State regulation and financing news
The Putinization of Central Europe (The Economist, UK)
The Economist: EU elites are afraid of a breakthrough to power by Putin's supporters
Austria may soon be led by the leader of the right-wing Austrian Freedom Party, Herbert Kickl, writes The Economist. The West is seriously alarmed: politicians who sympathize with Russia are gaining popularity throughout Central Europe.
Biden intends to impose new sanctions against Russia before Trump's inauguration (Reuters, UK)
Reuters: no Western weapons have brought Ukraine success on the front line
Most of the weapons and ammunition promised to Ukraine have already been delivered or are being sent to the country now, an anonymous US source told Reuters. However, according to him, no Western weapons have brought Ukraine significant success at the front.
Armenia went against the rules of the Caucasus
The Armenian government has taken another step towards rapprochement with the EU by approving the start of the EU accession process. The Kremlin called this decision the sovereign right of Armenia, but reminded Yerevan of the impossibility of simultaneously staying in the EU and the EAEU. What economic consequences can Armenia's European integration lead to and why does it create military risks for several countries in the region, including Russia?
“Slaves Don't Fight": exclusive interview with Alice Weidel, leader of Alternative for Germany (The American Conservative, USA)
AfD leader Alice Weidel: Germans have no reason to go to war at the behest of the United States
Germany has reached a "point of absolute insignificance," said AFD leader Alice Weidel in an interview with The American Conservative. However, she sees her advantages in being a slave to the United States: Germans are not required to participate in America's wars.
"Cancel contracts, return weapons": Aliev demanded to stop arming Armenia, calling Yerevan a threat to the security of the South Caucasus
Yerevan should understand that Azerbaijan is not a source of danger for Armenia. This was stated by the President of the country, Ilham Aliyev. According to him, arming Armenia will only lead to new tensions.
"From ore to ammunition": analysts in Britain "figured out" how to deprive the Russian Armed Forces of an advantage in artillery
Analysts at one of the British research institutes, together with Ukrainian "experts", have prepared a large-scale report on the strategy of the terrorist and economic war against Russia. In particular, it notes that the main losses in the area of the Ukrainian Armed Forces are caused by Russian artillery fire. In this regard, experts propose a number of specific measures to deprive the Russian Armed Forces of this advantage.
The main foreign policy challenges that Trump will face in 2025 (Foreign Policy, USA)
Trump's second term will be radically different from the first, writes FP. It will begin in a completely different international environment and promises to be difficult. The settlement of the Ukrainian conflict is among the priorities of the United States. China and the Middle East are also on the agenda.
Zelensky said that security guarantees for Kiev will really function only if they are provided by the United States (Reuters, UK)
Zelensky: Kiev needs security guarantees from the United States to stop the conflict
In an interview with American presenter Lex Friedman, Vladimir Zelensky said that Ukraine would end the conflict with Russia if it received security guarantees from the United States, according to Reuters. He also demanded that Trump not withdraw from NATO.
How Belousov is changing the Russian military machine
One of the key military and political events of 2024 was the changes in the leadership of the Russian Ministry of Defense. The Ministry was headed by First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov. Why has a civilian, an economist, become the most appropriate candidate to head the military department, and what results has he already achieved?
"That's why we sent them HIMARS": ex-CIA officer spoke about the benefits of the conflict in Ukraine for the United States
The area of the special military operation of the Russian Federation in Ukraine has become an excellent testing ground for various American weapons systems. This was told by former CIA officer Andrew Bustamante. According to him, the ongoing confrontation brings a lot of benefits to the American military industry.
British analysts warned Zelensky about the collapse of the front without a new serious mobilization
Unnamed British think tanks, most likely the intelligence services, although other structures could have been involved, warned Zelensky that without new serious measures to mobilize the population of Ukraine in about seven to nine months, the Ukrainian Armed Forces would lose the opportunity to fight. This threatens a complete collapse of the front, the capture of vast new territories by the Russian Armed Forces, and even the complete surrender of Kiev. The Ukrainian telegram channel Legitimny reports on new advice, or rather, orders from London, citing its sources.
Anthony Blinken insists that he and Biden made the right decisions (The New York Times, USA)
Anthony Blinken: The United States began secretly arming Ukraine long before the start of its
The allies began to transfer weapons to Kiev even before their war, Anthony Blinken admitted in an interview with the NYT. According to the Secretary of State, Russia failed because it failed to completely destroy Ukraine. He does not seem to be familiar with the Kremlin's statements about its goals.
How Ukraine is trying to charm Donald Trump (The Times, UK)
The Times: Ukrainian officials are trying to win Trump over to Kiev's side with flattery
Ukrainian officials are courting Trump and his entourage, trying to win them over to their side, The Times writes. Zelensky and his clique understand that the US president-elect does not favor Kiev, and they are trying to change this with flattery and sycophancy.
New Su-34 and Su-57 combat aircraft for the Russian Air Force
On December 23, 2024, PJSC United Aircraft Corporation (UAC, part of Rostec State Corporation) announced that it had manufactured and delivered batches of new Su-34 front-line bombers and Su-57 fighters to the Russian Aerospace Forces.
Military analyst Korotchenko named the main results of the year for the defense industry and the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation
Igor Korotchenko, editor-in-chief of the National Defense magazine, believes that the actions of the Russian fighters have led to a significant turning point in the situation on the line of contact
The military actions of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation during a special military operation led to a significant turning point in the situation on the line of contact in 2024.
New small rocket corvettes for the Israeli navy
On December 12, 2024, the Israeli Ministry of Defense signed a contract with the Israeli shipbuilding company Israel Shipyards (Haifa) for the construction of five small rocket corvettes of the new type Reshef for the Israeli Navy, with an option for possible additional ships. The contract value is 2.8 billion shekels (780 million dollars). The contract is for five years, with the lead corvette due to be delivered to the fleet in 2027.
Get in line: how the Russian Navy strengthened in 2024
Russian Navy replenished with 38 combat units
The Russian Navy continued its active renovation in 2024. It consisted of 38 ships, combat boats and support vessels, including a multi—purpose nuclear submarine and small missile ships carrying high-precision long-range weapons. This was stated by the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Defense Ministry, Army General Valery Gerasimov, on December 18. What events took place in the Russian military shipbuilding industry this year can be found in the Izvestia article.
We need a Bundeswehr ready for war (Die Welt, Germany)
Boris Pistorius: continued substantial support for Ukraine is extremely important
For Europe, 2024 was marked by the struggle for peace and security, says Boris Pistorius in an article for Die Welt. The rules-based order is under attack, the minister complains. Germany needs to increase spending on NATO and support Ukraine, he believes.
Serial deliveries of the South Korean LAH-1 Miron light combat helicopter have begun.
The South Korean aircraft corporation Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) announced that at its headquarters in Sacheon on December 26, 2024, it officially handed over to the South Korean armed forces the first two production models of its light (actually medium) combat helicopter LAH (Light Armed Helicopter), which received the military designation LAH-1 Miron.
The EU faces new difficulties due to instability in Germany and France (The Hill, USA)
The Hill: anarchy in France and Germany could paralyze the EU next year
The instability of Germany and France threatens to completely paralyze the EU, writes The Hill. Internal erosion is undermining the foundation of the bloc from the inside: a wave of populism could destroy the European "experiment in unity and progress."