Kusti Salm
@KustiSalm
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CEO of Frankenburg Technologies | Member of the Board @NATO Innovation Fund (NIF) | Estonian Defence Official 2007-2024
Tallinn, Estonia
Joined April 2023
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Today at Bucharest. There is only one task that matters - win the war.
@crimeaplatform
@oleksiireznikov
#BlackSeaSecurityConference
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"Polish security chief: NATO Eastern Flank states have 3 years to prepare for Russia attack."
I don't know anyone from the Estonian defence leadership who would disagree. The time to avert the war is now not when it's at your doorstep.
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Today Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania decided to build a defensive fortification line on the Eastern border.
#BalticDefenceLine
This is what “not an inch” and NATO defence plans mean in practice in Baltics.
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Ok this is important. IRIS-T is the best bidder out of 6 competitors for 🇪🇪 and 🇱🇻 MRAD and will now enter into negotiations.
This is big news: biggest ever defence acquisition and joint program for 🇪🇪 & 🇱🇻.
No place safe for 🇷🇺warplanes and missiles in the Baltic skies.
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Collective defence in action.
A few months ago we took a calculated risk with sending our towed howitzers to 🇺🇦.
Immediately 🇺🇸
@USArmy
flew in with HIMARS to fill the gap.
Today we welcome 🇫🇷
@FrForcesEstonia
CAESAR SPH.
#StrongerTogether
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Today in an unprecedented step we reveal a military strategy for Ukraine 🇺🇦 to win the war.
It’s executable, affordable and within the realms of capabilities of transatlantic defence industrial base.
Here’s how:
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The whole debate on the UKR military assistance summarized in a paragraph by
@martinwolf_
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Tell me something about defence readiness?! This past weekend the
#Estonian
Defence League conducted a territorial defence exercise HUNT.
1400 reservists were called in. 1470 showed up.💪
📷
#Kaitseliit
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The combat readiness of a reserve army stands on motivated reservists. They in turn need employers, who support them while they serve their nation.
Today we decorated 50 most outstanding 🇪🇪 companies for their commitment to national defence.
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It is a war crime plain and simple.
Additional protocol I of 1977 of the Geneva Convention.
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Yesterday in Davos at
#WEF2024
Macron endorsed European defence bonds: “The Estonian PM
@kajakallas
had the courage, a country with a reputation of frugality, to suggest that Eurobonds should be issued for defence issues, for Ukraine. We must invest much more."
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"It’s clear that the center of gravity for the alliance’s resolve has shifted east: Warsaw, Tallinn🇪🇪, Riga, Vilnius, and Bucharest are the new backbone of
@NATO
, and the US should adjust its policies and posture accordingly."
@RepMikeRogersAL
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Big news today.
@EstonianGovt
🇪🇪 approved 3% for
#defence
spending up until 2031. 📈
Priority No 1: close to 1 billion euros will be spent on boosting ammunition stocks.
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In case euro figures or accounting methods are not clear enough😕.
Estonian 🇪🇪 lethal aid to Ukraine🇺🇦:
1260 cargo pallets📦of weapons
2853 cargo pallets📦of ammo
72 pcs heavy equipment
182 heavy weapons
Total 2600 tons took🚛 298 trucks and✈️16 cargo flights to deliver.
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Welcome and congratulation
@HPevkur
for back-to-back appointment for the Minister of Defence of 🇪🇪.
First agenda item: dress rehearsal of novel meeting routine.
Note: It didn't work. Will return to normal business of getting things done.
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I had an honor of placing the picture of Estonian hero Tanel “Stinger” Kriggul on the Memorial Wall in Kyiv along thousands of other heroes.
We owe the victory to him and all the other brave soldiers who have made the ultimate sacrifice. Never forget.
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Here's the thing. Estonia is among very few countries employing conscription service.
3 years after completing conscription, the incomes of reservists are 13–19% higher than who haven't served. Skills and knowledge gained in service will pay dividends throughout their careers.
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In 2014 at the
@NATO
Wales Summit Allied leaders committed to 2% defence expenditure within a decade.
2% club in 2014: 🇺🇸🇬🇧🇪🇪🇬🇷
2% club in 2022: 🇺🇸🇬🇧🇪🇪🇬🇷🇵🇱🇱🇹🇱🇻
In 8 years European combined expenditure has moved from 1,5% to 1,68%. Need to do better.
#StrongerTogether
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Here it is.
4x4 Nurol Makina NMS
6x6 Otokar ARMA
230 vehicles delivered in less than two years.
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"In short – EU bonds, 0.25 percent and ammunition, then Ukraine can win this war.”
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"Tallinn voices a simple war strategy: kill or wound Russia’s soldiers and destroy its military hardware faster than the Kremlin can mobilize replacements, and the war will end by 2026."
