News of the World

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News of the World Special Edition

NATO IS AT WAR WITH RUSSIA

Dmitry Peskov, Putin's spokesman

NATO at War With Russia, Kremlin Says

NATO is "at war with Russia" over Ukraine, the spokesman for Russian President Vladimir President has said.

The comments by Dmitry Peskov come amid a spike in tensions between the alliance and Moscow following Poland's shooting down of Russian drones that entered the alliance member's airspace last week.

Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said at the time that the drone incursion was a ploy by Russia to test the alliance.

Peskov said Monday it was "obvious" the alliance was "de facto involved in this war." Newsweek has contacted NATO for comment.
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What To Know

Peskov suggested that a "de facto" war between Moscow and NATO was underway.

Warsaw has triggered NATO's Article 4, alerting fellow allies to a significant threat to its territorial integrity and formally starting consultations on how to respond, in response to the recent Russian drone incursion into Poland—which Moscow says lacks evidence.

This step is less severe than invoking Article 5 which obliges allies to collective defense if one of them comes under armed attack.

But on the heels of the alarm raised by that incident, another NATO member, Romania, scrambled F-16 fighter jets on Saturday after a Russian drone breached its airspace, which has become a frequent occurrence in the war.

The Russian ambassador to Bucharest was summoned over the "violation of Romania's sovereignty", said Romanian foreign minister Oana Toiu.

The UK Foreign Office said on Monday the Russian ambassador to London had been summoned following Moscow's "unprecedented violation" of Polish and Romanian airspace, describing the incursions as "utterly unacceptable."

Meanwhile, Lithuania and Poland have deployed extra troops along their borders in response to the joint military drills between Belarus and Russia— the so-called Zapad-2025 war games—that began on Friday.

Poland's foreign minister Sikorski said Russia had tried to test NATO's reactions by small escalations without prompting a full-scale response.

Michael Butler, political science professor at Clark University, told Newsweek the deployment of Russian drones into Poland's airspace was the opening salvo of a new front in Moscow's ongoing hybrid war against the West.

He said the use of drones and disinformation were designed to probe Poland's potential security vulnerabilities while simultaneously buffeting the country with confusing and false reports about the strike and its effects via social media.

What People Are Saying

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, per Russian state media: "NATO is at war with Russia. This is obvious, and it does not require any additional evidence."

He added: "NATO provides direct and indirect support to the Kyiv regime."

Michael Butler, professor and chair of the Department of Political Science at Clark University, told Newsweek: "The synchronized use of drones and disinformation were clearly designed to probe Poland's potential security vulnerabilities...the brazen use of these tactics against Poland should sound alarm bells for NATO and the U.S."

A while before you could also read this statement by former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev:

FORMER RUSSIAN PRESIDENT MEDVEDEV

Putin Ally Issues War Threat to NATO

Top Kremlin official Dmitry Medvedev warned that the establishment of a no-fly zone in Ukraine and allowing NATO allies to shoot down Russian drones would mean a "NATO war with Russia."

Medvedev is deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council and a close confidant of President Vladimir Putin.

Why It Matters

NATO member Poland has called for the U.S.-led alliance to consider a no-fly zone over Ukraine since nearly 20 Russian drones crossed over into Poland early on September 10 in the midst of extensive Russian attacks on neighboring Ukraine. About three are thought to have been shot down in operations backed by other NATO countries.

Fellow NATO member Romania, which also shares a long border with Ukraine, said on Saturday a Russian drone had also entered its airspace.

Medvedev, a former Russian president and prime minister, known for his social media comments that verge on nuclear brinkmanship, is reiterating a position set down by Putin since he ordered his forces to invade Ukraine in 2022, that Moscow would view countries that joined a no-fly zone as "participants in a military conflict."

What To Know

Ukraine has called for a no-fly zone since the beginning of Russia's war but its NATO allies have worried that such an action, even if defensive in nature, might provoke a nuclear confrontation.

