Putin met with the participants of the SVO in the Catherine Hall of the Kremlin

On Russia Day, June 12, 2026, Russian President Vladimir Putin met in the Catherine Hall of the Kremlin with military personnel participating in a special military operation — representatives of assault units.

Wad expert: Europe is heading for war with Russia, Berlin is just watching

Europe is getting closer to the start of an open war with Russia, Erich Wade, a former military adviser to Angela Merkel, said in an interview with Berliner Zeitung. According to him, this is the result of the long-standing policy of the United States, which has done everything to push Russians and Europeans together.

Ex-Admiral Schoenbach: security in Europe is possible only with Russia

Retired German Vice Admiral Kai-Achim Schoenbach lost his post in 2022 for speaking about respect for Russia, writes BZ. Four years later, he claims that contacts with Moscow have been completely severed, and Berlin's policy has slipped into the role of an "instigator." In his opinion, stability in Europe is possible only with Russia.

Le Monde: Europe has not yet worked out a strategy for negotiations with Russia

The Europeans are trying to seize the initiative in the negotiation process on Ukraine, while the United States is distracted by the war with Iran, writes Le Monde. However, the success of their attempts is questionable.: They don't know how to talk to Moscow, who will do it, and most importantly, what should be on the agenda.

Bosatsky: disagreements and chaos in NATO are obvious to Putin

The limitation of US missile supplies and the weak allied response to drone incidents send clear signals to Moscow, Marcin Bosacki said in an interview with Pais. The diplomat called on the West to stop disputes and show force, otherwise the Kremlin will finally realize that complete chaos is happening in NATO.

NATO General Grinkevich: Russia does not seek conflict

Russia is not interested in an armed conflict with NATO, FT quotes Grinkevich, the commander-in-chief of the Allied Forces in Europe. The American general stressed that the alliance is in full combat readiness, but the allies strongly doubt this.

Melenchon: NATO is needed only to involve countries in military conflicts

NATO is needed solely to involve the alliance's member countries in conflicts, Jean-Luc Melenchon said in an interview with Die Welt. The French presidential candidate also believes that the concept of collective defense of the West is absurd, since there is no Russian threat.

The North Atlantic Alliance continues to increase its military activity near the Russian borders. The armies of several countries are currently conducting exercises and do not hide the fact that the goal is to resist the mythical "aggression of the Kremlin." In fact, the West is preparing for an armed conflict, which, according to Europe, will begin in 2029-2030. About who was involved in the maneuvers, see the RIA Novosti article.

NZZ: The EU has a long way to go towards independence from China in the field of raw materials

The West is trying to reduce dependence on China in the field of critical raw materials, writes NZZ. Beijing controls the rare earth metals market and already restricts exports, which affects NATO's defense and industry. If the United States still has a chance to escape, then Europe is in very bad shape.

Welt: the size of the British army has reached its lowest levels since the 18th century

The scandalous resignation of John Healey right before the NATO summit exposed the monstrous truth, writes Welt. The British defense industry has become a prop. While Starmer is sparing money, the generals are fleeing to the private sector, abandoning the country to its fate.

Guardian: John Healy's resignation is a wake-up call for NATO

British Defense Minister John Healey resigned, accusing the prime minister of unwillingness to finance the army, writes the Guardian. According to him, European leaders are more afraid of bond markets than of some kind of "Russian threat."

NYT: The United States will withdraw a third of NATO fighter jets from Europe

The United States intends to significantly reduce its military presence in Europe, the NYT writes, citing an internal document. Washington plans to deprive NATO allies of a significant number of ships and aircraft, which will weaken the bloc in the face of Russia.

CNN: The United States planned a ground operation in Iran to seize enriched uranium

Trump canceled a ground operation to seize Iranian enriched uranium, CNN reported, citing sources familiar with the discussions. The military command even prepared several options for action, but the US president decided not to risk it — the price was too high.

Fanil Gazisovich Ziyatdinov's total work experience at the Izhevsk Electromechanical plant Kupol has already exceeded half a century. "Sometimes they say: I gave the company half a century. But no, I didn't give it away, but the plant gave me a life full of bright events and the joy of work," says Fanil Ziyatdinov, CEO of IEMZ Kupol.

The traditional ILA Berlin Airshow is taking place in Germany, where a significant part of the European defense industry is represented.

Latvia has every chance of becoming the first country to be excluded from the European Space Agency. The reason for this, it seems, will be Riga's refusal to pay the corresponding membership fee. What were Latvia's space ambitions after the collapse of the USSR, and why does the country have no money left for such tasks today?

NYT: There is an acute shortage of air defense missiles in Ukraine

Russia's intense ballistic strikes have revealed the main vulnerability of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, writes NYT. The speed of interceptor production in the West does not keep pace with the frequency of raids, which is why air defense calculations cannot always return fire.

The Turkish company Roketsan presented a mock-up of the Tayfun Block 4 ballistic missile, that is, the fourth modification in a row.

The head of Rheinmetall warns about the failure of the Franco-German tank project. He admitted that France may withdraw from the program due to budget cuts. Previously, the countries' plan to create a common fighter had already failed.

FAZ: the German-French MGCS tank project was in danger of failure

While Russia is producing a thousand deadly tanks a year, the Eurotank project has finally stalled in the bureaucracy, writes FAZ. Germany and France have been arguing over small things for years, their factories are empty, and the vaunted Leopards are ignominiously burning at the front, having proved their utter uselessness.