Ukraine races to bolster air defenses as Putin’s strike pause nears end
Ukraine is racing to reinforce its air defenses as a brief pause in Russian strikes on Kyiv and other cities approaches its expiration, and military and diplomatic experts warn the move may do little to change conditions on the battlefield and could ultimately strengthen Moscow’s negotiating position.
Earlier Friday, President Donald Trump said at the White House, “I think we’re getting very close to getting a settlement,” expressing optimism about the upcoming Russia-Ukraine talks. “Zelenskyy and Putin hate each other, and it makes it very difficult, but I think we have a good chance of getting it settled.”
The Kremlin said President Vladimir Putin agreed to a personal request from Trump to halt airstrikes on Kyiv until Feb. 1 to create what it described as favorable conditions for negotiations. Ukrainian officials stressed there is no formal ceasefire.
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As temperatures in Kyiv are expected to plunge to minus-26 degrees Celsius beginning Sunday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine is moving to strengthen short-range air defenses against drones to protect frontline cities in the south and northeast.
“Protection against Russian drones must be reinforced in our cities, such as Kherson and Nikopol, as well as in the border communities of the Sumy region, where the Russians have essentially set up an ongoing ‘safari’ against civilians,” Zelenskyy said on Telegram.
Despite the pause, Russian lawmakers and regional leaders have publicly urged escalation. Russian parliament speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said deputies are calling for the use of more powerful “weapons of retribution,” while Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov said he opposed negotiations altogether.
Against that backdrop, experts told Fox News Digital the pause appears far more symbolic than transformative.
Vice Adm. Robert S. Harward, a retired Navy SEAL and deputy commander of U.S. Central Command, said the halt in strikes reflects political signaling rather than a military shift.
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“It’s symbolic in the sense of the dialogue and where we are in the negotiations,” Harward told Fox News Digital. “President Trump wants to illustrate to the U.S. that his relationship with Putin delivers results. This is a validation of that relationship, which could be an indicator of where the overall negotiations are on ending the war.”
Carrie Filipetti, executive director of the Vandenberg Coalition and a former senior State Department and U.S. Mission to the United Nations official, said Russia’s agreement should not be misread as a move toward peace.
“While I am certain that Ukrainian civilians welcome any brief pause, they also aren’t holding their breath because Putin’s war machine will not stop until his calculus is changed on the risks of continuing his war,” Filipetti said.
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She added that the short duration of the pause leaves Ukraine exposed.
“Given how short the pause is and the duplicity of Russia saying it agreed to a week-long pause that expires in two days, this does not meaningfully change any conditions on the battlefield,” she said.
Harward said Ukraine could face diplomatic consequences once the pause expires.
“The risk to Ukraine is that this further weakens and isolates their role and position in the negotiations,” he said.
Zelenskyy has also warned that Ukraine’s ability to defend civilians has been strained by delays in Western funding. He said European allies delayed payments under the PURL weapons purchase program, leaving Ukraine without Patriot air defense missiles ahead of recent Russian strikes that knocked out power across parts of Kyiv.
“This is a critical issue for protecting civilians and Ukrainian cities and Ukraine’s energy infrastructure during the brutally cold winter months,” Filipetti said. “As President Zelenskyy has said, there will be no electricity and therefore no heat for civilians if they don’t have enough Patriot missiles to defend against Russia’s ballistic missiles.”
Harward noted that the problem extends beyond Ukraine.
“Air Defense has been in high demand globally, considering the threats from Russia and China,” he said. “Resources, expenses and the increased time to deliver and implement the capabilities add to the challenge.”
On whether the pause could open the door to broader de-escalation, both experts expressed caution.
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“This tactical pause only serves to reinforce Russia’s negotiating position,” Harward said. “Putin is showing the world that he is willing to listen and respond. In return, he’ll want more support of his position and demands.”
