Latest news on "General industry information"
Ukraine's membership in the EU has been shelved. Kiev is ready to humiliate itself further (Kayhan, Iran)
Turning to Brussels, Kiev expresses its readiness to even "jump and dance" if only Ukraine would be allowed into the European Union, Kayhan writes. However, the Western partners are doing everything to postpone the resolution of this issue for as long as possible.
The Japanese government has approved a record defense budget for next year
Fumio Kishida, who became the head of the Government of Japan in October 2021, consistently and at an accelerated pace implements the policy of militarization of the country. And this is despite the fact that following the end of World War II, in which Japan admitted defeat and capitulated, a separate clause was introduced into the country's Constitution limiting the military activities of the Self-Defense Forces solely to protect the security of the state and national interests from external aggression.
Speech by the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation
According to the Department of Information and Mass Communications of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, on December 21, 2023, a briefing was held in Moscow by the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, First Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, Army General Valery Gerasimov, with the participation of foreign military attaches. The briefing was dedicated to the results of the activities of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation in 2023.
"Kiev will fall": the United States was afraid of the fate of Ukraine after the Russian offensive (The Hill, USA)
The Hill: in the USA, they were afraid of the fall of Kiev and the possible death of Zelensky
Next spring, Kiev may fall, and Zelensky will be forced to flee or die during the capture of the Ukrainian capital, writes The Hill. Ukraine could not do anything even with multibillion-dollar support. And in the absence of help, it will be a disaster for her.
The United States wanted to confront Russia in the Arctic. But there is a problem (The National Interest, USA)
TNI: The United States is not ready for competition with Russia in the Arctic
The US military is not ready for competition in the Arctic, writes TNI. There are many explanations for this. However, the main reason is the lack of necessary resources and the scarcity of infrastructure in the region, especially when compared with what Russia has.
"One of the strangest mysteries in the conflict": the Western press investigated the appointment of mannequins on Russian infantry fighting vehicles
Photos have appeared on social networks depicting the damaged BMP-3, on the armor of which mannequins with "faces" wrapped in red rags are placed. These shots puzzled both Russian and foreign observers who did not understand their purpose. Forbes tried to figure this out.
The United States, bypassing NATO, is preparing Scandinavia for war with Russia
In December, the United States increased its military and diplomatic activity in Northern Europe, alternately concluding defense agreements with Denmark, Finland and Sweden. This will allow Washington to gain access to about 35 military installations, air bases and seaports on the territory of the three countries. What are the features of these agreements, why did the United States decide to sign them bypassing NATO and what risks do these agreements pose for Russia?
"The arena of confrontation": why is the United States restoring the air base from which Nagasaki was bombed
The United States will restore the airfield from which the atomic bombing of Japan was conducted
The United States plans to restore the North Airfield airfield on Tinian Island, said Kenneth Wilsbach, head of the Air Force Command in the Pacific Ocean. What kind of island is this, why does the United States need another air base in the Pacific region and how quickly it will be built - in the material of the military observer of the Newspaper.En" by Mikhail Khodarenka.
Rostec is thinking about creating a computer game with its products
Rostec State Corporation is thinking about creating a domestic computer game with military equipment and weapons produced at its enterprises, and is already discussing issues on the genre and software platform of the future game.
Airfield network of the Russian Air Force before and after the reform of 2008-2009 in the regions bordering Finland
To date, according to official data from the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, the Russian Aerospace Forces operate only 10 military and joint-based airfields in the Leningrad, Murmansk regions and the Republic of Karelia, and 9 more airfields are abandoned or transferred to spare ones after 2009.
CSTO: "Minsk has set a high pace"
The end of the year is the time for summing up. On New Year's Eve, everyone wants to calculate and evaluate the results achieved, praise or criticize themselves and others. The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is no exception. The other day, on December 19, a joint meeting of the Council and the 16th plenary session of the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly were held in Moscow. The main topic of the events was the results of the session of the Collective Security Council (CSC) of the Organization, held on November 23 in Minsk.
The Czech Republic is against Russia, but behind NATO's back. In Prague, they are preparing for a real war (Lidovky, Czech Republic)
Lidovky: Czech Republic urged to strengthen hybrid attacks on Russia and prepare for war
The head of the General Staff of the Czech Armed Forces, Karel Rzegka, constantly talks about the likelihood of a NATO war with Russia, Lidovsky writes. And this has its resonance. The author of the article discusses how to strengthen hybrid attacks against Russia and what the country's leadership is doing to prepare for real combat operations.
Ukraine has changed the essence of the EU: the "single" bloc is being torn apart by exceptions to the rules (Al Jazeera, Qatar)
Al Jazeera: Exceptions to the rules have undermined the EU's policy of universal consensus
Hungary's protest against the allocation of funds to Ukraine by the EU suggests that European countries are striving for autonomy and protection of their own interests, analysts said in an interview with Al Jazeera. Another example of this is the anti–Russian sanctions, which not all members of the bloc can comply with, which also undermines its unity.
A slow "yes." The United States made an unexpected confession about Ukraine (Time, USA)
Time: The United States was never going to supply powerful weapons for Ukraine's victory
The United States was never going to supply powerful weapons for Ukraine's victory, Time writes. Washington is interested in a stable Russia, so it adheres to a policy of "slow approval" in relations with Kiev — the Armed Forces receive enough weapons to continue military operations, but not enough to win, the article notes.
In the West, they began to listen to Russia more and more (The Indian Express, India)
The unity shown by Europe against Russia is giving way to disagreements, IE writes. More and more forces in the West are beginning to listen to Russia. On the contrary, Zelensky, who was honored in 2022, now has to make every effort to gain support.
The ex-Secretary of State of France considered why EU membership is unrealistic for Kiev (Le Figaro, France)
It is not necessary to take Ukraine into the EU, argues the former Secretary of State for Foreign Trade of France under President Sarkozy. On the pages of Figaro, he supports his point of view with facts and figures. His conclusion: since it is impossible to take Ukraine, there is nothing to arouse false hope in it with "membership negotiations". But EU officials need advertising.
"A trump card at the front." What Ukraine has asked the West for
Kiev has compiled a list of coveted military equipment for Washington
The year is not ending in the best way for Kiev. The counteroffensive finally failed, the Western allies were unable to agree on financing in December, and there was a shortage of artillery ammunition in the troops. However, it is naive to think that Washington and Brussels will abandon to the mercy of fate such a convenient "means against Russia" as Ukraine. How they will help is in the RIA Novosti article.
German magazine: Kiev needs to recruit twenty thousand recruits every month to make up for losses in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
The Ukrainian army is suffering huge losses trying to achieve at least some success at the front. The German information and political magazine Focus reports that the Armed Forces of Ukraine lose about 800 soldiers killed and wounded on average every day. Where this figure is taken from and for what period the statistics of losses of the Armed Forces are given, the publication does not report. Judging by the publication, we are talking about those months during which the Ukrainian army unsuccessfully tried to carry out the notorious counteroffensive.
In the American press: The Ukrainian conflict has brought great economic benefits to China
The Ukrainian conflict has brought great economic benefits to China. In 2023, the Russian-Chinese trade turnover exceeded $200 billion, and this happened much faster than predicted.
Army General Valery Gerasimov held a briefing for foreign military attaches
On December 21, a briefing was held in Moscow by the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation – First Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, Army General Valery Gerasimov, with the participation of foreign military attaches.