The United States has announced that it will withdraw 6,400 troops from Germany and relocate 5,400 to other European countries, reducing the number of US troops in Germany by about a third. The move is the largest troop transfer in Germany since the end of the Cold War and could begin next week.
Tag: NATO
Russia Testing New Poseidon System
This week, the Russian Defense Ministry announced the testing of the first nuclear powered Poseidon carrier submarine. The new technology is able to destroy a whole city. However, if ever Poseidon testing goes wrong and it explodes, it would cause a much worse nuclear disaster than Fukushima.
Russia Testing New Super Weapons
Russia announced that it started testing a super weapon that can deliver a global strike on any country in the world. The statement may be over ambitious, but given the released image and description, this is a very scary and dangerous technology. The Ministry of Defense described the weapons’ capabilities.
Sizing Up Georgia’s Defense Capabilities
Last week, Georgian soldiers arrived for the NATO peace keeping mission in Afghanistan. Unfortunately, within a week of arrival in Afghanistan, 28 Georgian soldiers were infected with the Coronavirus. The source of the virus appears to be from the Afghan personnel. The infected soldiers were sent home.
Will Russia Finally Destroy Turkey?
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made a statement in 2019 that the status of the Hagia Sophia could be changed from a museum in to a mosque. According to him, this would be in response to the United States’ recognition of Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan heights.
D-Day for Ukraine in Normandy Talks?
Russia participated in the “Normandy format” talks that were hosted by Germany on Friday. The negotiations lasted the whole day. Representatives from France, Germany, Russia, and Ukraine participated at the summit, which was held in Berlin. The Normandy Format Talks were created in 2014, after Crimea’s annexation by Russia.
Russia Waits as Turkey to Resume Operations in Idlib
According to Russian news outlet avia.pro, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said that it is time for Turkey to actively continue its military operations in Syria’s Idlib province. The publication quoted him as saying that the Turkish military will continue to fight all “terrorist organizations” that pose a threat to Turkey’s security, whether inside its borders or outside them.
Is Trump Pushing Germany Away from NATO?
On Wednesday, the President of the United States, Donald Trump, spoke at a joint press conference with President of Poland, Andrzej Duda. During a press conference, President Trump said that the United States plans to reduce American military personnel stationed in Germany.
Russia Opposes Changes to Vienna Document
On June 26, the head of the Russian delegation in Vienna stated that there are no prerequisites for the modernization of the Vienna Document, which was initiated by 34 states. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) held its annual conference in Vienna from June 23-25. The statement came post-OSCE Conference.
Trump to Transfer Troops from Germany to Poland
The United States will transfer troops from Germany to Poland, US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday at the White House, during a meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda. The announcement comes four days before presidential elections in Poland, and was criticized by Democrats.
Adieu, Turkey? Ankara Angers France Over Libya
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said that Turkey’s actions in Libya by the hands of militants transferred to the region threaten the European Union. Furthermore, France will not allow anyone to annex the Mediterranean Sea. The Head of the French Foreign Ministry said this in an interview with the French newspaper, La Croix.
Russia Conducts Naval Exercise Amid BALTOPS 2020
The Russian military conducted exercises against the backdrop of NATO’s Baltic Operations (BALTOPS 2020) exercise in the Baltic Sea. Russia conducted a training session on conventional missile strikes with Iskander complexes. The NATO BALTOPS naval exercise will wrap up this week.
Russia, Turkey, and Libya – What is their Strategy?
On Sunday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu flew to Turkey, and are holding meetings pertaining the situation in Libya. Since the overthrow and killing of the Libyan leader, Muammar al-Gaddafi, in 2011, Libya became a divided state.
NATO, Russia and the Nuclear Threat
A NATO review on June 8 provided important information about the nuclear threat from Russia. The author is the Director, Nuclear Policy Directorate, NATO International Staff Jessica Cox. According to her bio, Cox provides policy support to the Secretary General and others at NATO HQ on matters related to NATO nuclear deterrence and also chairs the Nuclear Planning Group Staff Group.