Kyiv's allies have instead supplied it with air defense systems, missiles and aircraft in the hope on that Ukraine can provide its own no-fly zone.

Medvedev, in a post on Telegram originally in Russian, said the "implementation of the provocative idea dreamed up by Kyiv and other idiots about creating a 'no-fly zone over Ukraine,' along with NATO countries being allowed to shoot down our drones, would mean only one thing—a NATO war with Russia."

"Things must be called by their proper names!" added Medvedev.

On Friday, NATO launched what it dubbed "Eastern Sentry," designed to bolster the alliance's flank on Russia's border after Moscow's drone incursions into Poland. Denmark will put forward two F-16 fighter jets and an anti-air warfare frigate, while France will contribute three Rafale jets and Germany four Eurofighters, the alliance said in a press release.

The initiative will "make clear that, as a defensive alliance, we are always ready to defend," NATO chief Mark Rutte said, adding Russian UAVs crossing into Poland were "not an isolated incident."

Medvedev derided the NATO operation saying: "This, it seems, is all that remains of the 'coalition of the willing.'"

He also mocked a visit to Ukraine by Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur, who announced on Monday military aid for Ukraine worth at least $117 million next year, the Kyiv Independent reported.

"The smaller the country, the more cocky and stupid the bosses are," Medvedev said.

So these harsh and extreme stances might have been triggered by Poland's decision to declare a no-fly zone in the east of the country for 3 months. This was reported last week on September 11th.

ANOTHER VIOLATION OF NATO AIRSPACE?

Russian Drones May Have Entered Another NATO Member's Airspace

Lithuania's former prime minister has raised questions over whether Russian drones entered the Baltic state on the same night that devices launched by Moscow were downed by fellow NATO member Poland.

German outlet Bild had reported that two objects had entered the Baltic state's territory, although Lithuania's Armed Forces said there was no information backing this up.

But Saulius Skvernelis, who was head of government between 2016 and 2020 and is now the country's parliamentary speaker, has called for an investigation into whether the alleged incident was concealed to avoid damaging the image of Defense Minister Dovilė Šakalienė.

There is no independent confirmation of the claims by Skvernelis or Bild and Šakalienė said she backed the conclusions of Lithuania's armed forces.
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Why It Matters

Tensions between NATO and Russia are on a knife-edge after Poland shot down drones that entered its territory last week, and fellow member Romania scrambled fighter jets following a similar incident at the weekend.

At least twice in July, drones launched by Russia had entered Lithuania but the prospect of Russian drones entering another member's airspace on the same day as the incident in Poland will add to concerns that Moscow is testing the alliance's resolve.

What To Know

Warsaw said that Russian drones violated Polish airspace 19 times on the night of September 9 and 10, with data showing the wreckage of Russian drones across the country.

As Warsaw invoked Article 4 of NATO's charter for further consultations with fellow members, Moscow said that Poland had not provided evidence for its accusations and denied intentionally launching drones into the country.

However, German media outlet Bild had reported that two drones may have entered Lithuanian territory as well. Lithuanian outlets reported the Bild account based on NATO sources.

The Lithuanian Armed Forces said NATO air-policing jets had been scrambled but no targets were detected. Šakalienė said "no objects were recorded" in Lithuanian airspace that day.

However, Skvernelis said the issue should be investigated.

"The armed forces have denied the information, but we know the armed forces deny or remain silent only at the will or instruction of Minister Šakalienė," Skvernelis told Lithuanian outlet Delfi, as cited by Ukrainska Pravda.

"The National Security and Defence Committee should raise this issue on its next agenda and get very clear answers," he said, according to a translation of the report by Delfi.

Šakalienė said she backed the information by the country's armed forces which had denied the rumors, which she suggested had a political motive.

TRUMP ON ZELENSKY-PUTIN TALKS

Trump Issues Update on Zelensky-Putin Talks After Russia Sanctions Threat

U.S. President Donald Trump said that a sticking point in the prospects of talks between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky is the level of enmity between them.

