Tensions are soaring between Russia and the West. Confident Putin warns Europe is ‘defenceless’

TENSIONS are soaring between Russia and the West. Russian President Vladimir Putin sounds increasingly confident and determined not to back down. He seems to believe that in the current standoff between Russia and the West, it is the West that will blink first. Read more.

From BBC News
By STEVE ROSENBERG
Russia editor
Reporting from St Petersburg
Friday, 7 June 2024 - here is a full copy:

Confident Putin warns Europe is ‘defenceless’

Image source: EPA. Image caption: 

The Russian president's speech capped a surreal week in St Petersburg

Ever since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Moscow has been engaged in nuclear sabre-rattling, dropping a series of not-so-subtle hints that trying to defeat a nuclear power like Russia could have disastrous consequences for those who try.

Today President Putin claimed that Russia wouldn’t need to use a nuclear weapon to achieve victory in Ukraine.

He was being interviewed at a panel discussion at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum: the annual event often described as ‘Russia’s Davos’.

There are few occasions when Mr Putin looks dovish compared to the person asking him the questions.

But when the person asking the questions is Sergei Karaganov it would be hard not to. Mr Karaganov is a hawkish Russian foreign policy expert. Last year he called for a pre-emptive nuclear strike. Today he suggested holding a “nuclear pistol” to the temple of the West over Ukraine.

President Putin wasn’t so extreme in his language.

But he is no dove.

The Kremlin leader said he did not rule out changes to Russia’s nuclear doctrine: the document which sets out the conditions under which Russia would use nuclear weapons.

“This doctrine is a living tool and we are carefully watching what is happening in the world around us and do not exclude making changes to this doctrine. This is also related to the testing of nuclear weapons.”

And he delivered a warning to those European countries who’ve been supporting Ukraine: Russia’s has “many more [tactical nuclear weapons] than there are on the European continent, even if the United States brings theirs over.”

“Europe does not have a developed [early warning system],” he added. “In this sense they are more or less defenceless.”

Tactical nuclear weapons are smaller warheads designed to destroy targets without widespread radioactive fallout.

This has been a surreal week in St Petersburg. On the one hand, a huge international economic forum has been taking place, sending the message that Russia is ready for cooperation and that, despite everything, it’s business as usual.

Clearly, though, it is not business as usual. Russia is waging war in Ukraine, a war which is now in its third year; as a result, Russia is the most heavily sanctioned country in the world.

And, right now, tensions are soaring between Russia and the West.

Earlier this week, at a meeting with international news agency chiefs in St Petersburg, President Putin suggested that Russia might supply advanced conventional long-range weapons to others to strike Western targets.

This was his response to Nato allies allowing Ukraine to strike Russian territory with Western-supplied weapons.

He repeated the idea again today.

“We are not supplying those weapons yet, but we reserve the right to do so to those states or legal entities which are under certain pressure, including military pressure, from the countries that supply weapons to Ukraine and encourage their use on Russian territory.”

There were no details. No names.

So, to which parts of the world might Russia deploy its missiles?

“Wherever we think it is necessary, we’re definitely going to put them. As President Putin made clear, we’ll investigate this question,” Vladimir Solovyov, one of Russian state TV’s most prominent hosts, tells me.

“If you are trying to harm us you have to be pretty sure we have enough opportunities and chances to harm you.”

“In the West some will say we’ve heard this sabre-rattling before,” I respond, “and that it’s a bluff.”

“It’s always a bluff. Until the time when it is not,” Mr Solovyov replies. “You can keep thinking that Russia is bluffing and then, one day, there is no more Great Britain to laugh at. Don’t you ever try to push the Russian bear thinking that ‘Oh, it’s a kitten, we can play with it.”

CEOs from Europe and America used to flock to the St Petersburg International Economic Forum. Not any more. Instead I saw delegations from Asia, Africa, the Middle East and South America. Russia has been using this year’s event to try to show that, despite Western sanctions, there are plenty of countries in the world who are ready to do business with Russia.

And what have we learnt in St Petersburg about Vladimir Putin?

That he sounds increasingly confident and determined not to back down. He seems to believe that in the current standoff between Russia and the West, it is the West that will blink first.

View original: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn00e422yr2o

END

'There's a 1939 feel to the world right now'. Wildlife Photographer of the Year People's Choice Award

NOTE from Sudan Watch Editor: We (UK, Europe, NATO) could be at war within the next sixty months. Here are some snippets from a few news reports by British journalists published towards the end of last month.

• 'There's a 1939 feel to the world right now'. 

