A recent report shows that ever since President Trump came to power, there has been a wave
of trade wars between American firms and their foreign competitors.
The Washington Post released on Tuesday its analysis of U.S. Commerce Department data,
which found that 23 new trade disputes had been initiated since January, making 2017
the busiest year for tariff cases in more than 15 years.
It also reports that the new cases target trade between the U.S. and 29 countries, the
most in any year since 2001.
One of those countries includes South Korea, with a case brought by Whirlpool to impose
anti-dumping duties on Korean washing machines made by Samsung and LG.
The surge in complaints comes amid Trump's push for his so-called "America First" policies.
For more infomation >> U.S. trade wars with foreign firms surge amid Trump's 'America First' drive - Duration: 0:52.-------------------------------------------
Winter Blast Impacts More Than A Dozen States - Duration: 1:23.
For more infomation >> Winter Blast Impacts More Than A Dozen States - Duration: 1:23. -------------------------------------------
Philadelphia Joins Lawsuit Suing US Defense Department - Duration: 0:19.
For more infomation >> Philadelphia Joins Lawsuit Suing US Defense Department - Duration: 0:19. -------------------------------------------
U.S. trade wars with foreign firms surge amid Trump's 'America First' drive - Duration: 0:53.
A recent report shows that ever since President Trump came to power, there has been a wave
of trade wars between American firms and their foreign competitors.
The Washington Post released on Tuesday its analysis of U.S. Commerce Department data,
which found that 23 new trade disputes had been initiated since January, making 2017
the busiest year for tariff cases in more than 15 years.
It also reports that the new cases target trade between the U.S. and 29 countries, the
most in any year since 2001.
One of those countries includes South Korea, with a case brought by Whirlpool to impose
anti-dumping duties on Korean washing machines made by Samsung and LG.
The surge in complaints comes amid Trump's push for his so-called "America First" policies.
-------------------------------------------
U.S. announces $285m cut in UN 2018 operating budget - Duration: 1:49.
The U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, has announced that the Trump
administration has negotiated a 285 million-dollar cut in the UN's budget for the next fiscal
year.
The announcement comes days after a vote condemning President Trump's recognition of Jerusalem
as the capital of Israel.
Ro Aram reports.
Although Haley did not explicitly say the reason for the budget cut was because of the
vote by the 120 countries last week, it certainly looks that way.
She made a veiled threat of cutting U.S. funding to the UN before the vote was held and issued
a statement on Christmas Eve touting the 285-million-dollar cut in the budget as a product of U.S. negotiation.
She added that the U.S. will "no longer let the generosity of the American people be taken
advantage of or remain unchecked."
It's still unclear if the budget savings will come from a reduction in the U.S. contribution
to the UN, which is about 22 percent of the world body's 5-point-4-billion-dollar biennial
budget.
But, Haley's statement did not mention any other member states that may have taken issue
with what she called the UN's "inefficiency and overspending."
There could be more cuts in the future as Trump's proposed spending budget for next
year would end funding for UN climate change programs and also reduce funding to UNICEF
by 16 percent.
Trump's threats of cutting contributions to the UN emerged long before the vote to condemn
his Jerusalem decision, but tensions have certainly heightened after it.
The spokesman for UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the world body is currently
studying the impact of the newly adopted budget numbers and will soon issue a statement on
the matter.
Ro Aram, Arirang News.
-------------------------------------------
U.S. announces $285m cut in UN 2018 operating budget - Duration: 1:51.
The U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, has announced that the Trump
administration has negotiated a 285 million-dollar cut in the UN's budget for the next fiscal
year.
The announcement comes days after a vote condemning President Trump's recognition of Jerusalem
as the capital of Israel.
Ro Aram reports.
Although Haley did not explicitly say the reason for the budget cut was because of the
vote by the 120 countries last week, it certainly looks that way.
She made a veiled threat of cutting U.S. funding to the UN before the vote was held and issued
a statement on Christmas Eve touting the 285-million-dollar cut in the budget as a product of U.S. negotiation.
She added that the U.S. will "no longer let the generosity of the American people be taken
advantage of or remain unchecked."
It's still unclear if the budget savings will come from a reduction in the U.S. contribution
to the UN, which is about 22 percent of the world body's 5-point-4-billion-dollar biennial
budget.
