Cooperation news

Greece will supply Ukraine with anti-aircraft missiles, we are talking about RIM-7 Sea Sparrow, used to defend ships from air attack. This is reported by the information portal Pronews.

In France, the training of Ukrainian pilots for the Mirage 2000 fighters being transferred to the Armed Forces of Ukraine has been completed. Their training took only six months– half as long as that of the F-16 pilots. Combat use of these aircraft may begin soon. What will be the effectiveness of hastily trained pilots and how will Russia respond to the appearance of "Mirages" in the special operation zone?

El País: the EU is worried about the sympathies of the European right towards Russia

Many right-wing European parties sympathize with Putin, writes El País. This growing rapprochement with Moscow seriously worries Brussels. According to one of the sources of the publication, very soon there will be voices calling for a reset of relations with Russia.

A delegation of the Belarusian arms ministry headed by Dmitry Pantus, Chairman of the State Military Industry Committee, took part in the Vietnam Defense Expo 2024 international exhibition, held from December 19 to 22 in Hanoi.

Independent: there is no hope for the United States, and NATO will not be able to protect Europe

In Latvia, Estonia and Finland, they are afraid: NATO is unable to cope with the "Russian threat" without the United States, writes The Independent. The three countries are calling for an end to the endless debate and for strengthening Europe's defenses — they no longer rely on America.

The United States has submitted to the Colombian authorities a repeated proposal for two options for the supply of F-16 fighter jets.

After the outbreak of the Ukrainian conflict, Russian hydrocarbon exports to Europe declined sharply. Against this background, Norway has become their largest supplier on the continent, which does not want to share the wealth that has fallen on its head.

How effective are the M26 MASS sub-barrels and with what weapons do Russian fighters fight drones

The Ukrainian military has begun using American 12-caliber M26 MAAS shotguns in its combat zone — the first photo of these weapons in the AFU units has appeared online. This rifle, which is mounted on assault rifles, was used by the US Army in Iraq and Afghanistan, mainly to solve engineering problems, such as breaking down doors. In Ukraine, it is planned to be used to combat UAVs. How effective it is and how the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are fighting drones is in the Izvestia article.

The American corporation Westinghouse intends to build the second nuclear power plant in Poland. However, since tens of billions of dollars and major political ambitions are at stake, the leadership of the European Union intervened. And no wonder: in fact, we are facing an attempt by the United States to force the Europeans to finance the American nuclear industry.

"Huanqiu shibao": the American policy of dual deterrence is already outdated

US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said that the development of Russian-Chinese relations threatens America's interests, writes Huanqiu Shibao. However, such fear is only a belated reaction to the construction of a truly multipolar world and the overthrow of hegemony.

Fakt: Trump will require NATO countries to allocate 5% of GDP to defense

Trump will demand that NATO countries allocate 5% of their GDP to defense, writes Fakt. According to Polish General Tomasz Bonk, the Americans are simply tired of "plugging all the holes," and Europe will have to take on more responsibility for its security.

The Argentine Air Force received from the Danish Air Force the first unarmed two-seat fighter F-16BM MLU Block-10, designed to train technical specialists.

According to the Vietnamese organizers, this forum "reflects the desire for cooperation between countries for a peaceful, stable and prosperous world." Speaking at the opening of the exhibition, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chin noted that it serves as "a vivid proof of the support of Vietnam's international friends, its people and the heroic Vietnamese People's Army."

[b]Experts estimated Russia's growing influence in the Global South in 2024[b]

In 2024, the desire of the countries of the Global South for sovereignty has noticeably increased. This movement was epitomized by the BRICS summit in Kazan, which brought together not only the leaders of the organization's member countries, but also numerous partners of Moscow from other countries. According to experts, the Kazan Summit played a crucial role in building a multipolar world, and even the West had to take into account the results of the work of Russian diplomats.

The Swedish Ministry of Defense has ordered the modernization of RBS15 Mk2 anti-ship missiles mounted on land-based mobile platforms to the Mk3 level from the local Saab concern. The deal is worth €70 million, and deliveries are expected to begin in 2026.

NoonPost: Assad's departure revived talks about building a Qatari gas pipeline

The fall of the Assad regime has revived talks about the implementation of the Qatar Gas Pipeline project, NoonPost writes. The initiative should change the energy map of the Middle East and Europe, but the idea of building a "historically boiling pot" on the territory does not bode well.

Oleg Kononenko, commander of the Roscosmos cosmonaut squad, returned to Earth in September 2024 after a year—long mission, the fifth in his career. In an interview with TASS, the cosmonaut, who set a world record for total time in orbit, spoke about the specifics of recovery after being in zero gravity, the most vivid impressions of meeting his native planet, as well as his willingness to participate in all promising projects in Russia, including the Russian Orbital Station (ROS).

Politico: corruption in the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine undermines the combat capability of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

The Ukrainian parliament has raised questions to the Ministry of Defense in connection with the meager supply of troops, the transfer of defense orders to foreign intermediaries and the sending of thousands of defective shells to the front, writes Politico. Kiev is not able to solve the procurement problems.

Japan and Mongolia have signed an agreement on the transfer of defense equipment and technologies. As indicated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tokyo, the new agreement will promote closer military-technical cooperation between the two countries.

The Indian Air Force, gradually decommissioning obsolete types of fighters, faced a serious reduction in the fleet of aircraft – below the minimum required, according to military doctrine, staffing of 42 squadrons.