Category Archives: NATO

Americas Navy will need significantly more money if its going to keep up with Chinas growing navy, U.S. Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro said Thursday at the 2021 Aspen Security Forum in Washington, D.C.

How much more? About three to five percent above inflation if its to reach its 355-ship target ratified by Congress in 2018. And thats especially notable because the Navys budget was essentially flat this year, Defense Ones Caitlin Kenney reports. Flat how? The service asked for $211.7 billion in 2022, including $22.6 billion for shipbuilding procurement. Even taking those together, the total is less than what the Navy received in 2021.

Del Toro also wants Congress to stop buying F/A-18 Super Hornets so the Navy can add more F-35 Lightning IIs, which he said were better able to meet the significantly increasing capabilities of the Chinese. Continue reading, here.

Also on Thursday: The Navy fired the captain and two other leaders of the USS Connecticut for loss of confidence after the submarine hit an underwater mountain in the South China Sea, the service announced in a statement.

Background: A command investigation into the Oct. 2 incident found that the Seawolf-class nuclear attack submarine grounded on an uncharted seamount while operating in international waters, U.S. 7th Fleet said Monday. The grounding injured 11 sailors and damaged the ballast tanks in the submarines forward section, and now the vessel is in Guam for damage assessment. Its expected to return to its homeport of Bremerton, Washington, for repairs. Defense Ones Caitlin Kenney has more on that one, here.

Navy Secretary Seeks 3-5% Annual Budget Increases // Caitlin M. Kenney: I think more members of Congress understand the real threat that China presents, Del Toro said.

New Tech Will Erode Nuclear Deterrence. The US Must Adapt // Barry Pavel and Christian Trotti: A nuclear-only review cant properly assess sensors and weapons from hypersonics to directed energy.

Navy Fires Commander, Other Leaders of Damaged Submarine // Caitlin M. Kenney: A separate safety investigation is still proceeding into the Oct. 2 grounding of USS Connecticut.

Welcome to this Friday edition of The D Brief from Ben Watson and Jennifer Hlad. If youre not already subscribed to The D Brief, you can do that here. On this day in 1925, a multi-lingual adventurer who came to be known as an ace of spies, Sidney George Reilly, was executed near Moscow after linking up with a group he thought were anti-Bolsheviks, but who were in fact intelligence agents running a counter-spy operation. Reillys life and exploits would later inform Ian Flemmings famous James Bond character, who debuted in the 1953 novel, Casino Royale.

Turkish protesters put a hood over the head of a U.S. Navy civilian in Istanbul this week during a port visit by the USS Mount Whitney. Seventeen of the protesters were later detained for the stunt on Wednesday, which was captured in video for maximum social media outrage here, and meant as a protest of U.S. military support for YPG fighters inside Syria, according to Reuters.

FWIW: The Istanbul protesters, known as the Turkey Youth Union, or TGB, carried out a similar act in 2014 by putting a hood over the head of U.S. soldiers returning from an exercise in the Black Sea region, Reuters reminds us.With some perhaps understandable restraint, heres how the U.S. Navys Sixth Fleet described at least some of Wednesdays developments in a statement the following day: While in Istanbul, Mount Whitneys crew, as well as members of the embarked SIXTHFLT and Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO staff, had the opportunity to enjoy Istanbuls rich culture and history while interacting with local Turkish citizens through Morale, Welfare, and Recreation tours.Update: The USS Mount Whitney and its international crew are now patrolling the Black Sea, the U.S. Navy announced Thursday.From the region: Romania, Ukraine say more troops needed on the Black Sea, via Defense News, reporting Thursday.