• 'We are in a pre-war era’. 

• Russia could attack NATO 'within five years', German defence minister warns. 

• NATO now sees its chief adversaries as Russia and terrorist organisations. 

• World War Three could be on the cards if global conflicts continue to escalate.

• British citizens should be "trained and equipped" to fight in a potential war with Russia - as Moscow plans on "defeating our system and way of life", the head of the British Army has said. UK General Sir Patrick Sanders, the outgoing Chief of the General Staff (CGS), said increasing army numbers in preparation for a potential conflict would need to be a "whole-of-nation undertaking". The comments, first reported by the UK's Daily Telegraph, are being read as a warning that British men and women should be ready for a call-up to the armed forces if NATO goes to war with Vladimir Putin.

• It comes after UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said in a speech last week that we are "moving from a post-war to pre-war world" and the UK must ensure its "entire defence ecosystem is ready" to defend its homeland.

• Tobias Ellwood, a former UK defence minister who has served alongside Sir Patrick, said the military chief should be "listened to carefully"."What's coming over the horizon should shock us. It should worry us and we are not prepared," he told Sky News. The MP for Bournemouth East said that following decades of post-Cold War peace, there was a growing sense authoritarian states could "exploit our timidity, perhaps our reluctance to really put fires out" - pointing to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "So Patrick Sanders is saying prepare for what's coming over the horizon - there is a 1939 feel to the world right now," he said.

Source: Sky News & Agencies Wed 24 Jan 2024

__________________________

HERE is a reminder of wondrous natural beauty in our fragile world, compared to evil ugliness of man-made wars and man's inhumanity to man.

From BBC News UK
Published Wednesday, 7 February 2024 - here is a copy in full:

Wildlife Photographer of the Year People's Choice Award winner

IMAGE SOURCE,

NIMA SARIKHANI/WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR

A stunning image of a young polar bear drifting to sleep on an iceberg, by British amateur photographer Nima Sarikhani, has won the Wildlife Photographer of the Year People's Choice Award.

"Sarikhani's breathtaking and poignant image allows us to see the beauty and fragility of our planet," Natural History Museum director Dr Douglas Gurr said.

"His thought-provoking image is a stark reminder of the integral bond between an animal and its habitat and serves as a visual representation of the detrimental impacts of climate warming and habitat loss."

Sarikhani made the image after three days searching for polar bears through thick fog off Norway's Svalbard archipelago.

Wildlife photography and nature fans from around the world were invited to vote from a short list of 25 images.

Four other outstanding finalists were "highly commended".

The Happy Turtle, by Tzahi Finkelstein

IMAGE SOURCE,

TZAHI FINKELSTEIN/WPY

Tzahi Finkelstein was in his hide, photographing shore birds, when he spotted a Balkan pond turtle walking in the shallow water.

The dragonfly unexpectedly landed on the turtle's nose.

Starling Murmuration, by Daniel Dencescu

IMAGE SOURCE,

DANIEL DENCESCU/WPY

Daniel Dencescu spent hours following the starlings around the city and suburbs of Rome, Italy.

Finally, on the cloudless winter's day, the flock, swirled into the shape of a giant bird.

Shared Parenting, by Mark Boyd

IMAGE SOURCE,

MARK BOYD/WPY

Two lionesses had gone hunting, leaving the pride's five cubs hidden overnight in dense bushes, in Kenya's Maasai Mara Mara.

Returning from their unsuccessful mission, they called the cubs out on to the open grassland and began grooming.

Aurora Jellies, by Audun Rikardsen

IMAGE SOURCE,

AUDUN RIKARDSEN/WPY

Sheltering his equipment in a self-made waterproof housing, Audun Rikardsen used his own system for adjusting the focus and aperture during a single exposure, as moon jellyfish swarmed in the cool autumnal waters of a fjord outside Tromsø, in northern Norway, illuminated by the aurora borealis.

The five images will be displayed online and at London's Natural History Museum until 30 June.

All photos copyright Wildlife Photographer of the Year

View original: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-68215592

END

World's spy chiefs hold secret meeting in Singapore

THIS report explains an inexplicable huge spike in traffic from Singapore to Sudan Watch. Stats show visits by country only, not the identity of visitors.

Report at Ahram Online 

Based on a Reuters report
Dated Sunday 4 June 2023 - full copy:

World's spy chiefs hold secret meet In Singapore: Reuters

High-ranking intelligence officials from several countries convened on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue security meeting in Singapore this weekend, Reuters reported citing five sources.

