EU member nations endorse an ambitious rearmament plan for Europe; the United Kingdom actively hinders diplomatic efforts for peace in Ukraine; and Vladimir Zelensky tries to correct his Washington missteps. These stories topped Friday’s newspaper headlines across Russia, according to TASS news agency.
Izvestia: EU approves plan to enhance union’s military capabilities
At an emergency EU summit, member states endorsed an ambitious rearmament strategy for Europe, allocating 800 bln euro to bolster the continent’s defense capabilities, which will necessitate a substantial increase in the tax burden across EU nations, as confirmed to Izvestia by sources within the European Parliament. Given that this figure exceeds the bloc’s annual budget fourfold, experts warn that national leaders will face considerable challenges in justifying such expenditures to their populations - why are such sums invested not in the social sphere and solving economic problems, but rather in the military-industrial complex and additional aid to Ukraine.
On March 6, EU heads of state, in the presence of Vladimir Zelensky, formally agreed on the Rearm Europe initiative in Brussels. The proposal was initially introduced by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on March 4 - immediately following Washington’s announcement of a halt in military aid to Ukraine. The core principle of the initiative is that Europe must take on responsibility for its own security rather than relying on NATO and the United States.
To achieve this goal, up to 800 bln euro is set to be allocated in the coming years. The majority of this sum - 650 bln euro - will be contributed by member states, facilitated by the temporary relaxation of EU fiscal regulations. This measure will permit deviations from the 3% GDP public debt limit, allowing for a 1.5% increase in defense expenditures.
Notably, on the eve of the summit, French President Emmanuel Macron addressed the nation, seeking to defend the necessity of dramatically increasing defense expenditures. As expected, the primary rationale put forth was the notorious "threat from Russia." According to Macron, there is no guarantee that Russia will refrain from further military aggression against other European nations.
The Rearm Europe plan places an immense financial burden on EU member states. Consequently, national governments are left with little alternative but to emphasize the fear of the alleged Russian aggression, senior lecturer at the Department of European Studies at St. Petersburg State University Alexey Chikhachev told Izvestia.
"The cases of Germany, Italy, and France, among others, illustrate that the weight of defense budgets on national economies is already substantial. In France, efforts to finalize the 2025 budget even led to the government’s resignation. The primary challenge now is to convince the public of the necessity of this unprecedented surge in military spending while explaining why such extensive financial resources are not being directed toward education, healthcare, or resolving longstanding economic difficulties. This explains the alarmist tone of Macron’s address to the French people," Chikhachev noted.
Izvestia: London once again seeks to disrupt conflict resolution in Ukraine
The United Kingdom is actively obstructing diplomatic efforts for peace in Ukraine, assuming the role of a "war party" within the Western bloc, Russian Ambassador to the UK Andrey Kelin told Izvestia. London is pushing Washington to restore its suspended military aid to Kiev and to resume intelligence-sharing efforts - an agenda reinforced by bilateral consultations between the US and UK defense ministers in Washington on March 6. Additionally, UK Prime Minister has previously supported the deployment of UK troops to Ukraine, a move Russia deems unacceptable under any pretext.
According to Kelin, UK’s proposals to send troops to Ukraine are disguised as humanitarian missions but are, in reality, designed to serve Kiev’s strategic interests.
"The term ‘peacekeepers’ in this context is not only misleading but fundamentally false. Everyone fully understands that the presence of European military contingents in Ukraine would be far from impartial - they would act solely in Kiev’s interests. By hindering the path to a peaceful resolution, the British are introducing deliberately provocative elements, this time in the form of a joint plan with Paris aimed at ensuring a permanent Western military presence in Ukraine," Kelin stated.
The ambassador emphasized that the introduction of NATO forces - regardless of whether they operate under the EU flag, a "coalition of the willing," or national insignia - remains entirely unacceptable to Moscow and is perceived as a direct security threat. Russia views such initiatives as nothing more than an attempt to further intensify the conflict and obstruct any meaningful resolution.
"It is evident that a ‘war party’ exists within the Western camp determined to prolong the hostilities in Ukraine. This includes the British establishment, who recognize that countering the new US administration’s inclination toward peace will be challenging. Nevertheless, they are making every effort to obstruct peace efforts," Kelin added.
For London, Russia has long been a geopolitical adversary, First Deputy Dean of the Faculty of World Economy and International Politics at the Higher School of Economics Igor Kovalev told the newspaper. However, Kovalev remains skeptical of London’s ability to influence Washington. "The United States is a significantly more powerful actor. Any attempt to exert pressure on Donald Trump is unlikely to yield results," he concluded.
Nezavisimaya Gazeta: Zelensky seeks to correct misstep in Washington
Vladimir Zelensky participated in an emergency EU summit in Brussels, convened to address the need for increased aid to Kiev amid the announced reduction in US support. During the meeting, he reiterated several key points from French President Emmanuel Macron’s confrontational speech, which had been made public the previous day, and signaled preparations for new discussions with the White House, Nezavisimaya Gazeta writes.
Zelensky also expressed gratitude to the French president for the joint efforts to secure peace underpinned by long-term security guarantees for both Ukraine and Europe. It is also significant that following the urgent gathering of several European leaders in London on March 2 - prompted by Zelensky’s contentious clash with former US President Donald Trump at the White House on February 28 - Zelensky once again emphasized the shared understanding that "real peace requires real security guarantees."
