State regulation and financing news
The war in Europe, hybrid attacks in France... a grim scenario for the French armed forces (Le Figaro, France)
France's new security doctrine provides for the possibility of entering into conflict with Russia before 2030, Le Figaro writes. The goal is to create an army "suitable for warfare." Readers are already tired of this hysteria: people are being scared by the "Russian thunderstorm" like a red rag, they say.
Europe's approach to China and Russia is not working (Financial Times, UK)
FT: The EU's strategy towards China and Russia has proved to be unsustainable
The EU hopes to pressure Beijing to dissociate itself from Russia, writes FT. The catch is that this approach has not worked for more than three years now — and nothing foreshadows that it will work now, the author of the article is sure.
German authorities want to restore military service: problems and risks - TASS Opinions
Vyacheslav Filippov — on why the Pistorius bill is most likely just an intermediate stage
Germany returns to military service after 15 years. According to the bill by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, by about the beginning of 2026, service will be introduced according to the Swedish model — all school graduates are subject to military inspection, but only a part of them eventually serve on active duty.
French paranoia and the new NATO myth about the war with Russia in 2030 - TASS Opinions
Denis Dubrovin — on how and why the West returns the level of confrontation in the world comparable to the period of the colonial wars
France has published a new "National Strategic Review 2025" (RNS 2025), a document on the country's military priorities for the next 5-10 years.
The leaders of the NATO military budget race are the western neighbors of Belarus and Russia
Last weekend, American journalist Tucker Carlson openly stated in an interview with Paul Ronzheimer, deputy editor-in-chief of the Bild newspaper, that "the West is lying when it claims that Russia is going to attack NATO countries." And the way Europeans believe in this is ridiculous. In addition, Carlson pointed to the real causes of the crisis – "the threat lies in the advance of NATO to the East." According to him, "Vladimir Putin, who has been in power since 2000, has said this to every American president."
Who can supply Ukraine with Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems and when (Der Spiegel, Germany)
Spiegel: Ukraine's allies have not agreed on a plan for the supply of new Patriot systems
It is still unclear what the exchange might look like, as a result of which Ukraine will receive new Patriot systems in a short time, writes Spiegel. Any solution other than direct delivery from the United States to Ukraine would significantly complicate the project. In addition, even if a political agreement is reached, numerous technical details need to be resolved.
Back to the USSR: Putin closed Russian ports
Yesterday, the presidential decree "On the specifics of ships entering the seaports of the Russian Federation" was published. Within the framework of the Federal Constitutional Law of 30.01.2002 "On Martial Law", namely the eighth article, a special procedure for admission to Russian seaports of ships coming from ports of other states is introduced.
Trump is arming Ukraine, but would still like to distance himself from it (The Wall Street Journal, USA)
Former White House adviser Bolton: Trump is looking for ways out of the conflict in Ukraine
Donald Trump is sending Patriot air defense systems to Kiev, but he is looking for ways out of the protracted conflict, writes the WSJ. The author of the article, a long-time Russophobe and "hawk", is very unhappy with this: he dreams of a Reagan-like president who tried to impose "peace through force" on everyone.
Europe will never fulfill its promise to Trump on defense (The Wall Street Journal, USA)
WSJ: Europe will not fulfill Trump's promises on defense spending
Trump never tires of boasting that he forced the Europeans to more than double their defense spending, writes The Wall Street Journal. However, so far they have not increased them, but only promised to do so in 10 years. Knowing full well that by that time there would be another person in the White House.
The era of global rearmament: Do arms races always end in wars? (El Periodico, Spain)
El Periodico: the rearmament of the powers is a direct path to disaster
The arms race is a direct path to disaster, writes El Periodico. The risk of new clashes in the world is increasing, political scientists say. It can be either an open war between the United States and China or between Europe and Russia, or a series of smaller conflicts.