But, Haley's statement did not mention any other member states that may have taken issue
with what she called the UN's "inefficiency and overspending."
There could be more cuts in the future as Trump's proposed spending budget for next
year would end funding for UN climate change programs and also reduce funding to UNICEF
by 16 percent.
Trump's threats of cutting contributions to the UN emerged long before the vote to condemn
his Jerusalem decision, but tensions have certainly heightened after it.
The spokesman for UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the world body is currently
studying the impact of the newly adopted budget numbers and will soon issue a statement on
the matter.
Ro Aram, Arirang News.
-------------------------------------------
US Congressman The FBI Tried to Stop Donald Trump from Becoming - Duration: 4:20.
US Congressman: The FBI Tried to
Stop Donald Trump from Becoming President
Speculation has run rampant for months that the FBI was working against a Donald Trump
presidency, and now a United States congressman has given credit to that theory and what it
would mean.
Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, told conservative radio host Todd Starnes he is convinced the
FBI was working against Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign.
�The whole pretext is wrong.
Think about this, you had � I�m convinced now � the FBI actively seeking with intent,
actively trying to stop Donald Trump from being president of the United States,� Jordan
said on the Todd Starnes Show.
Jordan pointed to text messages written by investigator Peter Strzok that referred to
an �insurance� policy.
�I want to believe the path you threw out for consideration in Andy�s office � that
there�s no way he gets elected � but I�m afraid we can�t take that risk.
It�s like an insurance policy in the unlikely event you die before you�re 40,� Strzok
wrote.
The reference was meant to convey that the bureau needed to aggressively investigate
allegations of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, people familiar with
the situation told The Wall Street Journal.
Jordan was concerned the �insurance policy� might have included dressing up the infamous
Trump-Russia dossier, turning it into an intelligence document and using it to obtain warrants in
the FISA court that allowed them to spy on Americans.
In the same text messages, Strzok and FBI lawyer Lisa Page disparaged Trump, calling
him an �idiot� and �loathsome human,� showing their obvious bias against the then-candidate.
To make matters worse, Strzok was the lead agent on the FBI investigation into Hillary
Clinton�s use of a private email server during her time as secretary of state.
He was also the top investigator for special counsel Robert Mueller, who has been in charge
of looking into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Strzok was removed from that position after the problematic texts surfaced.
But lawmakers like Jordan have remained concerned over how his bias may have influenced his
role.
In fact, Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley wrote to the Justice Department about the issue, saying
Strzok�s texts appeared to �go beyond merely expressing a private political opinion.�
They �appear to cross the line into taking some official action to create an �insurance
policy� against a Trump presidency,� Grassley wrote.
Jordan called the situation �as wrong as it gets.�
�If that happened, and it sure looks like it did � if that happened it is wrong as
it can possibly be in this great country for the FBI to actively be trying to make sure
one individual, one major party�s nominee does not become the next president is as wrong
as it gets,� Jordan told Starnes.
He�s right.
The FBI should never be involved in trying to sway the outcome of an election � especially
the U.S. presidential election.
It certainly appears they crossed that line, however, and something must be done to ensure
they�re dealt with appropriately and that this never happens ever again.
Like and share this article on Facebook and Twitter and tell us what you think about the
FBI potentially trying to stop Trump from becoming president.
What should happen to the agents involved in trying to take down Trump?
Scroll down to comment below!
-------------------------------------------
U.S. trade wars with foreign firms surge amid Trump's 'America First' drive - Duration: 0:49.
A recent report shows that ever since President Trump came to power, there has been a wave
of trade wars between American firms and their foreign competitors.
The Washington Post released on Tuesday its analysis of U.S. Commerce Department data,
which found that 23 new trade disputes had been initiated since January, making 2017
the busiest year for tariff cases in more than 15 years.
It also reports that the new cases target trade between the U.S. and 29 countries, the
most in any year since 2001.
One of those countries includes South Korea, with a case brought by Whirlpool to impose
anti-dumping duties on Korean washing machines made by Samsung and LG.
The surge in complaints comes amid Trump's push for his so-called "America First" policies.
-------------------------------------------
Top U.S., Russian diplomats discuss need for urgent North Korea negotiations - Duration: 0:47.
Russia has reiterated its call for the United States and North Korea to start a negotiations
process with the ultimate aim of resolving the nuclear crisis.
