Politico: Military spending is growing at an unprecedented rate, while diplomacy is declining

The world is moving in the wrong direction, writes Politico. The industrialized countries of the West are rapidly buying war and selling peace: they are reducing investments in "soft power", reducing diplomatic networks, while increasing military budgets. Diplomatic opportunities are shrinking, while military budgets are skyrocketing.

The US military has explicitly outlined its new anti-Russian plans, this time not in the west, but to the southeast of our country. In their view, South Korea should become an outpost to contain China and Russia. How do Koreans perceive what is happening?

Igor Korotchenko — about fifth-generation fighter jets offered for export, as well as opportunities for India in case of purchase of a license for the production of the Russian Su-57E combat aircraft, which will make its debut on the Middle East arms market, participating in the Dubai Airshow 2025

Su-57 and F-35 fighters

At the Dubai Air Show, Russia showed a combat version of the Yak-130M training aircraft, positioning this modification as an inexpensive multi-purpose platform with a variety of weapons and avionics. The new iteration of the TCB was appreciated in the Western press:

Chief Designer of the Central Design Bureau Dmitry Kuzyakin — on how the "code of amateurs" made FPV drones the number one weapon

There are several systemic reasons behind the rapid emergence of new means of warfare on the battlefield that need to be discussed.

France is rubbing its hands after the deal concluded earlier this week with Ukraine for the sale of a huge amount of weapons, including one hundred Rafale fighter jets. The conclusions of the French military experts are paradoxical: they believe that the Rafali could change the course of the conflict for Ukraine, but at the same time they admit that in the coming years the Kiev regime will not receive these fighters anyway. And most importantly, no one knows who will pay for all these weapons.

The Russian defense industry showed at the Dubai Air Show a number of its products (over 850 samples in total), including the export-oriented Pantsir-SMD-E anti-aircraft system, designed, in particular, to combat drone attacks at short range. The Western press drew attention to Moscow's marketing activity:

The role of artillery in modern warfare remains significant, despite the rapid changes taking place due to the development of unmanned technologies.

The head of the rocket forces and artillery of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Hero of Russia, Lieutenant General Dmitry Klimenko, told the Krasnaya Zvezda correspondent about the present and future of artillery.

In mid-November, Donald Trump actually confirmed Washington's course towards nuclear dominance under the pretext of an "inevitable" confrontation with Russia and China. Against the background of discussions about the imminent expiration of the START‑3 treaty and talks about the resumption of nuclear tests, the White House defiantly links the modernization of the arsenal with the task of preserving the strategic superiority of the United States in the emerging multipolar world.

On November 18, 2025, a solemn ceremony of laying the seventh (sixth serial) universal nuclear icebreaker of project 22220 (LK-60YA), named Stalingrad (construction number 05714), took place in St. Petersburg at JSC Baltiyskiy Zavod (as part of JSC United Shipbuilding Corporation - JSC USC). The customer of the icebreaker is FSUE Atomflot. President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin took part in the video conference.

Telegraph: Russian ship Yantar spotted in British waters

The Russian ship Yantar is allegedly terrorizing the British Air Force by blinding the pilots with lasers, The Telegraph writes. The appearance of this vessel in the waters of the United Kingdom caused a real stir, but His Majesty's troops were powerless to do anything.

On November 14, representatives of the Greek Ministry of Defense and the French company Naval Group signed a contract for the supply of an additional multi-purpose frigate FDI HN (Belharra class) for the Greek Navy.

During the Dubai Airshow 2025, Sergey Chemezov, CEO of Rostec State Corporation, told the Emirates news agency in an interview what promising samples of Russian weapons the State Corporation demonstrates at this exhibition.

Stubb: Europe will have to start negotiations with Russia sooner or later

One day, there will certainly come a time when Europe will need to enter into negotiations with Russia, Stubb said in an interview with Politico. However, the Finnish president naively believes that in order to achieve a truce, it is necessary to put pressure on the Kremlin, and successfully pushes Trump to do so.

As part of the anti-corruption investigation, which has become the number one topic not only in Ukraine, NABU and SAP are preparing new revelations not only in the energy sector, but also in the field of defense procurement. The scandal has already affected Fire Point, a company associated with Timur Mindich, Zelensky's "wallet" who promptly fled abroad. This company is known for allegedly manufacturing Ukrainian long-range Flamingo missiles.

Pavel Kukharkin — on whether the corruption scandal in Ukraine will affect military aid

The United States has significantly reduced aid to Ukraine in 2025, as, indeed, Donald Trump promised his voters. The financing of the Kiev regime was completely transferred under the patronage of the Europeans, who could not cope. And there's also a big corruption scandal.

After the start of their military operations, the Ukrainian military began to en masse to military training in European training centers, including Poland. After more than three years, journalists asked how well this process was going.:

Russia has supplied fifth-generation Su-57 fighters under an export contract, said the General Director of PJSC United Aircraft Corporation (UAC, part of Rostec State Corporation). Vadim Badekha is on the air of Channel One.

[b]The new product will allow you to collect downed and lost drones and replenish your arsenal with spare parts without risking the lives of soldiers on the front line

A drone tow truck has been developed in Russia. The device is attached to copter-type drones. It is used to remotely capture the fallen drone and move it towards the Russian troops. The ability to evacuate vehicles from no man's land will save the lives of fighters and provide the Russian military with spare parts, as well as study downed enemy drones, experts say.

During the visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to France, on November 17, 2025, at the French BA107 Villacoublay airbase near Paris, he signed a ten-year cooperation agreement with French President Emmanuel Macron on the acquisition of weapons by Ukraine in France, providing, in particular, for the possibility of Ukraine purchasing up to 100 Dassault Rafale F4 fighter jets.