Category: Military

RUSSIALINK: “Russia Has Ceased ‘All’ Cooperation With NATO, Foreign Ministry Official Says” – Moscow Times

Military, NATO
NATO Meeting file photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – April 15, 2019) Russia has stopped all cooperation with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said in an interview with state media on Monday. The Western alliance suspended military and civilian cooperation with Russia in the spring of 2014 in response to Moscow’s annexation of the Crimean peninsula. Several disputes, […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , ,

Russia Not about to End Military Draft Anytime Soon Because It Can’t Afford To

Military
Russian Soldiers Marching

(Paul Goble – Window on Eurasia – Staunton, April 13, 2019) Vladimir Putin has once again declared Russia must move from a draft-based army to a professional one, winning plaudits from experts and the Russian people — just as he has ever time he has repeatedly made exactly the same declaration in the past (meduza.io/feature/2019/04/12/putin-skazal-chto-prizyva-v-armiyu-ne-budet-nuzhny-tolko-vremya-i-dengi-on-uzhe-eto-govoril). And while most experts say […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , ,

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Military Drills in Arctic Aim to Counter Russia, but the First Mission Is to Battle the Cold” – New York Times/ Helene Cooper

Arctic, Canada, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, JRL NewsBlog, Military, NATO, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Arctic Map

“… the melting polar ice cap has opened up the Arctic, disappearing what used to be an impenetrable barrier between North America and Russia. … NATO is rushing to try to catch up. … ‘Russia is increasing its military presence in the Arctic,’ said … a [NATO] spokesman … [NATO is] ‘monitoring Russia’s Arctic buildup carefully.’ In fact, Russia has […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , , , ,

Experts Discuss Threats Shaping Russia’s Alliances

Education, Foreign Policy, Security, Visas, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Moscow State University file photo

(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org – Nini Arshakuni and Daniel Shapiro – April 8, 2019 – russiamatters.org/blog/experts-discuss-threats-shaping-russias-alliances) The authors are graduate student associates at Harvard’s Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies and Russia Matters. What kind of alliances and partnerships is Russia building and what motivates great-power behavior? At a recent conference organized by the Moscow State Institute of International […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , ,

RUSSIALINK: “Federation Council says dialogue with NATO military, politicians necessary” – Interfax

Military, NATO
Globe Highlighting NATO Members

MOSCOW. April 10 (Interfax) – The Federation Council made a statement on the destructive policy of NATO on Wednesday. “The Federation Council of the Russian Federal Assembly believes that a dialogue between the military and politicians of Russia and NATO could play a positive role in this exacerbated situation. We can only regret that the old formats and communication channels […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , ,

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia’s Effective Military Spending Is Around $200 Billion” – Checkpoint Asia/Richard Connolly

Budget, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Military
Russian Mobile ICBM Parade File Photo

“Russia maintains armed forces of around a million … compared with … fewer than 200,000 in the UK. … [and] procures and maintains far larger volumes of equipment across the whole spectrum … including [ICBM’s], nuclear-powered submarines … state-of-the-art helicopters and fighter aircraft. * * * … PPP-based measures … yield a figure of closer to $200 billion …”

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , ,

7 Pillars of Putin’s World: New Book Shows U.S. Policymakers Russia as It Is

Foreign Policy, Security, Visas, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of Vladimir Putin at Podium with United Russia Logo, Gesturing

(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org – Nikolas K. Gvosdev – April 4, 2019 – russiamatters.org/analysis/7-pillars-putins-world-new-book-shows-us-policymakers-russia-it) Nikolas K. Gvosdev is a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute and at the Carnegie Council on Ethics and International Affairs.   “Putin’s World: Russia Against the West and with the Rest” By Angela Stent Twelve, February 2019 American officials who profess to have […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , ,

RUSSIALINK TRANSCRIPT: “[Putin at] Opening of Memory Watch 2019 national event; Vladimir Putin took part in the opening ceremony of the Memory Watch 2019 national event at the Victory Museum on Moscow’s Poklonnaya Gora.” – KremlinRu