“Only time will tell,” Filipetti said. “Diplomacy can always appear fruitless until there is a real deal. If this short pause, delivered by President Trump’s continued engagement and pressure on Putin, can be used to build additional progress in the trilateral talks, that would be a very positive outcome.”
US escalates sanctions on Iranian officials as Trump considers military options
As the threat of a possible U.S. attack against Iran looms, President Donald Trump’s administration has announced additional sanctions targeting Iranian figures.
The Treasury Department announced Friday that its Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) “took additional action against Iranian officials responsible for the regime’s brutal crackdown on its own people.”
“Among the officials sanctioned today is Eskandar Momeni Kalagari, Iran’s minister of the interior who oversees the murderous Law Enforcement Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran (LEF), a key entity responsible for the deaths of thousands of peaceful protesters,” the department said.
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“OFAC also designated Babak Morteza Zanjani, a criminal Iranian investor who previously embezzled billions of dollars in Iranian oil revenue that rightfully belonged to the Iranian people and was never fully recovered. Freed from imprisonment in order to launder money for the regime, Zanjani has provided financial backing for major projects that support the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Iranian regime more broadly.”
The Treasury Department also noted that OFAC designated two digital asset exchanges linked to Zanjani that “have processed large volumes of funds associated with IRGC-linked counterparties.”
The announcement comes as the Trump administration prepares for the possibility of military action against Iran.
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Trump issued a saber-rattling Truth Social post Wednesday warning that the U.S. will attack if Iran does not negotiate a nuclear deal.
Trump suggested in a Truth Social post Wednesday that the U.S. could use force against Iran if a nuclear deal is not reached soon.
“A massive Armada is heading to Iran. It is moving quickly, with great power, enthusiasm, and purpose. It is a larger fleet, headed by the great Aircraft Carrier Abraham Lincoln, than that sent to Venezuela. Like with Venezuela, it is, ready, willing, and able to rapidly fulfill its mission, with speed and violence, if necessary. Hopefully Iran will quickly ‘Come to the Table’ and negotiate a fair and equitable deal – NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS – one that is good for all parties,” the president warned in a Truth Social post Wednesday.
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The commander in chief has in recent days been supplied with an expanded list of possible military actions against Iran to inflict additional damage on the foreign nation’s nuclear and missile sites or weaken the Islamic Republic’s supreme leader, The New York Times reported on Thursday, citing U.S. officials.
The military options go further than those the president was previously mulling earlier this month to fulfill his pledge to stop the slaughter of protesters, officials reportedly said.
The current list of options includes the prospect of U.S. forces executing raids inside the nation of Iran, according to the Times, which indicated that the protests have been crushed.
Israel set to reopen Gaza’s Rafah border crossing with Egypt for first time since May 2024
Israel announced Thursday that it will reopen the Rafah border crossing for people to travel between Gaza and Egypt for the first time since May 2024.
Israel’s Coordinator for Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), which oversees humanitarian and civil efforts in Gaza, said the crossing “will open this coming Sunday (February 1st) in both directions, for limited movement of people only.”
“The return of residents from Egypt to the Gaza Strip will be permitted, in coordination with Egypt, for residents who left Gaza during the course of the war only, and only after prior security clearance by Israel,” COGAT said.
“In addition to initial identification and screening at the Rafah Crossing by the European Union mission, an additional screening and identification process will be conducted at a designated corridor, operated by the defense establishment in an area under IDF control,” it continued.
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This will be the first opening of the Rafah crossing for people since Israel seized the area in May 2024, according to Reuters. Israeli forces captured the territory as part of an effort to prevent arms smuggling into Gaza by the terrorist group Hamas.
In early 2025, there was an evacuation of medical patients along the route during a temporary ceasefire, The Associated Press reported.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s office had said Sunday that Israel agreed to a “limited reopening” of the crossing under President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan.
ISRAEL ANNOUNCES LIMITED REOPENING OF RAFAH CROSSING UNDER TRUMP’S 20-POINT PLAN
“As part of President Trump’s 20-point plan, Israel has agreed to a limited reopening of the Rafah Crossing for pedestrian passage only, subject to a full Israeli inspection mechanism,” the Office of the Prime Minister of Israel wrote.
