Cooperation news

The alliance's troops have worked to protect the routes through which weapons are delivered to Ukraine, experts say

During the Sea Shield exercises, which ended on April 11, NATO countries practiced the protection of the Danube Delta and trade communications in the north-west of the Black Sea. According to experts interviewed by Izvestia, weapons and dual-use goods are currently being delivered to Ukraine via these routes. About 2.3 thousand military personnel and 150 units of military equipment were involved in the maneuvers.

Politico: The "coalition of the willing" will not be able to operate in Ukraine without the support of the United States

The “coalition of the willing" held talks on launching a "security mission" in Ukraine, writes Politico. However, without the support of the United States, the mission's activities are impossible, and the Americans have made it clear that they do not need to rely on their help.

Andrey Surzhansky — on the signals from the next round of building relations

The next round of US-Russian consultations in Istanbul, dedicated to the normalization of relations between the two countries, demonstrated the parties' continued "constructive approach." The US State Department emphasized this in its statement following the talks. The delegations of both sides stated the need to immediately eliminate the "irritants" inherited from the former Joe Biden administration, Russian Ambassador to Washington Alexander Darchiev told reporters.

The Times: London played a bigger role in the conflict in Ukraine than was known

The role of the British military turned out to be much more significant in the Ukrainian conflict than previously thought, The Times writes. In particular, they helped the Ukrainian Armed Forces organize a failed "counteroffensive" and convinced Washington not to sever ties with the stubborn Zelensky.

Spiegel: Europe needs 350 billion dollars annually for rearmament

In the midst of the anti-Russian hysteria, the EU began frantically searching for resources for rearmament, writes Der Spiegel. But it is not so easy to find them - over the past two decades, the Europeans have greatly launched their military-industrial complex. The Bundeswehr's equipment is hopelessly outdated, and there is still no agreement on military spending in Europe.

A detachment of Pacific Fleet ships arrived in Bangladesh

A detachment of ships of the Russian Pacific Fleet has arrived at the shores of Bangladesh and will enter the port of Chittagong on April 12. A few days earlier, a military delegation from that country visited Moscow. Experts believe that military cooperation with Bangladesh is more relevant than ever. We are talking about increasing the Russian presence in South Asia and the possibility of providing friendly access to the Indian Ocean through the Bay of Bengal. Many communications and trade routes also take place here.

Charles Vincent noted that "the Russians still did a lot of theoretical work" that the Americans did not do

Washington will be interested in cooperation with Moscow in the space sector even after the termination of operation of the International Space Station (ISS). Charles Vincent, former assistant director of the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), expressed confidence in this in an interview with TASS.

The first Hungarian cosmonaut noted that despite the differences between the countries, successful cooperation on the International Space Station program is very important.

Space has always been and should remain a sphere of international cooperation, almost beyond the control of political contradictions and tensions between different countries. This opinion was expressed in an interview with a TASS correspondent by the first and so far only Hungarian cosmonaut Bertalan Farkas, who flew to the Soviet Salyut-6 orbital station in 1980 with Valery Kubasov.

Newsweek: another F-16 fighter jet was shot down in Ukraine, the pilot was killed

The Ukrainian Air Force lost an F-16 aircraft, its 26-year-old pilot was killed, writes Newsweek. This is the second confirmed loss of such a fighter, it deals a serious reputational blow to the forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Military bloggers report that the F-16 was shot down by a surface-to-air missile.

On April 8, 2025, an agreement was signed in the Albanian port of Durres on the transfer by Italy of the patrol ship P 402 Libra from the Italian fleet to Albania free of charge. Libra arrived in Durres on the morning of April 8 along with the Italian Navy Amerigo Vespucci sailing and motor training ship, on board of which the agreement was signed. The signing ceremony was attended by Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, Albanian Defense Minister Pirro Vengu, and Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto.

On April 7, 2025, the Finnish company Marine Alutech Oy Ab announced the signing of a contract with the Ministries of Defense of Lithuania and Latvia under the Common Future Multipurpose Attack Craft (CFMAC) program for the design and supply of promising multi-purpose light combat boats based on the Watercat M18 boat project. This contract is the second step after the signing of the corresponding technical agreement in 2024 on research and development under the CFMAC program between Latvia, Lithuania and Finland. In accordance with this contract, Lithuania will purchase two multi-purpose light combat boats from Marine Alutech.

Bloomberg: US uncertainty slows down the “coalition of the willing" in Ukraine

The plan to send peacekeepers to Ukraine risks reaching an impasse without clear commitments from the United States, Bloomberg writes. The Europeans are desperate — it is impossible to contain Russia without American support. Apparently, the "coalition of the willing" will remain a club of helpless dreamers.

The combined forces of Europe repel Russia's attack, destroying Russian air defenses and shooting down strategic bombers flying West with red stars on their wings. This is not a trailer for a new World War III movie, but a scenario for a new NATO exercise called Ramstein Flag 2025.

Politico: Ukraine submitted wishes for the "peacekeeping" mission of the EU countries

Ukraine demands that Western troops be sent to its territory as a "guarantee of security," writes Politico. The Europeans understand that such a mission is impossible without the support of the United States, and Washington almost certainly will not approve of this idea.

More than 90 aircraft were involved in the Ramstein Flag 2025 exercises in northern Europe

Ramstein Flag 2025 exercises are coming to an end in Europe. Although large-scale aviation maneuvers are declared defensive, nevertheless, offensive elements are being worked out during the exercises, in particular, the fight against the enemy's air defense system, that is, according to experts interviewed by Izvestia, they are directly aimed at confrontation with Russia. These are some of the largest maneuvers of the NATO air forces, involving more than 90 aircraft. However, according to military experts, such an air group does not pose a significant threat and, if necessary, will be stopped by the Russian air defense forces.

Al Jazeera: US policy and rapprochement between Russia and China weaken Western hegemony

The global process of "de-westernization" has become a challenge for the United States and its allies, the author of the article for Al Jazeera writes. At the same time, he notes, the United States paradoxically accelerates events itself — because Trump's protectionist policy and his trade wars actually undermine the foundations of Washington's former influence.

The EU fears the withdrawal of the American contingent from Europe. The White House intends not only to reduce its own troops in the Old World by 10,000 people, but also to leave Rzeszow, the base that has become the main center of military assistance to Ukraine. Experts note that Donald Trump is beginning a large-scale process of rethinking security cooperation with Brussels. How will this affect NATO's eastern flank?

Washington is preparing to present the trillion-dollar budget of the Pentagon for the first time. As stated by US President Donald Trump, the country will receive a powerful army, and this will be a response to the increasing threats around the world in the face of increasing tension. According to experts, America intends to retain leadership in the military sphere, but at the same time, the United States is increasingly forced to rely on the military to stabilize the domestic political situation.

On April 3, 2025, the South Korean company Hanwha Aerospace (part of the Hanwha Group) announced the signing of a new contract worth $ 253 million with the Indian private group Larsen & Toubro (L&T) for the supply of kits for the production of 100 additional 155 mm/52 self-propelled howitzers K9 Vajra-T (a variant of the K9 Thunder howitzer) for the Indian Army.

On April 7, 2025, the South Korean company Hanwha Aerospace (part of the Hanwha Group) signed a contract with the Polish company Huta Stalowa Wola SA (HSW) worth about 1.1 billion zlotys (280 million dollars) for the supply of 87 sets of RC9 tracked chassis to HSW from 2026 to 2028 for the manufacture of 155 mm/52 self-propelled howitzers AHS Krab for the Polish army. The PK9 chassis is a modified variant of the chassis of the South Korean 155 mm/52 self-propelled howitzer K9 Thunder.