History, Soviet Union, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
American Solider Meets Russian Soliders in Berlin in 1945, adapted from image at army.mil

(Kremlin.ru – April 4, 2019 – en.kremlin.ru/events/president/transcripts/60222) Vladimir Putin spoke at the Memory Watch 2019 plenary meeting and learned about the Russian Search Movement’s projects, including the Frontline Portrait: A Soldier’s Destiny, which presents 27 portraits of Red Army soldiers that were painted at the frontline. This nationwide event, due to last until April 6, will involve over 250 representatives […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , ,

RUSSIALINK: “War in Donbas will end ‘when last piece of Ukrainian land is liberated'” – Interfax

Military, Ukraine
Petro Poroshenko file photo, with additional men in background, adapted from image at state.gov

KYIV. March 30 (Interfax) – Peace in Donbas will come after “the last piece of Ukrainian land and the last prisoner-of-war” are liberated, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said on Ukraine television on Friday. “Write down and remember: the war will be over the day the last piece of Ukrainian land is liberated, the day the last prisoner-of-war is freed,” Poroshenko […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , , , ,

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Is Venezuela where Trump finally stands up to Putin?” – Washington Post/ Fareed Zakaria

Latin America, Military, Venezuela
Venezuela Map, adapted from image at cia.gov

“… [the] Trump … administration has made absolutely clear that the United States no longer considers … Maduro to be [Venezuela’s] president, publicly backing Juan Guaidó, the head of Venezuela’s National Assembly, as … interim leader. … go[ing] so far as to urge the Venezuelan military not to follow Maduro’s orders. … declarations … much stronger than the ‘red line’ […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , ,

JRL NEWSWATCH: “China, Russia Stand to Gain From Kazakhstan’s Political Transition; New president aims to maintain nation’s security ties to Moscow, economic links to Beijing” – Wall Street Journal/ Ann M. Simmons, Thomas Grove

Central Asia, China, JRL NewsBlog, Kazakhstan, Military
Map of CIS Central Asia and Environs

“A smooth political transition after the unexpected resignation of Kazakhstan’s longtime leader serves the interests of neighboring Russia and China …. [S]ince the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia has shouldered the region’s military burden, while China has provided the impulse for economic growth, a system Kazakhstan has embraced …. On Tuesday, Nursultan Nazarbayev, a 78-year-old autocrat who has ruled […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , , ,

Putin Preparing Russians for War Much as Stalin Did in 1938-1939

Foreign Policy, Security, Visas, History, Soviet Union, Military
Vladimir Putin file photo with VOA logo; screen shot from video still

(Paul Goble – Window on Eurasia – Staunton, March 9, 2019) Two out of three Russians now believe that their country will be involved in a major war (a-nalgin.livejournal.com/1661358.html), the result of a concerted effort by Vladimir Putin and his regime to convince them of that, an effort that in many ways resembles the one Stalin engaged in during the […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , ,

JRL NEWSWATCH: “U.S. Considering New Lethal Aid to Ukraine to Deter Russia; New maritime weaponry would help prevent another Kerch Strait crisis, says Army Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti” – U.S. News/ Paul D. Shinkman

Military, Ukraine, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“[Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti, commander of the U.S. European Command and the top officer for NATO,] said … the U.S. is considering providing additional lethal aid to Ukraine to deter future Russian naval aggression akin to the recent crisis in the Kerch Strait. … during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing about the current disposition of U.S. forces in Europe. … […]

» Read more
Leave a comment

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Specter of new arms race has Russia recalling Soviets’ fate” – Christian Science Monitor/ Fred Weir

History, Soviet Union, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Nuclear, Missile Defense, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of Stealth Bomber in Flight