Trump suggested that he would have to be an intermediary for the leaders of Russia and Ukraine because they "hate each other so much they almost can't talk."

He also took aim at European nations for purchasing Russian oil in comments to reporters that followed an earlier threat that the United States would toughen sanctions on Moscow's key export if no progress was made on peace.

Oleksiy Goncharenko, a member of the Ukrainian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), told Newsweek, "It is possible that this hatred is real," but that Zelensky is prepared to negotiate with Putin.
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Despite Trump's efforts and several rounds of dialogue, negotiations between Russia and Ukraine remain stalled with the Kremlin describing them as "on pause."

Trump also on Sunday labeled Russia "the aggressor" in the war against Ukraine, having previously refused to condemn Moscow for the invasion.

These comments suggest he sees himself as still playing a key role in any peace talks and could signal a hardening of his position toward Putin.

What To Know

Trump was asked on Sunday about the prospect of negotiations between the Russian and Ukrainian leaders to end the war started by Putin.

Trump replied that the hatred between Zelensky and Putin was "unfathomable" and that "I think I'm going to have to do all the talking." He went on to say that negotiations would eventually take place, "whether you call it a summit or just a get-together."

Goncharenko, a Ukrainian MP, told Newsweek that despite Putin killing Ukrainians daily through launching missiles and drones into cities, Zelensky had repeatedly said he is ready to meet with the Russian president and that Ukraine wants direct negotiations.

But the only way for this meeting to happen is to put pressure on Russia, as Putin only understands the language of force, Goncharenko added.

Viktor Kovalenko, a Ukrainian veteran who produces the Ukraine Decoded Substack, told Newsweek on Monday that there is a high level of animosity between Putin and Zelensky.

For Putin, Zelensky has undermined the Russian leader's strength, while "on the other hand, the Ukrainian leader despises the Moscow ruler for the massacre of his people."

However, Kovalenko said that Trump preferred not to mention the true reasons for the stalled negotiation process, which is not because there is animosity between the leaders, but because both are trying to gain a decisive advantage prior to any meeting.

The Kremlin understands that conquering Ukraine could take many more years and require greater sacrifices and expenditures. "Putin demonstrates that he needs negotiations specifically with Trump, not with Zelensky only," Kovalenko said.

For Zelensky, peace talks with Putin are not imminent because the Ukrainian arms industry and military have momentum with deep, pinpoint drone strikes on Russian oil refineries that undermine its war machine for a better negotiating position, Kovalenko said.

Trump told reporters on the tarmac on Sunday that European countries may be allies, "but they're buying oil from Russia," and that the sanctions imposed on Moscow for its aggression in Ukraine "were not tough enough."

Russia has gone from being a major supplier of oil to the European Union before the war (28 percent) to being only a marginal supplier in 2025 (2 percent). However, Hungary and Slovakia are the EU's top purchasers of Russian energy and have opposed efforts by Brussels to phase it out.

Trump said Sunday that "countries are buying oil from Russia and selling it into certain NATO countries" without specifying which ones.

Yuriy Boyechko, CEO of Hope for Ukraine, told Newsweek that negotiations had hit a dead end," and that Kyiv is now turning to strikes on Russian infrastructure such as oil facilities to pressure Vladimir Putin to negotiate.

Ukraine must therefore rely on its own efforts, particularly targeting Russian oil refineries with drone strikes, he added.

IS JAPAN GETTING INVOLVED?

Japan Sends Air Force to NATO Bases As Threats Emerge on Multiple Fronts

Japan—a key United States ally—sent its air force to North America and Europe to strengthen cooperation with NATO amid threats from Russia, China and North Korea.

Newsweek has emailed the Russian and Chinese foreign ministries for comment. North Korea's embassy in Beijing did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Why It Matters
Japan views the security of the Euro-Atlantic and the Indo-Pacific as indivisible, citing Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, China's attempts to change the status quo by force in disputed Asian waters and North Korea's development of nuclear missiles.

