The move is needed to become ‘de facto’ member of US-led bloc, Alexey Reznikov has said
Ukraine needs to amend its constitution to allow the placement of NATO bases on its territory, Defense Minister Alexey Reznikov argued on Monday.
The Article 17 ban on placing foreign military bases on Ukrainian soil is “outdated,” Reznikov claimed in an op-ed published by the outlet Liga.
“It is clear that, if necessary, a legal formula can be found so as not to call the base a base, but a kind of ‘center for interaction and exchange of experience.’ But why?” Reznikov wrote. “We need to remove this restriction, which has lost its relevance, in order to destroy the ground for speculation.”
Moreover, the same article needs to be “supplemented” with a declaration that Ukraine “independently chooses mechanisms to ensure its security, including by joining international treaties or organizations,” which would “more clearly reveal and normalize the idea of a European and Euro-Atlantic course” as stated in the preamble, according to Reznikov.
Article 17 also explicitly prohibits the use of the Ukrainian military “to restrict the rights and freedoms of citizens” and prohibits the “creation and operation of any armed units not envisaged by law.” Reznikov did not address those provisions, which Kiev has violated since 2014........more below
https://www.rt.com/news/579870-ukraine-foreign-bases-constitution/
US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is preparing to leave the Trump administration after what a new report has described as months of tension with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, potentially triggering another change at the army’s top echelons.
According to the Friday report by The Wall Street Journal, Driscoll is expected to step down before the end of the year and could leave his post earlier. The newspaper cited people familiar with discussions over his departure.
The Journal reported that Driscoll and his family vacated the official residence assigned to the army secretary at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall this summer, a move that could indicate he was preparing to leave the position.
The reported departure would come at a time of continuing uncertainty at the top echelons of the army.
Hegseth abruptly removed Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George in April, while Trump has not yet nominated a permanent successo....more below
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The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) warns the enemies that any act of aggression against the Islamic Republic will not go unanswered.
In a statement on Thursday, the IRGC issued a “stern warning” to the enemies after US forces launched strikes against the southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas.
Following the US military attack on a point on the outskirts of Bandar Abbas Airport with aerial projectiles, the IRGC carried out new strikes targeting the US air base from which the attack originated in the wee hours of Thursday, it added.
“This response is a serious warning to the enemy that they should know the act of aggression will not go unanswered,” the IRGC emphasized.
The elite military force warned of a “more decisive” response if the enemy repeated any act of aggression.
It also said the responsibility for the consequences of any IRGC response lies with the aggressor.
The statement comes after the IRGC Navy on Thursday forced an American tanker to turn back. The tanker ...
