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The United States intensifies its push to dominate the global AI race; Vladimir Zelensky urges Europe to sustain Ukraine's military as a safeguard; and Donald Trump hastens to deliver on several campaign pledges in the first days of his presidency. These stories topped Thursday's newspaper headlines across Russia, according to TASS news agency.
Izvestia: How Russia could counter Trump’s groundbreaking AI initiative
The biggest deal in artificial intelligence (AI) history is expected to intensify the technological rivalry between China and the US, experts interviewed by Izvestia suggest. Donald Trump announced the launch of the Stargate project and the company bearing the same name, which plans to invest $500 bln into AI development. To boost efficiency, the US president also removed all restrictions on AI research. Just hours before Stargate’s reveal, China introduced its AI fund with initial investments of $8.2 bln as a direct response.
In the near term, competition between China and the US over diverse AI technologies is likely to escalate, Timofey Voronin, Deputy Director for Technology Transfer at the NTI Competence Center for Big Data Storage and Analysis Technologies at Lomonosov Moscow State University, told Izvestia.
Meanwhile, Russia’s technology level is comparable to that offered by OpenAI. Companies such as Sber and Yandex possess robust and high-performing systems, including large language models. However, their training demands an enormous volume of data and substantial computing power and resources, Igor Goryachev, Director of Product at CommunityTech, shared with the newspaper.
Securing a leadership role in AI is vital for both economic advancement and national security, according to Vladislav Laptev, Director of Innovations at fintech developer Fork-Tech. He argues that to effectively compete, Russia must focus on developing infrastructure, promoting scientific research, and enhancing education in the AI sector.
"During the first three quarters of 2024 alone, the usage of all machine learning services in Yandex Cloud nearly doubled, largely fueled by the growth of generative AI. Advancing our own neural network is pivotal to enhancing services and smart devices," Yandex representatives informed TASS.
Similarly, Sber is actively developing and upgrading its proprietary AI models. The GigaChat model has already become a reliable assistant for over 7 mln users.
Vedomosti: What Zelensky’s appeals to sustain army or integrate Ukraine into NATO signify
Europe must find a way to support 1 mln personnel in Ukraine’s armed forces as a security guarantee if Kiev is denied NATO membership, or station at least 200,000 of their troops on Ukrainian soil, Vladimir Zelensky stated during an interview with global media at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos. According to Zelensky, Ukraine’s entry into NATO represents the most effective security assurance. Experts informed Vedomosti that Zelensky’s remarks are aimed at establishing a negotiation stance amid Trump’s ascent to power in the US.
Zelensky emphasized that Europe should shoulder the financial burden of this military force since Kiev lacks sufficient budgetary resources. However, this could be funded using a portion of the $250 bln in Russian assets frozen in the EU.
Prokhor Tebin, Director of the Center for Military and Economic Research at the Institute of World Military Economy and Strategy at the Higher School of Economics, said Zelensky’s comments aim to outline a negotiation framework in light of Trump’s administration change in Washington. Kiev fears the new US leadership might not back the continuation of the conflict, agrees Ivan Skorikov, Head of the Ukraine sector at the Institute of CIS Countries.
Tebin noted that the notion of militarization financed by EU funds is entirely unacceptable for Russia. "Moreover, the vision of a permanent million-strong army is implausible. Ukraine’s economic capacity, geographic characteristics, and strategic placement mean it cannot transform into an ‘Eastern European Israel’ with formidable armed forces," the expert explained.
In addition to NATO membership and EU-funded armed forces, Zelensky suggested deploying a European military contingent of at least 200,000 "peacekeepers" in the conflict zone as a security guarantee post-ceasefire. Deploying European NATO troops constitutes an effort to involve Europe directly in the conflict, Tebin observed. "The political fallout could be disastrous for Europe. But presently, they lack the financial resources, logistical capabilities, reserves, or manpower to deploy such a force abroad. Perhaps in 7 to 10 years, modernization of armies and the military-industrial complex could make it feasible - but at what cost?" he told the newspaper.
Izvestia: Will Trump deliver on all his campaign promises?
In less than 48 hours of his presidency, Donald Trump has already acted on some of his campaign commitments. The new White House leader has started dismantling liberal policies, taken on immigration, and removed restrictions in the energy sector. However, his peace proposals, including efforts to resolve the Ukraine conflict, are being executed only partially, and plans to impose tariffs on BRICS nations remain unfulfilled, Izvestia reports.
So far, the new US president is staying aligned with his domestic priorities, adhering to the "America First" principle. The migration crisis is indeed being tackled - Trump has declared a state of emergency at the Mexican border and announced deportations. He also pledged to end the "green" initiatives - eliminating all restrictions on oil drilling and other resource extraction in the US and initiating the withdrawal from the Paris Agreement on climate change.
