Articles
The U.S. Response to War on Ukraine Needs Work
Since Russia launched its most recent invasion of Ukraine on February 24, the United States and NATO have provided political, military, economic, and other forms of aid and support to Ukraine. While well-intentioned, Washington could improve the types, quantity, and velocity of the aid it provides to Kyiv.
NATO Summit in Madrid – what to expect?
From June 28th to June 30th the NATO summit 2022 will take place in Madrid. It will be attended by the Heads of State and Government of every member state as well as by NATO’s pacific partners Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea.
The hidden scale of cybercrime
Along with the development of technological innovation, cybercrime is growing, and companies are increasingly falling prey to it. According to the calculations of Chuck Robbins – CEO of Cisco, if you compare the amount of losses generated globally by online criminals with global economies, cybercriminals could successfully create the third largest economy in the world.
Better late than never. Troublesome visit of the President of Romania to Kiev
The visit of Klaus Iohannis to Ukraine was necessary and one of the more frequent comments was “better late than never”. His presence, however, remained somewhat overshadowed by Emmanuel Macron, Olaf Scholz and Mario Draghi. There were also opinions that his presence supported their policy of concessions to Russia. The case, however, is more nuanced.
Russia Has Potential Plan To Smash Ukrainian Stronghold In Luhansk Region
A two-month operation to target Ukrainian positions in Severodonetsk failed to produce any tangible effects for Russia. The best way would consist in encircling Ukrainian troops in the Azov chemical plant but Russian forces are unable to do so, seeking to cut off the Ukrainians further, which is on the western bank of the Donets River. Claiming Lysychansk would put an end to the defense of Severodonetsk.
China’s crude oil imports from Russia surged to a record
Since the war in Ukraine has begun, due to the strong and adverse response from the West, many experts were cautiously observing China’s role in the conflict. One of the questions was to what extent China would replace the EU in the terms of economic relations, and after the planned embargo on Russian oil introduced by the EU.
Russia Violates Baltic Airspace And Waters, Sending Warning To Sweden, Finland
Russia has recently violated Danish territorial waters, performed flights with transponders off, and staged a large-scale drill in its exclave region of Kaliningrad. Thus Moscow has reacted aggressively to the Swedish and Finnish bids to join the Western military alliance NATO. Such breaches could become common as NATO leaders will meet in Madrid on June 28–30.
Russia-Ukraine War Empowers Chechnya’s Kadyrov
The leader of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov has never got on well with federal strongmen, in particular FSB officers. His radical stance on the Russian invasion of Ukraine and Chechen involvement––quite brazen in social media outlets––consolidated his position in Moscow. Kadyrov’s recent visits to the Russian capital displayed both his ambition and influence.
The United States reaffirms a strong strategic alliance with New Zealand
President of the United States, Joe Biden, hosted the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, at the White House on May 31, 2022. The aim of the meeting was to confirm the strong partnership between the two countries and to develop a joint response to the Solomon Islands pact with the People’s Republic of China.
Russia Remains Military Involved In War-Torn Syria
Still active in Syria, Russia has no intention of giving up in some war-torn places where it has gained an advantage over other players. Although Moscow redirected some troops from Syria to fight in Ukraine, Moscow still occupies a vital role in the Middle Eastern country. Israel and Turkey seem to have realized they both might fill in the void left by the Russian military.
Russian Oil Revenue Soar, Filling Moscow’s War Chest
The Kremlin has earned a record profit from oil although its invasion of Ukraine has continued for more than three months, triggering a set of punitive measures. Russia reports a drop in its exports to the European Union, but sells more to some alternative markets, notably India. Record-breaking oil prices mean more money to the Russian federal budget, also to sponsor the invasion of Ukraine. Oil-related revenues will edge up as the Russian finance ministry is planning to raise an export levy.
French, Italian, German Leaders Visit Ukraine, Mount Pressure On Kyiv
French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, and German Chancellor headed to Kyiv, Ukraine, to check whether the Ukrainian authorities are eager to make concessions to Russia to end the war. Perhaps the three Western leaders––all of whom contact regularly Vladimir Putin––have submitted a list of conditions for entering peace talks with Russia.
Russia’s “Party of War” Claims Poland Is Moving To Take Ukrainian Territory
Amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Poland has emerged as a key supporter of Ukraine. It was enough for Moscow to consider the country hostile to the Kremlin. Russia is fearful of the Poland-Ukraine rapprochement, which resonated in what the country’s foreign minister, chief of the foreign intelligence agency, and the Security Council secretary have said publicly.
Kremlin’s Latin American Foothold: Nicaragua Authorizes Russian Military Deployment
The government of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega authorized the deployment of Russian troops, planes, and ships to Nicaragua for training, law enforcement, or emergency response purposes. This is another confirmation of the Russia-Venezuela alliance that resembles the one in the Cold War era when Sandinistas remained staunch allies of the Soviet Union. Russia sees the Ortega regime as a member of the Cuba-Venezuela-Nicaragua club that targets the United States and its Latin American allies. Moscow has played the first two for intelligence and military purposes and now Nicaragua joins the club.
