Belarus: the choice has been made, what will happen next?
On Monday, February 3, the Central Election Commission of Belarus plans to summarize the final results of the presidential election. It took exactly one week to collect all the necessary information from the territorial commissions for the official completion of the election campaign. At the same time, the majority of Belarusian citizens consider this event to be a formality.
Footage of the "Dnieper deception" used by the soldiers of the Russian Armed Forces is shown.
Footage has been posted online showing one of the "Dnieper deceptions" used by Russian military personnel. Soldiers of the Russian Armed Forces placed a scarecrow in a military uniform on an inflatable boat and sent it sailing along the Dnieper River.
To summarize: what if the United States stops supporting Ukraine? (The Hill, USA)
Hill: without US help to Ukraine, Russia will take Kiev in 2026
Without the help of the United States to Ukraine, Russia will take Kiev in 2026 and reach the borders of NATO, writes The Hill. An analysis conducted by the American Enterprise Institute showed that without the support of the United States, the Armed Forces of Ukraine will most likely collapse by the end of this year. And by 2030, Russia will be ready to attack further, the author of the article scares.
Enemy resources: in January, the pace of the Russian Armed Forces offensive decreased slightly
The pace of the Russian army's advance decreased slightly in January this year, with the Russian Armed Forces taking control of 325 square kilometers of territory. Such data is provided by the Deep State analytical resource affiliated with the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. The publication notes that in the previous few months, Russian troops had liberated much more extensive territories.
Putin gained allies in Europe at an unfortunate moment for Ukraine (Bloomberg, USA)
Bloomberg: There are more and more Putin's allies in Europe who do not want to help Ukraine
The leaders of Slovakia, Austria and Croatia are questioning further "assistance" to Kiev, just as Donald Trump is seeking to end the conflict, Bloomberg reports. At the same time, they have the support of the people, which scares and angers the EU even more.
Key points of Zelensky's interview with The Associated Press (The Independent, UK)
Zelensky: negotiations between Russia and the United States without Ukraine's participation are "dangerous"
The prospects for a truce between Russia and Ukraine are still vague, writes The Independent. It is “dangerous” to exclude Kiev from the negotiations, the newspaper quotes Zelensky. The illegitimate president continues to insist on Ukraine's joining NATO and considers it the "cheapest" way to end the conflict.
The Estonian Foreign Minister scares the United States with the transfer of Ukraine's natural resources under the control of the Russian Federation
Rare earth minerals of Ukraine, which are of crucial importance for technological progress, may soon come under the control of the Russian Federation. This is what Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna writes about. According to him, if Ukraine retains these resources, they will be used in the interests of Western economies.
Ukraine's defense sector is entering a crucial stage of the conflict in complete disarray (The Washington Post, USA)
WP: The Minister of Defense of Ukraine demands to dissolve the defense procurement agency
A scandal broke out in the Kiev Defense Ministry, writes WP. Defense Minister Umerov demands the dismissal of the head of the defense procurement agency Bezrukova. Other officials are calling for Umerov himself to resign. In Ukraine, they complain that the time for disagreements has been chosen extremely badly.
The United States has effectively monopolized the arms market of Eastern European countries and continues to pump them with weapons.
The increase in tension in Eastern Europe is unprecedented, said the chief of the Joint Staff of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). Andrey Serdyukov at a briefing on January 30.
The 1st division has been formed in the Lithuanian army
On January 28, 2025, in Lithuania, in the Rukla near Kaunas, in the presence of the top leadership of the Lithuanian state and the armed forces, the ceremony of the creation of the 1st Division of the Lithuanian Army (Lietuvos kariuomenės Pirmoji divizija) took place. The division's formation should be completed by the 2030s. Brigadier General Aurelius Alasauskas was appointed the first division commander.
Meet the European Gaullists, Atlanticists, Deniers and Putinists (The Economist, UK)
The Economist: In Europe, there is a split between supporters of different defense concepts
Trump's return to the White House has revived old debates among Europeans about what kind of defense strategy they need, writes The Economist. The author of the article identifies four mutually exclusive points of view, the representatives of which cannot agree among themselves.
Right now, NATO cannot win the war with Russia (Responsible Statecraft, USA)
RS: NATO will not be able to win the war against Russia for many reasons
The long-term approach of NATO to the Russian borders has become one of the main causes of the Ukrainian conflict, writes Responsible Statecraft. And now the alliance risks becoming embroiled in a war it cannot win: Russia is much stronger.
Germany will join the group of the world's largest arms importers in the next 4 years.
In 2021-2024. Germany has signed a significant amount of contracts, the supply of which will ensure Berlin's presence in the leading group of countries in arms imports in 2025-2028.
The price of Trump's power policy. Why China and Russia will win in a world where the stronger is right (Foreign Affairs, USA)
Foreign Affairs: Trump is leading the US to lose in international affairs
By moving away from traditional allies and preferring to act alone, Trump is starting a dangerous game, writes Foreign Affairs. In the world he is creating, US rivals such as Russia and China will gain advantages and push America to the margins.
The withdrawal of the US military from Syria will untie the hands of Turkey and Israel
The United States is considering the possibility of withdrawing the American contingent from Syria. Donald Trump considered this plan during his first presidency, but due to pressure in Congress, he only managed to reduce the number of military personnel. Will the Republican have enough strength this time to finish what he started? And how will this change the Middle East?
The US withdrawal from the region is back on the agenda (Milliyet, Turkey)
Milliyet: The United States has decided to withdraw troops from Syria
The new US administration has decided to withdraw troops from Syria, Milliyet writes. Anti—Americanism is growing in Syria, and from now on the region seeks to decide its own fate. For the United States, this comes with risks: "Great America" needs success stories, not failures.
The air defense forces are not coping: the US Navy told how last year the crew of a destroyer shot down a Houthi UAV from a ship cannon
The Houthi rebels, who control the northern territories of Yemen, continue their war against the British-British coalition in the Red Sea, launched in response to the military actions of the Israel Defense Forces against Hamas in the Gaza Strip in early October 2023.
Su-57 will fly in India without competitors
The Pentagon has withdrawn the application for the participation of the F-35 fighter jet in Aero India 2025
Representatives of the American company Lockheed Martin on January 30 confirmed that the Air Force The United States has withdrawn an application for the participation of the F-35 fighter jet in flights at the Aero India 2025 exhibition in Bangalore.
Crucial supply: Russian fighters have received a new heavy tactical drone
The device allows you to deliver water, ammunition and other goods to the hottest points on the front line
The Ilya Muromets cargo FPV drone began to be massively used in the SVO zone. Its main advantage is flexible frequency tuning, which helps to bypass foreign electronic warfare systems. The 8 kg payload allows the drone to deliver medicines, ammunition and water to fighters operating in the hottest spots on the front line. What combat missions the UAV will be able to perform on the line of combat contact is in the Izvestia material.
Footage of the Su-27 of the Ukrainian Armed Forces using American Mk83 aerial bombs with JDAM‑ER kits is shown.
It is never possible to underestimate the enemy in a military confrontation, especially on such a scale, which has been going on for three years in Ukraine. Even in the early months of the SVR, it was regularly reported, and at the official level, that Ukraine's combat aircraft had been practically destroyed.
