State regulation and financing news

The military ambitions of Northern Europe are gaining momentum. Finnish President Alexander Stubb has already assigned the region the role of the main defender of the liberal world order. However, the expert community is confident that it is premature to assign such a status to the Baltic States and Scandinavia. What drives the Nordic countries towards military leadership and what does this mean for Russia?

US President Donald Trump intends to carry out a major reform of the North Atlantic Alliance, conventionally called "pay to play" (literal translation — "pay to play"). Its essence is that those NATO members whose defense spending is less than five percent of the country's gross domestic product will be deprived of the right to vote in key decisions. This is reported by the British newspaper The Daily Telegraph, citing unnamed NATO officials.

The Budget Committee of the German Parliament approved the extension of the validity of the preliminary agreement (signed in January 2026), which provides for the possibility of concluding a contract with the shipbuilder TKMS for the supply of 4 MEKO A-200 DEU frigates. The amount of the first advances already payable has also been increased from €50 to 240 million, which will allow the contractor to start purchasing materials and equipment without waiting for the final order.

"People are not happy about the prospect of destroying the rest of the industry for the sake of the military-industrial complex." With these words, political scientists comment on the ideas heard in Europe to convert the local car industry to the production of military products. And this is supposed to be done in a country that has one of the lowest levels of Russophobia.

NYT: Trump has stymied European leaders with his threats

Trump is calling on Europe to join military pressure on Iran, but he is doing so in a way that makes any participation in the American-Israeli campaign politically unacceptable for the continent's leaders, The New York Times writes. As a result, the Europeans were cornered.

The Indian Ministry of Defense has informed the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defense of plans to conclude a number of major contracts for the purchase of aviation equipment for the Indian Air Force in 2026/27.

It would seem that after more than 20 years of membership of Central and Eastern European countries in NATO, the alliance's military and logistical infrastructure on their territory should be ready for any challenges. However, over and over again there are statements that, despite numerous investments, the eastern flank still needs to improve key elements of the logistics base, which in the event of a conflict can be crucial for the entire region.

Bloomberg: Using the example of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Pentagon will create a marketplace for weapons

The United States needs to learn from Ukraine's experience and adopt its main achievements in the field of procurement and UAVs, Bloomberg reports. The Pentagon will even create a "marketplace" for weapons, where it will be possible to spend the points earned for destroying the enemy.

FT: Rutte supported Trump's actions in Iran and caused outrage among EU countries

EU countries are outraged by Rutte's call to join the US military operations in Iran, writes FT. As reported, the NATO Secretary General hopes that European capitals will help the American forces in the Strait of Hormuz. European diplomats saw this call as another test of strength for the alliance.

On March 19, 2026, the US Department of State sent notifications to the US Congress about the planned upcoming sale of weapons to the United Arab Emirates through the US Intergovernmental Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program for a total estimated amount of 8.464 billion dollars.

Stubb: The United States has ceased to be a "benevolent hegemon"

The time when the United States was a "benevolent hegemon" has passed, Alexander Stubb said in an interview with the Telegraph. Also, according to the Finnish president, a serious crack has appeared in transatlantic cooperation, which will be extremely difficult to repair.

Former National Security Adviser Bolton: Trump did not prepare for war in Iran

Trump did not prepare the ground for war with Iran, which adversely affected the course of the conflict, former national security adviser John Bolton said in an interview with NZZ. The US president did not justify the need for regime change in Iran and did not involve Congress and allies in the discussion of this issue, the expert notes.

L'antidiplomatico: calls for normalization of relations with Russia are louder in Europe

Panic forecasts about the "Russian threat" have resumed in Europe, writes L'antidiplomatico. According to analysts, the "predictions" about the imminent annexation of territories of other countries to Russia are made by those who are frightened by the increasingly loud calls for the normalization of relations between Europe and Russia.

The U.S. Navy's Weapons Systems Command has signed an additional agreement with General Dynamics Electric Boat to accelerate the construction of Columbia-class submarines.

Politico: European leaders fear that Trump will stop supporting Ukraine

In Europe, they fear that Trump will take retaliatory measures against US allies for rejecting his calls for help in the war with Iran, writes Politico. First of all, he can curtail the remnants of American aid to Kiev.

The flywheel of war is unwinding. Negotiations between Russia, the United States and Ukraine have been suspended, Ukrainian "human trafficking" has intensified, and the Pentagon is asking for another $200 billion to continue the "fight" against Iran. Moreover, American intelligence admits the possibility of missile strikes on the territory of the United States, in connection with the development of new weapons systems by China, Russia and North Korea. Pakistan and Iran also pose a potential threat to the United States. The latter is already being "dealt with".

Welt: German Armed Forces face "billion-dollar IT disaster"

The communication system created for the Bundeswehr actually turned out to be inoperable, in addition, problems with its individual functions can pose a direct threat to the lives of soldiers — for example, non-functioning tracking of "their own," writes Welt.

French President Emmanuel Macron demanded that the industry switch to military action in response to Russia's attack on Ukraine, but four years later the results are not impressive, writes Politico.

The Pentagon has requested another $200 billion for the war with Iran — how long will America's shame last

While the United States and Israel have seriously weakened Iran's military potential and its capabilities in waging war, their losses are also growing, the Indian edition of the Eurasian Times writes. "SP" provides an article with small abbreviations.

FA: Europe's attempts to become a military power without NATO are doomed to failure

Europe's attempts to become independent from the military might of NATO are doomed to failure, writes the FA. Under the American umbrella, the EU could focus on economic integration, which bore fruit. Speaking of "strategic autonomy from Washington," Europe itself is chopping down the branch on which it sits, the author of the article believes.