Eurodefense – United Kingdom   A WEBINAR   Thursday 16th February 2023 at 16.00 (BST) 17.00 (CET)  The “grey zone” New hybrid threats to stability and security   with   Ben Barry  Senior Fellow for Land Warfare International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS)   Tim Ripley Author and journalist (Janes Defence Weekly)   Chaired by Robert Walter President, EuroDéfense-UK All participants who are registered will be sent the ZOOM login details on Monday 13th February.  To register please email Robin Ashby, Secretary General, Eurodefe ..read more

We mark the passing of those who have served this country. Contributions from comrades and relatives welcome. Please contact robin.ashby.ukdf@gmail.com ..read more

Promotions in and appointments to the military division of the most honourable order of the Bath As Knight Commander Vice Admiral Keith Edward BLOUNT, CB, OBE Vice Admiral Nicholas William HINE, CB Lieutenant General Charles Roland Vincent WALKER, DSO More honours on the next page ..read more

Unconditional surrender by Russia at the end of the Ukraine War it started seems an entirely fanciful notion. But as Edward Lucas wrote in The Times of London) on 5th December 2022, "Dealing with a defeated Russia will be tricky and western failure so far to prepare for this eventuality is lamentable." This aide memoire lays out various starting points for such considerations Contents * The EU's current policy * Russia's position * Ukraine's 10 point peace plan * The Minsk agreements * Proposed principles for a new EU-Russia strategy ..read more

Letter to the Mayor of Arras 1st September 2022 Cher Monsieur le Maire On this the occasion of the 78th anniversary of the liberation of your town from occupation in 1944, I reach out to you in remembrance of that happy occasion, but also of the sacrifices of France and Britain in the defence of freedom. And I commend to you a group of veterans from Tyneside Scottish who will be visiting Arras and Artois in a few weeks' time to carry that remembrance to the graves of their forebears in your war cemetery. [Pictured here on departure with author ..read more

Letter to the Mayor of Arras 1st September 2022 Cher Monsieur le Maire On this the occasion of the 78th anniversary of the liberation of your town from occupation in 1944, I reach out to you in remembrance of that happy occasion, but also of the sacrifices of France and Britain in the defence of freedom. And I commend to you a group of veterans from Tyneside Scottish who will be visiting Arras and Artois in a few weeks' time to carry that remembrance to the graves of their forebears in your war cemetery ..read more

The West is using the wrong analogy for Russia's invasion—and worsening the outcome, writes Anatol Lieven. It often seems as if the hawkish elements of the U.S. establishment have only ever heard of one war: World War II in Europe. This is because whatever else they forget or get wrong about that war, they are right that it was planned and initiated by a deeply evil and megalomaniac force which posed a threat to the entire world, which had to be completely defeated, and with which no morally acceptable compromise was possible. The perennial and exclusive references to that war allow U.S. hawks ..read more

The Swedish National Seismic Network service (SNSN) has reported that it had detected two underwater explosions on 26th September. These occurred near to where two leaks were later discovered in Swedish territorial waters of the Baltic Sea. The two explosions were detected near to or at the seabed. SNSN has since said it was investigating whether the second explosion was in fact made up of two explosions only a mere 8 seconds apart from each other. This would mean there were in fact 3 explosions in Swedish waters. Germany's security services have concluded that each pipe was damaged by a blast ..read more

In his original bid for Number 10, Rishi Sunak committed to maintaining defence spending at levels already agreed, noting that it was set to rise to 2.5% of GDP, writes Mr Grey. He promised : "Defence spending needs to increase, and I will never short change our Armed Forces and my track record proves that with the largest increases in defence spending since the Cold War." The PM must work within a Conservative Party commitment to increase spending in defence by 0.5% above inflation each year. As a consequence, the annual defence budget will be £6.2 billion higher in cash terms in 2024/25 comp ..read more

Hardly a day goes by now without a mention in the anglosphere media about the Russian mercenary group Wagner in relation to the Kremlin's war against Ukraine, writes Euan Grant and Jose Alberto Pereira . Yevgeny Prigozhin, "Putin's Chef" and at least the public face of the group has become increasingly vocal in urging a more forceful prosecution of the war, most recently castigating Duma members for alleged procrastination in passing legislation for such reenergizing. There have been a number of commentators suggesting the group – it is likely now an umbrella organisation for a range of ..read more