“Most Russian schoolchildren hold as true that the Soviet Union collapsed in part because it was foolish enough to engage in a vast global competition with the United States. … [including] a ruinous arms race that diverted resources from the civilian economy and ultimately bankrupted the country. … Despite a decade-long crash program to reform and reequip Russia’s moribund Soviet-era […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , ,

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Majority of Americans Now Consider Russia a Critical Threat” – Gallup/ Lydia Saad

JRL NewsBlog, Military, Nuclear, Missile Defense, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Vladirmir Putin and Donald Trump Sitting in Chairs with Flags Behind, adapted from image at whitehouse.gov

“STORY HIGHLIGHTS Russia’s military power deemed critical threat by 52% in U.S. Russia tops list of countries Americans’ deem chief U.S. enemy Russia’s favorable rating drops to another post-Soviet Union low Russia’s already negative image among Americans … worsened over the past year, with a majority for the first time saying that Russia’s military power poses a threat to U.S. […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , ,

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Poroshenko’s team hit by defence industry corruption scandal, Tymoshenko starts impeachment process” – bne Intellinews

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Military, Ukraine
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“… Poroshenko rivals in the upcoming presidential election are accusing him of ‘profiting from blood’ after an investigation revealed that the son of the president’s close business partner has been selling arms to separatist rebels in the breakaway eastern region of Donbas … [according to] a report broadcast on Ukrainian TV …. Former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who leads the […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

How Big a Threat Is Russia? RM Staff interview with Graham Allison

Foreign Policy, Security, Visas, Iran, Military, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Satellite Image of Earth in Style of Mercator Map, adapted from image at nasa.gov

(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org – February 26, 2019 – russiamatters.org/blog/how-big-threat-russia) The Munich Security Conference is the largest annual gathering of political and security leaders from government, think tanks and academia worldwide. This month more than 600 key decision makers and policy shapers from across the globe gathered in Germany to discuss and debate pressing security issues. Unsurprisingly, Russia has often […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , ,

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Ukraine’s Civil War: Would Accepting This Terminology Help Resolve the Conflict? [Excerpt]” – PONARS Eurasia

Military, Ukraine
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

(PONARS Eurasia – Jesse Driscoll – February 2019) Associate Professor, Political Science; Chair, Global Leadership Institute, University of California San Diego [Full text: ponarseurasia.org/memo/ukraines-civil-war-would-accepting-terminology-help-resolve-conflict] (PONARS Policy Memo) Since Ukraine is the site of both an invasion (Crimea) and a civil war (in the Donbas), there is no academic consensus on what to call the crisis in Ukraine. Russians usually call […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Do Trump’s Afghanistan Claims Mirror Moscow’s Rhetoric?

Afghanistan, History, Soviet Union, Military, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Afghanistan Map of Ethnicities

(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org – RM Staff – January 11, 2019 – russiamatters.org/blog/do-trumps-afghanistan-claims-mirror-moscows-rhetoric) Earlier this month, President Donald Trump offered his take on Soviet Russia’s experiences in Afghanistan as he argued in favor of a huge U.S. troop withdrawal and a larger contribution by Moscow to stabilize the war-racked country. The U.S. president put forward two basic propositions: that the […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , ,

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Soldier, spy: more details of Vladimir Putin’s past revealed; Russian president, on a visit to a fortress, says he commanded a howitzer artillery battalion” – The Guardian/ Marc Bennetts

Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Spy Allegations, Spies, Security Agencies
FSB Headquarters Building file photo

“… Putin has revealed that he commanded an artillery battalion during the Soviet period, a detail of his shadowy biography … previously unknown. … Putin’s official biography makes no mention of [it] …. According to the Kremlin, Putin joined the KGB immediately after graduating [in law] from … Leningrad State University in 1975. … [spending] 16 years … rising to […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , ,

More In The Tank: Russian Film Extends Trend Of Patriotic World War II Epics

History, Soviet Union, Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Theater, Music, Military
File Photo of Reel of Film