Russian Mercenaries in Libya – Lists Are Here
Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi was murdered in 2011. There after, Libya became a divided state. Gaddafi, commonly known as Colonel Gaddafi, was a Libyan revolutionary, politician, and political theorist. Shortly after his death, it was announced that the war in Libya was over. In reality, the war mutated with a new trajectory.
Russian President Putin Signs Nuclear Decree
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the Nuclear Weapons decree on June 2. The decree titled “On The Basis Of The State Policy Of The Russian Federation In The Field of Nuclear Deterrence” is a document regulating the conditions under which Russia has the right to launch a nuclear strike against an aggressor (or a pack of aggressors). The main goal is to legalize the use of nuclear weapons in limited local conflicts.
Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Proposes Budapest Style Negotiations Without Russia – Is It Viable?
Consultations on the settlement of the situation in the Donbas area should begin with the participation of Ukraine, the US and the UK according to the Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Olexii Reznikov. On March 4 the Ukrainian Parliament approved the country’s new Cabinet of Ministers. Due to his appointment as Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine – Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories, Reznikov has ceased his partnership in Asters law firm.
Russia is Testing New Electronic Warfare Weapons on NATO Ships – Is it Testing Murmansk-bn and Rychag-AV?
NATO ships approaching Russia’s Maritime borders, specifically the Black Sea region, are unable to conduct reconnaissance due to the counteraction of coastal electronic warfare (EW) Russia is currently testing.
There are three areas of the Electronic warfare:
1) Radio-electronic defeat is a set of measures and actions for functional defeat, radio-electronic suppression and defeat of radio-electronic objects of the enemy by homing weapons for radiation.
EU and NATO Welcome Start of MH17 Trial
The European Union and NATO have welcomed the start of the criminal trial for the downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight 17. MH17 was shot down over the Donbas region of Ukraine in July 2014. Russia has been called upon to cooperate in the investigation of this tragedy, which killed all 298 people aboard the airliner.
Proxy Russia-Turkey War in Syria – What’s Next?
Russia and Turkey have been at war for awhile. However, it is a proxy war. Pro Turkish Syrian fighters supported by the Turkish military are fighting Pro-Russian Syrian fighters, who are supported by the Russian Army and the Kremlin. It is a war fought by using others to reach their objectives. Nevertheless, the war will turn into full blown conflict; at this time Turkey can’t afford blatant war with Russia.
NATO Council Meeting Wrapped Up – What Are the Options in Syria for Turkey and Russia?
At the request of Turkey, NATO held an emergency council meeting. The Turkish Newspaper Yeni Safak published an article titled “The NATO crisis meeting has ended. Stoltenberg: we will protect Turkey from the air-air attacks from Syria will stop.” Yeni Şafak is a conservative Turkish daily newspaper that always supports Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the AK Party. Overall, it has close ties to the Turkish government and could be considered a Turkish pro-government propaganda paper.
Macron Courts Poland, Criticizes Poland’s Courts
Emmanuel Macron wants to find a new friend in Poland, but he is not going to abandon his ties with Russia. The French President tried to accomplish this difficult task during his two-day visit to Warsaw, where he showed caution and did not criticize the country’s government for a rollback from democracy. Macron also tried to recruit Poland as a military ally, but emphasized the need to maintain relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
NATO: Maneuvers in Eastern Europe Not Targeting Russia
The NATO Defender 2020 maneuvers, due to begin in February, will become the alliance’s largest exercises in 25 years. Their goal is to work out the prompt deployment of American troops to Poland and the Baltic countries. As part of the exercises, up to 20,000 US soldiers and officers, as well as 13,000 units of military equipment, will be delivered to Europe by sea and air.
Russia Always Failed with Aircraft Carriers – Will the Future Be Different Under Putin?
Historically, Russia was not strong pertaining to sea battles. Taking the example of the Battle of Tsushima in 1905. It is also known as the Battle of Tsushima Strait and the Naval Battle of the Sea of Japan (in Japan) and was a major naval battle fought between Russia and Japan during the Russo-Japanese War. It was an embarrassing loss for Russia.
