Finland’s withdrawal from the Ottawa Anti-Personnel Landmines Convention has formally taken effect, six months after notification was submitted to the United Nations. The decision allows Finland to plan for the reintroduction of landmines while maintaining its international legal obligations. Poland, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia, which also share borders with Russia, have already completed their withdrawal from the treaty.
Lithuania has ordered RBS 70 Bolide air defence missiles from Saab in a deal valued at SEK 3 billion, with deliveries planned between 2028 and 2032. The purchase follows earlier contracts for Carl Gustaf ammunition and AT4 grenade launchers, expanding Lithuania’s recent defence procurement programme.
Lithuania has signed an industrial cooperation agreement with KNDS, Rheinmetall and EPSO-G to establish local assembly and maintenance facilities for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks, with the first tanks assembled domestically from 2028. The Baltic country joined the Leopard 2 Common Procurement Agreement in 2024 and signed a follow-on contract later that year for 44 Leopard 2A8 tanks.
Lithuania has signed a contract to acquire 30 CAESAR 6×6 MkII artillery systems, expanding its future fleet to 48 units. Deliveries begin in 2027, with plans to field a full CAESAR-equipped division by 2030 and a maintenance centre in Lithuania.
Franco-German manufacturer KNDS has secured 350 orders from five countries for the newest Leopard 2A8 main battle tank, with Germany alone committing to 123 units and planning to expand its purchase. The upgraded A8 variant features enhanced protection systems and represents several billion euros in confirmed contracts, with production expected to run for years.
Germany has presented the Leopard 2A8 and Panzerhaubitze 2000 A4 in Munich, with Defence Minister Boris Pistorius outlining the Bundeswehr’s plans for new armoured systems, production requirements and cooperation with European partners. The Bundeswehr has ordered 123 new Leopard 2A8 tanks.
18 European Union member states have asked for loans worth €127 billion under the new €150 billion SAFE fund for defence spending with the deadline for formal submission of requests under SAFE to end on 30 November 2025.
With plans to order three aircraft, Lithuania will become Embraer’s tenth customer for the C-390 airlifter and the seventh NATO country to select the aircraft.
Damage to submarine communication cables between new NATO members Finland and Sweden and their alliance partners Germany and Lithuania was likely sabotage, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said on Tuesday. “No one believes that these cables were cut by mistake,” Pistorius said in Brussels at an EU defence ministers meeting to discuss the different threats facing the European Union.
In the September survey, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius’ (SPD) proposal to increase defence spending to 3% to 3.5% of the gross domestic product received 50% approval, while 15% said that was too low.
Scholz: “At best, it’s the start of a process that could lead to direct talks between Ukraine and Russia. In Switzerland, it will be about the safety of nuclear power plants, grain exports, the issue of prisoner exchanges and the necessary taboo on the use of nuclear weapons. Once again, this is all still in its infancy.”
The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced approvals for 08 V-22 tiltrotor aircraft to Indonesia, 03 E-2Ds Advanced Hawkeye aircraft to France, 06 UG-60M Black Hawk helicopters to Lithuania and 27 Stryker ICVs to Argentina as part of five separate sales amounting to USD 7.48 billion.
