MOSCOW, October 9. /TASS/. The EU aims to boost its militaristic course of action; Vladimir Putin visits Tajikistan for a state visit and two summits; and the Organization of Turkic States may evolve into a military alliance. These stories topped Thursday’s newspaper headlines across Russia.
Media: Brussels aims to boost militaristic course of action
The European Union members that see themselves as frontline states aim to leverage the "drone wall" project in order to secure extra resources, Vladislav Maslennikov, Director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Department of European Issues, told Izvestia. The diplomat notes that the European Commission regards the drone initiative as a reason to pump the defense industry with new orders, as well as a PR stunt designed to reaffirm the EU’s militarization policy. However, disagreements over the implementation of the "drone wall" project and its financing are growing among European Union states.
The initiative, backed by Eastern European nations and the European Commission, has not been fully endorsed by Western and Southern Europe, German political scientist Alexander Rahr noted. "EU member states agreed to increase their budgets and purchase weapons from the US. But they did not discuss the drone issue while making decisions on militarization. That said, many countries now seem to think that they are simply about to get an invitation to pay for something again," the analyst stressed.
He pointed out that each EU member state has its own priorities. Southern European countries are dealing with their own threats, including uncontrolled migration from the Middle East. Rahr believes that the European Union is unlikely to reach consensus on the "drone wall" at present.
Meanwhile, Western media report that US President Donald Trump may approve the transfer of a limited batch of Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine in the hope that it will push Russia to negotiate. Otherwise, Washington could expand missile deliveries, reports say.
"Tomahawk missiles differ in type and range from the weapons that the Western ‘support group’ has so far been providing to Ukraine," Dmitry Stefanovich, researcher with the Center for International Security at the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of World Economy and International Relations, told Vedomosti. Moreover, their use will require additional involvement of US specialists. Besides, it’s not very clear which launchers are expected to be used for Tomahawk missiles, and it also gives reason for some doubt regarding the prospects for their transfer. Still, a scenario cannot be ruled out where the transfer of other weapons, including the JASSM air-launched cruise missiles, will be approved in a less visible manner, which will make it possible for Ukraine to replenish the depleted stocks of British-French SCALP/Storm Shadow missiles, Stefanovich noted.
Apparently, Trump genuinely believes that such actions can make Russia more compliant, but the expert considers this highly improbable. Stefanovich is almost certain that Russia is already working on a response, which would "impose costs" on the Americans in various parts of the world.
Izvestia: Putin arrives in Tajikistan for state visit, two summits
October 8 marked the beginning of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s three-day state visit to Tajikistan. The program features formal talks with the Tajik leader. In addition, while in Dushanbe, the Russian president will also attend the Russia-Central Asia Summit and a session of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Council of Heads of State, Izvestia noted.
This is the fourth face-to-face meeting between Vladimir Putin and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon in 2025; their previous encounter took place at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in China’s Tianjin on September 1.
Economic cooperation is expected to be a major topic during the discussions. Russia remains Tajikistan's top trading partner, accounting for 22.6% of the country’s foreign trade last year. Bilateral trade increased by 7.1% in 2024. Over 300 Russian companies operate in Tajikistan, while, according to Kremlin data, 1.2 million Tajik citizens work in Russia, making up 16% of the foreign workforce.
The two leaders will focus closely on regional security matters. Moscow and Dushanbe maintain regular dialogue on Afghanistan. Russia’s 201st Military Base, located in Tajikistan, plays a key role in ensuring the country’s safety, as well as that of other Central Asian members of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO).
Experts believe that regional security will remain the main point of discussion, which is evident from the composition of Russia’s delegation, including the defense minister, the interior minister, and the National Guard chief.
"There is also the issue of Taliban-led Afghanistan’s gradual involvement in economic, transport, and logistics projects that unite five regional states and two major external players, China and Russia," said Stanislav Tkachenko, a professor at St. Petersburg State University’s Faculty of International Relations. "Afghanistan will continue to be a source of instability in Central Asia because it is too slowly—and not always peacefully—moving toward national unity, respect for ethnic and religious rights, overcoming hunger, and ensuring access to medicines and fuel. The shared border, which stretches for 1,344 kilometers, is jointly secured by the Tajik army and troops stationed at the 201st Military Base, Russia’s largest military facility abroad," the expert explained.
On October 9, Putin is also scheduled to join the second Russia-Central Asia summit. Alongside the Russian president, the event will also gather the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. A meeting of the CIS Council of Heads of State will follow on October 10, uniting the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. There are 18 items on the summit’s agenda, ranging from political and economic relations to security and defense cooperation.
Nezavisimaya Gazeta: Turkic bloc may evolve into military alliance
Azerbaijan took over the presidency of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) at the group’s summit. President Ilham Aliyev emphasized the organization’s unifying role and, to strengthen the idea, proposed that OTS member states conduct joint military exercises in Azerbaijan in 2026. However, other leaders did not publicly react to the Azerbaijani president’s suggestion, Nezavisimaya Gazeta reported.