Risk Alert! Yandex Russian Search Engine to Be Offered for Android Devices – Additional Security Risk to West and NATO from Kremlin?
It has been announced that starting on March 1, 2020, new Android smartphones in the European Economic Zone will have a choice of using the Russian Yandex search engine. Yandex Search is a web search engine owned by a Russian corporation. It is the core product of Yandex. In January 2015, Yandex Search generated 51.2% of all search traffic in Russia according to LiveInternet. The search engine will be offered in Estonia, Finland Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.
Libyan Conflict – What is the Turkish and Russian Agenda?
Russia will host Fayez al-Serraj and Khalifa Haftar in Moscow in an attempt to achieve peace in Libya. According to Russian news, Haftar is already in Russia. Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, who is a Turkish politician and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey since 24 November 2015, is expected to join them. Hakan Fidan is a retired Turkish army sergeant, teacher, diplomat and the head of Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization. he is expected to attend as well. Hulusi Akar is the current Turkish Minister of Defense and a former four-star Turkish Armed Forces general who served as the 29th Chief of the General Staff. He will be arriving with al Serraj for the talks. Observers from Egypt and United Arab Emirates will be in attendance. The latest development is that Haftar left without signing any type peace resolution.
Putin’s Post Soviet Russia – A New Level of Propaganda – Fictional Movie Portrays Putin as Czar – What’s Next?
Recently, a fictional movie about Putin has been completed. The budget for the film was 800 million Rubles ($13.1 million) The movie has a historic theme and Vladimir Putin is portrayed as Czar Nikolas I and the whole plot is about how the emperor is always right. The epoch is early 1800s. It is not a surprise, with the movie budget alone, to believe the film is social engineering propaganda in the post Russian space. Of course, along the golden Russian tradition, the film has already been leaked on purpose. That way it will reach a wider audience everywhere versus people having to go to a Russian movie theater to see it. It is a prelude.
New Russian Town 30km from EU Border – Could it Be Another Strategic Location By the Water?
Russia is building a new town named Ust-Luga. It is located 30km from the European Union’s (EU) border. The exact location is in the Kingiseppsky District of Leningrad Oblast, situated on the Luga River near its entry into the Luga Bay of the Gulf of Finland. This location is about 110km west of St. Petersburg. Ust-Luga has a 60,000 resident capacity. So far, it is 50% finished and they are already moving people into the town. The final phase will be completed by 2030.
What Will Happen to the START Nuclear Arms Reduction Treaty? If Russia and US Do Not Find Compromise, Will the Cold War Return with a Vengeance?
On February 5, 2021, the treaty between the US and the Russian Federation on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms will expire. The agreement was last updated in 2010. The formal name of the treaty is START and it is a nuclear arms reduction treaty. According to the terms of the START treaty, each side will reduce its strategic offensive arms while the total quantities do not exceed 700 units deployed.
Trump Calls Macron’s NATO Statement “Highly Offensive”
On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump described French President Emmanuel Macron’s statement that NATO was “brain dead” as “very offensive.” In an interview with The Economist in November, Macron stated that NATO is in a “brain dead” state, due to a lack of strategic coordination between European allies on the one hand, and the United States and Turkey on the other.
What is the Geopolitical Future of France?
French President Emanuel Macron has not been a strong leader. France is experiencing a negative pattern and the next election will be held in 2022. France reached its zenith in global influence in 1812. Napoleon Bonaparte became the Emperor of France in 1804. The title was created for Napoleon to preserve the appearance of the French Republic and show that after the French Revolution, the feudal system was abandoned and a nation state was created.
Germany Refused Putin’s Proposal for Missile Deployment Halt in Europe – How Will Russia Retaliate?
Germany refused Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposal for a moratorium on missile deployment in Europe. Putin had sent a proposal to the leaders of several countries this fall to introduce a moratorium on deploying intermediate-and shorter-range missiles in Europe. The intermediate-range missile is defined as ground-launched ballistic missiles (GLBM) or GLCM having a range between 1,000 km to 5,500 km. The shorter-range missile was defined as GLBMs or GLCMs with a range between 500 km and 1,000 km.