The deployment of the Japanese air force—its first mission to Europe and Canada—follows the conclusion of a British aircraft carrier's operations in Northeast Asia.

Moscow, Beijing and Pyongyang, part of an authoritarian bloc known as the "Axis of Upheaval," strongly oppose NATO's reach into Asia, accusing the U.S.-led military alliance of inciting a new Cold War that undermines regional security and stability.

What To Know

The Japan Air Self-Defense Force began its deployment, code-named Atlantic Eagles, on Sunday, scheduled to conclude on October 1. Eight aircraft—including four F-15 fighter jets—and 180 personnel, will visit the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom and Germany.

Photos released by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force on Monday show the fighter jets arriving at their first stop of the deployment—Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska—after departing their home station at Chitose Air Base and flying across the North Pacific.

"[Japan Air Self-Defense Force] will continuously strengthen the cooperation with [U.S. Air Force] to further enhance deterrence and response capabilities of the Japan-U.S. alliance," the Japan Air Self-Defense Force said on the social media platform X.

Other participating units include two C-2 transport aircraft and two aerial refueling aircraft—the KC-46A and KC-767—deployed from Komaki, Iruma and Miho bases.

After its stop in Alaska, the Japanese detachment will proceed to CFB Goose Bay in Canada, RAF Coningsby and Brize Norton in the U.K. and Germany's Laage Air Base.

Citing Japan's Defense Ministry sources, The Asahi Shimbun reported that the F-15 jets would not conduct training events with host nations due to concerns about exercises in unfamiliar territory after a long flight across Asia, North America and Europe.

This deployment was first announced after a meeting between Japanese and British defense ministers in Tokyo last month, at which both sides said they were committed to further strengthening defense capabilities and increasing security cooperation.

MIDDLE EAST

Iran Calls for Islamic NATO

Iran and Egypt are spearheading new calls for a NATO-style alliance in the Middle East as their leaders gather in Qatar on Monday for an emergency summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

The proposal, spurred by Israel's recent strike on a residential compound in Doha that housed Hamas negotiators, represents the most serious push in decades for a unified regional defense pact.
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The latest escalation reflects a dramatic shift in Middle Eastern security priorities. Following a 12-day series of Israeli attacks on Iranian targets earlier this year, ongoing strikes in Gaza, and Israel's recent attack on Doha, Muslim leaders are increasingly portraying Israel as the destabilizing force across the region.

Arab and Iranian officials warn that failure to act could leave states across the Middle East vulnerable to further Israeli operations. The emergency OIC summit is now seen as a pivotal moment to determine whether Muslim nations can transform calls for unity into a concrete collective security framework.

What To Know

Egypt, commanding the Arab world's largest army, is pushing for a Cairo-based joint military command. Senior Iranian officials are pressing for an even broader coalition.

Mohsen Rezaei, a former commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, warned that Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Iraq could be future targets unless the bloc acts decisively, declaring that "the only solution is forming a military coalition."

Senior Iranian cleric Jalal Razavi-Mehr amplified the message, calling for a single Islamic army with shared defensive and offensive doctrines. At the same time, Iranian diplomats urged caution. Mehdi Shoushtari of the Foreign Ministry in Tehran said it was "still too early" to formalize a pact but noted conditions were "more favorable than in the past."

Meanwhile, Pakistan, the world's only nuclear-armed Muslim state, has also urged the creation of a joint task force to monitor Israeli actions and adopt coordinated deterrent and offensive measures.

Qatar's Rebuke

On Sunday, Qatar's Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani condemned the Israeli strike as "an assault on the principle of mediation itself." He faulted the international community for failing to restrain Israel and urged Muslim nations to adopt "real and tangible measures" to avoid "an endless cycle of bloodshed and destruction."

The OIC, encompassing 57 member states, has historically limited itself to symbolic declarations.