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov pressed U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson during
telephone talks on Tuesday to move from the language of sanctions to the negotiating process
as quickly as possible.
Moscow's foreign ministry added that Lavrov highlighted that it's unacceptable to exacerbate
tensions with Washington's aggressive rhetoric toward Pyongyang and increasing military preparations
around the Korean peninsula.
However, the ministry noted that both Lavrov and Tillerson agreed that North Korea's nuclear
and missile programs violate the demands of the UN Security Council.
-------------------------------------------
U.S. announces sanctions on two officials over North Korea's missile program - Duration: 1:43.
The U.S. government has unveiled tough new sanctions on two men within the highest reaches
of North Korea's ballistic missile development program.
The Treasury Department's announcement is just the latest in the Trump administration's
maximum pressure campaign against Pyongyang.
Park Soyun reports.
The U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control imposed sanctions on two key
North Korean officials on Tuesday for their reported involvement in Pyongyang's ballistic
missile program.
The department says Kim Jong-sik, a veteran rocket scientist, is a key figure responsible
for advancing the program to a point where the regime is successfully testing ICBMs capable
of reaching the U.S. mainland.
He was also involved in helping the North transition from liquid to solid fuel engines.
The other man on the list is Ri Pyong-chol, a former senior air force commander, who oversees
the regime's ballistic weapons development program.
Ri and Kim accompanied North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during the launch of the Hwasong-14
on July 4th and 28th, as well as September's launch of the Hwasong-12, which flew over
Japan.
In a sign of their importance within the regime,... the U.S. Treasury says both men were apparently
invited by Kim Jong-un to travel with him on his private plane.
The sanctions mean any assets the two officials hold in the United States can be confiscated
and prohibits Americans from interacting with them.
They will also be banned from overseeing transactions made in U.S. dollars.
Watchers say the punitive measures make up a key part of the Trump administration's efforts
to resolve the North Korean issue through intense sanctions and pressure.
Park Soyun, Arirang News.
-------------------------------------------
Regions and Accents | Learn about the United States of America - Duration: 6:48.
So listen, guys! there's nothing planned for today, so I thought we could just do
a staring contest! are you ready? 1– 2– 3!
Wha–? Hold on! apparently we've got some mail here, let's see... oh it's from Norah! let's
talk about the differences between North, South, East, West and the Midwest! you know
what? that's a really good idea, thanks Norah! Actually Norah did not send me
anything, but she did win the vote for this week on Patreon. on Patreon you get
to vote twice each week for two of the videos that I make, and this week
Nora's idea won, so I'm making her video! become a patron now so you can vote for
two of next week's videos as well as get a lot of other really cool shit. Now to
start, we need to understand some American geography. because often
when we talk about American culture and language, we divide the country into two
parts, the North and the South. after hearing that you might expect that the
map looks like this, but nonononoo! because there is no map, no map that looks like
that. instead when you hear an American talk about the North and the South,
they're imagining the North, the United States, fighting the South, the
Confederates, the Confederacy! if you want another video that explains the American
Civil War in more detail, yo, just click right up here! but
this geography is already confusing because the North was also made up of
some Western states, California, Oregon and Nevada. as well, in the middle of the
country, there were five buffer States. these were neither part of the South or
the North. to make it easier, let's divide the United States into four regions. but
even with this subdivision we still have some confusion. let's analyze the four
parts, so you can see exactly what I mean! first– when we talk about the North I
think what we're really imagining in our head, as Americans and you should too, is
the Northeast. the Northeast is where massive urbanization occurred much
earlier than in other parts of the United States– New York City, Boston, New
Jersey– these places! now let's go a little further west to the Midwest. the
Midwest also has some urbanized pockets, Milwaukee and Chicago are great
examples, but these larger cities are still surrounded by smaller mid-sized
cities and a lot of rural communities. let's go south to where the population
density is a bit lower than the Midwest. you have more rural communities with an
even smaller number of large and mid-sized cities. by the way, Florida is
in the South, but it really shares nothing in common with the other states
in that region. and finally, we have the West. but we should really divide this
into two regions. the West Coast and the West. the West Coast is California, Oregon
and Washington. these are all very urbanized states. the
majority of the states in the West are the least urbanized states. very rural! so