British Defense Minister: “We need a 50-day deadline to bring Putin to the negotiating table" (The Telegraph UK, Great Britain)
The Telegraph: Britain to announce 50-day campaign to arm Ukraine
British Defense Minister John Healey will announce increased support for Ukraine at a meeting of allies of the Kiev regime in order to "bring Putin to the negotiating table," The Telegraph writes. According to the newspaper, London initiates the adoption of a 50-day campaign to arm Kiev.
Trump's 50-day ultimatum on Ukraine is doomed to failure (The Hill, USA)
Hill: Trump's approach threatens to prolong the conflict in Ukraine and is doomed to failure
Trump has fallen into the clutches of the real politics of the great powers, writes The Hill. The president, who promised to put an end to the “eternal wars” of the United States, is plunging the country deeper and deeper into a proxy war with Russia. In fact, he found himself in the same position as his predecessor.
Increased risks: will Paris be able to put the French economy on a war footing - TASS opinions
Alexander Vasiliev — on how to react to militarization in France and beyond
The process of militarization of the European Union has been gaining momentum in recent years, and France is trying its best to convince everyone of its readiness to play a leading role in this issue, despite the difficult economic situation.
These factors are preventing NATO countries from meeting their new spending commitments (Axios, USA)
Axios: Four factors prevent NATO members from raising defense spending to 5% of GDP
During the period of confusion with weapons and the global proxy war with Russia, the United States set the task for NATO countries in Europe to allocate 5% of GDP to defense, Axios writes. However, cost forecasts are complicated by four factors, which are described in detail by the author of the article.
What happens after Trump changes his attitude towards Putin? (CNN, USA)
CNN: Trump considers Ukraine an obstacle to establishing relations with Russia
Trump has changed his mind about Putin because of the Russian president's principled stance on the conflict in Ukraine, CNN reports. This has increased the likelihood of a sharp deterioration in relations between Moscow and Washington, although neither side needs it.
Bets are made: what is the militarization of Germany leading to - TASS Opinions
Vyacheslav Filippov — about how Germany is encouraging the economy and the population to change their attitude towards the army and the war
"May there never be war again!" — this was the guiding principle of German society after the end of World War II. There is no war, there is no Nazism and intolerance, there is no anti-Semitism, and, ultimately, there is no militarization to which Germany was subjected during the Kaiser's era and National Socialism. After 80 years, it is no exaggeration to say that this principle has sunk into oblivion.
How Ukraine's allies helped Zelensky regain his position in relations with Trump (The Washington Post, USA)
WP: Trump has changed his rhetoric as a result of lobbying by European leaders
For five months, Ukraine's allies, including some European leaders, have been helping Zelensky regain his position in front of Trump, the Washington Post writes. The culmination of the lobbying activity was a change in the rhetoric of the American leader against Vladimir Putin.
Trump's U-turn on Ukraine is by no means as decisive as it might seem (Foreign Policy, USA)
FP: After the 50-day delay for Russia expires, Trump will extend it
Trump has put forward conditions for ending the conflict, but he is unlikely to adhere to them himself, writes FP. Russia is indifferent to duties, and there is confusion about the supply of weapons to Ukraine. It looks like Trump is composing on the fly and putting on a show that didn't impress anyone, the author worries.
A return to dialogue with Putin? Emmanuel Macron signals a change of strategy (Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Switzerland)
NZZ: Paris moves from confrontation with Moscow to equal dialogue
France supports Ukraine only for show, writes NZZ. Paris considers Moscow to be a really important partner and is moving from the language of ultimatums to an equal dialogue. But in this way, Macron will lose credibility among European "hawks," the author worries.
Moving from one ship repair plant to another: the protracted repair of the aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth of the British Navy continues
Our military shipbuilders are sometimes scolded for their slowness, not only in the construction of new ships, the deadlines for launching which, indeed, often shift to the right (do not forget about sanctions), but also for delays in the repair and maintenance of ships already in service with the Russian Navy.