Monday's meeting is now seen as a critical test of whether rhetoric can be transformed into coordinated military action. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian's attendance signals Iran's determination to assert influence in a bloc often dominated by Arab leadership.

EUROPE

Denmark Snubs US Patriot Missile Systems for European Rival

NATO member Denmark has opted to buy European-made air-defense systems rather than the sought-after U.S. Patriots, as European countries attempt to massively ramp up defense production.

Why It Matters

All NATO countries committed to surging core defense spending to 3.5 percent of GDP in the next decade back in June. Ahead of the alliance making the pledge, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said there needed to be a 400 percent increase in air and missile defenses.

A report in British newspaper, the Financial Times, in May 2024, suggested NATO had just 5 percent of the air defenses it needed to cover the alliance's eastern and central European members in the event of a full-scale attack. Officials in Europe generally shy away from confirming this figure, but openly say the need to bolster air defenses is urgent.

What To Know

Denmark will buy eight medium- and long-range systems as part of the "single largest investment" in the country's defense to date, equivalent to roughly $9 billion, Copenhagen's Defense Ministry said in a statement.

The NATO member said it will buy the Franco-Italian SAMP/T long-range system, as well as German, Norwegian and French-made medium-range air defenses.

"The systems have been selected based on an overall assessment of operational, economic, and strategic factors," the defense ministry said.

Systems like the SAMP/T have been provided to Ukraine throughout the more than three and a half years of full-scale war in the eastern European country. But the U.S.-made Patriot system has consistently featured at the very top of Kyiv's wish list of military support from its allies.

The Patriot is credited with intercepting next-generation Russian weapons in Ukraine, like hypersonic missiles.

As demand for air defenses soars in Europe, defense companies will still need years to expand their production lines and produce more sought-after equipment, like interceptor missiles.

The White House has told European members of NATO that the continent needs to funnel far more investment into defense, as the U.S. pivots from propping up Europe to focusing on the Indo-Pacific. The U.S. Military has historically provided many of Europe's most costly capabilities.

European officials are balancing wanting to keep the U.S. economically and politically invested in Europe, while making sure nations and defense companies on the continent benefit from the money becoming available for defense. The U.S. still wants Europe to buy from American defense firms.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said earlier this year that Copenhagen will "buy, buy, buy" and focus on very quickly building up its stockpiles.

"If we can't get the best equipment, buy the next best," Frederiksen said in February. "There's only one thing that counts now and that is speed."

There is "a really long waiting time for Patriots," Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen told domestic television.

The new systems will shield the country's major cities and civilian population, as well as military sites and critical infrastructure, the government said.

"We have seen how Russia has violated Polish airspace with several drones," Poulsen told a press conference on Friday. "It is a reminder to all of us about the importance of strengthening our combat power."

Spain's PM Says Israeli Athletes Should Be Banned

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Monday called for Israel to be banned from international sports events after pro-Palestinian activists disrupted the final stage of the Vuelta a España cycling race in chaotic scenes in Madrid.

Speaking to members of his Socialist Party, Sánchez compared Israel's military campaign in Gaza to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and said both countries should be barred from competition.

"The sports organizations should consider whether it's ethical for Israel to keep participating in international competitions. Why expel Russia after the invasion of Ukraine and not expel Israel after the invasion of Gaza?" Sánchez said. "Until the barbarity ends, neither Russia nor Israel should be in any international competition."

Why It Matters

Sánchez's remarks came a day after Sunday's finale of Spain's biggest cycling race was cut short when protesters opposing the participation of the Israeli team Israel Premier Tech hurled barriers onto the road and clashed with police near the finish line. Authorities said two people were arrested and 22 were injured, none seriously.

What To Know

Spain's left-wing government had previously expressed sympathy with the demonstrators and suggested the Israeli squad should have withdrawn from the three-week race, which turned into a diplomatic flashpoint. Israel Premier Tech removed its name from riders' uniforms but continued to compete until the end despite demands for its expulsion.

