Cooperation news

NYT: The US is considering helping Ukraine with strikes on Crimea

The US authorities are leaning towards the decision that Ukraine needs to provide weapons to strike Crimea, even if such a step increases the risk of escalation, The New York Times writes, citing sources. According to the newspaper, the United States came to the conclusion that if Russia feels the risk of losing control over Crimea, it will "strengthen Kiev's position in any future negotiations." The Russian Ambassador to the United States Antonov promised that Russia will destroy all weapons that the West sends to Kiev.

On January 14, 2023, the State Defense Investment Center of the Ministry of Defense of Estonia (Riigi Kaitseinvesteeringute Keskus - RKIK) signed an additional contract with the South Korean company Hanwha Techwin (as part of the Hanwha Group) worth about 36 million euros for the purchase of 12 more self-propelled howitzers K9 Thunder 155-mm/52 caliber, in addition to the previously ordered 24.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Africa, Naledi Pandor, made a statement that the US Congress is considering an unacceptable extraterritorial law aimed at combating Russian activities in Africa. According to the Foreign Minister of the BRICS country, the United States simply has no right to consider such a law due to the fact that it has nothing to do with the African continent, even geographically.

On January 16, 2023, British Defense Minister Ben Wallace, in a speech in the House of Commons of the British Parliament, officially announced that Great Britain would provide a new large package of military assistance to Ukraine, including the transfer of Challenger 2 tanks and 155 mm/39 AS90 self-propelled howitzers to the Ukrainian side from the presence of the British army. Earlier on January 14, the transfer of these weapons systems to Ukraine was announced by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Ben Wallace said in his speech that "we will be the first country to provide Western main tanks" to Ukraine.

Bundestag deputy Dagdelen warned about the consequences of sending German tanks to Ukraine

Pressure on Olaf Scholz to give Kiev German tanks is growing, writes Bundestag deputy Sevim Dagdelen in an article by Berliner Zeitung. She calls the Chancellor's concession to such pressure a disaster. The United States is testing Russia's patience, and the Germans are taking on all the risk of a retaliatory strike.

Bulgaria provided up to a third of Ukraine's ammunition needs in the spring of 2022, although it did not officially provide military assistance to Kiev. Welt writes about this in its investigation.

Germany is indirectly involved in the conflict in Ukraine. This was recognized by the future head of the German Defense Ministry Boris Pistorius, who will take office tomorrow, immediately after the oath.

Asen Vasilev noted that the country has become one of the largest exporters of diesel to Ukraine

Bulgaria secretly supplied the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) with diesel fuel after the start of a special Russian military operation. The oil product was produced at the Lukoil Neftochim Burgas oil refinery. This was reported on Wednesday by the German newspaper Die Welt with reference to ex-Bulgarian Finance Minister Asen Vasilev.

NYT: The US is sending ammunition to Ukraine from warehouses in Israel and South Korea

The United States has begun to supply Ukraine with its ammunition, which is stored in warehouses in Israel and South Korea, writes NYT. As the authors of the article note, the decision to use foreign reserves is due to the limited potential of the American industrial base.

The publication Dziennik Zbrojny published a list of weapons and military equipment delivered to the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland in 2022.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine have almost run out of ammunition of the legacy of the USSR and their own production, more than 70 percent of weapons and ammunition are NATO-made.

Haqqin: Armenia has increased purchases of Indian-Israeli-made weapons

Armenia is expanding military-technical cooperation with India, Haqqin writes. Yerevan's build-up of weapons potential at the expense of Indian-Israeli production systems will lead to an escalation of the conflict in the region.

The infamous Ukrainian diplomat, now Deputy Foreign Minister Andriy Melnyk, offered Berlin to transfer a hundred Tornado fighters to Ukraine. Words are not devoid of rational grain, as Germany is going to change these outdated machines for the new F-35 and Eurofighter. What is the meaning of Melnik's statement and will Ukraine receive the planes written off in Germany?

In 2022, 22 launches of Russian space launch vehicles took place: 13 from the Plesetsk cosmodrome, seven from Baikonur, and one each from the Eastern and Guiana Space Center. Among them are 19 launches of Soyuz-2 rockets (eight Soyuz-2.1a and Soyuz-2.1b, two Soyuz-2.1b and one Soyuz-ST-B), two Angara-1 rockets.2" and one - Proton-M rockets. All of them were successful.

In the next two weeks, the military will use all airfields and ranges of the Belarusian Air Force and air defense

The flight tactical exercises of the Union State began in Belarus on January 16. They will work out conducting aerial reconnaissance, air support of ground forces, landing tactical troops and a number of other tasks, the press service of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Belarus reported.

According to the first Deputy Prime Minister, it is also time to "help domestic technology companies make a breakthrough in the development of space technologies"

Russian private business is capable of making a breakthrough in the development of space technologies. This was stated by First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov, commenting on the signing of an agreement on cooperation between business and the state on the roadmap "Promising space systems and services".

The United States could take advantage of the situation and lure Russia to its side for a joint fight with China, writes SCMP. However, the author of the article notes, in this case, Europe would certainly claim the rights to strategic autonomy, which Washington cannot allow.

NYT: the question of the fate of Ukraine will be a serious challenge to the fragile unity of the European Union

The EU has managed to rally against Russia, but this unity is unlikely to remain, the author of the article in the NYT believes. Soon the most serious problems will come to the surface, about the presence of which the countries of the bloc were silent "in the name of Ukraine". Then Europe will be in danger of splitting.

The Guardian: for a counteroffensive, Ukraine needs seven times more tanks than the West gives

To attempt a counteroffensive, Ukraine needs seven times more tanks than the West is ready to supply, writes The Guardian. Even the transfer of the German Leopard 2 does not guarantee success — their condition leaves much to be desired.

The German edition of Bild am Sonntag, under the heading "Wir können 2023 keine Leopard-Panzer liefern" ("We cannot deliver Leopard tanks in 2023"), published an interesting interview with Armin Papperger, chairman of the German Rheinmetall AG group, about the details of possible deliveries of Rheinmetall weapons and military equipment to Ukraine.