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“The Estonian
@MoD_Estonia
published a white paper detailing the levels of military equipment required to pursue the liberation of the occupied territories by 2025. The Estonians costed the requirements, showing they were well within the bounds of possibility.”
Yes, Ukraine can still defeat Russia – but it will require far more support from Europe. I write for
@guardian
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Today on the top on Niguliste church in Tallinn.
Almost unscratched view from the 13th Century.
@visitestonia
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Farewell note to the departing Estonian Military Intel chief. Thank you! Job well done.
How Estonia’s Military Intelligence Secretly Helped Ukraine via @
1
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Another brilliant piece from
@TheEconomist
by
@shashj
.
My message in a nutshell: when crafting a strategy a clear end goal is essential. End goal:
#Ukraine
needs to win the war. When the going gets tough we need to shift our strategy not the end goal.
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Strong endorsement from European lawmakers: 0.25% of the GDP will win the war.
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In case you wonder how our
@NATO
Allies get here 🇪🇪 if needed?
One real life option was rehearsed today. Early morning an airborne assault was delivered by
@EtatMajorFR
🇫🇷.
#StrongerTogether
@FrForcesEstonia
#SpringStorm
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I spent a day at
#SpringStorm
exercise today.
With 14 000 troops on the ground it’s one if the largest land exercises in
@NATO
this year.
🇬🇧🇪🇪🇫🇷🇺🇸🇩🇰🇮🇹🇵🇱🇩🇪
#StrongerTogether
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Minister
@HPevkur
signed off on another dispatch of lethal aid to UKR.
155mm rounds
Night vision goggles
Small caliber ammunition
One step closer to victory! ✌️
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Stocks of ammo is an absolute priority.
@EstonianGovt
🇪🇪 just announced additional 1 billion package for the next 10 years. It's a fortune. On GDP adjusted scale, the same number would account:
🇺🇸 735 bn
🇬🇧 87 bn
🇩🇪 120 bn
🇫🇷 82 bn
🇩🇰 11 bn
🇳🇱 28 bn
🇪🇸 40bn
🇮🇹 60bn
🇧🇪 16bn
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Great news from DC this morning!
A robust Allied message echoes through the Defense Fiscal Year 2024 Appropriations Bill.
🇺🇸🇱🇻🇪🇪🇱🇹
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Borrell: Member states have provided 220 000 rounds of artillery munitions under 1M initiative.
Plan is picking up the pace. 👍
#StrongerTogether
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Discussed the state of Europe’s arms manufacturing with
@DefenseOne
.
“We need to make it happen faster than the Russians, more effectively than the Russians. And then Ukraine will win the war. This is relatively simple.”
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On the 700th day of Russian brutal attack against Ukraine I visited Kyiv with my team.
We try to assist Ukraine on every front. However, the courage and leadership of Ukrainians makes me humble and leaves me a feeling it is our duty to do more and to it much faster.
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Ok I know I’m late, but I got here now. Hope I didn’t miss much.
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I just love this gentlemen.
“Breton aims for ‘huge’ €100B defense fund.”
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Nothing speaks better about priorities than numbers. 280M EUR for 155mm ammo accounts more than 1% of our GDP.
For Euro area in total this calculation would make more than 150B EUR. More than enough for winning the war in UKR, filling the stocks and ramping up the industry.
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New
@EstonianGovt
is also introducing a new 2-year conscription service 🪖 . Chance of a lifetime🌟 for those who are motivated and able. It will apply for fighters of newly formed high-readiness units (anti-ship missiles🚀,HIMARS, loitering & MRAD📡).
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Delivery of 7 Estonian made TheMIS remotely controlled vehicles were announced as a part of the most recent German🇩🇪 military package to Ukraine🇺🇦. Total of 14 vehicles are used for CASEVAC and route clearance purposes.
#StrongerTogether
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Check this out. New addition to our armory from
#IAI
. It will increase the lethality of
@Kaitsevagi
and push the fire far into ENY territory.
Tremendous work
@magnus_saar
& team.
How much you ask? Plenty.
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New coalition agreement for the 🇪🇪
@EstonianGovt
revealed. 3% + expenses for hosting allies approved. Based on 2022 figures it gets us into very exclusive club in NATO (🇺🇸 3,46% and 🇬🇷 3,54%). And another great thing - it leaves an ample room for improvement.
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President Charles Michel just endorsed the idea of EU defence bonds:
“We should consider European defence bonds to strengthen our technological and industrial base. These EU bonds could emerge as a new asset class, including for retail investors.”
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Unspecified but significant amount of mobile surveillance towers developed by Estonian company
#DefSecIntel
have been deployed to
#Ukraine
️ in cooperation with 🇩🇪
@BMVg_Bundeswehr
.
