arms deal

The German government has approved the export of air-defense missiles to Saudi Arabia, underlining a softening towards the kingdom.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in Pyongyang on Wednesday for a two-day summit between top Russian and North Korean officials, plus an hour-long meeting between Lavrov and North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un.

North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un met with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Wednesday at the Vostochny Cosmodrome.

The North Korean and Russian governments confirmed on Monday that North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un will meet with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, within the next few days. In fact, South Korean intelligence officials said Kim has already boarded his armored train and departed for the border with Russia.

The German govt has delivered three Gepard tanks to Ukraine, a considerable step up from its donation earlier in the war of 5,000 helmets.

The EU has expressed concerns over weapons flowing from Ukraine to Europe, with a minister calling on the bloc to buy and destroy weapons.  

The U.S. State Department on Thursday announced plans for a potential arms sale to Nigeria’s government worth $997 million that would include the transfer of 12 AH-1Z attack helicopters, the U.S. Defense Security Operation Agency (DSCA) reported on its official website.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government is set to purchase $1 billion worth of missiles from the U.S., the largest arms deal ever between the two countries.

The United States signed a $1 billion deal with Saudi Arabia on Thursday that includes sending nearly 6,600 missiles to the kingdom.

On Wednesday, Secretary of Defense James Mattis signed a deal to sell $12 billion worth of American F-15 fighter jets to Qatar, which is currently undergoing a severe diplomatic breach with other Arab nations and has been called into account for its support of terrorism by President Donald Trump.

Last year, Congress overwhelmingly passed the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA) to allow the family members of those killed in the 9/11 attacks to sue the government of Saudi Arabia for any part it played in those acts of terrorism.

On Monday, Iran responded to President Trump’s tour of the Middle East and anti-terrorism speech in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, by accusing the United States of “Iranophobia.” Iran also said the U.S. was arming “dangerous terrorists” by selling weapons to Saudi Arabia.

Despite human rights complaints against Saudi Arabia over its military campaign in Yemen, the U.S. State Department has approved a $1.15 billion sale of military equipment to the Kingdom, including over 130 Abrams battle tanks.

The New York Times reports it was able to persuade Facebook to shut down six web pages used as “sprawling online arms bazaars” for terrorists and militants, “offering weapons ranging from handguns and grenades to heavy machine guns and guided missiles.”

Although the timing on delivery remains unclear, Russia has vowed to fulfill its contract for advanced surface-to-air missiles with Iran, despite protests from the United States and other Western nations.