Russia Monitor Monthly 2/23
Content
The naval power of China in the report of the US Department of Defense
The US Department of Defense (DoD) published an annual report to the Congress on the modernization of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) on September 2, 2020. Media attention was particularly drawn to the fact that China has the largest fleet in the world in terms of number of vessels (350) and that this advantage is expected to increase in the coming years.
Lukashenko Visits Sochi but Pays No Spectacular Tribute to Russia
There was no shortage of opinions that on his first trip to Russia after the presidential vote, Alexander Lukashenko would need to pay a hefty bill for Moscow’s lifeline after Belarus had plunged in a weeks-long crisis. This, however, did not happen.
Slavic Brotherhood Joint Drills Overshadowed by a Crisis
A joint exercise, codenamed Slavic Brotherhood, takes place annually in Russia, Serbia, and Belarus, consecutively. In 2019, Serbia was the host whilst this year’s edition moved to the Brest region in Belarus. Yet Serbia has dropped out of it for the first time in history.
Day 37 – Lukashenko in Sochi, Russian soldiers in Belarus
On Monday, September 14, a meeting between Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko took place at the Russian President’s residence in Sochi. This is the first foreign visit of the Belarusian president after the August 9 election.
WI Daily News – Poland to propose the new Marshall Plan for Belarus
Daily dose of the most important news regarding Polish international cooperation, affairs & activity abroad.
Day 36 – Another Sunday of mass protests
The Belarusian Ministry of Internal Affairs informed in the evening of September 13 that several hundred people were detained on that day, including over 400 in Minsk. The largest protest took place in the capital. About 150,000 people took to the streets.
WI Daily News – V4 PMs’ joint statement on poisoning Alexei Navalny
Daily dose of the most important news regarding Polish international cooperation, affairs & activity abroad.
Day 34 & 35 – Detention of journalists, Vatican envoy in Minsk | Meeting of the law enforcement, statement of the Coordination Council
More than 40 people were detained by the militia during Saturday’s protests in which women took part. The officers as well as men in balaclavas and unmarked suits acted violently, some women were badly beaten. Several journalists were also detained.
USA sanctions Chinese companies involved in building artificial islands on South China Sea
On the 26th of August, Washington sanctioned dozens of Chinese individuals and defence firms over their contribution to China’s controversial island-building campaign in the disputed South China Sea and coercion against Southeast Asian claimant states.
An underestimated threat. How Russia and China influence the CEE?
We invite your the Warsaw Institute’s first online roundtable! The experts debate “An underestimated threat. How Russia and China influence the CEE?” shall take place on Monday, September 14th at 6:00 PM.
Economic Forum 2020 – report
On September 8-10 2020, the XXX Economic Forum was held in Karpacz, organized by the Institute for Eastern Studies Foundation under the slogan “Europe after the pandemic: Solidarity, Freedom, Community”. The Warsaw Institute had the pleasure to participate in this event as a media partner.
Day 33 – Prosecutor’s Offensive
On Thursday, September 10, the Ministry of Internal Affairs gave official information about the protests in Belarus the day before. The police detained a total of 37 people, mostly in Minsk. Also on Thursday Lukashenko introduced the employees of the Prosecutor General’s Office to their new boss – Andrei Shved.
Australian journalists flee China
Bill Birtles – the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) correspondent in Beijing and Michael Smith of the Australian Financial Review (AFR) took refuge in Australian diplomatic representations for five days. The reason was the intimidation of both journalists by the security apparatus of the People’s Republic of China.
WI Daily News – Polish aid for Lebanon
Daily dose of the most important news regarding Polish international cooperation, affairs & activity abroad.
Warsaw Institute expert for the Portuguese media
Grzegorz Kuczyński, expert of the Warsaw Institute on Eastern Affairs and Director of the Eurasia Program, spoke to the Portuguese newspaper Expresso about the poisoning of Alexei Navalny.
Russia Breaks Donbas Ceasefire
Back on September 6, the Russian side breached the longest-ever ceasefire regime in the Russian-occupied region of Donbas. Perhaps Moscow is adding fuel to the fire in Ukraine amidst recent turmoil in Belarus and Kyiv’s pledge to freeze ties with Lukashenko’s regime.
German Skirmish Over Nord Stream 2
The poisoning of Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny caused turmoil amongst German senior officials, with all of them waiting for an explanation from Moscow, but just a few being keen to punish Russia. Thus the issue of the Nord Stream 2 energy link came back on the agenda.
Day 32 – Coordination Council members charged; Attorney General changed
The Investigative Committee of Belarus reported that Maria Kolesnikova and Maxim Znak were formally arrested on September 9 as suspects in a case of calling to seize power or acting to the detriment of state security.
WI Daily News – Polish Infrastructure Minister on Three Seas Fund
Daily dose of the most important news regarding Polish international cooperation, affairs & activity abroad.
Day 31 – The regime is stepping up repressions, the border incident, Lukashenko’s interview
On Tuesday, September 8, the fate of the members of the Coordination Council who had disappeared the day before has become clear. It turned out that all three of them had been kidnapped by the security forces and deported to the border with Ukraine.
Warsaw Institute
