UK Ministry of Defence’s Post

🔔 Happening this week | Wednesday, 10 April | In conversation with Alexander Stubb, President of the Republic of Finland This week, Alexander Stubb, President of the Republic of Finland, joins us for an insightful discussion on the future of European defence and security policy. The audience will also have the opportunity to engage with a Q&A session. The European security framework is undergoing profound change: following the Russian invasion of Ukraine over two years ago, both Finland and Sweden abandoned their long-held positions of military neutrality by joining NATO. This conversation will offer insight into these changes and examine the future that lays ahead for Europe. ⬇️ For more details, follow the link below. #DoNotNormaliseTheWar #UkraineInitiative #StopRussianAggression #Europe2024

EDA Deputy Chief Executive Andre Denk attended the First Defence Industry Conference convened by Ukrainian authorities in Kyiv on 29 September 2023. On this occasion, he had the opportunity to meet with #Ukraine's Minister for Strategic Industries Oleksandr Kamyshin, who thanked EDA for its enabling role in the joint procurement by #EU Member States of 155mm ammunition for Ukraine. #EUdefence #defenceindustry #europeanunion #defence #EU

Zeitenwende in Warsaw: The Polish change of military posture in response to the war in Ukraine has been much more thorough and robust than in Germany. The burden of defending NATO’s eastern flank is rising, but Poland is stepping up. Yet, Warsaw needs much more active German support and reassurance. Zeitenwende is mostly seen as a purely national budgetary problem, but it has a strong international dimension as well: We need to get our military act together. The Alliance will be stronger for it.

The G7 countries pledge to support Ukraine and force Russia to pay for the war. Following the results of the Munich conference, the G7 countries published a joint statement. They emphasized that Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine is a gross violation of the provisions of the UN Charter and confirmed their unwavering determination to continue supporting Ukraine in protecting its freedom, sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders. The Big Seven called on all countries to take active measures to prevent the Russian defense sector's acquisition of military equipment and dual-use items. The G7 countries emphasized that the Russian Federation will have to pay for the damage and devastation it is causing to Ukraine and its people. They reiterated their determination to keep Russia's sovereign assets in their jurisdictions immovable until the nation pays for the damage it has caused. G7 members also confirmed that they will continue to address both Ukraine's most urgent and long-term recovery needs with international partners. https://lnkd.in/dCx_ECp4

An overview of NATO spending in 2024 via Geopolitical Futures shows Poland leading the way, both on total spending as a percentage of GDP as well as the share spent on major equipment purchases. Poland's president has recently advocated for NATO members to target 3% of GDP to strengthen security against Russian aggression. #defense #defenseindustry

Will be interesting to see how those numbers for European countries change as US refocuses on the Pacific and the growth of China as a competitor. In the context of a massive US budget deficit and likely response to a growing economic and defence threat from China, European countries are going to have to think long and hard about how to get more value for their money and to increase spend.

Strong and vigilant! Today we are celebrating the State Restoration Day of our close #Ally and #Partner🇱🇹 Lithuania! With the permanent deployment of a German Brigade in Lithuania, starting this year and finishing in 2027, we will send a strong sign of #deterrence against a Russian aggression in the region. It is a sign that #Lithuania not only has NATO allies but that its allies will be defending Lithuania's territory from the first day of any possible act of aggression against the country. Defence Staff of the Lithuanian Armed Forces Lithuanian Land Force Krašto apsaugos ministerija | Ministry of National Defence of Lithuania German Federal Ministry of Defence - Bundesministerium der Verteidigung NATO #StrongerTogether #Responsibility #Germany

US Military spending is $850 billion every year. On the one hand, critically important in the world as we find it. On the other, such a waste -- so much more expensive than cooperation. Worth remembering, when isolationists complain about the "fair share" of the rest of NATO, that we are talking about something like the last 10% of the target -- significant but not fatal. And that we in the US "choose" to spend 3.5% of our GDP on defense, almost a trillion dollars a year, nearly $3000 for every man woman and child. Put another way, the least privileged 40 million families with children (about half) could get $20,000 per year and still not equal the defense budget. On the other hand, spending is near historic lows (https://lnkd.in/eXK5TXvW) so maybe are are learning? Or maybe the calm before the storm.

📆 Save the date | 10 April | Join our conversation with Alexander Stubb, President of the Republic of Finland. In the aftermath of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine both Finland and Sweden have joined NATO, abandoning long-held positions of military neutrality and reshaping the European security landscape. This insightful conversation with Alexander Stubb, President of the Republic of Finland, will focus on the future of European defence and security policy. The conversation will be followed by a Q&A session with the audience. Stay tuned for more details and read more below. #DoNotNormaliseTheWar #UkraineInitiative #StopRussianAggression #Europe2024  

Russia Says Ukraine 's Counteroffensive is Not Going as Planned Ukrainian servicemen repair a Russian tank captured during a counteroffensive operation, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near the Russian border in Kharkiv region, Ukraine September 20, 2022. REUTERS/Sofiia Gatilova/File Photo Russia said on Monday that Ukraine's counteroffensive was not going as planned and that it was wasting billions of dollars of weapons supplied to it by the West. Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, in remarks to a military conference, said Ukraine was "desperately hurling new forces" into attacks on Russian positions, but had failed to advance. Ukraine says it has made gradual progress, though more slowly than it would like, since launching its long-anticipated counteroffensive in early June against well entrenched Russian positions. Continue Reading: https://lnkd.in/deYUzyCC #defence #defenceindustry #defencetechnology #tanks #armoredvehicles #armored