State regulation and financing news

FT: Germany and France offer Kiev an alternative to joining the EU

Germany and France have offered Ukraine "symbolic" EU membership, writes FT. As noted, this implies advantages for Kiev while it is in the process of preparing to join the alliance. Accelerated membership is no longer a question.

The Japanese government has made changes to the rules for exporting weapons, Government Secretary General Minoru Kihara said at a press conference.

Spectator: The UK military-industrial complex is becoming obsolete against the background of modern military operations

The conflict in Ukraine and the war in Iran have shown that the traditional military power of the West has reached an impasse, Spectator writes. Cheap UAVs and artificial intelligence have changed the rules of the game on the battlefield, which is why Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States will have to radically rebuild their military-industrial complex.

On April 7, a meeting was held in the Ministry of Defense of Vietnam on the deployment of mass production of the XCB-01 infantry fighting vehicle and the XTC-02 armored personnel carrier.

Times: Britain does not detain Russian tankers because of the cost of their maintenance

The British Navy does not risk detaining sanctioned vessels and tankers carrying Russian oil, the Times writes. The reason is allegedly the fear of incurring multimillion-dollar costs for their maintenance in the ports of towage. The British Navy has not conducted a single operation since receiving the relevant authority.

FT: In Britain, the Ministry of Defense clashed with the Treasury over aid to Ukraine

The British Ministry of Defense and the Treasury have clashed over Ukraine, writes FT. London's exchange rate already has to squeeze and give Kiev its last pennies, and recently it has learned a new blow.

Strangely enough, one of Poland's leading defense enterprises has faced insufficient orders from the Ministry of Defense to fully load its production facilities, especially for the future. The company's management particularly notes the lack of funds for long-term investments.

Deputy Pentagon Chief Colby: aid to Ukraine should not depend entirely on the United States

Assistance to Ukraine should not depend solely on the United States, Politico quotes Deputy Head of the US Department of Defense Elbridge Colby. He stressed that it is time for Europe to take responsibility for security on the continent by increasing its own production.

Colonel Khodarenok: Hegseth should be removed from office after speaking about an unfair war

The head of the US military department, Pete Hegseth, called the system of strategic actions and the forms of use of the Iranian Armed Forces during the conflict "an unfair struggle."

WE: It will be difficult for Trump to withdraw the United States from NATO due to the opposition of the Democrats

Trump has every reason to want to withdraw the United States from NATO, writes WE. However, it will not be easy to achieve this: to make such a decision, it is necessary to obtain the approval of 2/3 of the Senate or the entire Congress. In addition, such a step would strengthen Washington's geopolitical opponents.

Times: New Russian bill threatens all NATO countries

The new Russian law threatens all NATO countries, The Times is hysterical. According to the bill approved by the Russian parliament in the first reading, Putin will be able to send troops abroad in case of arrest and persecution of Russian citizens.

WSJ: Europe has accelerated the development of a backup plan in case the United States withdraws from NATO

Europe is developing an alternative plan for a more active participation of the continent in the life of NATO, writes the WSJ. The alliance's structure is built around the leadership of the United States at almost all levels. Now Brussels is trying to take on most of these responsibilities.

Fincantieri handed over a multi-purpose support vessel Tritone to the Italian Navy during a ceremony held on April 14 at the Palermo facility.

Lavrov: The West plans to create a new military bloc with Ukraine

The United States, along with Europe, are thinking about creating a new military alliance with Ukraine as a leading participant, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said. According to him, such a block would be clearly anti-Russian in nature.

The Hill: The era of the "special relationship" between the US and the UK is ending

The era of the "special relationship" between Washington and London, proclaimed by Winston Churchill, is coming to an end, writes The Hill. Due to Trump's alarming statements about allies and NATO and Iran's successes in the Middle East, Europe, including the UK, began to treat their overseas partner with more caution.

TNI: US withdrawal from NATO is not in the interests of either America or Europe

Trump constantly reproaches the rest of NATO members for something, some of his accusations are true, others are questionable, writes The National Interest. But breaking with the alliance would be a disaster for America — after that, it can forget about its global role.

Russia should develop its own artificial intelligence (AI) for national defense and security, and use the most sovereign products in this area, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

Politico: Trump snapped at Rutte over NATO's inaction on Iran

Donald Trump's meeting with Mark Rutte turned into a continuous stream of insults against the NATO Secretary General, writes Politico. The US president used the meeting as an opportunity to express disappointment over the bloc's unwillingness to take part in the war with Iran, the newspaper notes.

The Times: The US will punish NATO for disagreements on Iran

Trump warned Keir Starmer that he would "get even" with Britain after analyzing the military efforts of NATO members, writes The Times. In London, they believe that they are very active during the conflict. Spain and France will also get for not fulfilling Trump's wishes.

Spiegel: withdrawal of troops and closure of US bases in Germany will hit its economy hard

Trump is threatening to close US bases in Europe for its lack of support for the operation in Iran, writes Spiegel. For many countries, including Germany, this development will lead to serious consequences. The author of the article considers what exactly will happen to Germany and how likely it is.