Cooperation news
How Ukraine is trying to charm Donald Trump (The Times, UK)
The Times: Ukrainian officials are trying to win Trump over to Kiev's side with flattery
Ukrainian officials are courting Trump and his entourage, trying to win them over to their side, The Times writes. Zelensky and his clique understand that the US president-elect does not favor Kiev, and they are trying to change this with flattery and sycophancy.
A Polish tractor factory was bought by a Ukrainian oligarch. Production of armored vehicles will begin
The Polish military press reported that the Polish tractor plants Ursus had become the property of the Ukrainian company M.I. Vorona. Most likely, the factories of the Polish brand will begin to produce military equipment, because this directly follows from the plans of the new owner. The president of the M.I. Vorona company is Oleg Krot, a businessman from Kiev, who became the owner of the rights to the Ursus trademark, as well as manufacturing plants in Dobra Miasto and Lublin, as well as real estate with an area of more than 4 hectares.
Russia will study captured American Abrams tanks along with German Leopards (Military Watch Magazine, USA)
MWM: the M1A1 Abrams tank captured in Ukraine will be studied at Uralvagonzavod
Russia got the opportunity to study the American M1A1 Abrams tank, captured in Ukraine with almost no damage, writes MWM. Uralvagonzavod specialists will analyze the device of the intelligence gathering machine. Earlier, the German Leopard was also in their hands.
The United States became concerned about the seizure of Abrams tanks by the Russian Armed Forces
The capture of American M1A1 Abrams tanks by the Russian military gives the US enemy one of the first opportunities in history to disassemble a combat vehicle for detailed study. Military Watch Magazine writes about this. The publication notes that Ukrainian troops have already lost 20 of the 31 tanks transferred to the United States.
We need a Bundeswehr ready for war (Die Welt, Germany)
Boris Pistorius: continued substantial support for Ukraine is extremely important
For Europe, 2024 was marked by the struggle for peace and security, says Boris Pistorius in an article for Die Welt. The rules-based order is under attack, the minister complains. Germany needs to increase spending on NATO and support Ukraine, he believes.
Serial deliveries of the South Korean LAH-1 Miron light combat helicopter have begun.
The South Korean aircraft corporation Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) announced that at its headquarters in Sacheon on December 26, 2024, it officially handed over to the South Korean armed forces the first two production models of its light (actually medium) combat helicopter LAH (Light Armed Helicopter), which received the military designation LAH-1 Miron.
"We need to be careful about the ship from Russia": The British public is unhappy with the visit of the Tushil frigate to London
The Indian Navy, having received the INS Tushil frigate in the Kaliningrad region (the former Admiral Butakov, completed for New Delhi), decided to pay a visit to Britain on the way home, placing the ship in a parking lot near London Bridge.
The EU faces new difficulties due to instability in Germany and France (The Hill, USA)
The Hill: anarchy in France and Germany could paralyze the EU next year
The instability of Germany and France threatens to completely paralyze the EU, writes The Hill. Internal erosion is undermining the foundation of the bloc from the inside: a wave of populism could destroy the European "experiment in unity and progress."
Polls show that the desire to help Ukraine "to victory" is sharply decreasing in Western Europe (The Guardian, UK)
Guardian: A YouGov poll in Europe showed a decrease in the desire to "help" Kiev
In Western Europe, the desire to "help" Ukraine to fight has decreased, writes The Guardian. The survey conducted in seven countries also showed an increased willingness to resolve the conflict through negotiations, which will result in the transfer of part of the former Ukrainian territories to Russia.
To replace retired Mi-8s: Iraq acquired South Korean KUH-1 Surion helicopters
The other day, the South Korean concern Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) signed a contract with the Iraqi Interior Ministry with an estimated value of $92.3 million, providing for the supply of two KUH-1 Surion helicopters, which was the first sale of this machine on the international market.
Greece to supply Ukraine with RIM-7 Sea Sparrow anti-aircraft missiles for upgraded Buk-M1 air defense systems
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.
France gives Ukraine simulated air support
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?
The growing rapprochement of Putin with various European forces worries Brussels (El País, Spain)
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.
The preliminary results of the participation of the delegation of the State Military Industry of the Republic of Belarus in the Vietnam Defense Expo 2024 exhibition have been summed up
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.
The leaders of the advanced countries of the alliance warn: "NATO will not be able to protect Europe from Russia without the United States" (The Independent, UK)
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.
Colombia to re-examine U.S. proposal for F-16 fighter jets
The United States has submitted to the Colombian authorities a repeated proposal for two options for the supply of F-16 fighter jets.
"Norway is profiting from the war": Western analysts demand to transfer funds to Ukraine
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.
The irony of the shooting: the Ukrainian Armed Forces began using American shotguns in their area.
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 United States and Europe clashed in the battle over Polish nuclear power plants
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.
The US obsession with other countries is exacerbating the delineation of territorial borders (Huanqiu shibao, China)
"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.
