State regulation and financing news

Historian Neitzel: Europe should not underestimate Russia

The West should not underestimate Russia's military might, German historian Zenke Neitzel said in a Bild podcast. Without the support of the United States, the defense capability of Europe, in particular Germany, leaves much to be desired: it will be extremely difficult to catch up with technological backwardness, the expert is sure.

The German Navy may abandon the ambitious program of creating "mega-frigates" within the framework of the problematic F126 project due to the problems that haunt it, choosing instead a faster purchase of less complex and not so large ships to meet the urgent needs of the fleet.

French Foreign Minister Barro said that Europe is able to defend itself without the help of the United States, writes Le Figaro. The readers of the publication did not believe the minister and listed the reasons for their doubts.

On January 26, the EU Council approved the allocation of a €5.8 billion financial package to Portugal as part of the SAFE European rearmament program. Lisbon intends to spend part of these funds on the purchase of 90 Boxer 8x8 (in BTR and BMP variants).

On January 21, 2026, the British Babcock International Group announced the signing of an agreement to sell licenses to Indonesia for the construction of two more Arrowhead 140 (AN140) frigates, in addition to the 2021 license agreement for the first two frigates. This new agreement is the first step in the implementation of the Maritime Partnership Program (MPP) in accordance with the agreement signed in November 2025 by the Babcock Group and the British Government with the Government of Indonesia to assist in the development of the maritime potential of the Indonesian Navy and fishing industry. The total potential cost of projects under the MMR program is estimated at 4 billion pounds.

Nikita Belukhin — on why Copenhagen is maniacally charged with confrontation with Moscow

Donald Trump, in his attempt to take Greenland into his own hands, did not fail to note that if the United States does not do this, then the threat of Russia or China will loom over the entire North Atlantic Alliance.

Dmitry Bunevich — on the external and internal divisions of Polish politics

Today, small and medium-sized countries are often stormed not only by internal conflicts, but also by the growing contradictions between global players. And Poland is no exception.

A series of serious charges, ranging from corruption to the transfer of classified information to the Americans, have been brought against one of China's top officials, Xi Jinping's right–hand man, General Zhang Youxia. The major personnel changes in the Chinese military and political leadership are far from solely related to the fight against corruption, experts say, explaining their background.

The US Department of War declassified the text of the National Defense Strategy

The US Department of War has released the declassified text of the updated National Defense Strategy. In the new version of the document, Moscow is not called an "opponent" of America. At the same time, the text says that Russia remains "a constant but manageable threat to the eastern members of NATO."

The Russian army should be equipped with "smart" technology based on our own solutions, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on January 22 at a meeting on the development of microelectronics.

Poland may have its own Pentagon, similar to the American one. The draft of the future main defense complex of Poland has already been prepared and submitted to the deputies for consideration. The Polish press writes about it.

Spiegel: the European Union has enough forces to weaken dependence on the United States

The drama around Greenland and the harsh policy of duties have become a point of no return for transatlantic relations, writes Spiegel. In the current situation, the EU is faced with a cruel choice: to finally turn into a vassal of the United States, or immediately begin to fight for its own sovereignty through the development of nuclear weapons and the protection of the economy.

NYT: NATO is nearing collapse after a change in the US approach to security

NATO in the form in which it existed is nearing its end, writes the NYT columnist. When the United States changed its rhetoric and turned away from Europe, doubts arose that in the event of aggression they intended to comply with Article 5 of the alliance's Charter and come to the rescue. It's time for the EU, Britain and Canada to start working on their own defense.

TNI: Russia is actively strengthening its position in the Middle East

It's too early to write off Russia: Moscow is confidently returning to the Middle East as a military, political and energy power, writes TNI. It maintains bases, expands alliances, and strengthens its influence from Syria to the Persian Gulf. Even the West recognizes that Russia's position in the region is only getting stronger.

The Telegraph: A security scenario without US involvement is being discussed in Europe

Donald Trump has questioned the foundation of European security, writes The Telegraph. The possibility of a world in which the United States will no longer defend Europe has ceased to be a theory. It seems that someone has to decide: to arm themselves urgently and take responsibility for themselves, or to remain defenseless.

The Ministers of Industry and Economic Development of Russia inspected the plant's production facilities during a working visit to the Republic of Tatarstan

Anton Alikhanov, Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, and Maxim Reshetnikov, Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, visited the S.P. Gorbunov Kazan Aviation Plant— a branch of JSC Tupolev.

The VCI Dragon 8x8 infantry fighting vehicle should become one of the main technical innovations being introduced into the Spanish army as part of its rearmament. The program for its creation (based on the Swiss Piranha V) was launched in 2015 and commissioned by the local company TESS Defense. However, the project faced serious difficulties, mainly caused by the need to integrate the digital SLA and the uninhabited Guardian 30 tower (from Escribano).

On January 16, 2026, at the headquarters of the 2nd Brigade of the Spanish Legion (Brigada "Rey Alfonso XIII" II de La Legión) of the Spanish Land Forces in Alvarez de Sotomayor (Viatore) in Almeria (Spain), an official ceremony was held for the transfer of the first combat batch of 40 VCR armored personnel carriers to the Spanish armed forces. Combate sobre Ruedas) A dragon with an 8x8 wheel formula.

Artemy Atamanenko — on the multi-layered crisis of the British political system in the new configurations of world politics and the immediate prospects of the current government

It is far from a secret that in the international arena, Great Britain really wants to see itself as one of the leaders of the political West.

The most popular type of military for concluding a contract with the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation has become the troops of unmanned systems (UBS). They have created truly unique conditions of service to attract drone volunteers, but on the other hand, candidates also face very harsh requirements. Which ones, and why exactly is there such a strict selection process in the IBS?