Turkey must respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all EU member states, particularly Greece and Cyprus, but Ankara remains a key partner, the EU Commission’s latest country report notes. The Commission’s enlargement package was presented by Enlargement Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi on Wednesday. It assessed the progress made by Western …
Read More »France to reinforce military presence in Eastern Europe
France will strengthen the presence of its military in Eastern Europe after Russia’s recent strikes against Ukrainian civilians, Armed Force Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced on Wednesday. The decision was taken Monday evening at the Defence Council convened by French President Emmanuel Macron and based on the proposal of the Chief …
Read More »Twelve European states poised to join Scholz’s anti-missile shield
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Europe-wide air defence system is taking shape as 12 European countries have signed up as fears grow over using intercontinental ballistic missiles as the Ukraine war escalates. Scholz proposed his initiative to integrate the patchwork of European defence systems into a European missile shield to allow …
Read More »New national security strategy prioritizes China and Russia concerns over Middle East
The United States’ newly released national security strategy calls for restrained use of the American military in the Middle East. Instead, it prioritizes “out-competing China and constraining Russia” while criticizing the expanded missions of U.S. wars in recent decades. “We will not use our military to change regimes or remake …
Read More »Russia’s ‘irrecoverable losses’ in Ukraine: more than 90,000 troops dead, disabled, or AWOL
More than 90,000 troops make up Russia’s “irrecoverable” military losses in Ukraine, as reported by the Russian media project iStories (or Vazhnye Istorii). One of the two sources of this information works in the FSB; the other is a former state security officer. “Irrecoverable losses” is a category that includes …
Read More »EU warns Turkey on ties with Russia ahead of Erdogan-Putin meeting
The European Commission’s annual report on Turkey criticizes Ankara for increasing trade and financial relations with Russia, inviting Russian oligarchs to the country and undermining EU sanctions against Russia. The European Union is concerned with Ankara’s continued policy of non-alignment with restrictive measures against Russia and increased trade and financial …
Read More »Turkey’s stance complicates potential peace between Armenia, Azerbaijan
By linking Turkey’s normalization with Armenia to a peace settlement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Erdogan could encourage intransigence on Baku’s part. The recent meeting between the leaders of Turkey and Armenia — the first in 13 years — has rekindled the prospect of normalization between the two estranged neighbors, with …
Read More »Iranian Regime Mouthpiece ‘Kayhan’: ‘Hundreds Of Iranian Combat Drones Were Exported To Russia – Just As Venezuela Benefited From Iranian Drones In The Past… For Some Time Now, Iranian Drones Have Been Operating Against NATO In Ukrainian Skies’
Kayhan: The Americans “Have Understood It Correctly – Iran Is Exporting Military Equipment To The Second Most Powerful Military In The World – The Russian Federation” Iranian Foreign Minister Abdollahian has on several occasions denied to his European counterparts that Iran is selling Iranian weapons, especially combat drones, to Russia …
Read More »Somalia: Lifting Arms Embargo Key to Battling Islamist Militants
Somalia is getting support for its campaign to have an arms embargo lifted after Ethiopia joined Uganda in backing the action. The U.N. Security Council is set to vote in November on renewing the partial ban, which Somalia says should be removed so it can better fight al-Shabab terrorists. Ethiopia’s …
Read More »Germany at a crossroads over Sahel mission
Germany is questioning its military deployment in the Sahel region after anti-Western demonstrations in Niger and a fresh coup in Burkina Faso. There is some support for the Bundeswehr to continue its training mission. Germany’s parliament is debating its deployment of troops to Mali and other Sahel states that are …
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