File photo: Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, right, speaks during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing to examine worldwide threats on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, March 8, 2023. AP

Such meetings are organised by the Singapore government and have been discreetly held at a separate venue alongside the security summit for several years, Reuters sources said.

"The meetings have not been previously reported,” the report said.

High-ranking intelligence officials from the U.S. and China were, among other representatives, present at the meeting despite soaring tensions between the two superpowers.

US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines -- the head of her country's intelligence community -- attended the meeting, Reuters reported.

According to the report, "no Russian representative was present".

"The meeting is an important fixture on the international shadow agenda. Given the range of countries involved, it is not a festival of tradecraft, but rather a way of promoting a deeper understanding of intentions and bottom lines,” the report said, quoting one person with knowledge of the discussions.

"There is an unspoken code among intelligence services that they can talk when more formal and open diplomacy is harder - it is a very important factor during times of tension, and the Singapore event helps promote that,” it mentioned.

All five sources who discussed the meetings declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter, Reuters revealed, adding that the meetings have not been previously reported.

Related

UAE assumes Security Council presidency with vow to promote interfaith dialogue

NATO presses Turkey to approve Sweden's membership, eyes Ukraine security plan as summit looms

NATO debates 'security guarantees' for Ukraine

View original: https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/502270.aspx

[Ends]

NATO: Air Defender 23 to be biggest exercise ever

"From June 12 to 23, up to 250 aircraft will be stationed across six military bases, with 25 countries taking part. The US alone is sending 100 aircraft across the Atlantic. In the air, participants will train in crisis situations over three flight zones: over northern Germany in the North Sea, in the east and in a small strip of southern Germany. These zones will be alternately closed to civilian aircraft each day for several hours.

NATO wants to send a political message of deterrence with its Air Defender exercise, said Torben Arnold of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. "Of course, this sends a clear signal, saying that even though this airspace is extremely busy, they are prepared to say, 'we will defend every centimeter of NATO territory," he told DW.

Amy Gutmann, the US ambassador to Germany, said the drills will constitute an "impressive" show of force toward other countries in the world.

"It will demonstrate beyond a shadow of a doubt the agility and the swiftness of our allied force in NATO as a first responder," the US official told reporters in Berlin." Full story:

Report at DW (Deutsche Welle) POLITICS GERMANY
By Frank Hofmann
Dated Sunday 11 June 2023 - full copy (2nd map not as detailed as original):

NATO: Air Defender 23 to be biggest exercise ever

The NATO military alliance is set to conduct war games in the skies over Germany. Three flight zones will be temporarily closed to civilian air traffic, and delays to civilian flights are expected.

Image: Air Defender 23 is the biggest drill of its type since the NATO military alliance was formed in 1949

Image: Falk Bärwald/Bundeswehr

The German Air Force is facing its biggest challenge in decades: After four years of preparation, the NATO military exercise Air Defender 23 is set to begin on Monday, June 12.

It's the biggest drill of its type since the military alliance was formed in 1949, and Germany will serve as the host and logistical hub.

From June 12 to 23, up to 250 aircraft will be stationed across six military bases, with 25 countries taking part. The US alone is sending 100 aircraft across the Atlantic. In the air, participants will train in crisis situations over three flight zones: over northern Germany in the North Sea, in the east and in a small strip of southern Germany. These zones will be alternately closed to civilian aircraft each day for several hours.

Play video: NATO set to launch military exercises over Germany

05:36

Delays to civilian air traffic expected

Regular air traffic is part of the challenge, as the skies above Europe are among the busiest flight paths in the world. Aviation experts are watching to see whether civilian air traffic can continue to run mostly unaffected, in parallel with Air Defender 23.

During the 10 days of military maneuvers, German airports have extended their operating hours into the night. "I hope that, if all these measures are effective, there will be no flight cancellations," said Ingo Gerhartz, a lieutenant general in the German Air Force. However, he did not want to rule out delays to departures or arrivals.

Image: Air Defender 23 exercise: NATO troops operating from Germany

Source: bundeswehr.de

For the past 30 years, the work of German civilian and military control tower operators has been integrated, according to German aviation expert Clemens Bollinger. He told DW that flight controllers are in constant communication with their colleagues in the air force.

This is a special feature of German air traffic control, compared with other countries in Europe, and was introduced because German airspace is so heavily used. While the French air force repeatedly closes entire flight zones for scheduled flights even during normal operations, civilian and military flights in Germany coordinate with each other every day.

