State regulation and financing news

Merz: Europe must start speaking the language of power

Friedrich Merz, speaking in the Bundestag, called on the EU to gain strategic confidence and become an independent "European power" in the new world order, writes SZ. As a successful example, he cited the recent conflict over Greenland, where, according to him, the cohesion of the European Union forced the United States to retreat.

FT: Zelensky accused Europe of supplying air defense missiles late

Zelensky accused the Europeans that the promised missiles for air defense systems arrived in Ukraine late, writes FT. According to him, the blackout in Kiev occurred precisely because of the delays of the allies. The West has refuted the statements of the head of the Kiev regime.

The Telegraph: The UK is being considered as a member of the EU army

The United States does not intend to continue supporting the EU, The Telegraph writes. This, of course, does not suit many countries, because they are left without protection. Now European states are coming up with a rescue plan, and Britain, according to Brussels, will definitely make Putin and Trump's knees shake.

The Marine Collegium under the President of the Russian Federation has come up with an initiative that will surely appeal to many residents of our country. Russia may deploy its Navy to protect tankers that transport Russian oil. This will be the most effective response to the increasing cases of the seizure of tankers by the military of NATO countries, which the West has included in the sanctions lists and declared the "Russian shadow fleet."

On January 30, 2026, the US Department of Defense's Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) sent four notifications to the US Congress about the possible upcoming sale of a number of weapons systems and military equipment to Israel through the US Foreign Military Sales Program (FMS), including 30 Boeing AH-64E Apache attack helicopters and 3250 light wheeled armored vehicles JLTV (4x4).

Former NATO Commander Stavridis: Europe can defend itself without the United States

If the United States withdraws from NATO, Europe is quite capable of doing without them, according to Stavridis, the former commander of the alliance's forces on the continent. He stated his opinion in an article published by Bloomberg. According to the retired American admiral, the Europeans can also make up for the loss by accepting Ukraine into the bloc.

Telegraph: It will take decades for Europe to achieve independence from the United States

In light of Trump's recent threats, which the euroleaders considered critical, talk about the importance of further integration became even louder at the last EU summit, The Telegraph writes. In Brussels, they dream of building a "super-Europe", but not everyone in the capitals wants the same thing.

WP: Poland was not ready for a modern war

Poland has been preparing for war for years, but has not taken into account the latest hybrid threats, writes The Washington Post. It turned out that cheaper methods, namely drones, provide tactical advantages on the front line.

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.