JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia’s Military Buildup Near Ukraine Is an Open Secret” – WSJ
Satellite images, social media posts and flight-tracking data allow private analysts to track details governments once classified […]
» Read moreTag: Military
RUSSIALINK: “Foreign Policy Experts Map Russia’s Plans for 2022” – Moscow Times
Amid Rumblings About A Russian Invasion, ‘No Hysteria’ In Ukraine
Amidst provocative comments from Putin targeting Kyiv, and Kremlin demands that Ukraine be kept out of NATO forever, U.S. and Ukrainian intelligence agencies have warned that Russia has been preparing for a possible military offensive […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “No time for war: Russians see no chance of conflict” – BBC
The build-up of Russian troops on the Ukrainian border has led to fears of an invasion and all-out war. For most Russians there is little interest […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “More than 10,000 Russian troops returning to bases after drills near Ukraine – Interfax” – Reuters
Citing the Russian military, Russian news agency Interfax states that more than 10,000 Russian troops have been returning to permanent bases after month-long drills near Ukraine […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “NATO open to dialogue with Russia on European security demands” – Financial Times
“Moscow’s ‘red lines’ viewed as not credible, but pressure mounts to find diplomatic solution.” “… Western officials have in private rejected almost all of the demands as implausible, not credible and in contradiction to post-cold war treaties guaranteeing sovereign states’ rights to choose their defence policies. But they admit that closing the door on Moscow’s initial diplomatic offer could make […]
» Read moreRUSSIALINK: “Russia Issues Demands to Limit NATO’s Influence in Post-Soviet Space, Eastern Europe” – Moscow Times
RUSSIALINK: “Russia Accuses NATO of Ignoring De-Escalation Proposals” – Moscow Times
In addition to closing Ukraine’s door to NATO membership, the Russian president demands that the Western military alliance halt weapons deployment on its western border […]
» Read moreRUSSIALINK: “Russia Sends Security Proposals to U.S. as Ukraine Tensions Soar” – Moscow Times
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Dec. 15, 2021) President Vladimir Putin said Russia has sent the United States its proposals on mutual security guarantees amid high tensions between the countries over Ukraine, Interfax reported Wednesday. Russia’s Foreign Ministry passed the offer to U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Karen Donfried, who is in Moscow after visiting Kiev amid fears of Russia […]
» Read moreRUSSIALINK: “Russia Threatens ‘Military Response’ to NATO Expansion” – Moscow Times
Russia will respond “militarily” to what it perceives as NATO’s encroachment on its western borders, a senior diplomat said […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Joe Biden threatens Vladimir Putin with gas embargo over Ukraine” – The Times (UK)
“Don’t dare try another Crimea, he warns Russian president.” “… Biden has warned … Putin that the West will target Russian gas exports and deploy more troops to eastern Europe if [Putin] orders an invasion of Ukraine. … [T]he U.S. national security adviser[] said … this … likely … include[d] stopping … gas … through … Nord Stream 2 …. […]
» Read moreRUSSIALINK: “Putin and Biden Speak: What They Discussed” – Moscow Times
The Russian and U.S. leaders talked about rising tensions for two hours, but the path forward for both sides, and Ukraine, remains unclear […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Why Putin Won’t Invade Ukraine” – Forbes/ Loren Thompson
“… Risk aversion. … Putin[‘s] operating style more closely resembles the behavior of … the cunning peasant who plays a weak hand well. … You break it, you own it. An invasion … would require Russia to occupy … a restive developing nation … recovering from … war. … [a costly] burden … persist[ing] indefinitely …. Galvanizing NATO. [pushing Western […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “CIA Chief Says Intelligence Agencies Haven’t Concluded Russia Will Invade Ukraine” – WSJ
Russian President Putin is assembling a potent military force and may see a chance to act this winter, William Burns says […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “U.S. intelligence-sharing convinces allies of Russian threat to Ukraine” – Financial Times
Skeptical capitals including Berlin persuaded of the need to draw up threat of robust sanctions […]
» Read moreRUSSIALINK: “Kremlin expecting Putin-Biden talks to be substantive, long” – Interfax