The White House just authorized $650 million in missile sales to the Saudis, the State Departments Bureau of Political-Military Affairs announced Thursday after its obligatory notification to Congress.One motivating factor: Weve seen an increase in cross-border attacks against Saudi Arabia over the past year, the Bureau tweeted Thursday after the announcement.Involved: As many as 280 AIM-120C-7/C-8 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles, which are expected to be used to at least in part to help thwart the persistent [drone] attacks that have put U.S. forces at risk and threatened the more than 70,000 U.S. citizens in the Kingdom, a State Department official said Thursday, isolating Iranian-backed Houthi air attacks, in particular. A bit more, here.

All 24 female U.S. senators have urged President Biden to craft a plan to protect women and girls in Afghanistan. Kabuls former government, while flawed, was bound by a constitution that promoted human rights, and freedom of speech and assembly for both women and men, the senators write in their letter. But more recently, of course, Taliban leaders who promised that women would be treated well under the new government are not upholding those commitments.Afghan women and girls need our action now, they write, adding, We request and look forward to a briefing from the administration on your plan. Read over the full one-page letter (PDF), here.

Theres at least one technology application in which Russia seems a bit ahead of the rest of the world. Its called nuclear-powered residential heating, and Russian officials are pioneering its use in the arctic port town of Pevek, which is close-ish to Alaska and has a population of about 4,500 people, the New York Times Andrew Kramer reported Friday.One reason this matters: It could reduce fossil fuel use at a time when the world is seeking adaptations to the challenges posed by climate change.Another reason it matters: American, Chinese, and French companies are now mulling a similar application of small nuclear reactors (GE and Westinghouse, in the U.S. instances). In Peveks case, the residents are using power generated from a floating reactor facility called Akademik Lomonosov and thats almost as large as a city block.Like Chinas new use of the old Soviet orbital bombardment system, Russias use of small reactors also harkens back to the late 1960s and early 1970s. And in fact, Kramer writes, The United States operated a barge-based reactor to electrify the Panama Canal Zone from 1968 to 1976, and Sweden used nuclear heating in a suburb of Stockholm from 1963 to 1974. The U.S. military is even trying to obtain one small enough to fit in a Conex box. Continue reading, here.

The U.S. has a National Space Council, and it is holding its first meeting on Dec. 1, SpaceNews reports Friday. Vice President Kamala Harris will direct the meeting, which is expected to take place at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center, near Greenbelt, Maryland. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson is also expected to attend.If this sounds somehow both old and new, thats because The council was revived by the Trump administration in 2017 after nearly a quarter-century of dormancy, according to SpaceNews. More here.

And finally today: RIP, Colin Powell. President Joe Biden will join two of Americas previous commanders-in-chief at the private funeral of Colin Powell, scheduled for noon Friday at the Washington National Cathedral.POTUS44 and 43 are expected to attend, along with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the Wall Street Journal reports in a preview.

Have a safe weekend, everyone. And well see you again on Monday!

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Today's D Brief: USN needs more $, says SecNav; US, NATO in the Black Sea; $650m in missile sales to the Saudis; And a bit more. - Defense One

News & Politics

(PAP) ej/mrb November 03, 2021

Nato headquarters in Brussels told PAP on Wednesday the alliance was concerned about the escalation on the Polish-Belarusian border and called on Minsk to observe international law.

Nato HQ's press office told PAP the alliance had observed a wave of migrants trying to enter Nato member states via Belarus and was monitoring the situation closely as it exerted pressure of Nato members Poland, Latvia and Lithuania. Nato also said that the Alexander Lukashenko regime's use of migrants as a hybrid tactic is unacceptable.

The press office continued that the Nato secretary general was in close contact with the governments of its member states and was ready to help its alliance partners in maintaining security in the region.

The borders of Poland, Lithuania and Latvia have experienced increased migratory pressure in recent months they blame on a policy by Minsk aimed at destabilising the EU. Areas adjacent to Poland's border with Belarus have been under a state of emergency since September 2.

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Nato calls on Belarus to observe international law - The First News

MOSCOW, November 3. /TASS/. NATO's attempts to dictate its architecture of security to the Asia-Pacific Region are destructive, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a news briefing on Wednesday.

