Defencematters.eu Correspondents
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Defencematters.eu Correspondents
New EU funding and procurement architecture for Ukraine shifts towards arms contracts
The European Commission has put forward a new two-year financial package designed to cover a large share of Ukraine’s forecast needs in 2026 and 2027, while tying a substantial portion of EU-level support more directly to defence procurement. The proposals,…
If Russia Wins: A Scenario and the Logic of the West’s Managed Defeat
When Carlo Masala set out his hypothetical “Russian victory” in Ukraine, he defined it narrowly: not a march to Kyiv, but Moscow retaining the territories it already occupies. That premise matters because it aligns with the kind of “freeze” or…
South China Sea Tensions Surge as China Steps Up Patrols around Scarborough Shoal
The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theatre Command has announced a fresh round of naval and air patrols around Scarborough Shoal, the coral outcrop that has become the unlikeliest flashpoint of the Indo-Pacific’s simmering strategic contest. The declaration, terse but…
Merz signals early talks on European “nuclear umbrella” as transatlantic strain deepens
BERLIN — Germany has begun exploring, with European partners, whether a shared nuclear deterrence arrangement could complement the United States’ longstanding role as the ultimate guarantor of European security, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Thursday. Speaking in Berlin after a foreign…
China-linked machine tools and chips: claims of a supply chain behind Russia’s Oreshnik missile
European governments have often treated dialogue with Beijing as a practical channel in foreign policy, including in managing risks linked to Russia’s war against Ukraine. A recent investigation by The Telegraph has prompted a different focus: whether Chinese-origin industrial equipment…
Starlink terminals on Russian drones raise fears of real-time targeting
Russian forces are increasingly being linked by Ukrainian specialists to the use of Starlink satellite terminals on strike drones, a development that, if sustained, could complicate interception and widen the range of targets that can be engaged under operator control.…
CSIS: Russia’s advance in Ukraine measured in metres, not kilometres
A Washington-based think tank, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), says the pace of Russia’s ground advance in Ukraine has fallen to levels that are historically low when set against major combined-arms offensives over the past century. In…
Kharkiv rail strike raises questions over Russia’s civilian targeting and negotiation pressure on Ukraine
A Russian drone strike on a civilian passenger train in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region on 27 January 2026 has sharpened attention on the targeting of civilians as diplomatic contacts continue in parallel. Ukrainian prosecutors said five people were killed when drones…
Britain’s Bold Bid to Spawn the Next Defence Unicorn: A £20m Fund Aims to Transform National Security and Tech Innovation
The UK government has launched a targeted £20 million initiative designed to unearth and accelerate the country’s next “defence unicorn”. Announced this week by Defence Secretary John Healey, the fund is tailored to fast-track small, innovative British firms into the Ministry…
From BAE to Rheinmetall: The Industrial Surge Behind Europe’s “Buy European” Push
Europe stands at a strategic crossroads. A continent long reliant on its transatlantic ally for security hardware may finally be confronting an uncomfortable truth: major geopolitical shifts demand a robust, autonomous defence industrial base. This week in Brussels, France’s Minister…