NATO Coordination Center to Open in Bulgaria – Why Bulgaria Needs Protection from Putin
Prime Minister of Bulgaria Boyko Borisov, after discussions with US President Donald Trump, announced Bulgaria readiness to have NATO use its Black Sea port for naval coordination efforts amid growing fears of Putin’s military appetite and Russia’s growing rift with the West. According to Borisov, the military exercises in the Black Sea are much needed and the more the merrier because they have a preventative effect.
Turkey Obstructs NATO Plans Due to Dispute Over Kurds
Aссоrdіng tо a Reuters rероrt, NATO is fасіng grеаt dіffісultу іn аdорtіng a new dеfеnѕе рlаn. Ankаrа hаѕ refused tо ѕuрроrt a NATO defense plan fоr thе Baltic states аnd Poland until the alliance offers Ankara greater political support in fighting thе YPG іn nоrthеrn Syria, news reports ԛuоtеd fоur NATO ѕоurсеѕ аѕ ѕауіng.
Space as NATO’s New Operational Sphere – Will Starship Troopers Novel Come True?
NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs are meeting this week at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, also called the is an intergovernmental military alliance between 29 North American and European countries. The organization implements the North Atlantic Treaty that was signed on 4 April 1949. It is expected that NATO will acknowledge space as NATO’s new operational sphere at these meetings.
Merkel Promises Washington to Play Active Role in Addressing Crises
Thе dіffеrеnсеѕ between Gеrmаnу аnd thе Trumр аdmіnіѕtrаtіоn are no lоngеr hіddеn, but attempts at rapprochement аrе uninterrupted, mоѕt notably thе соnѕultаtіоnѕ thаt took рlасе Friday bеtwееn Chаnсеllоr Angela Mеrkеl аnd Secretary of State Mike Pоmрео іn Bеrlіn. On Friday, Mеrkеl promised that Bеrlіn will рlау аn active rоlе іn rеѕоlvіng dіѕрutеѕ.
What is the Future of NATO?
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was formed in 1949. It was one of the first defense unions. The main reason for the creation of NATO was a need for a western unified alliance against the threat of the Soviet Union. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1991, NATO integrated some former communist block Eastern European nations into the alliance.
R-SOCC Special Forces Command New NATO Initiative in Balkans – What it Means from a Geopolitical Prospective
Defense ministers from Croatia, Hungary, Slovakia, and Slovenia singed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) creating a regional command of special operations. The signing of the MOU took place in the NATO headquarters in Brussels.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 29 North American and European countries. The organization implements the North Atlantic Treaty that was signed on 4 April 1949. There is a possibility Austria can join in the future. Austria is not a NATO member. There are five countries which declared their non-alignment with NATO, including Finland, Ireland, Sweden and Malta. Although Austria is not a NATO member and a neutral country, they have a robust strategic military budget, and they share a physical border between Russia and NATO.
Are There Any Geopolitical Winners in Libya Since Gaddafi’s Death 8 Years Ago?
Muammar Mohammed Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi was murdered 8 years ago. Gaddafi, commonly known as Colonel Gaddafi, was a Libyan revolutionary, politician, and political theorist. Shortly after his death, it was announced that the war in Libya was over. In reality, the war mutated into a new trajectory. Even the worst pessimists could not have predicted the ramifications. Former US President Barack Obama scarcely admitted it was a mistake.
Russian Hacking and Spoofing Threat to NATO Members
The Belgian army will stop using a GPS system due to a heightened risk of Russia’s disruption of the GPS signal. The Global Positioning System, originally NAVSTAR GPS, is a satellite-based radionavigation system owned by the United States government and operated by the US Air Force. The Belgian military will revert to the use of topographic maps and old fashioned compasses.
Germany, France Halt Arms Sales to Turkey Over Syria
In reaction to the Turkish offensive in Syria, both France and Germany have decided to immediately halt the selling any military equipment that Ankara may use in its ongoing invasion. Notably, Turkey is the largest buyer of German weapons.
