $146 million, and Sweden $275 million for air defense systems and anti-tank weapons.
Swedish Deputy Prime Minister Ebba Busch noted that continued access to American defense systems, especially those Europe lacks in quantity is crucial for Ukraine’s survival.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte welcomed the rapid funding from the Nordic countries. NATO will oversee the distribution of packages worth $500 million each through the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) mechanism.
On Monday, the Netherlands became the first country to join the initiative, pledging 500 million euros. Sweden has already donated nearly 93 billion Swedish crowns to Ukraine as of March this year, according to its government.
Oil prices fell after the U.S. expanded economic sanctions on Iran, as Tehran vowed to retaliate and warned it had tools to respond, raising concerns over potential disruption to regional oil supplies.
Kyiv has recently received a small number of U.S.-made Patriot interceptors capable of downing Russian ballistic missiles, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said. It comes as Britain and France pledged stronger military support for Ukraine.
Only four commodity vessels crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, following 13 transits a day earlier, as disruptions continue to restrict traffic through the key energy chokepoint.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told allied foreign ministers Washington will focus on sanctions and other pressure on Iran “for the time being”, Axios reports. Meanwhile, Iran and Oman have resumed talks on a temporary shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz.
Russia and Ukraine have exchanged 10 prisoners of war each in Belarus, Moscow's Human Rights Commissioner, Yana Lantratova, has said.
Russia and Ukraine have exchanged 10 prisoners of war each in Belarus, Moscow's Human Rights Commissioner, Yana Lantratova, has said.
At least nine people have been killed and hundreds of tourists are missing after a massive landslide triggered catastrophic flooding near Nepal’s Himalayan border with China’s Tibet region.
Instagram Chief Adam Mosseri has acknowledged that few teenagers used Instagram’s “Take a Break” feature before it became a default setting, as Meta faces a major U.S. trial over child safety.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 26th of August, covering the latest developments.
U.S. President Donald Trump has formally sent a landmark nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia to Congress, opening a new phase in a deal that has already sparked debate over nuclear proliferation and Riyadh's ambitions.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment