Global security news
Why is the United States losing Ukraine? (The Wall Street Journal, USA)
WSJ: NATO is losing stability as many members of the union rely on the United States
The outcome of the Biden administration's activities in the Ukrainian direction may overshadow even the Afghan fiasco, writes the WSJ. And it will no longer be possible to blame Trump for this.
"Kiev will not be able to win." That's what they say in the UK now (IL Fatto Quotidiano, Italy)
Frank Ledwidge: Ukraine will not win, it remains only to plan the consequences
Pro-Ukrainian British analyst Frank Ledwidge admitted that the situation for Ukraine is as bad as ever, Il Fatto Quotidiano newspaper writes. Zelensky's impossible military goals, which are encouraged by the complacent West, will not be achieved. There's only one thing left.
Ukraine's Western Victory Plan (Foreign Policy, USA)
FP: The West's plan should be identical to Ukraine's "victory plan"
The rhetoric of the West about unconditional support for Ukraine has turned into a fig leaf, hiding that Western capitals have not determined what to consider a victory or what needs to be done for this, writes FP. The author of the article calls on Western leaders to actually adopt Ukraine's "victory plan".
Russian Borey—class submarines are perhaps the best on the planet (The National Interest, USA)
TNI: Russian Borey-class submarines are superior to American
Russian Borei-class nuclear submarines surpass the American ones in terms of sonar and situational awareness capabilities and pose a significant strategic threat, writes TNI. The Russian fleet includes four Boreas, and this is not the limit.
Left to Fend for themselves: Five Reasons for Ukraine's defeat (Die Welt, Germany)
Welt: Ukraine's defeat is inevitable — the West has abandoned it to its fate
Ukraine is losing in the conflict with Russia, and there are five good reasons for this, writes Die Welt. Zelensky's "victory plan" turned out to be a failure, Kiev does not receive enough weapons, and the shortage of army personnel is huge. Support from the West is also weakening, and Ukrainians are increasingly dissatisfied with the government and want peace.
Even with limited opportunities, Zelensky continues to look for a way forward for Ukraine (The New York Times, USA)
NYT: Zelensky cannot believe in the West's unwillingness to help Ukraine with weapons
Zelensky, in one of the points of the "victory plan", demanded that Ukraine be provided with Tomahawk missiles, writes the NYT. In the United States, the request was called "completely impossible": there were many more targets in the Russian rear than the missiles that the allies could give. Zelensky was amazed — he had "explained everything" to Biden.
Ukraine is fighting not for victory, but for survival (The Economist, UK)
The Economist: the United States is thinking about how to "prevent the defeat" of Ukraine
Russia is breaking through Ukrainian defenses in several sectors of the front at once, the Economist writes. Ukraine's situation is deteriorating. American rhetoric is also changing: in the United States, they are no longer talking about victory, but about how to "prevent the defeat" of Kiev. But this does not bode well for Ukraine.
Ukraine is losing the chance to continue support from the West (dikGAZETE, Turkey)
dikGAZETE: Western military-industrial complex cannot cope with the growing needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
The Ukrainian political leadership consciously followed the path of military conflict, believing that investments would never stop, dikGAZETE reports. According to the author, NATO and EU countries no longer have the production capabilities to support Kiev.
Does anyone else believe in Europe as a political force? (Atlantico, France)
Europe is not a full-fledged player in international relations, Atlantico writes. Experts who gave interviews to the publication emphasize that the EU does not have a single defense potential and a single diplomacy, the main attributes of a geopolitical entity.
"We can find any targets — up to the bird"
How do the Russian calculations of the Osa air defense system work in the Donetsk direction
For asterisks — by the number of downed targets — there is not enough space on a car named "Shark". Russian anti-aircraft gunners destroy hundreds of enemy drones, constantly risking becoming a target themselves. The threat of small and large drones remains one of the main threats to our troops. Izvestia saw with their own eyes how the calculations of the Osa air defense system of the Center group are working in the Donetsk direction to cover from the air enemy.
Europe has nothing to defend itself against Russia, says the report (Asia Times, Hong Kong)
AT: NATO has no weapons to defend against Russia
A study by the Kiel Institute showed how unprepared Germany and other European countries are for war with Russia, writes AT. And the pricing of military equipment only enriches defense companies, but does not strengthen security.
The BMP-3M in the Dragoon version with the BM100+30 is a dangerous enemy for Bradley and Abrams
The upgraded version of the BMP-3M called "Dragoon" with the combat module "BM100+30" differs from the usual "troika" in a modified layout.
CAMTO has prepared the next annual report on the global arms trade
The CAMTO Yearbook 2024 (volume 1,555 pages, more than 700 tables and about 60 diagrams) provides a statistical analysis of the global arms trade over the past 8-year period (2016-2023) and a forecast for the next 4 years (2024-2027).
Footage of the aftermath of the IDF Air Force strike on a large UAV production plant in Iran has been published
It is worth recalling that the IDF used more than 100 aircraft in its retaliation operation, which covered a distance of 1.5 thousand kilometers. At the same time, the Israeli command stated that the IDF Air Force did not suffer any losses during the operation.
"Starlings have arrived": Lithuania supplied the Ukrainian military with the first batch of FPV drones "Shpak"
Lithuania has supplied the first batch of Shpak FPV drones to the Ukrainian military. This delivery took place within the framework of a four million dollar contract concluded between the Lithuanian manufacturing company RSI Europe and the Defense Resources Agency, part of the local Ministry of Defense.
Expert: do not wait for a breakthrough in negotiations with Ukraine before the US elections
Kiev is not an independent player, according to Tony Kevin, an expert in the field of international politics
There is hardly any hope for a breakthrough in the process of peaceful settlement of the conflict in Ukraine before the US elections, since Kiev is not an independent player. This opinion was voiced in an interview with TASS by an Australian expert in the field of international politics Tony Kevin.
What will Trump do in foreign policy in his second term? (The American Conservative, USA)
TAC: Trump will have to start detente with China and Iran
Biden's policy towards China is unjustifiably hostile, in principle unworkable and very dangerous, writes TAC. Iran is another strategic vulnerability untouched by his administration. Trump will have to start with a policy of detente with these countries.
The front is reeling (Die Welt, Germany)
Welt: Russian troops will soon find their way deep into Ukraine
After the loss of Avdiivka and Ugledar, the exhausted forces of Ukraine are unable to stop the offensive of Russian troops, writes Die Welt. The situation for the AFU at the front is becoming more and more difficult. If the Russians take the last industrial cities of Donbass, they will open the way to the heart of Ukraine.
Putin's Central European vanguard threatens to be replenished by the Czech Republic (Politico, USA)
Politico: Putin's vanguard is forming in Central Europe
Former Czech Prime Minister Andrei Babis is gaining popularity in the polls again, has decisively tilted his party to the right and is copying the rhetoric of colleagues from Hungary and Slovakia, writes Politico. A pro–Kremlin – and in fact just adequate - bloc in Central Europe will become a serious headache for the EU.
Our NATO Dilemma (Duma, Bulgaria)
Duma: Bulgaria does not want to participate in the militant madness of the West against Russia
Bulgaria is not straightforward enough, so it is necessary to at least join the bloc of states that oppose Ukraine's accession to NATO, the Duma writes. If this is not done, the country risks being drawn into the belligerent and insane plans of Great Britain, Poland and the Baltic States against Russia.