NATO sending a message of deterrence

NATO wants to send a political message of deterrence with its Air Defender exercise, said Torben Arnold of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. "Of course, this sends a clear signal, saying that even though this airspace is extremely busy, they are prepared to say, 'we will defend every centimeter of NATO territory," he told DW.

Image: Air Defender 23 exercise

Source: Bundeswehr.de

More than 10,000 soldiers from NATO countries will participate in numerous drills. Some of these will be ground-based, including an "evacuation from an airfield," said Gerhartz of the German Air Force. This exercise was apparently added to the schedule after the chaos at Kabul airport in 2021 when the US and its allies hastily ended their mission in Afghanistan.

Other scenarios include supporting ground troops from the air, airborne battles against enemy jets and the interception of medium-range missiles by NATO fighter bombers.

US forces are sending the F-35 stealth combat aircraft, the alliance's most modern fighter jet, to take part in the exercises. The North Sea will see defensive drills against enemy submarines or ships, Arnold pointed out, adding that an enemy "can also attack from areas other than on the continent."

Play video: 'Germany is standing up and taking responsibility'

06:23

NATO maneuvers during the Ukrainian counteroffensive

It's no secret that when it comes to this "enemy," many in Europe think first of Russia and the full-scale offensive it has been fighting against Ukraine since February 24, 2022.

However, when presenting the plans for Air Defender 23 to the media in Berlin on June 7, Lt. Gen. Gerhartz did not once mention Russia.

Amy Gutmann, the US ambassador to Germany, said the drills will constitute an "impressive" show of force toward other countries in the world.

"It will demonstrate beyond a shadow of a doubt the agility and the swiftness of our allied force in NATO as a first responder," the US official told reporters in Berlin.

"I would be pretty surprised if any world leader was not taking note of what this shows in terms of the spirit of this alliance, which means the strength of this alliance," she declared. "And that includes Mr. Putin," she said, referring to the Russian president.

The US and its NATO allies are playing the deterrence card, and this might also have a desirable side effect for them. 

The Russian armed forces will also be studying these NATO maneuvers, while in Ukraine, Kyiv's army is increasing pressure on the Russian attackers, with counterattacks like pinpricks along the front in the east and south of the country.

This article was originally written in German.

Source: https://www.dw.com/en/nato-air-defender-23-to-be-biggest-exercise-ever/a-65872291

[Ends]

NATO TV Channel: AU to develop co-operation with NATO

A GROUP of high level officials from the African Union (AU) visited NATO’s Headquarters and the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) in Belgium on Thursday and Friday.

NATO and the AU have developed an increasingly fruitful practical cooperation since 2005. NATO supported the AU Mission in Sudan and is currently assisting the AU mission in Somalia in terms of air- and sea-lift, but also planning support.

NATO is also providing training opportunities and capacity building support to the AU’s long term peacekeeping capabilities, in particular the African Standby Force. This reflects the shared objective of bringing security and stability to Africa, added the statement.

Full report here below.

AFRICAN UNION TO DEVELOP COOPERATION WITH NATO
(NNN-KUNA) via NAM News Network, Saturday, 20 February 2010:

BRUSSELS, Feb 20 (NNN-KUNA) — A group of high level officials from the African Union (AU) led by Sivuyile Thandikhaya Bam, head of the Peace Support Operations Division of the AU, visited NATO’s Headquarters and the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) in Belgium on Thursday and Friday.

“Our visit here is to take forward some discussions that we had with NATO on how to improve the African Unions ability to provide better management support to peace missions,” Bam told the NATO TV channel.

On its part, the 28-member Alliance said in a statement Friday night that the visit provided a good opportunity for an open and constructive dialogue on a variety of issues, particularly NATO’s role in the new security environment and the further development of practical cooperation between NATO and the AU.

NATO and the AU have developed an increasingly fruitful practical cooperation since 2005. NATO supported the AU Mission in Sudan and is currently assisting the AU mission in Somalia in terms of air- and sea-lift, but also planning support.

NATO is also providing training opportunities and capacity building support to the AU’s long term peacekeeping capabilities, in particular the African Standby Force.

This reflects the shared objective of bringing security and stability to Africa, added the statement. — NNN-KUNA

Friedhelm Eronat and Cliveden Sudan named as buyer of Darfur oil rights

NOTE from Sudan Watch Editor: Further to the previous post at this site Sudan Watch, here is a June 10, 2005 report from The Guardian by David Leigh and Adrian Gatton. Note, the UK's Channel 4 TV News in its special report last night, interviewed JEM rebel Ahmad Hussein Adam.

