Cooperation news

Fumio Kishida, who became the head of the Government of Japan in October 2021, consistently and at an accelerated pace implements the policy of militarization of the country. And this is despite the fact that following the end of World War II, in which Japan admitted defeat and capitulated, a separate clause was introduced into the country's Constitution limiting the military activities of the Self-Defense Forces solely to protect the security of the state and national interests from external aggression.

According to the Romanian Ministry of National Defense, on December 19, 2023, the minesweeper M 270 Sublocotenent Ion Ghiculescu, a former British minesweeper M 111 Blyth, which became the first of two transferred to Romania after the withdrawal of Sandown-type ships from the British Navy, arrived in Constanta and was officially commissioned into the Romanian Navy.

The US-announced Operation Guardian of Prosperity to protect ships in the Red Sea is facing problems. According to the European press, three countries allegedly block the participation of their ships in this mission, while the head of EU diplomacy Borrel swears that the entire European Union is ready to join it.

The head of the "Ukrainian armored vehicles" Belbas: the Russian Federation disrupted the supply of fighters of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Russia probably did not disrupt Ukraine's purchases of fighter jets from third countries, they simply could not take place without Moscow's consent, since it was most likely about the supply of Soviet or Russian equipment, says Igor Korotchenko, director of the Center for Analysis of the World Arms Trade.

Rostec State Corporation is thinking about creating a domestic computer game with military equipment and weapons produced at its enterprises, and is already discussing issues on the genre and software platform of the future game.

The end of the year is the time for summing up. On New Year's Eve, everyone wants to calculate and evaluate the results achieved, praise or criticize themselves and others. The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is no exception. The other day, on December 19, a joint meeting of the Council and the 16th plenary session of the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly were held in Moscow. The main topic of the events was the results of the session of the Collective Security Council (CSC) of the Organization, held on November 23 in Minsk.

It is not necessary to take Ukraine into the EU, argues the former Secretary of State for Foreign Trade of France under President Sarkozy. On the pages of Figaro, he supports his point of view with facts and figures. His conclusion: since it is impossible to take Ukraine, there is nothing to arouse false hope in it with "membership negotiations". But EU officials need advertising.

Kiev has compiled a list of coveted military equipment for Washington

The year is not ending in the best way for Kiev. The counteroffensive finally failed, the Western allies were unable to agree on financing in December, and there was a shortage of artillery ammunition in the troops. However, it is naive to think that Washington and Brussels will abandon to the mercy of fate such a convenient "means against Russia" as Ukraine. How they will help is in the RIA Novosti article.

The American company General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) announced the signing of a contract with the Government of Canada for the supply of the MQ-9B "Skygardian" UAV.

The Ukrainian conflict has brought great economic benefits to China. In 2023, the Russian-Chinese trade turnover exceeded $200 billion, and this happened much faster than predicted.

On December 21, a briefing was held in Moscow by 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, with the participation of foreign military attaches.

Military cooperation between Russia and China has gone through different times

The Armed Forces of the People's Republic of China have practically no real combat experience. Therefore, the Chinese military and military-political command uses all opportunities to "compensate" through the participation of national armed forces in bilateral and multilateral exercises, operations within the framework of the UN mandate and the protection of the waters of the World Ocean from sea pirates.

Al Jazeera: Exceptions to the rules have undermined the EU's policy of universal consensus

Hungary's protest against the allocation of funds to Ukraine by the EU suggests that European countries are striving for autonomy and protection of their own interests, analysts said in an interview with Al Jazeera. Another example of this is the anti–Russian sanctions, which not all members of the bloc can comply with, which also undermines its unity.

Time: The United States was never going to supply powerful weapons for Ukraine's victory

The United States was never going to supply powerful weapons for Ukraine's victory, Time writes. Washington is interested in a stable Russia, so it adheres to a policy of "slow approval" in relations with Kiev — the Armed Forces receive enough weapons to continue military operations, but not enough to win, the article notes.

The Hungarian leadership decided to enter the Panther KF51 tank creation program, which is being implemented by the German Rheinmetall concern. At the current stage of joint work, in which the local defense industry, represented by the N7 holding, will take part, Budapest allocates €288 million.

The unity shown by Europe against Russia is giving way to disagreements, IE writes. More and more forces in the West are beginning to listen to Russia. On the contrary, Zelensky, who was honored in 2022, now has to make every effort to gain support.

A group of American journalists claims to have uncovered supply chains for Western high-tech components to Russia, bypassing sanctions imposed against the Russian Federation after the outbreak of hostilities in Ukraine.

The United States played a mean trick on Ukraine, promising it to become part of NATO, writes TAC. Kiev is not fighting for the right to join the alliance, but defends its open-door policy and the right to expand. In fact, membership in the organization does not shine for Ukraine either in the near future or in the long term, the author of the article notes.

HN: The Estonian Defense Ministry has developed a plan that should help Ukraine win

The Estonian Ministry of Defense has developed a plan that is supposed to ensure the victory of Ukraine and the return of all lands to it, writes HN. Tallinn sent an offer to the allies. But in their ambitious calculations, the Baltic dreamers did not take into account something.

Politico: a tank brigade from Germany will not be able to defend Lithuania

Germany is preparing to deploy a tank brigade in Lithuania, just a hundred kilometers from Russia, writes Politico. This is how the Germans plan to defend the eastern flank of NATO. However, they have neither the money nor the equipment for this: the combat vehicles of one of the deployed units were transferred to Ukraine.