the main difference between the South, although I do think the southern states
have a lot in common with those very rural states in the West, is that there
is much more importance to unwritten etiquette and courtesy. in the southern
states and I think in most rural places in general, you are expected to show a
lot more of that unwritten etiquette, while in much more urbanized places, that
etiquette I think goes away as city life makes everyday interactions less
personal. but let's continue! how I've described these regions, some more rural
and some more urban, is really what we mean when we say North and South. city
folk and country folk. each region has its own unique identity, and we'll focus
more on them in the future, but for now urban means more liberal,
secular, Democratic and city centric. that's our imaginative understanding of
what the North is. while rural means more conservative, religious, Republican and
country focused. so what about differences in American English? the most
general comparison is again northern and southern. and for many people, when they
meet someone for the first time based on their accent, they will ask "where are you
from in the South?" or "where are you from in the North?" that's very general. as we
investigate more, you'll find that accent is just as if not more complicated
than how we divide the regions of the United States, because living in a rural
or urban area has a big impact on how you speak English. whether it's rural
Michigan in the northern United States or rural Mississippi in the South, you
can often tell if someone grew up in a city, a town, or on a farm based on how
they speak. and all over the US, accents are becoming much more distinct. so even
in a state where I'm from there are three distinct accents. but if you're
learning English don't worry too much about that, in fact I made a video a
while back, you can watch it here, about why you need to choose a specific accent
to study. vocabulary is one reason, there's a lot of regional words but
especially the vowel differences that I just mentioned. you don't want to be
corrected by someone in Alabama even though you're speaking with a perfect
Minnesota accent. if you don't study a specific accent, when someone tries to
correct you, you don't know when you're right and when you're wrong! because
people from different regions, especially if you're traveling to different
english-speaking countries, will correct you WHEN YOU ARE CORRECT! putting a link
in the description for a really fun website you can visit. you'll see a big
map of the United States. you can click anywhere and listen to the regional
accents from across the country. use this because there's a lot of northern
southern and western accents, it's really fun to check it out. now that you
understand these parts, it's going to be much easier to move forward and learn a
lot more about American culture and language. and hey! thanks patrons for
making these videos possible! you guys ROCK! people like Norah, who I think is on
her 30th degree and only 30 more to go, so keep it up Norah! why you're still here,
let's talk a little bit more about Wisconsin. in terms of accents Wisconsin
is unique because there's really three distinct accents or dialects in this
state. and one of them we share with parts of Michigan, Minnesota and North
Dakota. this is the upper accent from the Upper Peninsula. and I'll just say
it's not the prettiest– there's a famous SNL sketch about "Da Bears", that uses this
accent. Sarah Palin, she wa– she's from Alaska but she's famous for having
this accent, and then finally there's the show and the movie Fargo, where you can
hear a lot of this accent as well! I'll catch you guys later!
"you were having sex with a little fella, then?" "that's something that John McCain
and I have both been discussing" "there anything else you can tell me about him?"
"I love John McCain" "oh yeah?" "yeah!" "oh you betcha yeah" "yeah!"
-------------------------------------------
China's expanding economy great for the US? - Duration: 6:04.
For more infomation >> China's expanding economy great for the US? - Duration: 6:04. -------------------------------------------
U.S. trade wars with foreign firms surge amid Trump's 'America First' drive - Duration: 0:49.
A recent report shows that ever since President Trump came to power, there has been a wave
of trade wars between American firms and their foreign competitors.
The Washington Post released on Tuesday its analysis of U.S. Commerce Department data,
which found that 23 new trade disputes had been initiated since January, making 2017
the busiest year for tariff cases in more than 15 years.
It also reports that the new cases target trade between the U.S. and 29 countries, the
most in any year since 2001.
One of those countries includes South Korea, with a case brought by Whirlpool to impose
anti-dumping duties on Korean washing machines made by Samsung and LG.
The surge in complaints comes amid Trump's push for his so-called "America First" policies.
-------------------------------------------
U.S. Court Devastates Watchdog Group That's Trying To Halt Voter Fraud Investigation - Duration: 2:54.
For more infomation >> U.S. Court Devastates Watchdog Group That's Trying To Halt Voter Fraud Investigation - Duration: 2:54. -------------------------------------------
Daniel Bryan reveals the future of the United States Title: SmackDown LIVE, Dec. 26, 2017 - Duration: 5:09.