MOSCOW. Dec 6 (Interfax) – A virtual meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden is expected to take place after 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday and to continue for a long time, Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said. “At around 6:00 p.m. We expect the videoconference to be quite long and substantive. The conference will […]
» Read moreChina’s Arctic Ambitions Could Make or Break U.S.-Russian Relations in the Region
(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org – Ingrid Burke Friedman – Dec. 1, 2021) Ingrid Burke Friedman is a fellow at Harvard University’s Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies and Features Editor at JURIST Legal News & Commentary. She previously served as a consular officer with the U.S. State Department. While U.S.-Russian relations continue to deteriorate in many spheres, the Arctic […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Blinken and Lavrov talks break up after 30 minutes” – bne Intellinews/ Ben Aris
“U.S. Secretary of State Blinken met with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov in Stockholm as tensions continue to escalate, but spent only 30 minutes in discussions, suggesting little progress was made in walking back the crisis.” “… Blinken appealed to … Lavrov to choose diplomacy over coercion … Amongst the most painful sanctions that Washington has so far held in reserve […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Ukraine’s soldiers wait in the trenches for Moscow’s next move” – The Times (UK)
“… The Biden administration has said Russian troops are massing near the Ukrainian border and is reported to be considering the dispatch of new weaponry as well as advisers to Kiev. Ukraine is already using U.S. anti-tank missiles and Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones. The supply of more such advanced weaponry would dramatically increase Russian losses in the event of a […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Life under siege: residents fear new surge of war in rebel-held east Ukraine” – Reuters
“… On the edge of Horlivka, … controlled by … separatists since 2014, … neighbors are trapped between the two warring sides in a conflict that the Ukrainian government says has killed more than 14,000 people. Russia has accused Ukraine of preparing to try to recapture the breakaway eastern regions by force …. Ukraine fears Russia might use that as […]
» Read moreWhat’s Behind The Russia-Ukraine War Fears — And What Might Actually Happen?
The buildup of forces is evident in western Russia and also in Crimea, according to satellite images. It’s impossible to ascertain exactly what Russia’s intentions are […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Putin’s Ukraine gambit seen as part of play for new Biden summit” – Reuters
“… U.S., NATO and Ukrainian officials have raised the alarm in recent weeks over what they say are unusual Russian troop movements closer to Ukraine, suggesting that Moscow may be poised to launch a new attack on its neighbour, accusations Russia has rejected as fear-mongering. … Putin already got the attention of Biden’s White House once this year by massing […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia and Ukraine both step up military alert with combat drills” – Reuters
“Russia staged military drills in the Black Sea, south of Ukraine, … and said it needed to sharpen the combat-readiness of its conventional and nuclear forces because of heightened NATO activity near its borders. Ukraine, which with its ally the United States has said it believes Russia may be preparing an invasion, staged exercises of its own near the border […]
» Read moreWhy There Won’t Be a People’s Republic of Left-Bank Ukraine Just Yet
(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org – Simon Saradzhyan – Nov. 23, 2021) Simon Saradzhyan is the founding director of the Russia Matters Project. Evidence of recently resumed movements of Russian troops in the vicinity of Russia’s border with Ukraine (as well as farther afield) have reignited the debate about Kremlin intentions to order another military intervention on its neighbor’s territory, with […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia, China sign roadmap for closer military cooperation” – AP
“Russia’s defense chief [Sergei Shoigu] … signed a roadmap for closer military ties with China …. Russia has sought to expand ties with China as … relations with the U.S. and its allies sank to post-Cold War lows over … [Russia’s] annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea[], accusations of Russian hacking attacks, interference in elections and other disputes. … Russia and China […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “For Putin, the Great Prize Has Always Been Ukraine” – WSJ
