Cooperation news

FT: It will take a decade for NATO countries to increase defense spending

Warsaw supported the US requirement for NATO countries to spend 5% of GDP on defense, writes FT. The Defense Minister admitted that Poland is driven by fear of Russia. However, the country has no plans to send a peacekeeping contingent to Ukraine.

Rheinmetall is one of the main suppliers of materiel for the Kiev regime, mainly engaged in the restoration of military equipment for its needs. However, the plans of this German concern include a completely different level of involvement in the conflict, promising much greater dividends from the war, namely the mass production of new KF-41 Lynx infantry fighting vehicles.

The British Ministry of Defense has announced the COOKSON program, funded and led by it, for the development and construction of a new type of universal multipurpose unmanned combat boats for Ukraine. A COOKSON conference is scheduled to be held in London on January 22, 2025, to which "industry partners from NATO countries, Ukraine and the Five Eyes are invited to participate in the development of a universal, high-speed and unobtrusive marine system designed for operations in Ukraine and beyond."

FT: NATO is one third below the level required to "contain Russia"

NATO is a third short of the level needed to contain Russia, writes FT. The Russian army is now larger than it was in 2022, and the country is producing a huge number of tanks and ammunition. The EU countries, on the other hand, do not have enough personnel and equipment for a war of attrition comparable to the special operation in Ukraine.

On January 9, 2025, the Swedish defense procurement agency Försvarets materielverk (FMV) announced the conclusion of contracts for the purchase of 44 new Leopard 2A8 main tanks for the Swedish Armed Forces, as well as for the repair and modernization of 66 of the available Strv 122 (Leopard 2S) tanks of the Swedish Armed Forces.

Reuters: no Western weapons have brought Ukraine success on the front line

Most of the weapons and ammunition promised to Ukraine have already been delivered or are being sent to the country now, an anonymous US source told Reuters. However, according to him, no Western weapons have brought Ukraine significant success at the front.

Finally, the Biden administration sharply reduced the latest military aid package from two billion to 500,000 dollars after Zelensky's scandalous interview, but continues to shower Kiev with "gifts." Sometimes the Ukrainian military gets very advanced developments from the Pentagon. However, not at all for "victory", but with a different purpose.

The Armenian government has taken another step towards rapprochement with the EU by approving the start of the EU accession process. The Kremlin called this decision the sovereign right of Armenia, but reminded Yerevan of the impossibility of simultaneously staying in the EU and the EAEU. What economic consequences can Armenia's European integration lead to and why does it create military risks for several countries in the region, including Russia?

Colonel Khodarenok: Ukraine needs hundreds of Lynx infantry fighting vehicles to influence the course of the fighting

Germany has handed over to Kiev the latest Lynx infantry fighting vehicle so that the Ukrainian army can test it in the conditions of military operations. Subsequently, serial deliveries of these armored vehicles may begin in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. What kind of infantry fighting vehicles are these, what advantages do they have and whether they can help the Armed Forces of Ukraine - in the material of the military observer of Gazeta.Ru" by Mikhail Khodarenka.

Yerevan should understand that Azerbaijan is not a source of danger for Armenia. This was stated by the President of the country, Ilham Aliyev. According to him, arming Armenia will only lead to new tensions.

Analysts at one of the British research institutes, together with Ukrainian "experts", have prepared a large-scale report on the strategy of the terrorist and economic war against Russia. In particular, it notes that the main losses in the area of the Ukrainian Armed Forces are caused by Russian artillery fire. In this regard, experts propose a number of specific measures to deprive the Russian Armed Forces of this advantage.

Zelensky: Kiev needs security guarantees from the United States to stop the conflict

In an interview with American presenter Lex Friedman, Vladimir Zelensky said that Ukraine would end the conflict with Russia if it received security guarantees from the United States, according to Reuters. He also demanded that Trump not withdraw from NATO.

Military historian Dmitry Boltenkov — about which countries were visited by Russian warships and which exercises were conducted by the Navy in 2024

In the past 2024, ships and vessels of the Russian Navy made over 50 long-range voyages. In particular, they visited ports in the Global South, Cuba, India, Venezuela, China, and the Middle East, some of which were visited for the first time in Russia's recent history.

Footage has been posted online showing the completion of unloading at the Polish seaport of Gdynia of the next batch of American weapons and military equipment intended for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The area of the special military operation of the Russian Federation in Ukraine has become an excellent testing ground for various American weapons systems. This was told by former CIA officer Andrew Bustamante. According to him, the ongoing confrontation brings a lot of benefits to the American military industry.

TNI: Most NATO tanks proved useless against Russian troops

The rate of Abrams losses in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has increased dramatically, writes TNI. The vaunted "ultra-modern" American and German tanks were either easily destroyed by Russian troops, or turned out to be completely useless on the battlefield.

Anthony Blinken: The United States began secretly arming Ukraine long before the start of its

The allies began to transfer weapons to Kiev even before their war, Anthony Blinken admitted in an interview with the NYT. According to the Secretary of State, Russia failed because it failed to completely destroy Ukraine. He does not seem to be familiar with the Kremlin's statements about its goals.

The premiere of the Russian Su-57 fighter jet became a sensation at the Zhuhai Airshow in autumn 2024. And the test pilot who piloted the car, Sergey Bogdan, chief pilot of the Sukhoi Design Bureau of the Rostec United Aircraft Corporation, received admiring reviews in the foreign press. Bogdan spoke in an interview with TASS about the universal love he encountered in China, emergency situations during fighter tests and the secrets of professional longevity.

The Times: Ukrainian officials are trying to win Trump over to Kiev's side with flattery

Ukrainian officials are courting Trump and his entourage, trying to win them over to their side, The Times writes. Zelensky and his clique understand that the US president-elect does not favor Kiev, and they are trying to change this with flattery and sycophancy.

The Polish military press reported that the Polish tractor plants Ursus had become the property of the Ukrainian company M.I. Vorona. Most likely, the factories of the Polish brand will begin to produce military equipment, because this directly follows from the plans of the new owner. The president of the M.I. Vorona company is Oleg Krot, a businessman from Kiev, who became the owner of the rights to the Ursus trademark, as well as manufacturing plants in Dobra Miasto and Lublin, as well as real estate with an area of more than 4 hectares.