At the same time, not all of Trump’s measures align perfectly with his campaign promises. For instance, he repeatedly claimed that the Ukraine conflict would end before his inauguration on January 20. However, after returning to the White House, this timeline was extended to 100 days.
Trump has shown better progress in fulfilling his campaign pledge to address the Middle East conflict. The agreement between Israel and Hamas on a ceasefire and the return of hostages was reached following Trump’s unrelenting demands. The first exchange occurred exactly one day before the inauguration.
The new US president is also showing consistency in his stance on Asia, particularly regarding China. For Trump, China remains primarily an economic rival, Izvestia notes. On the Taiwan issue, Trump is expected to revert to the traditional US stance, American historian and former Harvard University professor Vladimir Brovkin believes. That means the US will continue to assert that Taiwan, which Beijing regards as a breakaway province, is Chinese territory, but that reunification must happen through peaceful means.
"China will welcome this. Therefore, I believe he will strive for peace and is unlikely to escalate the situation to military action. He seems genuinely intent on positioning himself as a peacemaker. Resolving the Ukrainian conflict, however, will be far more challenging. He can pressure Netanyahu and reach agreements with China, but acknowledging that much of Ukraine is now Russia will be harder," Brovkin told Izvestia.
"Trump is trying to cultivate the image of a leader who delivers on his promises," Konstantin Blokhin, a leading researcher at the Center for Security Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told Izvestia. "In various ways, he is presenting himself as a problem-solver for seemingly intractable challenges. However, many ‘unsolvable’ problems remain unresolved. Additionally, he has further inflamed the Arab-Israeli conflict, despite his intent to resolve it," Blokhin added.
Kommersant: Damascus cancels investment deal with Moscow on Tartus
The newly installed Syrian authorities have announced the cancellation of the investment deal with Russia regarding the management of the port of Tartus. The agreement, which aimed to expand and modernize its commercial infrastructure for 49 years, was signed in 2019 by Bashar al-Assad’s administration with the Russian firm STG-Engineering as the project manager. Now, Turkey, the principal backer of the factions currently in power in Syria, is expressing interest in upgrading Syrian ports. However, experts told Kommersant that there is no discussion yet about revoking Russia’s control over its naval facilities in the Mediterranean.
Riad Judi, head of the customs department in Tartus province, revealed the cancellation of the agreement with Russia concerning the management of the Tartus port in an interview with Al Watan. He stated that Syria’s interim government plans to rehabilitate the facility and restore its full operational capacity.
Russia’s 720th logistics base is located within the port area. However, Damascus has only announced the cancellation of the 2019 agreement, which pertains to the commercial section of the port. This contract involved managing, expanding, and operating the facility under a public-private partnership.
Anton Mardasov, a specialist at the Russian International Affairs Council, told Kommersant that not all Russian business ventures in Syria were publicized, partly due to sanctions. "In fact, the downsizing of several projects began even before 2022 - not only because of the threat of sanctions but also due to unfavorable conditions, local nuances, and the country’s poor economic situation," he noted.
The expert clarified that the operation of Russia’s logistics base in Tartus, established in 1971, remains unaffected by the termination of the deal with the company overseeing the commercial section of the port. The future of the Russian facility will hinge entirely on Moscow’s negotiations with Syria’s interim government.
Kommersant: Growing interest of Chinese companies in Russia’s market
In 2024, Russian and Chinese IT companies boosted their inquiries to industry associations for assistance in accessing allied markets by 18%, while requests from Chinese firms surged twofold, Kommersant reports. Market insiders confirm heightened activity from Asian organizations in Russia, partially driven by US-imposed restrictions. Chinese firms are also increasingly venturing into mining, an activity banned in their home country.
In 2024, 18% more Russian and Chinese IT firms approached the Russian-Asian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs for support in tapping allied markets compared to 2023, according to the union. Vitaly Mankevich, Chairman of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, noted that applications from Chinese IT firms outpaced Russian ones by a factor of two. He attributed this to the oversaturation of China’s domestic market, with companies exploring new opportunities abroad. "For both Chinese and Russian firms, foreign markets remain restricted. This is leading to a rise in ‘hybrid’ IT teams comprising both Chinese and Russian specialists," he added.
RuStore, the Russian app store under VK, reported that in the latter half of 2024, the number of submissions from Chinese developers doubled compared to the year’s first half. "RuStore now hosts several thousand such applications, 75% of which fall under the games category," the platform stated.
The Russian market presents a less crowded arena for Chinese IT firms, especially following the exit of EU and US businesses, said Natalia Vozianova, Asian Markets Leader at TeDo, to Kommersant.
Furthermore, by the end of 2024, Chinese firms involved in mining began setting up operations in Russia, establishing subsidiaries across the country. "Mining is forbidden in China, and Russia, alongside Kazakhstan, is viewed as an alternative hub," Vozianova remarked. She added that Asian companies are planning to ramp up the supply of mining equipment and broaden their operations within Russia.
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