The Russian president takes pride in having restored his country’s power and prominence after the Cold War, but he won’t consider his legacy complete until Kyiv again becomes Moscow’s satellite […]
» Read moreRUSSIALINK: “Russia’s SVR: Allegations regarding concentration of forces in Russia for invading Ukraine ‘absolutely false'” – Interfax
MOSCOW. Nov 22 (Interfax) – The allegations that Russia has concentrated substantial forces to launch a military invasion of Ukraine are “absolutely false,” the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) said on Monday. “The press office of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service states that Washington-based officials have lately been actively scaring the international community with Russia’s alleged preparations for ‘aggression’ against […]
» Read moreRUSSIALINK: “Kremlin Slams U.S. ‘Hysteria’ Over Ukraine Conflict” – Moscow Times
Peskov’s comments come after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken … declined to say whether U.S. intelligence believed … Putin was aiming to seize land from Ukraine […]
» Read moreKremlin Lashes Out At West, Defends Troop Movements, As It Boosts Role In Belarus-EU Border Crisis
The Kremlin has vowed to safeguard its borders in the face of actions by countries it accused of trying to “contain” Russia and sought to walk back a Belarusian threat of a cutoff of Russian natural gas to Western markets […]
» Read moreU.S. Not Yet Alarmed by Russian Military Buildup Near Ukraine, Top General Says
“So, what does this mean? We don’t know yet,” Milley said. “But we’re continuing to monitor with all of our capabilities” […]
» Read moreThe Collapse of the Afghan Government Provides a Challenge for China and Russia, Not a Windfall
(PONARS Eurasia Policy Memo – Elizabeth Wishnick – Nov. 1, 2021) Elizabeth Wishnick is Professor of Political Science at Montclair State University. The collapse of the Afghan government and takeover by the Taliban is not a net win for China and Russia, nor will these developments automatically cement their partnership. Today, Chinese and Russian officials see the swift collapse of […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Putin: Russia must build up defenses in view of NATO moves” – AP/ Vladimir Isachenkov
“… Russia has bristled at … U.S. and other NATO ships … [T]ensions between Moscow and the West have sunk to post-Cold War lows after Russia’s 2014 annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula, … [the] insurgency in eastern Ukraine and other irritants. … Russia suspended its [NATO] mission … and ordered the closure of [NATO’s] office in Moscow after NATO … […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia, U.S. Release Latest Nuclear Weapons Counts as Moscow-NATO Ties Collapse” – Newsweek
“… Russia counted 527 deployed … ICBMs[] … SLBMs[] and heavy bombers, 1,458 warheads on deployed ICBMs … SLBMs and … heavy bombers as well as 742 deployed and non-deployed launchers of ICBMs, deployed and non-deployed launchers of SLBMs and deployed and non-deployed heavy bombers. … with U.S. figures at 665 deployed ICBMs … SLBMs and heavy bombers; 1,389 warheads […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Taliban Face Pressure Over New Afghan Government at Russia Conference” – Wall Street Journal
“Changes are coming in the government,” Afghanistan’s interim foreign minister said after talks with Russia, China and other nations […]
» Read moreMoscow Thinking about Creating an Arctic Fleet, TASS Reports
Citing anonymous Russian government sources, the TASS news agency says … Moscow is currently thinking about creating an Arctic Fleet to defend … the Northern Sea Route and … Russia’s national interests … more generally, including … natural resources […]
» Read moreIran Cements Alliance With China, Russia In Clear Message To Washington
The seismic, multi-generational Iran-China deal is set for full roll-out. Full membership of the economic, military and political, SCO alliance will lead to major strategic investments in Iran’s up-and-downstream sectors […]
» Read moreRUSSIALINK: “Zapad 2021: What We Learned From Russia’s Massive Military Drills” – Moscow Times
On Sept. 16 Russia concluded its Joint Strategic Exercise, Zapad-2021, a large military training event focused on the Western Military District and Belarus […]
» Read moreRussia’s Foreign Military Basing Strategy
(PONARS Eurasia Policy Memo – DMITRY GORENBURG, Senior Research Scientist, CNA – Sept. 20, 2021) In December 2020, news broke that Russia had signed an agreement with Sudan to build a naval base on the Red Sea. Given the refurbishment of its existing base in Syria and rumors of other potential bases abroad being negotiated, on the surface, Russia appears […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia, Belarus Agree on Economic Integration Pacts; The agreements, which cover trade, labor, currencies, taxes and energy, will deepen Moscow’s sway over its neighbor” – Wall Street Journal