(Article ©2019 RFE/RL, Inc., Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty – rferl.org – Matthew Luxmoore – Jan. 8, 2019 – article also appeared at rferl.org/a/more-in-the-tank-russian-film-extends-trend-of-patriotic-world-war-ii-epics/29697503.html) Yet another patriotic war movie has taken Russia by storm. T-34, a high-octane tribute to the Soviet tank that played a key role on the Eastern Front of World War II, is the latest in a series […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , ,

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Is there a glimmer of hope for the INF Treaty?” – Brookings/ Steven Pifer

Europe, EU, JRL NewsBlog, Military, NATO, Nuclear, Missile Defense, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan at Table Signing Documents

“… Russian officials said they would like to discuss INF Treaty compliance concerns. … Washington should test whether those suggestions represent just more Kremlin posturing or a serious effort to save the treaty. … NATO foreign ministers stated that … the 9M729 constituted a material breach of the INF Treaty. Secretary of State Pompeo … said that, if Russia did […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , , , , ,

NEWSLINK: “How Russia’s military intelligence agency became the covert muscle in Putin’s duels with the West” – Washington Post/ Anton Troianovski, Ellen Nakashima

Europe, EU, Military, Spy Allegations, Spies, Security Agencies, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Stylized Artist's Depiction of Shadowy Figures in Dark Coats and Dark Hats, One Carrying a Briefcase

“Anton Troianovski is The Washington Post’s Moscow bureau chief. Ellen Nakashima is a national security reporter for The Washington Post.”  

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , ,

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Don’t Tear Up This Treaty; Arms control isn’t perfect. But abandoning treaties without a plan for the future is dangerous.” – New York Times Editorial

JRL NewsBlog, Military, Nuclear Proliferation, Nuclear, Missile Defense
Iskander Missile with Launch file photo

“… Owing to [various] treaty commitments, [the United States and Russia], which still hold the vast majority of … nuclear weapons … have reduced their combined total of warheads from roughly 63,000 in 1986 to about 8,100 today. … the agreements helped avoid nuclear conflict …. The Russian violation of the I.N.F. Treaty centers on an SSC-8 land-based cruise missile. […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Think tank: NATO must prepare to counter a rapid Russia invasion in Europe” – Military Times/ Stephen Losey

Europe, EU, JRL NewsBlog, Military, NATO, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
NATO Meeting file photo

“Russia is positioned to quickly defeat forward-deployed U.S. and NATO forces and grab land before reinforcements could arrive, according to a new paper from the Atlantic Council …. In the Dec. 13 paper, ‘Permanent Deterrence: Enhancements to the U.S. Military Presence in North Central Europe,’ former NATO Supreme Allied Commander and retired Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove and former Deputy […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , ,

Isolation and Reconquista: Russia’s Toolkit as a Constrained Great Power

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU, Military, NATO, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Population Disaster, Demographics, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Russian Soldiers Marching

(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org – Marlene Laruelle – December 12, 2018) Marlene Laruelle is a research professor, associate director of the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies, director of the Central Asia Program and co-director of PONARS Eurasia at The George Washington University. [russiamatters.org/analysis/isolation-and-reconquista-russias-toolkit-constrained-great-power] In 2007, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s famous Munich speech took stock of what Russia considered the failure of the […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Russia Rises To Second In Global Arms Sales, With U.S. Still At No. 1

Arms Trade, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Military, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of T-72 Tanks in Bulgaria, adapted from image at defense.gov, with photo credit to Cpl. Immanuel Johnson

(Article ©2018 RFE/RL, Inc., Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty – rferl.org – Dec. 10, 2018 – also appeared at rferl.org/a/putin-calls-us-senator-mccain-old-world-but-admires-his-patriotism/28537171.html) The United States remains the global leader in arms sales, while Russia has surpassed Britain to take the No. 2 spot as it attempts to modernize its military, a leading research group says. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said on […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , ,

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Ukraine Says Will Send Naval Ships Through Kerch Strait Soon” – AP