The incident sparked a wave of political fallout. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar on Sunday accused Sánchez of encouraging the protests, while Madrid's conservative mayor, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, condemned the prime minister and called the events "a sad day for the Spanish capital."

Meanwhile, Danish rider Jonas Vingegaard, who led the overall classification going into the final stage, was declared the winner of the Vuelta. But the customary podium ceremony was canceled because of the unrest.

Teams later organized a private podium ceremony so riders could celebrate.

Why doesn't someone propose something like banning Spanish teams from international competitions?

LATIN AMERICA

Donald Trump Announces Second Military Strike on Boat Departing Venezuela

President Donald Trump said Monday that the U.S. military conducted a "kinetic strike" against another suspected drug cartel boat from Venezuela.

The strike, which took place in the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) area of responsibility, was announced in a message on Truth Social, where Trump warned of further action against drug traffickers targeting Americans.

The vessel was allegedly carrying narcotics en route to the United States.

"This morning, on my Orders, U.S. Military Forces conducted a SECOND Kinetic Strike against positively identified, extraordinarily violent drug trafficking cartels and narcoterrorists in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility," Trump posted. He confirmed that three men aboard were killed, adding, "No U.S. Forces were harmed in this Strike."

In the same post, Trump emphasized the strategic and domestic rationale behind the attack, calling the Venezuelan cartels "a threat to U.S. National Security, Foreign Policy, and vital U.S. Interests." He further warned, "IF YOU ARE TRANSPORTING DRUGS THAT CAN KILL AMERICANS, WE ARE HUNTING YOU!"

Why It Matters

Earlier this month, the U.S. carried out a missile strike on a boat Trump said was carrying drugs and operated by the Venezuela-based Tren de Aragua cartel, which he designated a terrorist organization by executive order at the start of the year.

The Trump administration has also accused Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of leading a cartel to flood the U.S. with drugs, and doubled the reward for his capture from $25 million to $50 million.

What To Know

The strike marks a clear escalation in Trump's use of military force to target drug trafficking networks.

Trump released a 30-second video showing a boat exploding and burning at sea but gave no evidence to support his claim that it was carrying narcotics.

On Sunday, speaking to reporters in Morristown, New Jersey, Trump refused to rule out strikes on mainland Venezuela when asked about possible retaliation from President Nicolás Maduro.

"We'll see what happens," Trump said. "Venezuela is sending us their gang members, their drug dealers, and drugs. It's not acceptable."

Maduro responded Monday, calling the strike a "criminal attack" and accusing the U.S. of launching a wider campaign against his country. At a press conference in Caracas with top military officials, he said the attack was part of "judicial, political, diplomatic, and military aggression."

Maduro also said all communication with the Trump administration had "broken down" and called Secretary of State Marco Rubio the "lord of death and war" for his repeated threats.

China To Build $500 Million South American Rail Line

China's footprint in Latin America continues to expand as a Chinese state-owned construction company has secured the rights develop Chile's largest railway project.

The deal, awarded to China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC), includes a 38-mile freight and passenger rail line connecting Santiago and Melipilla. Chilean officials said the project, once completed, would transport up to 60 million passengers annually and reduce commute times to just 25 minutes between the two cities. It is expected to be completed within six years.
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The $500 million railway contract, won by CRCC subsidiary China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, marks the latest chapter in China's Belt and Road Initiative strategy to invest in infrastructure across developing nations.

It also reflects the deepening economic relationship between China and South America, particularly as Chinese companies seek to diversify trade routes and secure access to commodities such as copper and lithium.

What To Know

The project's contract includes the development of nine stations, a maintenance center, 12 viaducts, and seven pedestrian crossings. The dual-track line is expected to carry both commuter traffic and cargo, improving efficiency in one of Chile's fastest-growing corridors.

CRCC won the contract to construct the Santiago-Batuco project, a 15-mile corridor that included a passenger-dedicated line between Quinta Normal Station and Batuco and upgraded freight infrastructure.