"We believe that NATO's attempts at dictating its vision of security architecture to the region are destructive and may seriously destabilize the situation in the APR," she said.

Zakharova stressed that all questions about NATO's aims in this situation remained unanswered. If the alliance is really determined to enhance security in the APR, she said, then its actions should be agreed with the countries located there. But if NATO's real aim is to build up a military presence in the APR, this arouses questions about compliance with international law.

"If NATO is after building up its military presence in the region, then there is a question over compliance with international law and, in fact, the goals that the alliance sets to itself, or someone else set to the alliance. But there is certainly in stark contrast to what NATO leaders talk so loftily about," she said.

Zakharova stressed that all problems that there exist on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia should be addressed exclusively by political and diplomatic means and in a comprehensive way.

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NATO's dictating of its security architecture to APR destructive Foreign Ministry - TASS

A group of 117 Afghan citizens has arrived for resettlement in Canada on a flight sponsored by the Canadian authorities. The group left from a temporary facility in Kosovo, where they lived since their evacuation from Kabul in August with logistical support from troops from the NATO Response Force.

Canada has committed to resettling up to a total of 427 NATO-affiliated Afghans and their immediate family members, who must meet Canadas admissibility requirements. Canada is taking a leading role in ensuring that NATO is able to resettle all those Afghan staff who were evacuated.During NATOs mission in Afghanistan, many brave Afghans stepped up to help Canada and our Allies often at great risk to themselves. In recognition of the danger they now face because of their work to build a better Afghanistan, Canada will welcome these Afghans and their families with open arms. As a founding member of NATO, Canada is a dedicated member of the Alliance and will continue working with our Allies, partners, and the international community to create a safer and more secure world, the Honourable Anita Anand, Canadas Minister of National Defence, said.Thanks to Allies joint efforts, around 2,000 Afghans who worked with NATO, and their families, were evacuated from Kabul in August, as part of the largest evacuation mission in NATO's history. NATO worked around the clock to coordinate evacuations and the NATO Senior Civilian Representative Ambassador Stefano Pontecorvo and his staff played a key role to this effect. Over the course of two weeks, more than 120,000 people were flown out, on hundreds of Allied flights. Troops from the US, UK, Turkey, and Norway played a key role in securing the airport and operating a field hospital, while around 800 NATO staff maintained key operations such as fuelling and communications. NATO Allies and partners continue to work together to help evacuated Afghans start a new life. Over the last weeks, 80 former Afghan employees and their families resettled in Norway, more than 100 in the United Kingdom, around 100 in Germany, 20 in Iceland, and several hundred more in other Allied countries.

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Afghans who worked with NATO start new life in Canada - NATO HQ

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said he is convinced that Hungary will return to "loud" support for Ukraine's membership in NATO after controversial issues in bilateral relations are resolved.

He stated this at the online forum "Re:Open Zakarpattia" on Friday, November 5, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

Commenting on the fact that Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto did not mention Ukraine in the context of NATO's open-door policy in his speech at the Warsaw Security Forum, Kuleba said that "it was a diplomatic pin."

At the same time, he said that given the history of bilateral relations, it is in Hungary's interest to see Ukraine as a member of NATO. He also noted that Hungary "at all levels, in all possible formats" supported Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic integration.

"The dispute in our relations, first because of misunderstandings about Ukrainian educational legislation and now because of Hungary's decisions in the energy sector, stimulates some verbal correction of the signals that are being sent. But I have no doubt that after we overcome the misunderstandings we have with Hungary, it will return to loud support for Ukraine's membership in NATO," Kuleba said.

