Security

EU member countries push back on Italy’s call for European army

MILAN – Amid calls for a common European military to stand up to an aggressive Russia and other potential threats, EU members Slovenia, Spain, Denmark and Poland say the idea is unrealistic and unnecessary. “The EU should have its own army,” Foreign Minister Antonio...

New aid bill for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan faces uphill battle

The Senate on Sunday released a revised foreign aid bill offering military support for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan after a bipartisan group of negotiators agreed to new immigration restrictions in the legislation. But it’s unclear whether the roughly $118 billion...

Thales inks $2B deal to improve British Royal Navy’s maintenance

LONDON — Thales has signed a 15-year deal with the U.K. to use artificial intelligence and virtual reality to improve maintenance of the Royal Navy’s fleet, the Defence Ministry announced. The £1.8 billion (U.S. $2.3 billion) contract with the French-based company’s...

What’s next for the US-Philippines basing agreement?

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines is expected to work on dozens of projects this year to upgrade military bases as part of an agreement with the United States. Signed in 2014, the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement allows the U.S. to allocate funding to...