Now I have been trying to call Dolph Ziggler all week and
unfortunately he hasn't responded to my phone calls or my text messages.
Due to his actions last week, it appears that Dolph Ziggler
has voluntarily relinquished the United States Championship.
>> [APPLAUSE] >> But we do need to move forward.
Shane and I are proud to have the history and
the prestige of the United States Championship right here on SmackDown LIVE.
And because of that, I am out here to announce a tournament,
to crown a new United States Champion.
>> [APPLAUSE] >> That's great, Daniel.
I'm so happy for the US title,
but we're wondering what you're going to do about the tag team title situation.
>> Didn't you guys just get an opportunity at the tag team titles two
weeks ago at Class of Champions?
>> Okay, but was it fair Daniel, really?
Was that fair?
Think about it, okay.
>> First of all, we never got our one on one match up with the Usos.
Instead, you decided to add a couple other teams.
>> Yeah, why were they in the match?
>> Like the New Day.
>> Yeah, why were they in the match?
>> Like Aiden English and Rusev.
>> Yeah, why were they in the match?
>> Last week we beat the Usos's one, two, three,
proving that if it had been just us at Clash of Champions.
>> That you and
everyone of you would be looking at the new SmackDown Tag Team Champions.
>> Why do we deserve to face the Usos?
Just listen and we will disclose.
One, we beat the champs two weeks ago.
>> [APPLAUSE]
>> Two, at Clash did we lose?
No.
>> [APPLAUSE] >> And three,
you all know what day comes right after Christmas.
>> [APPLAUSE]
>> It's Boxing Day.
>> [APPLAUSE] >> No,
you fool, it's Rusev Day.
>> [APPLAUSE] >> All
these other teams are out here wasting your time.
>> Wasting your time.
>> If you want to find out who the number one contenders really should be,
all you have to do is take the Kofi Kingston true/false challenge.
Did the team of Chad Gable and Old Jason Jordan.
Sorry, sorry.
Sheldon, Sheldon, Sheldon my fault, that's my bad.
Get pinned at Clash of Champions?
>> True.
>> Did the oddly charismatic team of Rusev Day-
>> [APPLAUSE]
>> Did they get pinned by your boys last
week?
>> True.
>> See Daniel logic states that it's your boys, the New Day,
who are the rightful number one contenders to the,
here, can you step up here with us?
Okay, okay.
To the SmackDown W-W-E- World Champ- >> Shut up.
Now Daniel, tell me, what is it going to be?
Can you make up your mind or you gotta ask your mommy, Shane McMahon?
>> I think I can make this decision on my own.
We are going to have a triple threat match, where the winners will
face the Usos for the Tag Team Championships.
>> Okay, okay, okay.
>> And that match happens right now.
Get a referee out here.
-------------------------------------------
US should voluntarily contribute to the UN: John Bolton - Duration: 5:57.
For more infomation >> US should voluntarily contribute to the UN: John Bolton - Duration: 5:57. -------------------------------------------
Putin: US Exerts Much Stricter Control Over 'Foreign Agent' Media Outlets Than Russia - Duration: 2:26.
As for the law on foreign agents, we did not intend and do not restrict the freedom of our citizens.
Of course, this law should be improved.
We must do this so as to adjust the law towards achieving its stated goal, that is, to preclude any direct foreign interference in our internal political life
or foreign interference through the financing of agencies operating in Russia.
Actually, this is the stated goal of the law. If there are any wrinkles or unsettled matters, we need to take a closer look at them.
At the same time, we see that the actions we did not take have been taken in a great power across the ocean,
where Russian media outlets have been ordered to register as foreign agents,
and where the regulation of foreign agents' activity is much stricter than stipulated in our own law. In this context – this is not a decision, only a thought – we must not restrict the freedom of the internet, but we do need to look at how some companies work on the internet and in social networks as well as how much they are involved in our internal political life. In addition to this, we will need to analyse their behaviour now and during the presidential election campaign.
In this context – this is not a decision, only a thought –
we must not restrict the freedom of the internet,
but we do need to look at how some companies work on the internet and in social networks
as well as how much they are involved in our internal political life.
In addition to this, we will need to analyse their behaviour now and during the presidential election campaign.