Photo credit: Re:Open Zakarpattia

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Kuleba thinks Hungary will return to 'loud' support for Ukraine's membership in NATO - Ukrinform. Ukraine and world news

Last week, the new NATO Secretary Generals Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia, Mr. Javier Colomina, travelled to the South Caucasus, visiting Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia to introduce himself in his new capacity. He discussed regional security issues with high-level civilian and military officials, took stock of NATOs relations with these important partners and shared views on future political dialogue and cooperation, especially in the context of the ongoing preparations for the 2022 NATO Summit in Madrid.

The Secretary Generals Special Representative expressed appreciation for Azerbaijans support to NATO in Afghanistan, and specifically for the role played by Azerbaijan units in supporting the evacuation efforts of Allied and partner personnel and Afghans at risk, from Kabul airport, this past August. He listened to views on the challenges faced by Azerbaijan following the 44-day war. He also reviewed current NATO-Azerbaijan cooperation, including the resumption of cooperation with the Azerbaijan authorities within the Planning and Review Process partnership framework.

In Georgia Mr. Colomina expressed support for Georgias Euro-Atlantic aspirations and highlighted the importance of moving reform forward in key areas, including judiciary reform, oversight of the security sector, and electoral reform. He praised Georgia for its continued contributions to Euro-Atlantic security and for its support to NATO operations, including with regard to the evacuation efforts from Kabul this Summer, as well as Georgias constructive role in the region. He also visited the Administrative Boundary Line where he reiterated NATOs support for Georgias territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.

In Armenia the Secretary Generals Special Representative spoke with his interlocutors on ways to further political dialogue and sustain NATO-Armenia practical cooperation in various domains, such as civil emergency, peacekeeping operations, and Women, Peace and Security. He listened to views on the challenges faced by Armenia following the 44-day war. He also recognized Armenias troop contributions including in Kosovo and its valuable participation in different NATOs partnership-frameworks, such as the Planning and Review Process, the Defence Education Enhancement Programme and the Building Integrity Programme.

The position of the NATO Secretary Generals Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia was established to place a special focus on these two strategically important regions for the Atlantic Alliance, following the decision taken by NATO Allies at the Istanbul Summit in June 2004.

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New NATO Secretary General's Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia pays his first visit to the South Caucasus - NATO HQ

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stressed the value of the Alliances partnership with Sweden during a visit to Stockholm, with ambassadors of the North Atlantic Council, on Tuesday (26 October 2021).

The Secretary General met with His Majesty Carl XVI Gustaf, King of Sweden, and held talks with Prime Minister Stefan Lfven. He praised Swedens contributions to NATO missions and operations, from the Western Balkans to Iraq. The Secretary General and Prime Minister discussed progress in strengthening cooperation between NATO and Sweden, including with greater information exchanges, joint exercises and political dialogue.

Separately, NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoan and NATO ambassadors participated in a seminar on Security Challenges in the Baltic Sea region, hosted by Foreign Minister Linde, Defence Minister Hultqvist, and Home Affairs Minister Damberg.

The Secretary General, the Deputy Secretary General and the North Atlantic Council also met with the Speaker of the Parliament, Andreas Norln, and senior representatives of the Swedish Parliament. On Wednesday, the Council will visit the Berga Naval Base, together with Finland and Swedens defence ministers. They will have an opportunity to see the joint Swedish and Finnish naval exercise, SWENEX-21.

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Secretary General stresses strength of NATO's partnership with Sweden - NATO HQ

We are being perceived more and more as an important partner and ally. And it is critical in this regard not to forget about pursuing reform

On October 26, Ukraine took part in a meeting of the NATO North Atlantic Council's Conference of National Armaments Directors. The event is truly unprecedented. Thats because, despite the fact that our country has been involved in earlier conferences, too (which will be discussed below), this was the first time when this is about the issues that are the prerogative of NATO Allies exclusively. These include defense technology innovations, interaction with science and the defense industry, and the optimal ratio of military needs and budget capabilities.

What is this Conference and who takes part in it?