The passenger line was designed for train speeds up to 100 miles per hour, while the freight line targeted speeds of 40 miles per hour.
The project includes the construction of six new stations, five new underpasses, the elimination of all existing at-grade level crossings along the route, and six new railway bridges.

The project plans a series of environmental protections, including protective signage for rare and endangered plants in six major wetland areas, use of prefabricated piles to reduce excavation and groundwater depletion, installation of noise barriers, and restoration of temporary construction sites upon completion.

The report estimated that the completed Santiago-Batuco line would connect five cities in the region and serve about 35 million passengers annually while reducing travel time from roughly 1.5 hours to approximately 24 minutes.

Separately, China's state-owned engineering firms are expected to help build a massive 2,800-mile cross-continental railway linking Brazil's Atlantic coast with Peru's Pacific port of Chancay in a project that will cost upward of $70 billion once completed.

ASIA

Satellite Photo Shows Chinese Aircraft Carrier Sailing in Contested Waters

China's newest aircraft carrier has been tracked operating in the disputed South China Sea, according to satellite analysis.

Why It Matters

The Fujian is the third and most advanced aircraft carrier of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy—the world's largest navy by hull count.

Its sighting comes amid ongoing tensions in the South China Sea, where Chinese territorial claims overlap with those of several neighbors, including U.S. treaty ally the Philippines, which shares a decades-old Mutual Defense Treaty with Washington.
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What To Know

Satellite imagery captured Monday by one of the European Space Agency's Sentinel-2 satellites shows the Fujian was operating about 60 miles east of China's Yulin naval base in the southern province of Hainan.

The photo follows a report by open-source intelligence firm AllSource Analysis that the flattop had made its first transit through the Taiwan Strait. As of Friday, it was about 86 miles northeast of the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands.

Just a day earlier, the Fujian had sailed through the East China Sea under escort by two PLA guided-missile destroyers, according to a report from Japan's Joint Staff.

China claims the Pratas, like most of the South China Sea, as its territory. It also claims sovereignty over self-ruled Taiwan, though the Chinese Communist Party government in Beijing has never governed the island.

The Fujian's transit came amid growing friction with the Philippines, driven by Beijing's expanding maritime presence in the Southeast Asian nation's exclusive economic zone.

Last week, China declared a new "nature reserve" at Scarborough Shoal—a traditional fishing ground within the zone—prompting Manila to issue a strong diplomatic protest.

On Thursday, the Philippines launched a three-day naval exercise with the U.S. and Japan inside its exclusive economic zone. The Philippine military said the drills "enhance the interoperability of the participating forces but also reaffirm the Philippines' steadfast commitment to safeguarding its maritime interests and upholding peace and security in the region."

China's Economy Struck by Sudden Decline

The Chinese economy slowed significantly in August, as a tranche of crucial indicators missed the mark on Monday.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), China's retail sales rose 3.4 percent in August compared to a year prior, the weakest pace of growth since November and falling short of the 3.9 percent gain economists surveyed by Reuters had forecast.

Meanwhile, growth in industrial output slowed to 5.2 percent year-over-year from 5.7 percent in July, marking the lowest reading since last August.

Why It Matters

The new data comes at a critical time for Beijing as it attempts to negotiate with the U.S. on a number of contentious economic issues, principal among them being tariffs.

China's economic might—and the assertion that it can prosper even without American customers—has been considered a key source of leverage for the country in the ongoing trade dispute as it attempts to push for a relaxation of restrictions on its exports.

What To Know

As well as industrial output and consumption having experienced their worst month of 2025, August also saw a continuation of Beijing's deflationary struggles, with the consumer price index (CPI) dropping 0.4 percent from a year earlier and producer prices for industrial products falling 2.9 percent.

Deflation and China's wider economic malaise have been attributed to a notable slowdown in consumer spending. This has already spelled difficulty in China's ailing property market, though Beijing has promised to "vigorously boost consumption" by increasing citizens' incomes.