The Prime Minister’s Office said the reopening was contingent on the return of all living hostages and what it described as a “100 percent effort” by Hamas to locate and return the remains of all deceased hostages.
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Israel on Monday then confirmed that the remains of Staff Sgt. Ran Gvili, the last Israeli hostage held in Gaza, have been recovered and returned home after 842 days.
Trump says Iran already has US terms as military strike clock ticks
President Donald Trump said Friday that the United States has directly communicated expectations to Iran as pressure mounts for Tehran to accept a nuclear deal, even as Iranian officials publicly signal interest in talks.
Asked whether Iran faces a deadline to make a deal, Trump suggested the timeline already had been conveyed privately.
“Only they know for sure,” he said, confirming when pressed that the message had been delivered directly to Iranian leaders.
Trump also tied the growing U.S. naval presence in the region explicitly to Iran, saying American warships “have to float someplace” and “might as well float near Iran” as Washington weighs its next steps.
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Meanwhile, Iran is ready to discuss its nuclear program with the U.S. “on an equal footing,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Friday, as Washington dramatically ramps up military pressure in the Middle East amid growing doubts about Tehran’s willingness to accept verifiable limits on its nuclear ambitions.
The U.S. has long insisted Iran give up its ability to enrich uranium — the material used to build a nuclear weapon — while Iran maintains it has never pursued a bomb and says its nuclear program is intended for energy and civilian purposes.
Araghchi said no meeting was currently scheduled with U.S. officials, but left the door open to talks under specific conditions.
“If the negotiations are fair and on an equal footing, the Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to participate,” he said, adding that talks could not happen immediately. “Preparations are needed, both in terms of the form and subject of the discussions and the venue.”
U.S. and allied officials, however, remain deeply skeptical.
Iran’s record under the 2015 nuclear deal — agreeing to stringent limits and international inspections only to later exceed enrichment caps and restrict monitoring — has fueled doubts about whether its latest overtures would translate into meaningful action.
That trust deficit was further strained in 2025, when diplomatic efforts unfolded alongside military action.
In June 2025, the U.S. military joined Israel in striking three Iranian nuclear facilities — including the Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan sites — in an operation aimed at degrading Tehran’s nuclear capabilities even as indirect talks were underway. Iranian officials later cited the strikes as evidence that Washington was unwilling to negotiate in good faith.
But time may be running out for diplomacy. Trump warned Thursday that Iran must end its nuclear program and halt the killing of protesters or face the possibility of U.S. military action.
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“We have a lot of very big, very powerful ships sailing to Iran right now, and it would be great if we didn’t have to use them,” Trump said.
The USS Abraham Lincoln, which arrived in the region at the end of January, is operating with a carrier strike group that includes multiple destroyers and air squadrons flying F-35C Lightning II jets, F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, EA-18G Growlers, E-2D Hawkeyes, CMV-22B Ospreys and MH-60R/S Seahawk helicopters.
Trump reinforced his message Wednesday on Truth Social, writing: “Hopefully Iran will quickly ‘Come to the Table’ and negotiate a fair and equitable deal – NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS.”
Tensions broke out once again at the start of January amid mass anti-government protests in Iran and a brutal crackdown resulting in thousands of deaths.
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Trump envoy Steve Witkoff has called for an end to Iran’s nuclear program, the transfer of enriched uranium out of the country, limits on its missile program and an end to financial support for proxy groups such as Hezbollah, the Houthis and Hamas.
Iran has long denied seeking nuclear weapons — an assertion U.S. and Israeli officials continue to dispute, arguing Tehran’s enrichment advances and reduced cooperation with international inspectors have brought it closer than ever to a potential nuclear breakout.
Hegseth says Department of War ‘will be prepared to deliver’ whatever Trump wants following Iran warning
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said his department will “be prepared to deliver whatever this president expects” following a warning to Iran about its nuclear program.