Full copy of news report from The Guardian.co.uk

Written by David Leigh and Adrian Gatton

Dated Friday 10 June 2005, 00.05 BST

Title 'Briton named as buyer of Darfur oil rights'

A millionaire British businessman, Friedhelm Eronat, was named last night as the purchaser of oil rights in the Darfur region of Sudan, where the regime is accused of war crimes and where millions of tribespeople are alleged to have been forced to flee, amid mass rapes or murders. 

The disclosure was greeted with outrage by human rights campaigners. "From a moral point of view these people are paying a government whose senior members may end up in front of the international criminal court for war crimes," Simon Taylor, director of Global Witness, said yesterday. 

A London representative of the Darfur rebels last night called for oil exploration to stop until there was a peace settlement. "The only beneficiaries are the ruling elite," Ahmad Hussein Adam told Channel 4 news. "This is going to support their military campaign against our people." 

Documents seen by the Guardian suggest that Mr Eronat, who lives in a GBP 20m house in Chelsea, swapped his US passport for a British one shortly before the deal was signed with the Sudan regime in October 2003. US citizens are barred from dealing with Sudan under sanctions dating from 1997. 

The disclosure that Britain is serving as a base for questionable African oil transactions comes in the run-up to the July G8 summit at Gleneagles, at which Tony Blair's central theme will be the need to help Africa. 

The documents show that Mr Eronat may have been acting for China, which has been prominent in the new "scramble for Africa" and its oil deposits. Two Chinese corporations were given an option to buy 50% of Mr Eronat's newly acquired stake in the Darfur field. The option expired last year. It is not known whether China took it up. Mr Eronat's lawyer said yesterday that he "has purchased no oil concessions in Sudan ... and Mr Eronat has no interest" in the oil concession. An initial $3m was paid to the Sudan regime for exploration rights, shared with the state oil company and some other Sudanese interests. 

Mr Eronat, who is reputed to be worth GBP 100m, has made a fortune out of oil deals, mainly through his offshore Cliveden Group. He was accused by Global Witness last year of being the owner of a Swiss company allegedly used as a conduit to pass millions of dollars from Mobil Oil to the president of Kazakhstan. A trial is pending in the US of a banker involved in those transactions. Mr Eronat was not charged with any offence. 

The Islamist regime in the largely Arab north of Sudan has become an international pariah because of long-running attempts to crush rebellions in the south and more recently in Darfur in the west. A peace agreement in the south included agreements to divide up oil revenues, but the deal provoked a second rebellion in the adjoining Darfur region, which began in spring 2003. The military regime's violent response is estimated to have caused more than 1.5 million people to flee. 

The international criminal court says it is considering bringing charges of war crimes and possible genocide against government officials in Sudan. Announcing a formal investigation into the murders, rapes and massacres that have taken place in recent years, a spokesman for the court said evidence was being gathered and a list of suspects would be drawn up. 

A UN commission of inquiry said there had been serious violations of human rights. The UN has forwarded a list of more than 50 suspects to the ICC. Mr Eronat's London lawyer, John Reynolds of McDermott Will & Emery, said yesterday: "Mr Eronat has purchased no oil concessions in Sudan." He said the oil exploration group had various shareholders, of which Cliveden Petroleum Sudan Ltd was only one. "Are you alleging that killing has taken place in [the] concession acreage?" he asked. 

The company documents seen by the Guardian show that at the time of the 2003 sale, Mr Eronat confirmed that he was the sole owner of Cliveden Sudan, registered offshore in the British Virgin Islands with bearer shares and no register of ownership. The documents state that Cliveden Sudan in turn bought the largest single share in the oil exploration concession from the Sudan regime on October 21 2003. 

The disclosure of Mr Eronat as the man behind the Darfur deal followed a dispute between him and the former chairman of one of his companies, the lawyer Peter Felter. Mr Felter said last night: "Eronat is not interested in Darfur or political issues. He's interested in making money."

SOURCE: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2005/jun/10/sudan.oilandpetrol

- - - 

New bid to stop Darfur fighting 

BBC confirms June 10 peace talks between Khartoum regime and two Darfur rebel groups have resumed in Nigeria after a six-month break. Read Full Story.

 - - - 

NATO to airlift AU troops into Darfur 

NATO defence ministers gave the green light on Thursday to an operation to airlift extra African troops to Darfur, the alliance's first mission on the continent. 

Photo: NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer (L) listens to NATO's Supreme Allied Commander for Europe General James Jones on the second day of a NATO defence ministers meeting at NATO headquarters, Brussels, June 10, 2005. 

Source: Reuters/Francois Lenoir - Jun 10, 2005.