Alexander Kobrinsky, director of the Agency of Ethno-National Strategies, views the OTS as a precursor to a European Union-like entity in Central Asia. "It is noteworthy that the EU, which initially focused on economic matters, is now close to becoming a military bloc. The OTS is following a similar path, as it has a concealed agenda. The group’s roots can, one way or another, be traced back through Ankara into Central Asia, where [Kazakhstan’s first President] Nursultan Nazarbayev first proposed forming an economic union of Turkic nations, drawing interest from other leaders," the expert remarked. "However, the real goal of the OTS differs, as it aims to undermine the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and weaken regional leaders’ direct power, transferring their authority to supranational officials, similar to the EU model," Kobrinsky added. "To achieve this, there is a need not only to handle economic matters but also to expand military potential. That is why the OTS will be steadily reshaped into primarily a military alliance of Turkic nations, with other aspects taking a secondary role. The key question here is who the military alliance will ultimately be directed against," the expert concluded.
According to him, in this context, the lack of response to President Aliyev’s plan to hold joint exercises in 2026 is unsurprising. For Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, a balanced foreign policy remains a core priority. However, history shows that pursuing an overly multivector policy could pose risks of internal instability in regions facing geopolitical divisions. Still, these states will eventually need to take a clearer stance toward the newly emerging centers of power.
Media: Political divisions prolong US government shutdown
Budget disputes continue in the United States, where Republicans and Democrats have been unable to reach an agreement on government funding for a week. The ongoing shutdown has disrupted life for millions of Americans deprived of their wages. Experts interviewed by Izvestia note that budget conflicts have become one of the signs of deep political polarization in the US.
The economic impact of the current government shutdown is hurting US President Donald Trump’s approval ratings, said Lev Sokolshchik, researcher with the Center for Comprehensive European and International Studies at the Higher School of Economics. Negative economic trends are primarily affecting the ruling party, which is especially important ahead of next year’s midterm congressional elections. "Democrats will surely exploit any serious repercussions in order to blame Republicans for delaying the process and failing to reach a timely compromise," the expert remarked.
The state of political division and a highly polarized society is making it increasingly difficult for the two parties to find common ground. Republicans and Democrats are deeply divided on key issues on the political agenda, Sokolshchik observed.
Meanwhile, US stock markets are climbing despite the government shutdown, Vedomosti reported. Investors don’t see the shutdown as critical, said Natalya Malykh, head of stock analytics at Finam. They have the experience of previous shutdowns, which were used as political tools to force necessary decisions, and afterward, everything stabilized without major losses, she explained. Trump seeks mass layoffs of federal employees, and on the one hand, it will worsen labor market figures for a while, but on the other, weaker macro indicators will likely prompt the Federal Reserve to ease its monetary policy, which the stock market is anticipating, the analyst added.
Historically, government shutdowns have not had a significant negative effect on the stock market, and this time, the market is, as usual, disregarding the political turmoil, said Georgy Timoshin, junior strategist at Freedom Finance Global.
Izvestia: Russia urges Moldova to refrain from reckless steps
Moldova’s decision to revise its military strategy shows continued efforts to drag the country into a confrontation with Russia, Moscow’s Ambassador to Chisinau Oleg Izerov told Izvestia. On October 8, Moldova adopted its new military doctrine through 2035, which includes a boost in defense spending, an expansion of the army’s size and a shift toward NATO’s standards. Besides, the new document identifies Russia as the primary threat.
The Russian envoy urged Moldova to avoid rash actions that could heighten tensions. Russia poses no threat to Moldova’s security but respects the country’s sovereignty, neutrality and territorial integrity in full accordance with the 2001 Treaty on Friendship and Cooperation, Ozerov stressed. However, in his words, Moscow will respond firmly to any threats to Russian nationals in the unrecognized Republic of Transnistria.
What is noteworthy about the document is that it mentions the country’s neutral status. Still, the content of the strategy directly conflicts with Moldova’s neutrality, said Natalya Kharitonova, professor with the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration and senior researcher at the Russian State University for the Humanities. Notably, in order to abolish neutrality, the country will have to change the Constitution, but the ruling party doesn’t have enough votes to do that, said Konstantin Starysh, a Moldovan parliament member representing the Party of Communists.
Recognizing Russia as the main threat appears logical given rising tensions between Chisinau and Moscow, said Artyom Perchun, researcher with the Department of World Economic and International Affairs at the Center for Comprehensive European and International Studies at the Higher School of Economics. "However, such wording clearly reflects Moldova’s gradual departure from its traditional policy of neutrality and closer cooperation with Euro-Atlantic security mechanisms," the expert elaborated.
The West provides strong backing to Chisinau in its militarization efforts. The United States sent a weapons package worth over $3 million to the Moldovan army in August 2023. Earlier, the European Union allocated 40 million euros to the country so that it could reinforce its defense. Meanwhile, Moldova lacks resources to join NATO as the country is going through a deep economic crisis, Higher School of Economics analyst Nicole Bodishteanu believes. "Besides, NATO is unlikely to expand eastward in the coming years until the conflict in Ukraine is resolved," the expert noted.
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