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Ben Wolfgang

Ben Wolfgang is a National Security Correspondent for The Washington Times. His reporting is regularly featured in the daily Threat Status newsletter.
Previously, he covered energy and the environment, Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign in 2016, and also spent two years as a White House correspondent during the Obama administration.
Before coming to The Times in 2011, Ben worked as political reporter at The Republican-Herald in Pottsville, Pa.
He can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.

Articles by Ben Wolfgang

Aid for Ukraine leaves Western ammo stockpiles at ‘bottom of the barrel,’ NATO official warns

Ukraine faced tough questions Wednesday about the long-term viability of its war against the invading Russian army, as key Western allies warned that they are running out of ammunition to send Kyiv and European powers raced to make a deal to free up more aid and eventually put Ukraine on a path to full European Union membership.

October 4, 2023

Combat fatigue? Cracks in Western unity as Ukraine struggles to show progress

Ukraine is staring down one of the world's largest militaries deeply entrenched deep within its territory, but Kyiv may face another enemy that's perhaps equally dangerous in the long run: the weakening of Western resolve.

October 2, 2023

GOP hopefuls clash over U.S. troops to Mexico, China rivalry, ending the Ukraine war

It was hard to hear at times over all the shouting and interruptions, but foreign policy and national security permeated the GOP presidential primary debate Wednesday night and cast a bright spotlight on a philosophical divide in the party over the Russia-Ukraine war.

September 28, 2023

‘Almost insurmountable’ task: Africa emerges as unstable hot spot for terror, coups

The toxic cocktail of terrorism and political instability sweeping across Africa is reaching a new peak. And hope that the tide can be turned is hitting a new low.

September 28, 2023

F-35 crash: More questions than answers as investigation drags on

Questions swirled Tuesday about the doomed, pilotless F-35B fighter jet that went down in South Carolina, with neither the Pentagon nor the aircraft manufacturer offering any firm clues more than a week after the mysterious crash.

September 26, 2023

Iranian president downplays growing Israeli-Arab ties

The effort to foster diplomatic ties between Israel and the Arab world will ultimately fail, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said in an interview that aired Sunday, calling the normalization push little more than a charade perpetrated by Washington.

September 24, 2023

U.S. ‘directly at war’ with Russia, using Ukraine as ‘fodder,’ says Russian foreign minister

The U.S. and its European allies are "directly at war" with Moscow and are using Ukraine as "fodder" in that conflict, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said recently.

September 24, 2023

Listen to stunning 911 tape after F-35 pilot parachuted into backyard: ‘We had a military jet crash’

A stunning 911 audiotape released late Thursday offered a window into the frantic minutes immediately after the crash of an F-35 fighter jet last Sunday, with the plane's pilot and the homeowner whose yard he parachuted into pleading with emergency dispatchers to send help immediately.

September 22, 2023

Troubled assembly: Critics bash ‘dying organization’ as U.N. faces reform calls

It was hailed as a "one-of-a-kind moment" for world leaders to come together and tackle the world's most pressing challenges.

September 21, 2023

‘Behind schedule’ and ‘far below’ goals: Pentagon must rethink F-35 strategy, watchdog says

The number of F-35 fighter jets capable of performing their missions is "far below program goals," and the Defense Department and its private-sector partners are "behind schedule" with their maintenance of the cutting-edge aircraft, a congressional watchdog said in a major report released Thursday.

September 21, 2023

Pentagon pushes ‘don’t ask/don’t tell’ veterans to correct service records

The Pentagon will ramp up efforts to identify service members discharged because of their sexual orientation during the "don't ask/don't tell" era, with the goal of helping them correct their military records, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Wednesday.

September 20, 2023

‘Obsolescence’: America’s global leadership waning, Iranian president says in fiery U.N. speech

The U.S.-led international order is rapidly fading and Western-style capitalism is being "relegated to obsolescence," a defiant Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said Tuesday, using a speech to the United Nations General Assembly to predict that the post-World War II global framework is in the midst of a historic shift.

September 19, 2023

Putin pauses before his ruthless revenge; calculating pattern shows timing critical to take action

Russian President Vladimir Putin's aggressive crackdown against his domestic critics has reached military and political circles, outspoken academics and influential bloggers who build followings on social media with their blunt takedowns of Kremlin power players.

September 12, 2023

‘Paralyzing’ the Pentagon: Key House Republican blasts Tuberville’s defense nominations hold

A leading House Republican said Sunday that Sen. Tommy Tuberville is "paralyzing the Department of Defense" with his hold on military nominations and promotions in protest of the Pentagon's abortion policy.

September 11, 2023

‘Apex predator’: Army overhauls M1 Abrams tank upgrade plan, will build quicker battlefield vehicle

The Army announced plans to scrap the original upgrade to its M1 Abrams tank in favor of a new version that the service is calling an apex predator of 21st-century ground combat vehicles.

September 7, 2023

Russian missile strike on market kills 17 as Blinken makes surprise Ukraine visit

A suspected Russian ballistic missile strike on an outdoor market in eastern Ukraine on Wednesday killed at least 16 people just as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Kyiv on an unannounced visit to project American solidarity with the war effort.

September 6, 2023

‘Lack of need’ for U.S. talks spurs North Korean move to Russia, China, ex-intel officer

Pyongyang's motivation to strike a denuclearization deal with the U.S. seems to have dropped dramatically in recent years, America's former top intelligence officer for North Korea said Tuesday, warning that the country's deepening relationships with Russia and China have dimmed the prospects for any diplomatic breakthrough in the near term.

September 5, 2023

Putin demands Western concessions before Russia will restart vital grain deal

Moscow will reenter a key grain export deal only if the West lifts banking and other restrictions that are hurting the Russian economy, President Vladimir Putin said Monday after a widely anticipated meeting with his Turkish counterpart.

September 4, 2023

Zelenskyy calls for new defense minister, says Ukraine needs ‘new approaches’ amid counteroffensive

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday announced a major shake-up at the highest levels of his government, outlining plans to oust Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov just as Ukraine's long-awaited counteroffensive against Russia's invading army begins to gain steam.

September 3, 2023

Ukraine accuses Russia of trying to ‘provoke a food crisis’ after strikes on Odesa port

Ukrainian officials on Sunday accused Moscow of trying to "provoke a food crisis" after the Russian military launched drone strikes against a key port in the Odesa region.