Do you remember the ballyhoo raised about the advertising time RT and Sputnik bought in the United States?
It turned out the amount was tiny, only several basis points.
What is the situation in Russia? How many foreign agents are working here?
I am not urging anyone to take hasty decisions. This is not something that needs to be done immediately or before the elections.
We need to see what is going on, to analyse the situation, and only then make a decision, provided we decide that any decision is really necessary.
-------------------------------------------
Trump Discovers Elizabeth Warren Stole $5 BILLION From US Taxpayers – What She Did With It... - Duration: 3:42.
Trump Discovers Elizabeth Warren Stole $5 BILLION From US Taxpayers – What She Did
With It Is HORRIFYING Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren's
biggest achievement from her time in Congress has been the creation of the Consumer Protection
Financial Bureau, or CFPB, which was created to act as a watchdog for the financial industry
following the 2008-09 financial crisis.
Now, however, what she was really doing with the agency has been discovered, and it's
not good.
It was just reported that Trump just appointed Mick Mulvaney to head the CFPB.
This is bad for Warren, considering that Mulvaney once called the agency a "joke" and said
he does not think it should even exist.
Mulvaney is the right man to run this agency, however, since he knows what a nightmare it
really is.
In a blistering Wall Street Journal piece last year, the newspaper's editorial board
took the hammer to the law.
It stated that the CFPB "has complied record of abuse rivaling that of Washington's most
entrenched bureaucracies and may be operating outside of the parameters of the Constitution."
The WSJ also quoted lawyers representing a mortgage lender called "PHH," which had
been appealing the CFPB increasing a $6.4 million penalty the firm already owed to an
additional $105 million.
"The President and the Congress have no control over this agency," PHH's lawyers
stated in court.
"The only check on this agency is right here, if it isn't for the judiciary, this
agency could do anything it wants."The CFPB is clearly an unconstitutional agency that
has no problem wasting money.
The agency pays 56 employees more than the $199,700 Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben
Bernanke receives.
Federal Reserve governors get $179,700, a figure exceeded by 111 CFPB workers, while
six-figure salaries go to 741 employees, or 61% of the CFPB workforce, with one in four
taking home $150,00 or more.
With this agency, Warren has basically been operating an alleged slush-fund.
The New York Post reported that CFPB also has:
•Bounced business owners and industry reps from secret meetings it's held with Democrat
operatives, radical civil-rights activists, trial lawyers and other "community advisers,"
according to a report by the House Financial Services Committee.
•Retained GMMB, the liberal advocacy group that created ads for the Obama and Hillary
Clinton presidential campaigns, for more than $40 million, making the Democrat shop the
sole recipient of CFPB's advertising expenditure, Rubin says.
•Met behind closed doors to craft financial regulatory policy with notorious bank shakedown
groups who have taken hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal grant money to gin up
housing and lending discrimination complaints, which in turn are fed back to CFPB, according
to Investor's Business Daily and Judicial Watch.
•Funneled a large portion of the more than $5 billion in penalties collected from defendants
to community organizers aligned with Democrats — "a slush fund by another name," said
a consultant who worked with CFPB on its Civil Penalty Fund and requested anonymity.
-------------------------------------------
U.S PROVIDING JAVELIN ANTI-TANK MISSILES TO UKRAINE AGAINST RUSSIA - Duration: 7:41.
The Trump administration has approved a plan to provide lethal weapons to Ukraine, a long-awaited
move that deepens America's involvement in the military conflict and may further strain
relations with Russia.
Moscow responded angrily on Saturday.
The new arms include American-made Javelin anti-tank missiles, U.S. officials said late
Friday.
Ukraine has long sought to boost its defenses against Russian-backed separatists armed with
tanks that have rolled through eastern Ukraine during violence that has killed more than
10,000 since 2014.
Previously, the U.S. has provided Ukraine with support equipment and training, and has
let private companies sell some small arms like rifles.
The officials describing the plan weren't authorized to discuss it publicly and demanded
anonymity.
The move is likely to become another sore point between Washington and Moscow, as President
Donald Trump contends with ongoing questions about whether he's too hesitant to confront
the Kremlin.