These platforms provide long range surveillance near critical locations close to the front.
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Today at the
#Ramstein
group meeting, on behalf of
#Estonia
I reported arrival of patrol boats in UKR, 0.25% GDP support, and good progress with the IT Coalition, led in cooperation with
#Luxembourg
.
Allied support remains strong for the
#Ukraine
victory.
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In 2023 Estonian Defence Forces
@Kaitsevagi
is calling in 30 000 reservists for regular refreshment training.
That is equal to 8,5% of the 20y to 60y male population of Estonia 🇪🇪.
Defence readiness matters.💪
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F22 of
@usairforce
🇺🇸 has arrived to guard over Estonian 🇪🇪skies. What a powerful showcase of Allied resolve and unity.
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“Estonian 🇪🇪 officials have announced what could prove to be the most expensive defense investments ever made by the Baltic country.”
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Shared some background on European Defence Bonds with
@Euractiv
Allocating €120 billion a year to military aid to Ukraine “is a ballpark figure for what should be enough for Ukraine to win the war.
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Insightful conversation and smooth evening walk with
@NATO
Ambassadors in Tallinn.
🇨🇦🇵🇱🇮🇸🇬🇧🇪🇸🇫🇷🇩🇪🇺🇸🇪🇪
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“Risto” and “Roland” enlisted to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Here we go again!
#Estonia
🇪🇪 has delivered two patrol boats to
#Ukraine
🇺🇦 in coordination with ally
#Denmark
🇩🇰. Such aid helps Ukraine secure vital sea lines and defend its waters to
#StopRussianAggression
.
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Indeed we do.
… and 500km PrSM. 🚀
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Today in
#Estonia
. At Ex Spring Tempest where British 🇬🇧 helicopters and French 🇫🇷 JTAC rehearse acquiring targets for fighter jets.
… and then Typhoons are dropping livefire Paveway bombs on targets at Gulf of Finland. Exactly how it would look like if truly needed. 💪
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“We have to mentally get used to the arrival of a new era,” he said. “The pre-war era. I don’t exaggerate. This is becoming more and more apparent every day."
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This is the economic footprint of defence expenditure in Estonia. While we spend more, Estonians also earn more.
In total we have 1600 suppliers and this is the geographical distribution of companies per registration information.
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It’s a day of European Defence today:
UvdL: “The next chapter is a fully fledged European Defence Union. So that Europe can finally take strategic responsibility for its own future. It is one of the big tasks that our Union faces for the years ahead.”
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THeMIS multi-purpose crawler unmanned ground vehicle, developed by Estonian 🇪🇪company Milrem Robotics, will be used for evacuation purpose on the frontline of wounded soldiers by Medical battalion "Hospitallers."
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On behalf of the Board of
@ICDS_Tallinn
I want to congratulate and thank
@EevaEek
, Indrek Kannik & awesome team for impeccable organisation of
#LennartMeriConference
2022.
This past weekend the transatlantic security and defence universe was circling around Tallinn🇪🇪 .
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My colleague from
@Lithuanian_MoD
Žilvinas Tomkus stopped by Tallinn today.
I am amazed by their ambitious plans to defend Lithuania🇱🇹, support Ukraine🇺🇦, contribute to the Alliance and bring forward Baltic co-operation.
#StrongerTogether
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Some good news from this week. More air defence is better than less air defence.
🇪🇪🇫🇷🇧🇪🇨🇾🇭🇺 together in the Mistral SHORAD missiles procurement.
@MBDAGroup
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Never again
#OTD
, in 1939, the Red Army crossed the 🇪🇪 Estonian border, marking another step in the destruction of an independent nation. Estonia regained its independence only 52 years later.
#NeverAgain
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"As an affirmation of strong allied relations between Estonia 🇪🇪 and US 🇺🇸, we have renewed our defense cooperation agreement, with US military presence in Estonia, contribution to developing the Estonian division, cyber defense cooperation and joint Baltic defense tenders."
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Today in Rakvere. Rock concert celebrating Veterans Day.
MSGT Koplimäe has served 6 rounds in Afghanistan, Mali, Bosnia. 🫡
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Thousands of brave Ukrainian 🇺🇦 lives saved.
Since March '22 we have delivered 3 field hospitals to
#Ukraine
. Two last year in co-operation with 🇩🇪, one with 🇳🇴 & 🇳🇱 . Last week we prepared the next one with the assistance of 🇮🇸.
#SlavaUkraini
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What a privilege it was to host
@USD_IntelSec
Ronald Moultrie in 🇪🇪 to discuss security cooperation. In addition to full day of intensive talks, Mr Moultrie took time to delve into our historical memory and learn more about the Estonian experience.
#StrongerTogether
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After an indepth analysis, I conclude there is room for improvement on the sanctions track.
