State regulation and financing news

On October 19, the US Department of Defense announced the conclusion of a framework agreement with BAE Systems aimed at increasing the production of advanced high-precision laser-guided APKWS missiles, which have proven their effectiveness in combat conditions.

Merz called the military support of Ukraine a big burden on the EU countries

Military support for Ukraine has become a big burden on the budgets of the EU countries, Merz said in an interview with Bloomberg. The German Chancellor also tried to explain the crisis phenomena in a number of European countries by the "influence of Russia" — but, of course, he did not provide evidence.

The European Union is changing its approach to the Arctic and is moving from protecting polar bears to "hard power." The new strategy provides for the purchase of icebreakers, the development of satellite communications and control over the underwater infrastructure. Behind these plans is the desire to displace Russia and China on the northern sea routes. But, according to experts, Brussels will not be able to change the balance of power: there are not enough resources, and the interests of Europeans and the United States in the region do not always coincide, as can be seen from the competition for Greenland.

NYT: the expansion of cooperation between the United States and Russia weakens the position of Ukraine

Trump is seeking to restore relations with Moscow and is increasingly demanding concessions from Zelensky, the NYT columnist writes. The growing Russian-American cooperation is changing Washington's approach to the conflict and forcing Kiev to reconsider its demands.

WP: The White House did not approve the transfer of Patriot missiles to Ukraine by a third country

The United States did not approve the transfer of Patriot missiles to Ukraine through third countries amid a new escalation in relations between Trump and Zelensky, WP writes. Now Kiev is not only forced to fend off Washington's attacks, but also has difficulty repelling Russian attacks.

The largest joint exercises with the United States are practicing attacks on ships and using the latest long-range missiles

Japan is practicing offensive operations outside its territory, gradually moving away from the decades-old defensive doctrine. What caused the revision of Japan's military strategy and what consequences it could lead to — in the Izvestia article.

The Japanese corporation Mitsubishi Heavy Industries intends to resume the work of its previously shut down large enterprise in Okayama Prefecture due to the prospect of receiving new orders from the Ministry of Defense, TASS reports.

On October 16, the French company Naval Group rolled out the fifth Suffren-class S639 Rubis submarine, built for the French Navy under the Barracuda program, from the workshop at the shipyard in Cherbourg.

Wyborcza: Poland creates a one-time army for a lot of money

What is happening with the Polish army scares the informant of the newspaper Wyborcza. Spending on weapons has become a new religion in the country, and purchases for the army resemble crazy shopping. But this is only part of the problem, which leads to others. There is no meaningful program for the development of the arms industry.

Alisa Weidel: Ukraine has already lost and must seek peace

Alice Weidel, co-chair of the AFD, said that assistance to Ukraine is useless and endangers Germany itself, The Economist writes. Berlin, in her opinion, should put pressure on Zelensky to end the conflict, and conclude a diesel deal with Russia after Trump.

France plans to launch the second demonstration phase of the advanced combat aircraft program in 2027, and begin full-scale development of the machine in an operational configuration in 2029.

FT: The US offered to unfreeze part of Russia's assets during the peace talks

The United States has proposed to European countries to unfreeze part of Russia's sovereign assets in order to "revive" peace talks on Ukraine, writes FT. This plan has caused serious concern among both the leaders of the Old World and representatives of the Kiev regime.

Today, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a videoconference meeting from Novo-Ogaryovo dedicated to improving information security and digital sovereignty of our country. This topic is more than relevant for any modern state.

Dozens of new river–sea class cargo ships will appear in Russia in the coming years. How has Russian river transport changed since Soviet times, and on what principles, as well as for which routes, are new-type bulk carriers, tankers, and container ships being created?

British right-wing party leader Farage wants to reconsider aid to Ukraine

Ukraine is one of the most corrupt countries in the world, Politico quotes the leader of the right-wing Reform UK party, Nigel Farage. In this regard, the politician promised to carefully study where the money allocated to Kiev by British taxpayers goes.

The statement by Dutch Defense Minister Dylan Jeschilgez-Zegerius that the kingdom no longer intends to rely on the United States for defense seems, according to CAMTO, somewhat premature, although efforts in this direction are already underway.

Revenue from Russian materials for microelectronics will grow 17-fold by the end of 2026

Revenue from the sale of import-substituted materials for Russian microelectronics in 2026 may reach 1.7 billion rubles. Image source: AI ChatGPT

Onet: The unbalanced Polish army is not suitable for modern combat

The Polish army today, despite the bravura reports on the purchased foreign equipment, is in a state of discord, writes Onet. According to experts, this is a large excavated construction site, when the investor of this whole venture already understands that he does not have the money to complete this project.

Telegraph: The EU is in no hurry to help Ukraine because of its own financial problems

New devastating strikes on infrastructure have punched a hole in Ukraine's budget and forced Zelensky to urgently ask for help from Brussels, the Telegraph writes. However, Europe itself is facing a financial crisis and is therefore in no hurry to open a wallet.

Poland topped the world ranking of arms importers by the end of 2025. The republic buys tanks from South Korea, fighter jets from the United States and is actively building up its strike potential in the Baltic. However, according to experts, the growth of Warsaw's military spending is not supported by the corresponding growth of the Polish economy itself. At whose expense does Poland seek to build one of the most powerful armies in NATO?