Rusia

Why Is Russia Expanding Its Military Presence In Libya? – OpEd

The Telegraph’s analysis of air bases in Libya reveals the presence of military transport aircraft, updated runways, reinforced perimeter defenses, and new buildings. Russia is now landing military aircraft in Libya on newly refurbished runways as part of its rapid expansion in Africa.

The analysis conducted by The Telegraph at three Libyan air bases indicates the presence of Russian military transport aircraft, updated runways, reinforced perimeter defenses, and newly constructed buildings. Russia’s military presence in Libya is growing significantly due to the developing partnership between General Khalifa Haftar, who commands the eastern and southern regions of the country, and the Russian president.

G7 leaders aranging virtual summit on Dec 13 over Russia, Middle East

The Group of Seven nations are arranging to hold a virtual summit on Dec 13 to discuss Russia’s war in Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East, Japanese government and diplomatic sources said.

The meeting, likely to be attended by Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, comes ahead of the January return to the White House of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who has cast doubt on the effectiveness of multilateral frameworks like the G7.

Massive An-124 lands at Khmeimim amid Russian retreat signs

OSINT observers and military analysts monitoring developments in Syria have raised alarms about increased activity by Russian forces at their Khmeimim Air Base.

Reports highlight the arrival of multiple transport aircraft, a move some interpret as signaling a potential evacuation of critical Russian assets from the region.

Putin signs off record Russian defense spending as top EU officials visit Kyiv

Russian President Vladimir Putin approved budget plans, raising 2025 military spending to record levels as Moscow seeks to prevail in the war in Ukraine.

Around 32.5% of the budget posted on a government website Sunday has been allocated for national defense, amounting to over $145 billion, up from a reported 28.3% this year.

What Yeltsin Heard: From Cold War to “Cold Peace”

Clinton’s Two Tracks Collide – NATO Enlargement and Russia Engagement

Washington, D.C., November 24, 2021 – The biggest train wreck on the track to NATO expansion in the 1990s – Boris Yeltsin’s “cold peace” blow up at Bill Clinton in Budapest in December 1994 – was the result of “combustible” domestic politics in both the U.S. and Russia, and contradictions in the Clinton attempt to have his cake both ways, expanding NATO and partnering with Russia at the same time, according to newly declassified U.S. documents published today by the National Security Archive.

Zelenskyy’s ‘Victory Plan’ for Ukraine Makes Sense. It Has Little Chance of Being Implemented

The Ukrainian president formally presented his plan calling for ramped-up Western military firepower and economic aid and at least a promise of NATO membership to help accelerate the war’s end. The country’s supporters should heed his calls for fortifying Ukraine’s defenses.

With the Russian-Ukrainian war approaching its third anniversary, many Ukrainians and their supporters are feeling dejected because there is no end in sight. More than 300,000 Ukrainians have been killed or wounded (according to U.S. intelligence estimates) and Ukraine is facing painful electricity blackouts during the winter. Far more Russian troops have been killed or wounded—more than 600,000—yet Russian forces keep attacking. They are slowly making gains, at great cost, in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine. Ukrainian morale is starting to sag and support for Ukraine in the West could start to decline as well, especially if former President Donald Trump wins the White House again in November.

Russia’s Balancing Act in the Levant

Russia’s military intervention in Syria reflected a more assertive foreign policy. However, its ability to expand its influence to Lebanon and beyond has been restricted.

Russia’s role in the Levant and its involvement in the region’s power politics have undergone a significant shift over the past decade, mainly because of opportunities created by geopolitical and regional developments, including, most critically, the pivoting of U.S. foreign policy away from the Middle East and forever wars. These developments opened the door in 2015 to a more active Russian role in reshaping a region that was in the throes of societal upheavals and expanding conflicts. The United States’ growing disengagement became especially evident following the failure of U.S. former president Barack Obama’s famous red line in preventing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad from launching chemical weapons attacks against Syrian citizens in 2013. This created an opportune moment for Russia to launch a new strategic and somewhat pragmatic foreign policy in the Levant, through which it sought to carve out a space for itself in a changing order. Since then, Moscow has acted as a broker of sorts between different actors involved in the Syrian conflict, while balancing out its relationship with each actor in favor of its own national interests. In the process, it has sought to redefine a regional security architecture more amenable to these interests.

Understanding Türkiye’s Entanglement With Russia

As the transatlantic allies adapt to Europe’s new geopolitical realities, maintaining unity against Russia will be critical. Türkiye will have a pivotal role to play in this long-term effort.

During the Cold War, Türkiye presented itself as the steadfast guardian of Europe’s southern flank against the Soviet threat. It stood in lockstep with its Western allies in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and few, if any, questioned Ankara’s foreign policy trajectory or its commitment to NATO.