Rusia

Comrades-in-Sanctions: Can Iran Help Russia Weather the Economic Storm?

The potential for cooperation in certain areas, like military technology, may look promising. But Iran cannot be counted upon to really help the Russian economy withstand the impact of sanctions.

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, relations between Russia and Iran have flourished. Having been hit by a new raft of tough Western sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine, Moscow set about looking for alternative partners among other traditionally anti-Western countries—including to bypass trade restrictions—and Iran looks set to be one of the most promising.

Iran Must Be Punished for Its ‘Complicity in Russian Terror,’ Zelenskyy Says

Iran must be punished for its “complicity in Russian terror,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a speech on Sunday evening.

He added that “absolutely everyone who helps Russia prolong this war must bear responsibility for the consequences of this war along with it.” Zelenskyy said, “The whole world will know that the Iranian regime helps Russia prolong this war, and therefore prolong the effect of those threats to the world provoked precisely by the Russian war.

Don’t Panic About Putin

Even Desperate Leaders Tend to Avoid Catastrophe

National leaders who are losing wars sometimes resort to desperate gambles. Defeat or even lack of victory might threaten their hold on power, and they are sometimes willing to take daring or outside-the-box moves to try to turn things around. This is the great fear about the war in Ukraine: if Russian President Vladimir Putin judges that his back is up against the wall, he may decide to take catastrophic action.

UK Reports Dismissals of Russian Commanders Since Ukraine Invasion

Britain’s Defense Ministry said Sunday in its daily intelligence report about Ukraine that there has been a “series of dismissals of senior Russian military commanders since the onset of the invasion in February 2022.”

The report said, “These dismissals represent a pattern of blame against senior Russian military commanders for failures to achieve Russian objectives on the battlefield. This is in part likely an attempt to insulate and deflect blame from Russian senior leadership at home.”

South Caucasus Inch Closer To Peace – Analysis

As Armenia and Azerbaijan near a peace treaty, Russia is increasingly distanced from the region.

Armenia and Azerbaijan seem to be inching toward a comprehensive peace deal by the year-end. The hints in the media have been circulating for months, with various representatives from the Armenian leadership signaling a high probability of progress on the peace deal.

Ukraine war a ‘warmup,’ the ‘big one is coming’ and US behind in nuclear, admiral warns

The US Stratcom head warned that China and Russia are outcompeting America in the nuclear arena, losing deterrence.

The war in Ukraine is a prelude to greater military challenges to the US in the near future, and America is losing its competitive edge in nuclear weapons capabilities, US Strategic Command head Admiral Charles Richard warned in a speech at the Naval Submarine League’s 2022 Annual Symposium & Industry Update on Wednesday, the US Defense Department reported.

What Could Bring Putin Down?

Regime Collapse Is More Likely Than a Coup

Can Russian President Vladimir Putin lose the war in Ukraine and retain power? As Ukraine’s driving counteroffensive erodes Russia’s position on the battlefield, that question is getting increasing attention. Discussion has focused on the possibility of a coup, whether an armed insurrection by disgruntled Russian generals or a mutiny by Kremlin insiders. Although not impossible, neither of these is currently very likely. In fact, a different danger is more plausible: a comprehensive meltdown of the regime, as multiple challenges overwhelm its capacity to react and dysfunction drains confidence in Putin’s leadership.

Russia’s Reliance On Iran, Sign Of Putin’s Isolation, Says Pentagon

Russian President Vladimir Putin is relying on Iran to supply weapons for his war in Ukraine, which is a sign of his isolation, Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said during a news conference.

Ryder could not confirm news reports that Russia has asked Iran for ballistic missiles and other capabilities, but he did confirm that Iran has provided hundreds of unmanned aerial vehicles to Russia. And Russian forces have used them to attack Ukraine.