Hegseth made the remark Thursday during a Cabinet meeting, one day after President Donald Trump told Iran that “time is running out” to strike a deal.
“They should not pursue nuclear capabilities. So we will be prepared to deliver whatever this president expects of the War Department, just like we did this month,” Hegseth said before describing the Jan. 3 U.S. military operation that captured former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
“No other military in the world could have executed the most sophisticated, powerful raid, not just in American history, I would say, in world history. What those men did going downtown, another country, the most secure place in the most secure base in the middle of the night without anybody knowing until those simultaneous bombs dropped three minutes before the helicopters dropped. No other country could coordinate that,” Hegseth continued. “No other president would have been willing to empower those warriors that way to be that effective.”
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“And that sends a message to every capital around the world that when President Trump speaks, he means business. And we are reestablishing deterrence at the War Department,” Hegseth also said.
The secretary of War also told the Cabinet that Trump has had to “rebuild the perception of America” during his second term.
“And at the Department of War, that meant reestablishing deterrence. What happened in Afghanistan. What happened in Ukraine, a war that never would have occurred. What happened on Oct. 7 in Israel — never would have happened under President Trump. So as a result, we’re having to rebuild how our enemies perceive us,” he said. “And when President Trump said, ‘We’re not getting a nuclear Iran, you won’t have a nuclear bomb,’ he meant it. And we sent those B-2s halfway around the world, and they never noticed.”
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“When you said, Mr. President, we’re securing the border, the military was proud to do their part alongside Homeland Security to do that. Same thing with Iran right now, ensuring that they have all the options to make a deal,” Hegseth added.
In a Truth Social post on Wednesday, Trump said, “A massive Armada is heading to Iran.”
“It is moving quickly, with great power, enthusiasm, and purpose. It is a larger fleet, headed by the great Aircraft Carrier Abraham Lincoln, than that sent to Venezuela. Like with Venezuela, it is, ready, willing, and able to rapidly fulfill its mission, with speed and violence, if necessary. Hopefully, Iran will quickly ‘Come to the Table’ and negotiate a fair and equitable deal — NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS — one that is good for all parties. Time is running out, it is truly of the essence!” the president warned.
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“As I told Iran once before, MAKE A DEAL! They didn’t, and there was ‘Operation Midnight Hammer,’ a major destruction of Iran. The next attack will be far worse! Don’t make that happen again. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” he added.
Trump admin labels Israel ‘model US ally’ ahead of major military aid talks
Last week, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth released the 2026 National Defense Strategy (NDS), a Pentagon blueprint that elevates Israel as a “model ally” and translates President Donald Trump’s national security doctrine into concrete military policy.
“Israel has long demonstrated that it is both willing and able to defend itself with critical but limited support from the United States. Israel is a model ally, and we have an opportunity now to further empower it to defend itself and promote our shared interests, building on President Trump’s historic efforts to secure peace in the Middle East,” the NDS states.
The document is now influencing parallel debates over the future of U.S. security assistance to Israel and whether the next Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) should continue delivering traditional U.S. military aid to Israel amid dissenting voices that portray the alliance as a burden rather than a strategic asset.
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According to the strategy, Israel proved its ability and willingness to defend itself following the Oct. 7 attacks, demonstrating that it is not a passive partner but an operational force that supports U.S. interests in the region. The strategy emphasizes empowering capable allies rather than constraining them, building on President Trump’s earlier push for regional integration through the Abraham Accords.
Jonathan Ruhe, director of foreign policy at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America, said the strategy reflects a broader American shift toward partnerships that strengthen both U.S. security and domestic industry.
“U.S. defense assistance to Israel in the MOU is spent in dollars here in America to support our industry,” Ruhe told Fox News Digital. “And like in the national security strategy, it then enables Israel to go and do more to protect U.S. interests.”