Ukraine accuses Russia of sending the tanks, and the U.S. says Moscow is arming, training
and fighting alongside the separatists
In this video, Defense Update analyses the impact of U.S PROVIDING JAVELIN ANTI-TANK
MISSILES TO UKRAINE AGAINST RUSSIA.
The intensified support for Ukraine's military also comes amid early discussions about sending
U.N. peacekeepers to eastern Ukraine, to improve security conditions not only for Ukrainians
but for monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe who are
on the ground.
The U.S. and other nations were cautiously optimistic when Russian President Vladimir
Putin proposed to send in peacekeepers.
But there are major disagreements about how and where the peacekeepers would operate,
especially about whether they'd be deployed only on the "line of conflict" between
separatists and the government.
The U.S. and Ukraine want peacekeepers deployed throughout the separatist-controlled regions
stretching to the Ukraine-Russia border.
By approving a plan to provide lethal weapons to Ukraine, the Trump administration could
see it as providing leverage in these negotiations.
Trump had been considering the plan for some time after the State Department and the Pentagon
signed off earlier this year.
President Barack Obama also considered sending lethal weapons to Ukraine, but left office
without doing so.
The FGM-148 Javelin is an American man-portable fire-and-forget anti-tank missile fielded
to replace the M47 Dragon anti-tank missile in US service.It uses an automatic infrared
guidance that allows the user to seek cover immediately after launch, as opposed to wired
guided systems, like the Dragon, where the user has to actively guide the weapon throughout
the engagement.
It is manufactured by Raytheon and Lockheed Martin.
The Javelin's High-Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) warhead is capable of defeating modern tanks
by attacking them from above where armor is generally thinner, and is also useful against
fortifications in a direct attack flight.
The tandem warhead is fitted with two shaped charges: a precursor warhead to detonate any
explosive reactive armor and a primary warhead to penetrate base armor.
It has a range of 4.75 km or around 3 miles.
The State Department, responsible for overseeing foreign military sales, would not confirm
that anti-tank missiles or other lethal weapons would be sent.
But in a statement late Friday, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the U.S. had
decided to provide "enhanced defensive capabilities" to help Ukraine build its military long-term,
defend its sovereignty and "deter further aggression."
"U.S. assistance is entirely defensive in nature, and as we have always said, Ukraine
is a sovereign country and has a right to defend itself," Nauert said.
The White House's National Security Council declined to comment.
In thanking the U.S. for its support, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko addressed the concerns
over how the weapons would be used.
"American weapons in the hands of Ukrainian soldiers are not for an offensive, but for
a decisive rebuff of the aggressor, the protection of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians, as well
as for effective self-defense," he wrote on Facebook.
"It is also a trans-Atlantic vaccination against the Russian virus of aggression."
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Rybakov said the U.S. decision will only make the
conflict more deadly and suggested that Russia could be forced to respond.
Rybakov said in a statement "U.S is not a mediator.
It's an accomplice in fueling the war,"
Although the portable Javelin anti-tank missiles can kill, proponents for granting them to
Ukraine have long argued they are considered "defensive" because the Ukrainians would
use them to defend their territory and deter the Russians, not to attack a foreign country
or seize new territory.
Under law, the State Department must tell Congress of planned foreign military sales,
triggering a review period in which lawmakers can act to stop the sale.
It was unclear whether the administration had formally notified Congress, but lawmakers
aren't likely to try to block it given that Democrats and Republicans alike have long
called on the government to take the step.
The move comes as the United States and European nations struggle to break a long logjam in
the Ukraine-Russia conflict that erupted three years ago when fighting broke out between
Russian-backed separatists and government troops in the east.
France, Russia and Germany brokered a peace arrangement in 2015 that has lowered violence
but not stopped it.
In recent days, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has warned that violence is up about 60% this
year.
In Europe earlier this month, Tillerson called Russia's involvement the biggest tension
point between the former Cold War rivals.
"It stands as the single most difficult obstacle to us, denormalizing the relationship
with Russia, which we badly would like to do," Tillerson said.
The United States, under Obama, also imposed sanctions on Russia for its invasion and annexation
of Crimea.
The Trump administration has insisted those sanctions will stay in place until Moscow
gives up the Crimean Peninsula.
Sending lethal weapons to Ukraine creates the troubling possibility that American arms
could kill Russian soldiers, a situation that could thrust the two nuclear-armed nations
closer to direct confrontation.
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