The NATO Conference of National Armaments Directors (CNAD), or the NATO Armaments Committee, as already mentioned, is the Senior Advisory Committee of the Alliance's North Atlantic Council (NAC). In turn, the NAC is NATOs main political decision-making body, consisting of permanent delegates representing the Allies.

"CNAD was established in 1966 to coordinate the efforts of member states (and, where appropriate, partner countries) to develop, procure and achieve interoperability of armaments and military equipment," Mykhailo, deputy director of the Center for Army Research, Conversion and Disarmament, told Ukrinform. Samus.

The Committee identifies possible ways for cooperation between countries to share risks and costs for design works, research and development, as well as saving costs on scale, interaction with industry, standardization, and interoperability.

The Conference of National Armaments Directors is convened twice a year in plenary format, one time with the participation of the Allies exclusively and the other where partners attend. There are also monthly regular meetings. They all take place at NATO Headquarters in Brussels.

"It is known that, for example, besides Ukraine, representatives of Austria, Azerbaijan, Finland, Sweden, Switzerland, and other countries also take part in such meetings. At one time, even the Russian Federation participated in CNAD meetings, said Valery Riabykh, a military expert and editor of the Defense Express outlet.

As far as Ukraine is concerned, the expert noted, the Ukraine-NATO Joint Working Group on Defense and Technical Cooperation was launched in March 2004: It is responsible for designating and coordinating the implementation of specific measures of cooperation between Ukraine and NATO in the field of armaments. It reports to both the Ukraine-NATO Commission and the Conference of National Armaments Directors.

However, while until last year, when Ukraine became a member of NATO's Enhanced Capabilities partnership on June 12, 2020, the meetings focused more on technical assistance and the implementation of NATO standards, with the acquisition of new status things somewhat changed

"The range of issues in which Ukraine representatives will be engaged can be significantly expanded, especially considering Ukraines continued determination in achieving the ultimate goal of joining the Alliance as a full member," said Riabykh.

What was discussed at the meeting and what exactly can it bring Ukraine?

"Several key topics were discussed during the meeting, including innovation and NATO's core programs. Armaments Directors, in particular, discussed new, breakthrough technologies to understand their potential, identify action plans, tools for their implementation, and the relevant deadlines. They also provided instructions on how to secure capabilities critical to deterrence and defense as soon as possible, through enhanced cooperation between Allies, as well as with NATO's Research and Technology Organization and Strategic Commands, and so on, said Valery Riabykh.

Simply put, the meeting focused on issues related to the Alliance's agenda, which is quite logical.

As for Ukraine

"We have no public information at the moment. However, its highly likely that during this meeting and during those with representatives of individual NATO Allies, the handover of a number of key lethal weapons to bolster our country's defenses could be discussed. This includes anti-ship missiles, various naval defense systems, missiles, and air defense elements," said the expert.

"At such meetings, decisions are made on what weapons to produce and develop, and most importantly on who will be doing it. As Ukraine today is a NATO enhanced capabilities partner, in this case, it is likely it will also be integrated into the process of designing and manufacturing weapons models for NATO Allies," added Oleh Zhdanov, Colonel in Reserve who is now a military expert.

This means that the Ukrainian defense industry, its research and technology potential may be involved.

"The range of what we can produce is really wide. Firstly, thats thanks to our defense industry, and secondly, because we have unique technologies that even the United States doesnt have. For example, the Atlas space rocket, which was mainly developed and manufactured by the Ukrainian Pivdenmash, recently took off toward Jupiter's satellites, Zhdanov recalls.

In addition, Ukraine can make guidance and navigation systems (including the Neptune missiles). As an example, at Saudi Arabias request, Ukraine built the Hrim (Thunder) missile system from scratch in three years before handing it over to them. Thats not to mention our radars. In particular, the Ukrainian Kolchuga, a passive radar that sees the sky while remaining invisible to everyone else has no competitors internationally.

