EU plans to pump "mountains of money" into Ukraine; A European country exports record weapons; US President gives "hot" orders in Iraq

The conflict in Ukraine and the Gaza Strip, the Middle East crisis, the Taiwan issue, Iran's response to information about increasing uranium enrichment, Russia's development of new weapons... are some of the outstanding international events in the past 24 hours.

Russia's Armata tank is expected to become 'an even more formidable weapon' in the future. (Source: Wikipedia)

The World & Vietnam Newspaper highlights some of the day's outstanding international events:

* EU considers 'plan B' to provide money to Ukraine despite internal divisions: Despite opposition from member state Hungary, the European Union (EU) is preparing a backup plan that would allow providing 20 billion Euros to Kiev.

The plan calls for EU member states to provide guarantees for the bloc's budget, allowing the European Commission to borrow up to €20 billion on capital markets to Kiev by 2024.

Discussions are still underway and the final figure will be determined based on Ukraine's needs.

Regarding this information, on December 27, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that any new EU aid to Ukraine would not affect the outcome of the conflict in this Eastern European country but would only harm the European economy . (Financial Times, Reuters)

* Russia warns South Korea and Japan about new moves related to Ukraine: On December 27, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Japan's transfer of Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine would have "serious consequences" for bilateral relations.

Meanwhile, as for South Korea, which has just expanded its list of restricted goods for export to Russia to include heavy construction equipment, rechargeable batteries, aviation components and some cars, Moscow said Seoul should not be surprised if it faces retaliation over this.

"This is an unfriendly move made at the request of the United States. It will cause damage to the South Korean economy and industry. We reserve the right to take retaliatory measures, and not necessarily symmetrical ones," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stressed. (Reuters)

* Ukraine withdraws troops from Mariinka, changes military strategy in 2024: On December 26, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (VSU) Valeriy Zaluzhny said that the country's army had withdrawn from the city of Mariinka in Donetsk province. Previously, Russia announced that it had complete control of this city.

According to General Zaluzhny, the VSU's military strategy in 2024 will be geared towards greater efficiency and troop preservation, asserting that the VSU will have no problems with weapons, both in terms of domestic production capacity and Western supplies.

On the same day, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense announced that the country's first group of F-16 pilots had completed basic training with the support of the International Air Force Alliance. (Strana)

Europe

* German arms exports hit record high: Figures from the German Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Protection show that in 2023, the federal government approved a record 11.7 billion euros worth of arms export orders.

Compared to the previous export value in 2022, this figure increased by 40%. Of which, the value of exported weapons reached 6.15 billion euros; the value of other military equipment reached 5.6 billion euros.

Nearly 90% of Germany's weapons exports are to countries in the European Union (EU), the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Ukraine and some countries such as Japan, Australia, South Korea... The amount of weapons exported to Ukraine alone reached 4.15 billion Euros, accounting for more than 1/3 of the total amount of weapons exported. (TASS)

* Russia develops new weapons, deploys self-propelled artillery near Finnish border: Defense technology corporation Rostec announced that it has created a new "suicide" unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) called "Supercam" as well as developing increased firepower for Armata tanks.

Sergei Chemezov, CEO of Russia's Rostec defense technology corporation, said that the Supercam UAV, which includes two reconnaissance and combat versions, is currently being tested and has a high ability to "protect itself" against electronic warfare systems, making it difficult to detect and intercept.

Regarding the Armata tank, Mr. Chemezov commented that in the future it will become “an even more formidable weapon”, while Russia's newest howitzer "Koalitsiya" will soon appear in the area of ​​special military operations.

In addition, according to Mr. Chemezov, Russia will also soon deploy the latest self-propelled guns called Lien Lien-SV to the Northern Military District bordering Finland and Norway, when Moscow has completed the testing process and started mass production. The first pilot batch of guns will be delivered by the end of 2023.

This latest self-propelled gun has a range of up to 70 km, is equipped with a modern 152 mm 2A88 gun with a rate of fire of more than 10 rounds per minute, as well as a modern system to automate processes. (Reuters)

* The Turkish Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee approved Sweden's accession to NATO , according to information published by Anadolu news agency on December 26.

The procedure allows Stockholm to move one step closer to joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the US-led military alliance.

However, the most important procedure still has to wait for the general session of the Turkish Parliament to pass. Ankara has not yet set a date for the meeting to vote on this issue.

* Russia and India move closer to joint production of military equipment: On December 27, after meeting with his Indian counterpart S. Jaishankar in Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced that the two sides had made progress in negotiations on plans to jointly produce military equipment.

For his part, Mr. Jaishankar said that India and Russia discussed the need to promote a bilateral investment agreement, and expressed hope that bilateral trade turnover this year would exceed 50 billion USD.

In addition, India and Russia have agreed that negotiations with the Eurasian Economic Union on a free trade agreement will resume in the second half of January 2024. (Reuters)

Asia

* China reaffirms efforts to annex Taiwan: On December 26, at a symposium commemorating the 130th anniversary of the birth of late Chinese leader Mao Zedong, Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized Beijing's determination to annex Taiwan soon.