Is Russia Responsible for the Disappearance of GEOMAR’s Boknis Eck Observatory in the Baltic Sea?
A mystery surrounds the recent disappearance of GEOMAR’s Boknis Eck Observatory and research station (weighing 1,630 lbs) from the bottom of the Baltic Sea. By all indications, the station has been stolen. The primary function of the station, whose location was undisclosed, was to collect environmental data from the ocean floor and transmit information to the researchers.
Turkey Kicked Out by US From F-35 Fighter Jet Program
The United States said it was excluding Turkey from the F-35 fighter jet program after the first parts of the Russian advanced defense program S-400 was received in Ankara last week. Washington says the F-35 fighter jets can not coexist with a Russian intelligence-gathering platform that will be used to learn its evolving capabilities.
201 Murdered in 30 Islamic Terrorist Attacks Over Last Week; Fewer Attacks, More People Killed
Twenty Eight people were killed by Islamic terrorist attacks per day each and every day over the last 7 days. Though the number of attack per day decreased from 32 over six days to 30 over 7 days. The overall number of deaths has increase while the number of attacks has declined over the previous week.
GPS Systems Fuel a New Global Arms Race – Who Will Win?
GPS systems are probably the most critical systems in the world for modern logistics, industrial, and military operations. The on-demand world requires GPS to deliver up-to-date location and tracking services. They also offer the ability for smart weapons to hit their designated targets while limiting collateral damage.
International Roundup: Kurds, Canada, Congo, Caracas
- SYRIA: President Trump threatened to “devastate Turkey economically,” if it attacks Kurdish forces in Syria, upon the Americans’ withdrawal. Trump also pushed for the creation of a safe zone for the Kurds, without mentioning any other details.
- GREECE: A deal to end a decades-long naming dispute between Macedonia and Greece has thrown the latter’s government into chaos. One of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras’ coalition partners announced their withdrawal ahead of parliamentary elections in October.
- CANADA: Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland welcomed 18-year old Saudi refugee Rahaf Mohammed Alqunun to Canada, as she arrived in Toronto on Saturday. Alqunun captured international attention, and thousands of Twitter followers, by resisting deportation in a Bangkok hotel room.
- CONGO: The Southern African Development Community is urging the creation of a unity government in the Democratic Republic of Congo, after long-delayed presidential elections ended in dispute. Two opposition leaders, Felix Tshisekedi and Martin Fayulu both insist they won.
- VENEZUELA: Opposition leader Juan Guaido had a simple message for followers and opponents Sunday, after being briefly detained by intelligence agents: “Here we are! We are not afraid!” Guaido was dramatically pulled from his car while driving from the capital, Caracas.
- PREVIOUS: International Roundup: Bongo, Belgade, Beijing, Bolsonaro
Sec. Mattis’ Resignation Shocks Political Establishment
- The shockwaves from Defense Secretary Jim Mattis’ surprise resignation Thursday continued to reverberate across the political establishment in to the weekend. In a letter, the outgoing secretary cited policy and viewpoint differences with President Trump.
- Thoughts of Mattis’ replacement quickly united around a common theme: senators want a defense secretary who will challenge and contain the president’s isolationist views. “I’d like a Mattis clone. I think we all would,” Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) summed up.
- Taking to his favorite platform, President Trump tweeted Saturday that he gave Mattis a second chance, after President Obama “ingloriously fired” him. Regarding their apparent difference of opinion, he added that “allies are very important-but not when they take advantage of U.S.”
- Mattis’ resignation is proof, says Eliot Cohen in The Atlantic, that you can’t have it all. “In the end, he could not do his job and serve the country as he knew it had to be served. No one could.”
- Writing for Fox News, Jim Hanson asserts that the secretary of defense, like all other subordinates, must support the president’s policies. “It is one thing to have a ‘team of rivals,'” he argues. “It is unacceptable for the president to be prevented from leading the nation by Cabinet members not on board with his agenda.”
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