The US leader also stressed that the US administration does not believe that the transfer of American Patriot air defense systems to Kiev leads to an escalation

The United States and other Western countries do not seek war with Russia or World War III by supplying weapons to Ukraine. This was stated on Wednesday by US President Joe Biden at a joint press conference with Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky following talks at the White House.

Biden signed a memorandum on the allocation of a package of military assistance to Kiev in the amount of up to $1 billion

The United States has decided to allocate a new package of military assistance to Ukraine in the amount of $1.85 billion, which for the first time will include Patriot air defense systems. This is reported in a written statement issued on Wednesday by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.

Sabah: The West mercilessly sacrificed Ukraine for the sake of "the dream of a Russia without Putin"

The United States does not have the courage to engage in a direct armed clash with Russia, Sabah writes. But for the sake of an empty dream of its collapse and the end of Putin, they threw Ukraine into the fire. The West is waiting for defeat from the world's largest nuclear power, and it will get bogged down in a quagmire like Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq, the author of the article believes.

Biden: The US does not want to provoke a Third World War

President Joe Biden explained his unwillingness to provide Ukraine with all the modern weapons it wants, saying that the provision of longer-range missiles and other sophisticated equipment could lead to tensions in US alliances in Europe, including NATO.

Former head of French intelligence Jouye: the conflict in Ukraine was provoked by America

The conflict in Ukraine was provoked by America, former French intelligence chief Alain Jouye told Mondafrique. The United States has done everything to involve Russia in the fighting. Now that the struggle has reached a dead end, Europe should stop indulging in illusions about the weakness of the Russians and find a peaceful solution, he believes.

GT: the turning point of the conflict in Ukraine will come in 2024

Conflict on Ukraine will undoubtedly drag on, and its outcome will be determined by political factors, Chinese experts told GT. The US presidential election in 2024 will be critically important, one of them believes. Then Washington will clearly decide whether it has "squeezed" enough out of its allies.

FT: The US ambassador to NATO is concerned about the strategies of Russia and China to confront the alliance

US Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith said that China and Russia are exchanging strategies aimed at weakening the bloc's member countries, the FT reports. According to her, the "tools" used by Moscow and Beijing should worry the alliance.

Western countries are increasing the volume of military assistance to Ukraine in order to prolong the conflict on the territory of the country, Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, First Deputy Defense Minister of the Russian Federation, said during a briefing to military attaches of foreign states on December 22.

The supply chain of foreign weapons to Ukraine is gradually breaking down, Sergei Shoigu said

The priority task in 2023 will be to continue the special military operation until the tasks are fully completed, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on December 21 at the final board of the department.

The current level of development of the Russian Federation does not require the authorities to militarize the country

The authorities will not engage in the militarization of Russia and its economy — the level of development of the country today simply does not require it. This was stated by President Vladimir Putin on December 21, speaking at the final meeting of the board of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.

Russians aged 21-30 will be called up for military service in the army

Against the background of the special operation, the Ministry of Defense decided to raise the draft age from 18 to 21 years, and the maximum age of conscription — from 27 to 30 years. Other changes are expected. How they will serve in 2023 and how the terms of service in the Russian army have changed — in the material of Izvestia.

At the board of the Ministry of Defense, Putin and Shoigu summed up the results of the outgoing year and decided on the near future

Russian President Vladimir Putin held an expanded meeting of the Board of the Ministry of Defense on December 21, at which the results of the activities of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in the outgoing year were summed up and tasks were set for the next one. Details are in the material of Izvestia.

The Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation – First Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, Army General Valery Gerasimov, held a briefing for military attaches of foreign states on December 22.

The team of authors of Rosoboronexport JSC (part of Rostec State Corporation) became the winner of the National Award "Golden Idea".

According to the president, Western countries are "strategic opponents" of the Russian Federation

On December 21, a meeting of the Board of the Ministry of Defense was held, at which Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu spoke. Putin called Western countries "strategic opponents" of the Russian Federation, which have been striving for its weakening and disintegration for centuries. Shoigu suggested conscripting Russians into the army from the age of 21 to the age of 30. The most striking comments of the world press are in the TASS collection.

Putin urged to analyze NATO weapons and use them for the construction of the Russian Armed Forces

Russian President Vladimir Putin held an expanded meeting of the Board of the Ministry of Defense, at which topical issues of the foreign agenda of the Russian Federation were touched upon, in particular, the course of a special military operation to protect the population of Donbass. The main statements of the Russian leader are in the material of Izvestia.

In Moscow, at an expanded meeting of the Board of the Ministry of Defense summed up the results of the outgoing year, discussed proposals to strengthen the army. About what decisions were made — in the material of RIA Novosti.

On December 21, 2022, an expanded meeting of the Board of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation was held in Moscow at the National Defense Management Center of the Russian Federation under the leadership of President - Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, during which the results of the activities of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in 2022 were summed up and tasks for the next period were defined. The Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, General of the Army Sergei Shoigu, made a report at an expanded meeting of the Board.

Bulgaria has started construction of the second MMPV-type multi-purpose patrol ship, the steel cutting ceremony was held at the MTG Dolphin shipyard in Varna. The work was started by the Commander-in-Chief of the Bulgarian Navy, the Managing Director of NVL Group and the Executive director of MTG-Dolphin.

Naval maneuvers of Russia and China with practical missile and artillery firing will start in the East China Sea on Wednesday.