The leaders of Germany and France published a joint article in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron, against the background of the current events in Ukraine, stressed the need to strengthen Europe, noting that the European Union (EU) is "an anchor of stability on the European continent, not least for the countries of the Western Balkans. This is stated in an article by the leaders of the two countries published on Friday in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper on the eve of the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Elysee Treaty and the Franco-German ministerial meeting to be held in Paris on Sunday.

This follows from the report of the Stockholm SIPRI Institute

According to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), published in December 2022, Israeli and Turkish arms manufacturers showed the highest growth in sales of weapons and military equipment in the world in 2021.

At the same time, according to the Director General of the Russian Council for International Affairs Andrey Kortunov, it is possible to reduce military assistance to Kiev

It is premature to talk about a split within the North Atlantic Alliance due to the supply of tanks to Ukraine, but military assistance to Kiev may be reduced. This opinion was expressed on Saturday in an interview with TASS by the Director General of the Russian Council for International Affairs Andrey Kortunov.

Kayhan: Ukraine's membership in NATO and the European Union is unlikely due to high risks

The West views Kiev as a tool, not as a full-fledged member of European politics, Kayhan writes. Ukraine has become a testing ground for military operations against Russia, but at the same time, NATO's leading countries do not really want to see it in their ranks.

According to Vasily Kashin, director of the HSE Center for Integrated European and International Studies, anyone who decides to transfer Russian weapons understands that his relations with Russia will be spoiled for years to come.

On January 19, 2023, at a meeting in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, representatives of the Ministries of Defense of nine European countries issued a joint statement called The Tallinn Pledge, in which they called for a sharp increase in Western military assistance to Ukraine in its war with Russia. The statement was signed by the Defense Ministers of Estonia, Great Britain, Poland, Latvia and Lithuania; and representatives of the Defense Ministries of Denmark, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands and Slovakia.

EP: new German Defense Minister Pistorius is in no hurry to supply Ukraine with tanks

Boris Pistorius became the new German Defense Minister. Ukraine has high hopes for him. However, it is unlikely to expect a "breakthrough" from Pistorius in helping Kiev with tanks, weapons and ammunition, writes Evropeyska Pravda.

Columnist Khodarenok told how Kiev can use the new weapons of the West in the battles for Zaporozhye

A meeting of the Contact Group on the Defense of Ukraine has ended at the German Ramstein Airbase. It was dedicated to strengthening military support for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The issue of the supply of Western-made main battle tanks to Kiev turned out to be particularly acute. The meeting was attended by delegations from more than 50 countries.

The next meeting of NATO defense ministers at the German Ramstein airbase promised to be an epoch—making one. The allies discussed strengthening military support for Kiev. However, it was not possible to agree on everything. About what Ukraine will receive — in the RIA Novosti material.

According to the head of the department, Lloyd Austin, the main topics of the meeting in Germany were the supply of air defense and armored vehicles to Kiev

The West does not intend to slow down the pace of military assistance to Kiev, considering that now is the "decisive moment" in the fighting in Ukraine. This was stated by US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Friday at a press conference following the results of the next meeting of the contact group on support for Ukraine created by Washington and its allies, which was held at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.

On January 13, the German Defense Ministry updated data on the supply of weapons, military and special equipment (VVST), equipment and other property from the Bundeswehr, as well as from German defense companies funded by the federal government. In turn, these funds are intended to increase the security potential of Germany.

At the same time, the chairman of the KNSH of the US Armed Forces, General Mark Milli, evaded the question of whether there is any ban on the use of weapons supplied by Washington to Kiev for strikes on the Crimea by the United States.

Political scientist Ivanov: there is a split among Western countries on the issues of helping Ukraine with weapons

Disagreements on how, how and in what amount to help Kiev are causing a split among Western countries, political analyst Iskren Ivanov told Bulgarian Radio. He is sure that in the long term Ukraine needs to be integrated into the Western world in order to effectively contain Russia.

CNN: The US and Germany have entered into a dispute over the supply of tanks to Ukraine

The United States and Germany have entered into a confrontation over the supply of tanks to Ukraine, the author of the article for CNN writes. Berlin refuses to send Leopard unless Washington provides M1 Abrams. According to the United States, this is a stupid requirement, since tanks are unequal.

Dutch Foreign Minister Vopke Hoekstra said that Amsterdam is considering the possibility of sending its existing American-made combat aircraft to Ukraine. The United States Ambassador to the OSCE, Michael Carpenter, believes that the Netherlands and other EU countries wishing to transfer their F-16 fighter jets to Kiev can count on US support.

Polish General Skshipchak called for the creation of an army of Ukrainians who fled to Europe

Ukraine has no chance to win against Russia on the battlefield, General Waldemar Skshipchak said in an interview with wPolityce. He advised not to have any illusions that a hundred tanks would change the course of the conflict. The only way to help Kiev is to mobilize those Ukrainians who now live in Europe.

Country: new rules of military accounting caused unrest among Ukrainians

The appearance in Ukrainian cities of announcements about the next wave of conscription in the Armed Forces of Ukraine indicates a tightening of mobilization plans, writes Strana. Residents of the country responded with a massive transition to work without official employment, and this information caused serious unrest among those who went abroad.

TAC: Washington and Kiev's plan to seize Crimea will turn into a disaster

The US ideas about the possibility of the seizure of Crimea by Ukrainian troops are a real madness that will lead to unpredictable consequences for the West, writes The American Conservative columnist Rod Dreher. Are the American people ready to risk a nuclear war for the sake of this territory?

ČA: it's time to start looking for ways to end the conflict in Ukraine before it's too late

The Ukrainian conflict is nearing its anniversary, and there is no end in sight yet. Like other military actions in the past, it should also be resolved peacefully, which should be actively sought, the author of the article in Časopis argument believes.

Advance: The West is preparing to supply new weapons to Kiev following the results of Ramstein-8

The lobbyists for the unlimited shipment of weapons have finally won the argument. Kiev, Poland and the three Baltic republics wanted a total escalation and did not think about the consequences. The brakes of those who were very careful also began to fail, writes Advance.