Military, Ukraine
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“Ukraine’s defense ministry warned Russia on Friday that it will soon send navy ships through the Kerch Strait where Russia fired on and seized three Ukrainian vessels two weeks ago. The announcement sets up another possible flashpoint in the long-simmering conflict between Russia and Ukraine that erupted in 2014 with Russia’s annexation of the Crimean peninsula … [O]n Nov. 25  […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

RM Picks: What to Read on the Kerch Strait Crisis

Military, Ukraine
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org – RM Staff – November 30, 2018) [Article also appeared, with different images, at russiamatters.org/blog/rm-picks-what-read-kerch-strait-crisis] Looking to make sense of the events between Russia and Ukraine in the Sea of Azov and their implications? RM recommends the following articles: “Why Putin Is Pressuring Ukraine. The United States needs to decide how much of a threat Moscow’s […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Standoff Over INF Treaty Enters New Phase As U.S. Reveals Details Of Russian Missile

Military, NATO, Nuclear, Missile Defense, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Map of Commonwealth of Independent States, European Portion

(Article ©2018 RFE/RL, Inc., Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty – rferl.org – Mike Eckel – Dec. 3, 2018 – also appeared at rferl.org/a/standoff-over-inf-treaty-enters-new-phase-as-u-s-reveals-details-of-russian-missile/29634906.html) The United States’ top intelligence official has quietly revealed key new details about Russia’s alleged violations of a bedrock Cold War nuclear treaty, an unexpected move that comes as U.S. officials push to build new support from European allies. […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

JRL NEWSWATCH: “U.S. Plans to Leave Russian Nuclear Deal, but Is Still Consulting Allies, Official Says; Coats to brief NATO colleagues at Brussels meeting this week on ‘threat’ from Moscow and how to respond” – Wall Street Journal/ Courtney McBride

JRL NewsBlog, Military, NATO, Nuclear, Missile Defense, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

“The U.S. remains on a path to withdraw from the [INF Treaty] … citing alleged [Russian] violations … but continues to consult with its allies ….  [DNI Dan Coats] …. said he will brief European allies at a [NATO] meeting … [T]he Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty … bars … ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , , ,

Nick Magliato: “Re: New book Stephen F. Cohen, War With Russia? From Putin & Ukraine to Trump & Russiagate”

Military, Ukraine, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of U.S. Embassy Moscow, with Russian Foreign Ministry Building in Distance

From: Nick Magliato <nmagliato@skyhorsepublishing.com> Subject: New book Stephen F. Cohen, War With Russia? From Putin & Ukraine to Trump & Russiagate Date : November 15, 2018 War With Russia? From Putin & Ukraine to Trump & Russiagate By Stephen F. Cohen Hot Books paperback, also available as an ebook On Sale: November 27, 2018 / $18.99 ISBN: 9781510745810 Amazon: https://amzn.to/2P4KsZr […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , , ,

NEWSLINK: “Putin Will Understand Only One Response: Escalation; Russia’s president cannot be allowed to attack another country to solve his own domestic problems” – Bloomberg/ Eli Lake

Military, Newslinks, Ukraine
Vladimir Putin file photo with VOA logo; screen shot from video still » Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

RUSSIALINK: “Poroshenko fails to make speech on martial law after several factions block Rada rostrum” – Interfax

Military, Ukraine
Rada File Photo

KYIV. Nov 26 (Interfax) – Several factions in Ukrainian parliament blocked its plenary session on Monday, preventing President Petro Poroshenko from explaining his proposal to impose nationwide martial law, the Petro Poroshenko Bloc faction said. “A number of factions decided to block the rostrum without even allowing the president to reveal what exactly is happening in the Sea of Azov […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia-Ukraine Standoff Intensifies Over Captured Vessels; Kiev has troops on military alert and demands Moscow releases the ships and crew members” – Wall Street Journal/ Thomas Grove, Ann M. Simmons, Emre Peker, Georgi Kantchev

JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“Ukraine’s defense ministry put its troops on military alert … a day after Russian forces fired on and detained three Ukrainian naval vessels near the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, a move that threatened to reignite tensions between Moscow and Kiev.  … Poroshenko has called for martial law – that could last for 60 days after being enacted and give […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

RUSSIALINK: “Ukrainian Security Council proposes martial law until Jan 25, 2019” – Interfax

Military, Ukraine
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

KYIV. Nov 26 (Interfax) – The Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council proposes in its resolution of November 26 that President Petro Poroshenko declare martial law for 60 days, until January 25, 2019. The Council resolved “to propose that the president of Ukraine declare martial law in Ukraine for 60 days, from 2:00 p.m. November 26, 2018 until 2:00 p.m. […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia rewrites nuclear rule book to fire first” – The Times (UK)/ Marc Bennetts

JRL NewsBlog, Military, Nuclear, Missile Defense, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Russian Mobile ICBM Parade File Photo

“… Senators in [Russia’s] Federation Council … have recommended … allow[ing] … [P]resident [Putin] to order nuclear strikes in response to enemy use of conventional weapons, a significant departure from the military doctrine that prohibits first use unless Russia is threatened by [WMD] or if its ‘very existence is in jeopardy.’ The council proposes that Russia be allowed to retaliate […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , , , ,

NEWSLINK: “Robert Legvold on Russia: Insights and Recommendations” – Russia Matters

Foreign Policy, Security, Visas, Military, Newslinks, Nuclear, Missile Defense, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Kremlin and River

“This evolving compilation of observations and policy ideas about Russia by Robert Legvold is part of Russia Matters’ ‘Competing Views’ rubric, where we share prominent American thinkers’ takes on Russia, U.S.-Russian relations and Washington’s policies toward its Cold War-era foe. Robert Legvold is one of America’s most authoritative experts on Russia and the international relations of the post-Soviet states. He […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , ,

JRL NEWSWATCH: “U.S. military might ‘struggle to win, or perhaps lose’ war with China or Russia, report says” – CBS

China, JRL NewsBlog, Military, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of F-22 Fighter and Ground Crew

“Absent renewed investment … and … strategic realignment of its … capabilities, the U.S. military could lose the next state-versus-state war it fights, according to … the National Defense Strategy Commission. ‘America’s ability to defend its allies, its partners and its own vital interests is increasingly in doubt’ … ‘It might struggle to win, or perhaps lose, a war against […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , ,

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia Challenges U.S. in Hosting Taliban at Afghan Talks” – Bloomberg/Henry Meyer, Eltaf Najafizada

Afghanistan, Central Asia, JRL NewsBlog, Military, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of U.S. NATO Troops Atop Ridge in Afghanistan

“Russia is challenging the U.S. by hosting the Taliban at a Moscow peace conference in the latest source of friction …. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, who pressed Russia to cancel a similar meeting in September, sent four senior members of his nation’s High Peace Council … * * * Russia, which backs Taliban demands for a pullout of American forces, […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , ,

Russians Now Want Social State and Democracy More than Military Might, Institute of Sociology Says

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Close-Up of Line of Russian Soldiers in Dress Uniforms for Parade, adapted from image at georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov with credit to Eric Draper

(Paul Goble – Window on Eurasia – Staunton, November 6, 2018) A new survey by the Institute of Sociology of the Russian Academy of Sciences says that Russians still want their country to be a great power but that only on condition that it is concerned about the well-being of its own citizens, a major shift in priorities from 2014 […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , ,

NATO’s Trident Juncture Exercise as a Deterrence Signal to Russia

Arctic, Europe, EU, Military, NATO, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Globe Highlighting NATO Members

