US President Donald Trump has triggered the Defense Production Act to address restrictions on arms supplies and the development of ammunition production and related supply chains, Reuters reported, citing a published memorandum, BTA writes.
The move comes amid growing concern in Washington about the ability of US arms manufacturers to meet demand.
Solid rocket motors, ignition systems and guidance systems are among the most important components for weapons production, and it is in them that production capacity is most limited. They are essential for both existing weapons systems and future modernization programs.
“I hereby determine that conditions exist that may pose a direct threat to the national defense or defense readiness programs“, Trump said in a June 11 memo to the Pentagon chief.
He cited “limited manufacturing capacity, vulnerable supply chains, dependencies associated with long production and delivery times, and other manufacturing constraints“ as reasons.
The memo gives the Secretary of Defense the authority to enter into agreements with representatives of private industry to strengthen the defense industrial base.
The Defense Production Act allows the President or his designees to consult with representatives of industry, business, and other interested parties and enter into agreements in support of national defense, but only when conditions are in place that could pose a direct threat to it.
The United States may soon reimpose sanctions on Russian oil supplies after U.S. President Donald Trump and leaders of his G-7 allies returned the topic of the war in Ukraine to the top of their agenda at their summit today - more than four years after the full-scale Russian invasion, the Associated Press reported.
In recent weeks, the conflict with Iran has overshadowed Ukraine, but after announcing a deal to end the three-and-a-half-month Gulf War, Trump now said he wants to focus on Ukraine.
Asked whether he would reinstate sanctions on Russia, which were eased to help lower fuel prices, the U.S. president said the measures would be reinstated once more oil starts flowing through the Strait of Hormuz.
“We will soon have an opportunity to "That's because the oil is flowing," Trump said. "We're in a position to do that soon," he added.
In March, the United States temporarily eased sanctions on some Russian oil supplies after prices rose sharply. The waiver was extended as the Gulf War dragged on.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky joined G7 leaders in a heated exchange about his country's war, which quickly escalated after the leaders met for just 75 minutes.
Zelensky said Kiev's intentions for peace were serious, while Russia was "playing games" with world leaders. "The whole G7" unanimously supported Ukraine today,” he added.
Zelensky said that the G7 leaders supported Ukraine’s need for more Patriot missiles and discussed how to increase their production through licensing. The Patriot missiles are capable of countering Russian ballistic missile attacks on Ukraine's power grid and cities.
After Trump cut aid to Kiev, France and its European allies are now the country's largest providers of military and financial aid.
At Evian, the French spa resort near the Swiss border that is hosting the summit, Trump downplayed the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war on the United States but lamented the rising death toll.
Meanwhile, Britain announced a new package of sanctions against the "shadow fleet" that Russia uses to deliver oil and gas, and against Moscow's financial networks to circumvent Western sanctions.