"Finally, we have a joint project with the United Kingdom to produce missile boats, and with Turkey an Akinci strike drone. That is, there are many projects of which Ukraine is part, the military expert emphasizes.

And these are both NATO Allies.

"And NATO is already putting forward an issue, as early as today, of involving our country, so Ukraine's defense industry and scientific potential may receive additional orders from the Alliance. After all, designing and producing a missile in Ukraine is several times cheaper than assembling it in the United States or Germany. Therefore, Ukraine's presence at the meeting of armaments directors is important because, on the one hand, they continue to integrate and engage us, and on the other hand, for NATO its cost-effective to use Ukraine as a producer country (even for individual parts or components), Zhdanov is convinced.

However, the Alliance needs to understand all the processes revolving in the country, preferably including its defense industry.

"Over the years, there decisions and efforts have been amassed, and now all this is gradually crystallizing, reaching a practical level. We are involved in specific NATO projects, so we are, in fact, already engaged in the processes taking place within the Alliance. And it is critical in this regard to reform our defense industry. The process that is ongoing today, liquidation of Ukroboronprom, as well as privatization, corporatization, and transition to civilized forms of defense industry management, will lead to Ukraine having it much easier to implement joint projects with our NATO partners, Mykhailo Samus said.

Now it is difficult for our partners to understand exactly where to invest, transfer technology, how it will be protected, whether it could just be stolen out of the blue, and so on.

"Until now, our partners, including the Americans, simply could not physically invest in the Ukrainian defense industry because it was a sort of a Soviet entity, and nothing could be done about it. It was opaque to modern businesses. The thing is that defense industry in the west is a business that wants to see where its money and technology will be in a few years. However, now the process has been launched," said the expert.

It is very important that Ukraine take part in such NATO events, at least because they, among other things, offer us additional impetus for reform.

"As for the topics, areas, and fields of cooperation that will be useful to Ukraine both in terms of combat capability and commercial success in world markets, theres an incredible number of them. We just need to do everything the right way and efficiently," Samus stressed.

In any case

"President Volodymyr Zelensky's policy, aimed at demanding from NATO a clear position on Ukraine's accession, is beginning to bear fruit," said Petro Oleschuk, an international policy expert.

Of course, so far it is hardly worth claiming that Ukraine has made progress on the path toward joining NATO, but still

"We have achieved being increasingly perceived as an important partner and ally. At the same time, we see how Ukraine is gradually beginning to penetrate NATO bodies. And this could mean a certain change in the minds of the Alliance leadership," the political expert concluded.

Myroslav Liskovych,Kyiv

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Closer to NATO: Benefits of Ukraines participation in NACs Armaments Committee - Ukrinform. Ukraine and world news

Poland plans to more than double the size of its military to at least 250,000 troops, the countrys defence ministry said on October 25.

The plan is the new initiative of Polands radical rightwing government led by Law and Justice (PiS) and would make the Polish Army one of the largest in Nato.

If we want to avoid the worst, which is war, we must act according to the old rule if you want peace, prepare for war, said Jaroslaw Kaczynski, Polands deputy prime minister responsible for security, and the de facto top decision-maker in the country as the chairman of the Law and Justice (PiS) party.

Other than enlarging the army, the plan set out in a new draft bill dubbed On Defence of the Fatherland assumes stepping up the modernization of the armed forces, and increasing the size of the so-called Territorial Defence, a kind of paramilitary service for civilians, to 50,000.

Kaczynski and Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak did not provide an estimate of the timeline for the changes nor how much they would cost.

The politicians only said that the project will be paid for by the Armed Forces Support Fund, which will be financed from the issuance of Treasury bonds, as well as bonds issued by the state bank BGK, and from the profits of the National Bank of Poland.

The financing structure will be similar to the one used by the government to keep the economy afloat during the worst of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, Blaszczak noted.

The opposition has railed against the plan as unrealistic and taking ever more state spending outside of parliaments control.