(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org – Dmitry Gorenburg – November 1, 2018 – russiamatters.org/analysis/natos-trident-juncture-exercise-deterrence-signal-russia) Dmitry Gorenburg is a senior research scientist in the strategic studies division of CNA, a nonprofit research and analysis organization based in Virginia. He is also an associate of Harvard’s Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies and the editor of Problems of Post-Communism. This week, NATO […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , , , , ,

JRL NEWSWATCH: “NATO Dusts Off a Cold War Skill: Moving Troops; Alliance is holding its biggest military exercise in decades, testing its ability to transport soldiers and equipment by road, rail and water” – Wall Street Journal/ Daniel Michaels

Europe, EU, Military, NATO, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
U.S. Army Tanks in Transport Arriving in Germany, adapted from army.mil

“… NATO’s largest exercise since the Cold War. … [involves] 50,000 troops …. [m]oving forces from 30 countries to Norway for … Trident Juncture …. [T]en thousand vehicles, 250 aircraft and 65 ships were dispatched …. * * * NATO and the [EU] … [have] agreed to deepen cooperation … including [with] mobility. The EU … spends billions … annually […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , ,

Putin’s Valdai Club Remarks on Nuclear War Not New But Very Worrisome, Golts Says

Military, Nuclear, Missile Defense, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Russian Mobile ICBM Parade File Photo

(Paul Goble – Window on Eurasia – Staunton, October 20, 2018) At the Valdai Club this week, Vladimir Putin said Moscow would not use a preventive nuclear strike but would “launch on warning” of such an attack on Russia, a position that is not new as such but that given the Kremlin leader’s constant talk about nuclear weapons recently, is […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , ,

RUSSIALINK: “Russia has trained over 1,000 troops in CAR, more instructors to go there – Foreign Ministry” – Interfax

Africa, Military
Africa Map

MOSCOW. Oct 22 (Interfax) – Moscow is planning to send an additional 60 Russian military instructors to the Central African Republic (CAR), and more than 1,000 CAR troops have already completed training, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on its website. “Over 1,000 Central African servicemen have been trained to date. We intend to continue to provide Bangui […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , ,

Ways to End the Donbas Conflict. Interview with Serhiy Kudelia.

Military, Ukraine
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

(PONARS Eurasia – Maria Lipman, Serhiy Kudelia – Sept. 24, 2018 – ponarseurasia.org/point-counter/ways-to-end-donbas-conflict-interview-serhiy-kudelia) Sergiy Kudelia is Associate Professor of Political Science at Baylor University. His areas of expertise are Ukraine, Institutions, Civil Society, Conflict Resolution, Political Science, Historical Institutionalism, and Post-Socialist Societies. Political scientist Serhiy Kudelia has studied the conflict in Donbas since its very early stages. In a recently […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

JRL NEWSWATCH: “In breakaway Ukraine, those who live by the sword are dying by it; Could an anonymous cull of Donbass’ violently charismatic separatists precede a peaceful solution?” – Asia Times/ Giovanni Pigni

Assassinations, Beatings, Threats, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“Yet another leader in Ukraine’s breakaway Donbass region has met a kinetic end: … leader of the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic, Aleksandr Zakharchenko … assassinated by … outdoor bomb blast on August 31. Reaction to his death was predictably mixed. Thousands of supporters gathered in [Donetsk] streets … to honor [his] memory …. [while] in Kiev, Ukrainian nationalists celebrated the […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

RUSSIALINK: “Why Russia and China Are Strengthening Security Ties; Is the U.S. Driving Them Closer Together?” – Foreign Affairs/ Alexander Gabuev/ Carnegie Moscow

China, Far East, Siberia, APEC, Military, Newslinks
Asia Map

“Early last week, Russia concluded Vostok-2018, its largest military exercise since the fall of the Soviet Union. It wasn’t just their size, however, that made the recent war games so groundbreaking. For the first time in history, 3,200 Chinese troops trained alongside some 300,000 Russians in eastern Siberia. Previously, the Kremlin had issued invitations to take part in such exercises […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , ,
1 2 3 … 24