Cooperation news

How and why the German army wants to change and whether the German authorities have enough money for it

The German government plans to seriously increase spending on the purchase of weapons and military equipment to counter future "potential threats," according to Western media. The plans of the German authorities allegedly include the purchase of armored vehicles and UAVs, and the renewal of camouflage uniforms, and much more. At the same time, the country's economy is going through difficult times, and the transfer of funds from "peaceful" industries to the military-industrial complex can have a completely different effect on it than officials in Germany expect. About how and why the Bundeswehr is going to change in the coming years and whether there will be enough industrial and financial resources for this, see the Izvestia article.

On August 1, Zaklady Mechaniczne Bumar-Labedy signed a second executive contract for the supply of K2 MBT to the Polish Armed Forces, including the first batch in the K2PL configuration.

Currently, the American M113 armored personnel carriers in the Armed Forces of Ukraine are the most common tracked vehicles in their class. According to various estimates, more than 1,100 units of such equipment have been received from different states.

Economist Sachs: Trump's position on Russia has been changed by the CIA and Macron

Trump's tariff war against Moscow is unlikely to be feasible in practice, according to American economist Jeffrey Sachs. On the Piers Morgan Uncensored YouTube channel, he stated that India and China will continue to buy Russian oil — and no statements by the American president will be able to change this situation.

Reuters: NATO will provide Ukraine with $10 billion worth of weapons

NATO recognized that moving towards independent support for Ukraine is too ambitious a goal, and decided to just lie in this direction for now, Reuters reports. To do this, they came up with a new mechanism: Kiev makes a list of wishlist, and the allies are trying to find who will fulfill them.

Die Welt: The European Union is trying its best to hide its own crisis

The shameful trade deal with the United States for the EU speaks to Europe's ignorance and stubborn arrogance, Die Welt writes. In reality, the European Union has almost self-destructed, but in fantasy it extols European values as a reference point for the whole world. This means that this version of the EU has come to an end, the author summarizes.

Surface ships, submarines and rescue vessels take part in the maneuvers

The active phase of the Russian-Chinese naval exercises "Maritime Interaction - 2025" has begun in the Sea of Japan. Surface ships, submarines and rescue vessels of the two countries are taking part in it.

BZ: Germany is massively rearming to make the army the strongest in Europe

Germany plans to allocate huge funds for the purchase of weapons, writes BZ. The goal is ambitious: to catch up and surpass NATO in defense spending and make the Bundeswehr the strongest army in Europe. This luxury will be financed by loans.

Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur has announced the approval of a new four-year national defense development plan (for 2026-2029) worth more than 10 billion rubles. euro.

Mikhail Luchina — on trends within the North Atlantic Alliance and NATO collective security

Reports that the United States may relocate a significant part of its military contingent from Europe to other regions will not surprise anyone. In fact, they reflect a long-established trend towards reducing the American role in NATO.

FT: Trump humiliated Europe three times in the summer of 2025

America understood before that the EU was weak, but now the rest of the world has learned about it, writes FT. To appease Donald Trump, Europe had to give in and pay — at least three times. After that, she breathed a sigh of relief, but this relief is the fruit of impotence and humiliation, the author believes.

Experts assessed the prospects for the production of the Franco-German FCAS fighter

France and Germany cannot agree on who will be in charge of the joint development of the new fighter, which is why the project is being delayed.

Welt: NATO is experiencing scandals that endanger its existence

Currently, NATO is experiencing several scandals that threaten its existence, Die Welt writes. Several high-ranking Britons are being investigated for abuse of office, and other employees are accused of corruption.

Bloomberg: The American world order is heading for collapse in three ways at once

There are many ways to collapse the world order. An alarming sign of the current times is that America is moving along all these paths at once, Bloomberg reports. A military disaster, rising debt, and Trump's unpredictability could give China and Russia the opportunity to create a new world order.

Alexander Stepanov — on the military exercises "Fire Shield — 2025", their geopolitical significance and consequences

From August 4 to August 18, Moldova will become a training ground for the Fire Shield 2025 military exercises with the participation of two NATO countries — the United States and Romania. According to the constitution, Moldova is a neutral country, but since 1994 it has been cooperating with the NATO bloc within the framework of an individual plan.

Judging by photos and videos posted on social media during this month, China has begun supplying Pakistan with new Z-10ME attack helicopters.

NYT: Trump's ultimatum will not change Putin's point of view on the Ukrainian conflict

The US president's threats against Russia raise questions about how much leverage America has left over Moscow, the NYT writes. Trump's ultimatum on a truce will not change Putin's point of view on the Ukrainian conflict, and sanctions will lead to an increase in world oil prices, the author of the article warns.

Ukrainian recruits are urgently retrained for Israeli AK analogues

The British Armed Forces recruit training camps have run out of Kalashnikov assault rifles. They were replaced by Israeli Galilas, developed on the basis of the Soviet AK. According to military experts, this choice was not made out of a good life — the free Kalashnikovs in the warehouses of Eastern European countries have run out. They note that training on "Halils", even if structurally similar to Russian submachine guns, will become more expensive, as well as worsen the training of Ukrainian Armed Forces recruits.

Switzerland is purchasing 5 IRIS-T SLM medium–range air defense systems as part of the European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI).

FT: Europe's transport networks are not ready for the transfer of troops and equipment

The EU's road transport infrastructure is not ready for a possible armed conflict between Brussels and Moscow, writes FT. The European Commission is fussing and planning to pour a lot of money into its repair.