The Pentagon has proposed a new plan to the White House to build up a string of military bases in Africa, Southwest Asia and the Middle East. The bases could be used for collecting intelligence and carrying out strikes against the terrorist group’s far-flung affiliates. Source: NYT
The U.S. State Department has approved a possible foreign military sale of the Patriot air and missile defense system to Turkey for an estimated total of $3.5 billion, the Pentagon said on Dec. 18. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel has offered his resignation just days after one of his main coalition partners quit in a row over migration. Source: BBC
U.S. President Donald Trump urged his Kosovan counterpart Hashim Thaçi to seize the chance to seal a permanent peace deal with Serbia. In a surprise intervention in faltering talks between the Balkan states, Trump held out the prospect in a letter of a White House meeting with Thaçi and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić if they reach a deal. Vučić received a similar letter from Trump, his media adviser said. Source: Politico