“… Putin … [said] that in the end all 28 integration programs were approved. [Putin said that] [t]hey include the integration of currency systems, the principles of levying indirect taxes … the fight against terrorism … [and] the pricing of Russian energy resources, … that a document would be signed by Dec. 1, 2023, to create a single gas market […]
» Read moreWhy the U.S. Should Rethink Its Russia-centric Ukraine Policy
(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org – Nicolai N. Petro – Sept. 9, 2021) Nicolai N. Petro is a professor of political science at the University of Rhode Island, specializing in Ukraine and Russia. His latest book, “Ukraine in Crisis,” was published by Routledge in 2017. Ahead of this month’s visit to Washington, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy gave a sense of his […]
» Read moreRussia, Belarus Kick Off Massive Military Exercises Amid Tensions With West
Russia and Belarus have launched massive joint military drills near NATO’s borders as Moscow and Minsk vowed to deepen their military ties amid persistent tensions with the West […]
» Read moreRussia Says Ukraine Organized Gas Pipeline Attack In Crimea
(Oilprice.com – Charles Kennedy – Sept. 7, 2021) Russia accused on Tuesday Ukraine’s military intelligence of having organized an attack on a natural gas pipeline in Crimea at the end of last month, in another escalation of tensions between Moscow and Kyiv. Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine back in 2014, straining the bilateral relations between one of Europe’s key natural […]
» Read moreWhy Russia Is Unlikely to Use Zapad-2021 to Intervene Militarily in European Countries
It is now time for Russia to hold exercises in its western regions again, and we hear warnings that Moscow will use it as cover for the start of aggression against another country […]
» Read moreRUSSIALINK: “Putin Announces $7Bln Pre-Election Handouts” – Moscow Times
Putin has called for one-off cash payments to be awarded to Russia’s pensioners and military service personnel in a highly anticipated pre-election move […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia supports withdrawal of foreign fighters from Libya” – AP
“… Lavrov said after the talks … with Najla Mangoush that the Libyan leadership ‘is forming a consultative mechanism … to formulate the concrete parameters’ under which … foreign forces will leave. Russia was among … foreign powers backing … warring sides in Libya’s conflict … [S]ome officials and media … alleg[ed] … Russian private military contractors took part in […]
» Read moreIs Shoygu Preparing to Become Russian President?
For the third time in recent days, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu has spoken out about issues beyond those normally viewed as the province of an official in his position. … [I]s he positioning himself to become president, likely with the current Kremlin leader’s blessing? […]
» Read moreRUSSIALINK: “As Chaos Engulfs Kabul, Russia Says It’s Ready to Work With the Taliban” – Moscow Times
Moscow has a history of pragmatism toward the Islamist militia and appears well placed for a transition in Afghanistan. (Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Felix Light, Pjotr Sauer – Aug. 16, 2021) In the day since a Taliban offensive swept away the U.S.-backed Afghan government, Russian officials are taking satisfaction from their principle global adversary’s humiliation as they prepare to […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Russian Grand Strategy: Rhetoric and Reality” – RAND
“… six key elements of Russia’s stated grand strategy … [given] closer examination [included]: the linkage between internal and external threats, the nature of Russia’s role in its immediate neighborhood, concepts about the future of warfare, expeditionary requirements for Russia’s military, Moscow’s objectives vis-à-vis the West, and Russia’s declared prioritization of engagement with non-Western powers. …” Embedded version follows below, […]
» Read moreRUSSIALINK: “Russia Says Taliban Controls Afghan Borders With Uzbekistan, Tajikistan” – Moscow Times
The Taliban controls Afghanistan’s borders with ex-Soviet Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said […]
» Read moreChina, Russia Showcase Growing Ties With Joint Military Exercises
Russia-China collaboration accelerated in 2014 following the Kremlin’s seizure of Crimea, where Russia was placed in the crosshairs of Western sanctions […]
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