A Forecast International blog about the arms trade, geopolitics, defense and security, and military spending.
Soon after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, the U.S. and E.U. moved to freeze Russia’s access to its central bank reserves held in their financial systems, …
E.U. Eyes Frozen Russian Funds for Ukraine Read More
As many as 19 Russian drones crossed into Polish airspace in the early morning hours on September 10, prompting Poland to scramble F-16s to react to the breach. Working together …
Poland, NATO Allies Shoot Down Russian Drones Violating Airspace Read More
On Monday, June 2, the British government released a new Strategic Defence Review (SDR), the first such review implemented by a Labor government since 1998. It arrives at a time …
Transformative or Mirage? Examining the U.K. Strategic Defense Review Read More
Ukraine’s intelligence services conducted an unprecedented attack over the weekend on the Russian Aerospace Forces, striking dozens of parked Russian strategic bombers with first-person view (FPV) drones launched from modified …
Ukraine Strikes Russian Bomber Fleet in Elaborate Drone Plot Read More
After months of tense wrangling, the U.S. and Ukraine formally signed a natural resource development agreement on April 30, establishing plans for a future partnership that will help Ukraine with …
Minerals and the War Read More
Europe has been dealing with a case of whiplash since the start of the second Trump administration, as President Donald Trump aims to rewrite the nature of U.S.-Europe relations. Since …
Tariff Tussle Adds Headache to European Defense Spending Plans Read More
As European capitals grapple with Washington’s changing foreign policy priorities under the Trump administration, the continent is increasingly coming to terms with the state of its military readiness, especially in …
ReArm Europe: A Look at the European Commission White Paper Read More
The British Ministry of Defense expects to move forward with a contract for the New Medium Helicopter (NMH) in 2025, a defense official said at a parliamentary hearing this week. …
U.K. to Order New Medium Helicopter in 2025 Read More
Austria’s leading political parties are struggling to come to an agreement on forming a coalition government after last year’s elections, media reported this week. Talks between far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) …
Austrian Political Parties Struggle to Form Government Read More
The Czech government spent over 2.0 percent of GDP on defense in 2024, the country’s Ministry of Defense announced on January 6, bringing the country’s budget into line with the …
Czech Defense Budget Now Over 2 Percent of GDP, MoD Says Read More