nato russia – European Affairs Magazine

A U.S.-led battalion of more than 1,100 soldiers will be deployed in Poland

21 Marzo 2017 BreakingNews @en di

A U.S.-led battalion of more than 1,100 soldiers will be deployed in Poland from the start of April, a U.S. commander said on Monday, as the alliance sets up a new force in response to Moscow’s 2014 annexation of Crimea. More than 900 U.S. soldiers, around 150 British personnel and some 120 Romanian troops will make up the battlegroup in northeastern Poland, one of four multinational formations across the Baltic region that Russia has condemned as an aggressive strategy on its frontiers. Britain, Canada and Germany are leading the other three battlegroups in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which are due to be operational by June. They will have support from a series of NATO nations including France. In total, some 4,000 NATO troops – equipped with tanks, armored vehicles, air support and hi-tech mission information rooms – will monitor for and defend against any potential Russian incursions.

Iraq, Mosul: U.S. ready in October

21 Settembre 2016 BreakingNews @en/Middle East - Africa di

“Our job is to actually help Iraq to generate the forces and give the necessary support for operations in Mosul and we’ll be ready for that in October,” the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Joe Dunford said alongside of NATO Military Committee in Croatia. So, U.S. military help could very soon happen: Washington should wait for Iraqis official choice.

Not only Iraq. Before of NATO conference, during the summit with Turkish Armed Forces General Hulusi Akar, Dunford’s spokesman told about ISIS: “U.S. recommitted to the close military-to-military and strategic relationship the U.S. has with Turkey.”

On September 9, during the press conference with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told about Turkey coup attempt: “It was very touching to see the damage, to see the effects of the airstrikes against the Parliament that took place during the attempted coup. To bomb a national Parliament while the parliamentarians are there is an attack on innocent people but it’s also an attack on what of the strongest symbols and institutions in a democratic society. ”

“I would also like to thank Turkey for your contribution to many different NATO operations and activities – he added -. You have contributed to our efforts to fight international terrorism. You do so in Afghanistan and I welcome also that you are stepping up your efforts to fight Daesh and other terrorist organisations because we have to stand together in the fight against international terrorism. ”

Several issues characterized this conference: Syria, Afghanistan, Russia. About Moscow, Stoltenberg wants to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergej Lavrov: “I think it is important to continue to have a chance for political dialogue open”. Its “interest and willingness to sit down and discuss proposals on risk reduction and transparency,” he announced on September 21.

Giacomo Pratali

Ukraine: how long before the next talks?

23 Giugno 2016 Politics di

EU extension of sanctions against Russia is only the last chapter of the Ukrainian crisis. As appeared in the latest months, the ceasefire between Kiev and sepatists looks like a band-aid.

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The EU ambassadors from the 28 member states approved on June 21 to prolong the sanctions against Moscow until 31 January 2017. Main justifications are two: annexation of Crimea and presence in Ukraine.

Despite it’s approved unanimously, a part of Western public opinion, but also Italy, Hungary and Greece do not shared this choice. Indeed, Russia is a strategic partner in Syria against Islamic State; but also from economical viewpoint, because of several European partnerships with Moscow.

Putin trip in China on June 22, come on the heels of European sanctions, demonstrated the will to find new economical and financial partners after more than two years of sanctions. As noted by Mark McNamee, Central and Eastern Europe analyst at Frontier Strategy Group at CNBC, “Strengthening energy ties with China and India would serve Putin’s geopolitical interests further, while also stealing market share from the Saudis. In economic terms, other than energy, Russia is unable to offer much of anything to China. Of far more importance is the political support Russia offers, regarding foreign policy matters at the United Nations, Group of 20 and other venues … China, naturally, is happy to have a useful ally as it seeks to reform the existing U.S.-led order to attain its geopolitical goals. ”

“It’s clear that for the changes to be made to the constitution, preliminary conditions must be met. Russian forces must be withdrawn from Ukraine,” Poroshenko told French television. While Moscow continues to turn down every charges.

Meanwhile, the ceasefire in Ukraine is falsely going on, as demonstrated by 3 Ukrainian soldiers killed on June 18 or by the dreadful video, reported by Daily Mail, which shows Ukrainian soldiers burying alive a sepatist. And the large number of tanks in Donbass means that civil war has not already finished.

So, after Minsk II, new talks are very necessary. Islamic issue and an updated fair-trade between EU and Russia are the two main questions for International Community.
Giacomo Pratali

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