He said a future agreement would likely extend beyond funding alone. “A new MOU would also likely be broader and include things that are more 50-50 partnership, like joint research and development, co-production, intelligence sharing and things like that to reflect the changing partnership going forward,” Ruhe said.
The strategy also highlights the importance of revitalizing the American defense industrial base, noting that allies purchasing U.S. systems help strengthen domestic production while enabling partners to shoulder greater responsibility for regional security.
Avner Golov, vice president of the Israeli think tank Mind Israel, said the document makes clear that Israel is viewed not merely as a recipient of aid: “Israel is in the fight. We are protecting ourselves by ourselves. We just need the tools to do that. And by doing so, we enhance not only America’s standing in the Middle East, but also worldwide and contribute to the American economy.”
That framing comes as Israel and the United States prepare for negotiations over the next 10-year MOU, which governs U.S. military assistance to Israel. The current agreement, signed in 2016, provides $3.3 billion annually in foreign military financing, along with $500 million a year for missile defense cooperation.
The debate follows tensions during the Biden administration, when the White House paused the delivery of certain U.S. weapons to Israel in May 2024, including a shipment of 2,000-pound bombs. At the time, Netanyahu warned that Israel “will stand alone” if Washington halted weapons deliveries, reflecting concern that limits or delays in U.S. military support could undermine Israel’s readiness and deterrence.
Experts have noted that U.S. leaders have not always approved every Israeli weapons request and that roughly 70% of Israel’s military imports come from the United States, underscoring the strategic calculus behind Prime Minister Netanyahu’s recent push for greater independent production.
Golov criticized that approach, arguing it risks prioritizing optics over readiness. “I believe that is a short-term vision,” Golov said. “In the long term, Israel must first be prepared for the next round of escalation. If we are not ready, we will face another war. If we are prepared, perhaps we can deter it.”
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“Israel must remain the strongest army in the region, and that is also a fundamental American interest,” Golov said.
Ruhe said the debate reflects lessons learned from nearly two years of war. “You’ve got this sort of topsy-turvy world now where the Israelis are saying we don’t want to take any more U.S. money, and the Americans are saying, no, you’re going to take our money,” he said.
According to Ruhe, the conflict exposed vulnerabilities created by heavy dependence on U.S. supply chains and political delays.
“The war of the last two years showed that Israel can’t afford to be as dependent on the U.S. or continue to maintain the same defense partnership that it has because that creates a dependence,” he said. “Israel becomes vulnerable to U.S. shortages in weapons output or politically motivated embargoes and holdups that can impact Israel’s readiness.”
At the same time, Ruhe noted that Israel remains reliant on the United States for major platforms.
“Even Israel will say we’re utterly dependent on the U.S. for those big-ticket platforms,” he said, pointing to aircraft such as the F-15 and F-35 that Israel has already committed to purchasing.
For that reason, Ruhe argued that maintaining stable funding under the next MOU may be the most practical path forward.
“It’s actually much easier for Congress just to go ahead and approve that money,” he said, explaining that predictable funding reduces annual political battles on Capitol Hill.
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Golov said Israel’s long-term objective should not be reducing ties with Washington, but deepening them. “I don’t want to reduce dependency,” he said. “I want to increase contribution to America.”
He described the emerging vision as a fundamental shift in how the alliance is structured. “We are moving from a 20th-century aid model to a 21st-century strategic merger,” Golov said. “Israel is the only partner that delivers a 400% return on investment without asking for a single American soldier.”
Golov said the proposed framework is built around three pillars: an industrial defense ecosystem, a joint technology ecosystem and a regional ecosystem connecting Israeli innovation, Gulf infrastructure and American power.
He emphasized that maintaining U.S. security assistance during the transition period is critical.
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“We need a final ten-year ‘bridge’ with the current security aid MOU,” Golov said. “A sudden cut would be a dangerous signal of American retreat to our enemies and may hinder IDF preparedness.”
“I don’t know who the next president of the United States will be,” he added. “This is where our enemies can read it in a very dangerous way.”