https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/us-sends-450-million-worth-of-weapons-to-ukraine

US sends $450 million worth of weapons to Ukraine

The United States is sending a new batch of military supplies to Ukraine, the White House said on Thursday. The new batch of arms supply is worth $450 million of shipments that include more rocket systems for Ukraine to use against the Russian forces.

"This package contains weapons and equipment, including new High Mobility Artillery Rocket systems," said White House spokesperson, John Kirby. Included in the supplies are thousands of rounds of artillery ammunition and patrol boats.

Earlier today, Ukraine received a batch of HIMARS, weapons set on top of the Ukrainian wishlist, and the Ukrainian Minister of Defense Oleksiy Reznikov thanked, via his Twitter account, his “colleague and friend Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III for these powerful tools!"

An initial four units of the rocket system have already been delivered, kicking off the training program required for Ukrainian soldiers to operate the sophisticated and highly accurate weaponry.

Armed with US weapons that continue to fuel the ongoing war, the Ukrainian MoD promised that "summer will be hot for Russian occupiers. And the last one for some of them.”

With the latest shipments, the US contribution to Ukraine's military will amount so far to $6.1 billion, Kirby said.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/france-close-to-political-deadlock:-no-compromise-left-right

France close to political deadlock: No compromise left, right & center

On Thursday, France risked prolonged political deadlock after opposition parties gave French President Emmanuel Macron the cold shoulder after he called for "compromises" to keep France governable following an indecisive parliamentary election.

On late Wednesday, Macron addressed France after failing to get a parliamentary majority, which constitutes a major setback that will stand in his way of carrying out his planned reforms.

His alliance, which is mostly centrist, finished the elections on Sunday with 44 seats short of a majority in the National Assembly. A new left-wing coalition and the far-right have advanced in votes.

The situation undermines Macron's plans for reform in his second term after the presidential elections in April, including measures to raise the retirement age.

Although Macron ruled out a national unity government, he said that France's political forces must "collectively learn to govern and legislate differently" by building "compromises, additions, and amendments but doing so in complete transparency, for the sake of national unity."

However, the opposition in the parliament was in no mood to help Macron in his endeavors.

"He's the one with his back to the wall, not us," said Socialist deputy Valerie Rabault. "If he tries to push through his program without an absolute majority he will be stuck," she said. "He will be responsible for paralyzing France."

Rabault demanded a "course correction" in favor of a higher minimum wage and lessening the cost of living.

The conservatives have also rejected Macron's idea of a formal coalition. The conservative Republicans (LR) remarked that they would examine Macron's policies "case by case."

"There won't be a blank cheque, especially since his plans are so unclear," added Olivier Marleix, who just became the chief of the LR in Parliament.

Jordan Bardella, the interim president of Marine Le Pen's far-right RN party, said it was up to Macron to make the first initiative, doing this by telling the opposition which policies he will be backing.