According to Mr. Xi, "realizing the complete reunification of China is an inevitable trend", declaring that the annexation of Taiwan is for the greater national interest and is "what the people want".

The Chinese leader also called for maintaining the "one country, two systems" policy in Hong Kong and Macau, stressing the need for the central government to exercise "universal jurisdiction" over the territories. (THX)

* China appoints new Navy commander , submarine expert Hu Zhongming. Mainland media reported that Hu Zhongming has extensive experience at sea, having participated in the navy's first global mission and many exercises.

On December 25, Xinhua indirectly confirmed the appointment in a statement saying that People's Liberation Army Navy commander Hu Zhongming had been promoted to the rank of admiral, a job that includes overseeing disputed waters in the South China Sea.

President Xi Jinping, who heads China's Central Military Commission, approved the appointment. (SCMP)

* The Thai government has approved the budget bill for fiscal year 2024 after months of delay, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin announced on December 26.

Mr. Srettha said the budget for fiscal year 2024 is expected to increase by 295 billion baht (about 8.5 billion USD) compared to fiscal year 2023, equivalent to an increase of 9.3%.

Of the total amount projected for fiscal 2024, 2.53 trillion baht (over 72 billion USD) will be used for the government's annual fixed expenditure, about 118.36 billion baht (3.3 billion USD) will be put into treasury reserves, while 715.38 billion baht (20 billion USD) will be set aside as an investment fund.

Additionally, Mr. Srettha noted, the remainder will be used to repay government loans.

The budget bill for fiscal year 2024, after being approved by the government, will be sent to the House of Representatives for consideration. The first discussion in the House of Representatives is scheduled to take place on January 3-4, 2024. (Bangkok Post)

* South Korea will purchase 20 more F-35A stealth fighters from the US, according to information from the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) of South Korea on December 27.

From early 2027, US aerospace corporation Lockheed Martin will transfer 20 F-35A aircraft - upgraded with weapons handling capabilities and security features compared to existing ones - to South Korea.

On the same day, South Korea announced it was imposing independent sanctions on eight individuals, including the head of North Korea's spy agency, for their involvement in arms trafficking and cyber activities banned under international sanctions. (Yonhap)

* The Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea held a plenary session starting from December 26, chaired by the President of the country. Kim Jong-un, setting the stage for policy decisions to be announced in 2024.

Kim Jong-un identified 2023 as a year of major turning points and changes for North Korea, praising progress in all areas including military, economy, science and public health despite some "deviations".

During the opening session, the North Korean leader presented a detailed report regarding "indicators of the national economy as a whole, clearly demonstrating that the all-round development of socialist construction is being pushed forward in earnest." (KCNA)

Middle East - Africa

* The US President ordered airstrikes on militia groups in Iraq in retaliation for drone attacks in the north of the Middle Eastern country that injured three US soldiers on December 25.

Based on a recommendation from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his national security team, US President Joe Biden ordered the bombing of three sites in Iraq used by the Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah militia and related groups - which admitted to carrying out the December 25 attack.

The strikes were launched early on December 26 (local time), less than 13 hours after the US forces were attacked. Mr. Austin said the bombing was necessary and proportionate, aimed at deterring and weakening the Iranian-backed military force. (Reuters)

* Palestine rejects all decisions related to the separation of the Gaza Strip from the state: On December 26, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas criticized the US's veto of all UN efforts to stop hostilities in the Gaza Strip, saying that Israel's war is not over yet.

The leader affirmed that the Palestinians are ready to accept any solution based on the establishment of a Palestinian state including Gaza, the West Bank and Jerusalem according to relevant international agreements, but Mr. Abbas expressed doubts about Israel's readiness to participate in this roadmap.

On the same day, Palestinian Ambassador to Russia Abdel Hafiz Nofal said that the Gaza Strip is an inseparable part of Palestine and cannot be separated or subjected to Israeli occupation or partition plans.

"The Palestinian government led by President Abbas will reject any decision regarding the separation of the Gaza Strip from the Palestinian state. There can be no Palestinian state without Gaza and no one can decide the fate of Gaza except the Palestinian people," Nofal said.

Referring to political disagreements with Hamas - the force that controls the Gaza Strip, Ambassador Nofal said that the Palestinian government still considers the movement "part of the Palestinian people". (Sputnik)

* Israel will stop issuing automatic visas to UN staff , instead considering visa requests on a case-by-case basis.

* Iran rejects IAEA report on uranium enrichment: On December 26, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said that Iran has reversed the "slowdown" process in its uranium enrichment program to a purity level of up to 60%. This report has caused concern in the US.

On December 27, Iranian media reported that the Director General of the country's Atomic Energy Agency, Mohammad Eslami, affirmed that Tehran "is not doing anything new and is only carrying out activities according to regulations." (Reuters)

America

* The Venezuelan military is ready for “the challenges ahead” to continue “ensuring national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López said on December 26.

According to Mr. López, the Venezuelan military remains on alert to protect the disputed Essequibo territory with Guyana.

On the same day, President of Venezuela's Latin American Congress Ángel Rodrígue condemned Britain's decision to send warships to Guyana amid the territorial dispute between the two South American countries. (Anadolu)

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