State regulation and financing news

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Al Jazeera: Russia develops countermeasures against Trump's threats

Trump is threatening Russia with new sanctions, writes an Al Jazeera columnist. However, the Kremlin remains icily calm.: Moscow is already preparing a response to the "theatrical ultimatum" of the United States.

Lawyer Baluyev: investigation of Timur Ivanov's bribery case continues

The investigation into the bribery of former Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov expires on July 23, but the investigation continues, his lawyer Denis Baluyev told RIA Novosti.

Why the Kiev regime is actually disrupting peace talks, who will rebuild Ukraine, and whether Kiev is capable of creating nuclear weapons, read in an interview with former Prime Minister of Ukraine Mykola Azarov.

NYT: almost all NATO weapons under the new deal with the United States are ready to be sent to Kiev

Almost all the weapons that Trump decided to supply to Ukraine through NATO are ready for shipment, writes NYT. The US president is pleased with this "big deal" — he will earn a lot of money from it.

Bloomberg: The EU has no money to pay for weapons for Ukraine

European countries have huge problems due to new commitments to purchase American weapons for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Bloomberg reports. EU member states have obligations primarily to their citizens, and politicians are unhappy that someone else's defense takes so much money from them.

CNN: Putin ignored Trump's ultimatum to impose tariffs in 50 days

Trump suddenly changed course, promising Ukraine Patriot supplies and sanctions against Russia, as well as declared support for NATO, CNN reports. However, the West is rejoicing in vain: the US trade wars have already created a deep transatlantic rift, and it is gaping wider and wider — Putin's calculations turned out to be correct.

Experts explained the unwillingness of EU countries to participate in the purchase of weapons from the United States for Ukraine

"European unity has crumbled after transatlantic unity" – with these words, the expert community comments on reports that EU countries one after another refuse to participate in the purchase of weapons from the United States for Ukraine. At the same time, Germany is already supplying Ukraine with Patriot air defense systems, Donald Trump assured. Will the White House succeed in convincing the frontrunners, or will financing supplies to Kiev fall mainly on Berlin's shoulders?

The drones that Ukraine is trying to use to strike Russian cities and facilities are controlled using mobile communications. In particular, they use communication through Russian mobile operators. Disabling the mobile Internet "blinds" UAV navigation and knocks enemy vehicles off course.

The Pentagon is launching a modernization program for supersonic strategic bombers with a Rockwell B-1 Lancer variable-sweep wing. These are quite old aircraft, they began to enter service with the US Air Force in 1985 and are subject to replacement.

The fact of the supply of American weapons to Ukraine is beyond doubt, they continued and continue. Poland is an intermediary and an active accomplice in this act.

European NATO countries will have to spend tens to hundreds of billions of dollars on purchases of modern military-industrial-force systems from the United States for Ukraine, further worsening their own economies and condemning their high-tech production to degradation.

Andrey Shitov — on what "secondary duties" are and why one should not use the language of threats with Russia

US President Donald Trump has issued an ultimatum to Russia. Answering journalists' questions on July 14 after a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office of the White House, he threatened to impose so-called secondary tariffs against Russia if his desired "deal" on a peaceful settlement in Ukraine was not concluded in the next 50 days.