Poland has long been one of the few Nato member states that spend the alliance-recommended 2% of GDP on defence. Since Russias annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, Poland has grown wary of the need to beef up its military potential.

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Poland moots plans to make its army one of Nato's largest - bne IntelliNews

Following the expulsion of eight operatives from Russias mission to NATO, the nation has ceased its diplomatic connections with the western military alliance. The growing schism epitomizes a new era of Cold War-like tensions and mistrust.

According to a NATO official, the expulsion took place on the basis that the eight diplomats in question were undeclared Russian intelligence officers. This move brings the Russian delegations permanent mission to NATOs Brussels headquarters down to 10. This was the second knock to Russias presence at NATO, as following the 2018 Salisbury Spy poisonings, Russias delegation was reduced from 30 to 20. Thus, after years of repetitive ejections, the Russian government has opted to suspend political dialogue with the military behemoth that encroaches upon its borders. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas asserted that the decision taken by Moscow will seriously damage the relationship, seemingly unaware of his irony-infested jargon.

NATOs decision earlier this month was predicated upon malign activities over recent years taking place within Europe. Specifically, an explosion at a Czech munitions depot in 2014, which some intelligence agencies have linked to clandestine Russian forces. According to reports from Sky News, NATO launched an assessment of Russian espionage and sabotage exercises over the summer and, following a compilation of its investigative work, made the decision, within its collective framework, to take punitive measures against Russia. The evidence for Russian involvement is somewhat available to the public. Czech President Milo Zeman disclosed in an address in April that domestic investigators were working with the knowledge that an official working at the warehouse may have shown the Russian agents around the facility, and that one worker refused to take a polygraph test. Such accusations are weighted and appear congruous with an unravelling narrative of Russian geopolitical interference.

The depot is confirmed to have been storing munitions belonging to Bulgarian arms dealer Emilian Gebrev, according to an email he sent to the New York Times. The weapons were most likely headed to Ukraine, where they would most certainly have been used for the butchering of many more than two people, the number that died in the Czech blast. Nonetheless, Gebrev, himself, was poisoned only six months after the explosion while dining in Sofia. This has led many to draw lines between the two events as it is evident that Russia would be opposed to military equipment being used against the separatist forces it backs in Ukraine. Additionally, the poison used against Gebrev (smeared on his car door handle) seems to have similar physiological consequences to the substance Novichok, used in 2018 to assassinate a former Russian agent living in the U.K.

However, the evidence is not neat nor conclusive in my view. Suspiciously, during the climax of the Czech-Russian geostrategic jousting, the Czech government made the decision to expel Russian diplomats. This occurred mere days after the U.S. decided to do the same, citing hacking scandals and interference aimed at flout democracy within. Additionally, the move came as negotiations and bidding for a 6-billion-euro nuclear power plant contract continue. China, Russia, the United States, and France, and other nations could compete for the right to build reactor infrastructure in the country, and, presumably exercise some influence over its energy needs.

All this being said, I am not advocating that Russia was completely detached from the explosion and poisonings. These events boast cogent alignments with traditional Russian antagonistic methodology. However, I do resonate with the sentiments of Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko, who commented, After the dramatic end of the Afghan era how can they [NATO] can get by without the bogeyman of the Russian threat. They cant. Of course, this is all occurring amid the spectre of growing militarization along Russias borders by NATO and on Ukraines eastern borders by Russia. The best move would be to readmit the Russian officials and maintain the diplomatic mission in Brussels at 20. Russias cessation of its consular presence in the hub of the western defence infrastructure de facto isolates itself further from any potential negotiations and dialogue. Overall, Russian GRU agents should not be operating on foreign soil, nor should the CIA and MI6. It appears it might be too late, though. We are already entrenched in a post-Soviet quagmire the only way out of which is a mutually peaceful confrontation in the form of communication.

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The Russia-NATO Split, Explained The Organization for World Peace - The Organization for World Peace