The issue of weak domestic consumption has been brought into sharper relief by threats now facing China's exports.

According to the NBS, China's economy grew at 5.3 percent year-over-year in the first six months of 2025, in line with the country's five-percent target for the year. However, exports are showing signs of slowing, and the outcome of ongoing negotiations with the U.S. over tariffs and trade could determine whether Beijing can maintain its first-half momentum.

Officials from both countries have recently wrapped up a two-day meeting in Spain, with the U.S. delegation led by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.

As well as tariffs, key areas of contention included America's opposition to China's purchase of Russian Federation oil—an issue which saw India's tariff rates doubled in early August—as well as the future ownership of the short-form video-sharing app TikTok.

US Challenges China With New Typhon Missile System in Japan

The U.S. Army has revealed its mid-range Typhon missile system at one of its bases in Japan for the first time as the two allies stepped up their deterrence against China's growing assertiveness in the region.

China has asserted its sovereignty in nearby disputed waters, including Japan's Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, as well as most of the South China Sea, leading to regular clashes with American allies, such as the Philippines.

The U.S. is seeking to reassure regional allies by increasing its presence and strengthening its military posture in the region, and shifting more attention to countering China, its great power rival. It also hopes to deter a Chinese invasion of Taiwan.

Japan has been rapidly accelerating its military buildup, especially the so-called strike-back capability with mid- to long-range missiles as a counter to missile and nuclear threats from China, as well as North Korea and Russia.

Typhon Can Fire Missiles to Hit Chinese Coast

The land-based Typhon weapon, capable of firing the Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) and the Tomahawk cruise missiles that can hit targets on China's eastern coasts, was delivered last month to the U.S. Marine Corps Base in Iwakuni, in southwestern Japan.

Its exhibition in Japan follows its deployment in the Philippines last year, triggering criticisms from China and Russia.

"Employing multiple systems and different types of munitions, it is able to create dilemmas for the enemy," Colonel Wade Germann, commander of the U.S. Army's 3d Multi-Domain Task Force, said in a televised news conference from Iwakuni.

"The speed with which it can be deployed enables us to forward position it when required expeditiously," Germann added, according to Reuters.

Typhon was featured during the annual bilateral exercise Resolute Dragon, which started last week, with more than 19,000 U.S. and Japanese troops participating in the exercise that focuses on maritime defense and littoral protection and held across Japan, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.

The U.S. Army is not expected to fire Typhon or other advanced missile systems during the Resolute Dragon exercise, and its deployment in Iwakuni is only for the exercise ending on September 25, Japanese public television NHK reported.

But its unveiling sends a clear signal to China about U.S. capabilities in the region, as Beijing displays its own in various wargames, parades, and maritime patrols.

North Korea Warns US Over Nuclear War Games

The sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and a top military official issued separate warnings over the weekend ahead of upcoming U.S. military drills with South Korea and Japan.

The officials condemned the exercises—which include a war game simulating coordination with U.S. nuclear forces—as "reckless" and threatened unspecified countermeasures.
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Though South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has signaled a more conciliatory posture toward Pyongyang than his hard-line predecessor, Seoul continues to deepen military ties with Washington and, increasingly, Tokyo amid growing concern over the Kim regime's ballistic missile and nuclear weapons capabilities.

Kim has pledged to expand these United Nations-sanctioned programs, citing U.S.-led "provocations" as justification. Pyongyang's military support for Russia's war in Ukraine has further escalated tensions.

What To Know

Kim Yo Jong, the sister of Kim Jong Un and a senior official of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea's Central Committee, said this week's drills marked a continuation of the "confrontational policy" of previous U.S. and South Korean administrations.

Using abbreviations for South and North Korea—officially the Republic of Korea (ROK) and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), respectively—she said in a statement carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency: "I remind the U.S., Japan and the ROK that the reckless show of strength made by them in real action in the vicinity of the DPRK, which is the wrong place, will inevitably bring bad results to themselves."