NATO Chief Says Increased Defense Spending Top Priority after Trump Calls

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg Tuesday said the top priority for the transatlantic alliance is to increase defense spending, as demanded by US President Donald Trump.

New Pentagon Chief to Visit Japan, South Korea Next Month

US Defense Secretary James Mattis plans to travel to Japan and South Korea next month on his first trip as the Pentagon’s new chief, a spokesman said Wednesday.

Marine Le Pen retrouve ses alliés européens en Allemagne avant des scrutins cruciaux

Au lendemain de l'investiture de Donald Trump, la présidente du Front national en France, Marine Le Pen, a retrouvé samedi en Allemagne des dirigeants de partis de droite extrêmes et populistes européens, pour tenter d'afficher un front uni avant plusieurs scrutins cruciaux.

Iraqi PM complains of insufficient int'l support to halt ISIS/ISIL

Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar Al-Abadi on Tuesday said here he regretted the lack of support from international coalition allies to stem the Islamic State's alarming advances in the country.

"Air support is not enough. There is too little surveillance. Daech (Islamic State) is mobile and move in very small groups. It's not enough," Al-Abadi said.

US, allies may buy more than 3,100 F-35 jets

WASHINGTON — The United States and its allies plan to buy more than 3,100 new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter warplanes in the coming years. Lockheed Martin, the prime contractor for the US$392 billion (S$497 billion) weapons programme, is developing three variations for the US military services and eight partner countries that helped fund the plane’s development — Britain, Australia, Italy, Turkey, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway and Canada.
South Korea this week said it would join the two countries outside the group, Israel and Japan, that have placed orders for the jet. Singapore and Belgium are among other countries that have expressed interest.

Alliance with Turkey absolutely vital, says senior US diplomat. -Victoria Nuland

The U.S.-Turkish alliance is “absolutely vital” despite the existence of some disagreements, according to U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Victoria Nuland.

“The alliance between the U.S. and Turkey is absolutely vital, not just for the two of us, and our security, but now as an engine around the turbulent region,” said Nuland, speaking at the Atlantic Council think tank in Washington on Nov. 13.

“We’re not always going to see perfectly eye to eye on the tactics, but we always agree on the larger strategy. So it’s a matter of maintaining that open dialogue on what is to be done,” she said.