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Go Latvia 🇱🇻!
“According to defence plans, reinforcement of eastern border will restart in March of this year, and total investment into strengthening of the defence on eastern border will reach 303 million euro over the next five years.”
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Ukraine’s 🇺🇦victory is of existential importance for all the freedom loving countries around the world. Anything less gives aggressor force an upper hand over rules globally.
It’s a mission waiting to be accomplished and well within reach of the transatlantic community.
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Some encouraging numbers for a change. Estonian Defence Industry's figures for 2022:
Revenues up 52% yoy
Export up 70% yoy
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Excuses are off the table for not increasing defence spending in Europe.
This Wednesday ECOFIN approved the exemption of deficit rules for defence investments.
Full text:
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I had a modest afternoon agenda today with
@ThierryBreton
: securing lasting military support for Ukraine, boosting the European defence industry, and hunting down fresh funds for defence procurements.
Time for Europe to get its act together.
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This week
@EstonianGovt
placed a bet on imminent breakthrough in defence tech. With a €50M investment fund, we're poised to lead innovation in an industry ripe for disruption.
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Today in Tallinn. Welcoming speech for
#SERAEstonia
🇪🇪. Being a graduate myself,
#SERA34
is the most prominent senior level armaments course in
#Europe
.
Defence investments are finally in the spotlight. Not a moment to celebrate. 🇪🇺Europe has a problem. We need to invest more.
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Huge news announced today for Estonian🇪🇪 and European 🇪🇺 defence industry.
Nearly 1 billion € worth of projects funded under
@defis_eu
EDF '22.
Find out more about Estonian success below.👇
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A leadership to admire. No task more important than preserving peace, security & prosperity in Europe.
BREAKING:
Poland’s Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski says Poland will increase its military spending to 8% (it’s 4.2% today) of its GDP per year:
“if we start getting really threatened by Russia.”
It’s clear that a Ukrainian defeat would make all the alarm bells ring in Warsaw
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“We all want this war to end. However it needs to bring an end to the Russian imperial ambitions.”
Kickoff to the
#ABCDTallinn2023
conference in Tallinn. Two days of outstanding speakers and hardcore defence discussions.
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That is exactly right. Opposing an increase in defence spending is not “frugalty”.
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Saturday afternoon conversation at
#LennartMeriConference
.
Great energy in the room. Thank you
@minna_alander
@ZygisPavilionis
@SlawomirDebski
@benedettabertiw
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Discussed the war & peace with
@DavidBrennan100
from
@Newsweek
:
"For Europe, for NATO, it's very simple. If UKR fails, NATO will be next. It's actually a very high return on investment to keep on supporting Ukraine."
Strategy:
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Today in Brussels. Exceptional vision and leadership. Great meeting with European
#defence
industry’s salesman of the year
@ThierryBreton
.
Witnessing first hand how impossible today becomes possible tomorrow.
#StrongerTogether
@defis_eu
@AivoOrav
thank you for hosting.
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CHECK THIS: NATO is dispatching a fleet of 4 minehunters and AWACS & MPA flights to the Baltic Sea region following recent damage to undersea infrastructure.
#StrongerTogether
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After 25 years of waiting we have second Estonian in the NBA. That is just awesome
@henridrell
👍.
Henri Drell with the Windy City Bulls this season:
12.4 PPG
6.8 RPG
2.5 APG
2 SPG
Bulls sign him to a 2-way contract, per
@ShamsCharania
.
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Yesterday in Kyiv🇺🇦 at the
#DFNC1
event.
We are in the war of attrition and wars of attrition are won in factories. West has an edge in GDP, tech superiority, access to capital and talented workforce. Doesn’t matter if it will take 6, 12, 24 or more months. We will win this war.
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Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) has welcomed the push of the Estonian PM Kaja Kallas for an EU spending target of 0.25 percent of the GDP for Ukraine. Scholz called the proposal "sympathetic" on Friday after the EU summit in Brussels.
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In Africa RU🇷🇺 has established an incredibly high ROI weapon for posing strategic dilemmas for the West. It doesn't take more than a few million USD for Wagner to stir up trouble. It takes billions for individual European Allies to fix it.
Great work
@gregpmiller
!
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What would make the
@NATO
Vilnius Summit a success?
🔹Put "defend every inch" in practice
🔹Support 🇺🇦 to victory✌️ & invite to Alliance
🔹Switch
#defence
industry to war economy mode
Excellent guide book from
@AtlanticCouncil
@ARVershbow
@IanBrzezinski
.
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More weapons are better than less weapons.
Newly arrived Negev NG7 machine guns for
@Kaitsevagi
.
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Romania is another entree to the European club of K9 users. Welcome!
🇫🇮🇪🇪🇳🇴🇵🇱🇹🇷🇷🇴
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