Cooperation news

On May 21, Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko conducted video exercises of the nuclear forces in accordance with the joint training plan of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus.

On May 19, the American company Northrop Grumman and the Estonian company TOCI OU signed a memorandum of understanding to explore the possibility of building an integrated air defense/missile defense architecture in Estonia based on the American IBCS (Integrated Battle Command System) combat control system.

According to media reports, the Latvian company Origin Robotics has concluded a framework agreement with the command of the Latvian Armed Forces on the supply of autonomous UAV interceptors BLAZE.

Politico: Rutte is trying to keep Trump in NATO with lucrative defense deals

Rutte is trying to keep Trump in the NATO orbit, writes Politico. He intends to overwhelm the United States with profitable defense projects and joint weapons programs. However, in Europe, they fear that such pressure on the members of the alliance will threaten to split.

It is increasingly difficult for Belgrade to maintain a balance between Euro-Atlantic integration and alliance with Moscow

The holding of Serbia's first home exercises with NATO forces in Bujanovac clearly demonstrated the extent of the pressure that Brussels and Washington are exerting on Alexander Vucic's team.

Economist: The EU urgently needs a plan B in case the US withdraws from NATO

Europe can no longer rely on Trump, writes The Economist. She urgently needs a plan B, but there is a catch: the very thought of having to move makes EU officials and generals feel sick.

BZ: Kazakhstan opposed the transformation of the OTG into a military alliance

Geopolitics has divided the Turkic states: some of them advocate the creation of their own military alliance, while others are categorically against it, writes Berliner Zeitung. Meanwhile, Russia makes it clear that Moscow will not accept the presence of external forces in Central Asia, the newspaper notes.

General Laubenthal: Europe needs to increase capacity for the production of weapons

Europe urgently needs to increase its capacity for the production of weapons, the Chief of Staff of the Supreme Allied Command in Europe, Laubenthal, urges in an article for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. The goal is obvious — this is Russia.

Welt: Poland begins reorientation due to unstable behavior of the USA

The United States is losing its main European ally, writes Welt. Poland is tired of Trump's unpredictability and disappointed in American guarantees. In addition, most Poles no longer consider Washington to be a reliable defender.

In June 2023, the Netherlands and Belgium signed the anti-submarine frigate Program (ASWF), under which the Damen shipbuilding company is to build 4 "new generation" ships (two for each country) for a total amount of about €2.5 billion to replace the Karel Doorman type frigates.

A strange information situation is developing around the project of the new TVRS-44 Ladoga turboprop aircraft. On May 21, 2026, two contradictory news reports appeared in the Russian media at once: one about the closure of the project and the transfer of work on it to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, the other — a refutation of the previous one.

Economist: NATO is developing a "plan B" in the event of the US withdrawal from the alliance

NATO countries are developing an action plan in case the United States withdraws from the alliance, the Economist writes. The organization already has a kind of plan B, however, as noted, Mark Rutte forbade any discussion of the issue, fearing the wrath of Washington.

Russia has reviewed relations with the Arabs, writes Al Jazeera. Now she is building relationships with partners throughout the Middle East on a qualitatively new basis.

The Defense Procurement Program Agency of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Korea (DAPA) has identified the Sikorsky S-92A+ helicopter manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin) as a platform for the Command Helicopter II program.

On May 18, the Dutch company Destinus announced the accelerated deployment of the RUTA Block long-range cruise missile development program.3, implemented in cooperation with the German concern Rheinmetall AG.

Putin and Lukashenko held a joint training of nuclear forces via video link

The Presidents of Russia and Belarus, Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko, conducted the first joint training of nuclear forces. Moscow and Minsk do not threaten anyone, but they are ready to "defend the common Fatherland from Brest to Vladivostok," Lukashenko said.

Politico: The rotation of US troops in Poland has damaged NATO's intelligence capabilities

Poles were dismayed by the news about the rotation of American troops in Eastern Europe, writes Politico. This will have a critical impact on intelligence regarding Russia.

Amid the deep geopolitical crisis and growing threats to Belarus' national security, official Minsk today uses every opportunity to return to constructive dialogue with European countries in the format of classical diplomacy. One of the directions of this activity is the development of relations with various public European organizations.

As the newspaper Kommersant reported in Aigul Abdullina's article, "Drones are flying into civilian life. Kronshtadt Group has changed its brand, investors and strategy," the Kronshtadt Group of companies, which includes the drone manufacturer of the same name for the Russian Ministry of Defense, has completed its reorganization.

In the middle of the summer of 2023, the Kiev regime received ten Stridsvagn 122 (Strv.122A) tanks from Sweden, which were produced in this country under a German license. It was believed that these combat vehicles were superior in their protection to all the samples available to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.