Nikolay Silayev, senior researcher at MGIMO's Institute of International Relations, told the newspaper that Zelensky’s refusal to engage in negotiations with Russia came after the United States, Ukraine’s principal ally in recent years, explicitly called for such talks. His European partners backed this stance, despite Washington’s subsequent suspension of arms deliveries and intelligence-sharing with Kiev.
"Now, European leaders face a stark choice: either recalibrate their approach in deference to Washington’s position or persist in the military confrontation with Russia - avoiding negotiations while lacking sufficient weaponry and intelligence support. The latter option, which Zelensky himself favors and which European leaders appear to be leaning towards, risks leading Ukraine to a disastrous defeat in the near future. This, in turn, could endanger Ukrainian statehood itself. To preserve it, negotiations should be pursued - precisely the path that Washington is now advocating," the expert explained.
As for the anticipated negotiations between European representatives and US President Trump, the expert noted that they likely aim to convince the White House to reinitiate military aid to Kiev without requiring talks with Moscow.
"Will they succeed? That remains an open question. However, based on current developments, it is clear that for Washington under Trump, the threat of nuclear conflict represents a compelling argument," he said.
Nezavisimaya Gazeta: India holds increasing strategic value for Trump than Europe
Washington is aiming to persuade Delhi to lower tariffs on imports of American cars - a move that could be of particular interest to Elon Musk, given the vast potential of the Indian market and his recent challenges in Europe and Canada, Nezavisimaya Gazeta writes. However, US President Donald Trump is unlikely to exert excessive pressure on Indian partners, as Delhi remains a crucial strategic ally in the Indo-Pacific region - the one Washington has no incentive to jeopardize relations with.
Since Monday, Indian Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal has been on a week-long visit to the United States, engaging in discussions with American officials on reciprocal trade tariffs.
According to US sources, Washington is urging India to reduce tariffs on various goods while deliberately excluding the more sensitive agricultural sector. In other words, Trump is not prioritizing the promotion of American agricultural interests in India at any cost.
Andrey Sidorov, head of the Department of International Organizations and World Political Processes at Moscow State University’s Faculty of World Politics, told Nezavisimaya Gazeta that India holds critical importance for Trump. It was at his initiative that the Asia-Pacific region was rebranded as the Indo-Pacific, underscoring India’s strategic significance.
"The Indo-Pacific is primarily a political construct, and in the 2017 National Security Strategy, Trump effectively revived the QUAD dialogue (the US, Japan, Australia, and India) - a concept originally proposed by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2007 but largely forgotten by that time. On one hand, Trump seeks to leverage India, the world’s largest democracy, as a counterbalance to China. On the other, he aims to address the trade imbalance with India, as he does with other nations," the expert explained.
He further noted that India’s rise as a major power is constrained by Pakistan’s persistent opposition and Delhi’s necessary alignment with ASEAN countries.
"Of course, Washington is also eager for India to purchase American weaponry. However, Delhi frequently opts for military equipment from the Russian defense industry," Sidorov added.
Currently, India holds significantly greater importance for Trump than Europe, particularly in the broader context of countering China. However, more definitive conclusions can be drawn only once the White House has comprehensively formulated its new National Security Strategy, the expert noted.
Vedomosti: Affluent Russians saw accelerated income growth in 2024
By the end of 2024, the incomes of wealthy Russians grew at a significantly faster rate than those of lower-income groups, Vedomosti writes citing data from the Russian State Statistics Service (Rosstat). The financial assets of the top 10% of Russians increased by 10% in real terms - adjusted for inflation - during the Q4 2024, reaching an average of 240,519 rubles ($2,702) per month. In contrast, the per capita monthly income of the least affluent 10% (the first decile group) rose by 6.5%, amounting to 14,479 ($163) rubles.
A similar trend was observed in the Q4 2023, when the wealthiest Russians experienced a 7.9% increase in income, compared to 5.8% for lower-income groups. This stands in contrast to the situation at the end of 2022, when incomes among the poorest grew at a rate six times faster than those of the wealthiest (1.8% against 0.3%).
Income levels traditionally rise in the final quarter of the year - particularly in December - due to the payment of year-end bonuses and incentives, Director of the Center for Regional Policy at the Institute of Applied Economic Studies of the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration Vladimir Klimanov told Vedomosti.
The most significant increase was observed in property-related earnings, which surged by 47.84% compared to the Q4 2023. This category includes earnings from deposits, investments such as dividend payments, as well as rental and real estate sales. Alexandra Osavolyuk, junior research fellow at the Institute of Social Analysis and Forecasting of the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, attributes this trend to the Bank of Russia’s decision to raise interest rates to 21% by year-end, bolstering deposit yields and interest income from securities.
Business income saw the second-fastest rate of growth, rising by 18.18% between October and December. Meanwhile, real wages increased by 9% year-on-year during the quarter. Additionally, there was a modest rise in social benefits and other cash payments, which grew by 1.9% and 1.48%, respectively.
Labor-related earnings remain the primary driver of financial well-being, as evidenced by income growth within lower-income groups, Acting General Director of the National Research Institute of Labor Vladimir Smirnov told Vedomosti.
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