MTQ News

  The Economist: A war in Ukraine could have global consequences   Human suffering, economic shock and a geopolitical realignment SELDOM IN THE field of human conflict did so much hang on the whims of one man.  Is Vladimir Putin about to invade Ukraine, as the massing Russian troops on its borders suggest? Or is he bluffing, to extort concessions from his neighbour and the West?  No one can be sure of Mr Putin’s intentions.  Even his own foreign minister seems to be kept guessing.  But, if fighting is about to break out, the world needs to understand the stakes.  Read more ....  Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- January 31, 2022  NATO's on notice in Ukraine crisis: What's next? -- Teri Schultz, DW   The Russia-Ukraine Crisis Need Not Spiral Into War -- Thomas Graham and Rajan Menon, Breaking Defense  The case of Ukraine, looking back and looking forward -- Robbin Laird, Breaking Defense   Putin’s Wager in Russia’s Standoff with the West -- Michael Kof

Facebook   19FortyFive: Spetsnaz: What Are Russian Special Forces Doing in Ukraine?   The vaunted Russian special forces ops group Spetsnaz have disrupted Ukraine once during Moscow’s operation in Crimea in 2014.  Now the Spetsnaz are reportedly inside Ukrainian territory again working with Russian intelligence operatives to destabilize the Ukrainian opposition, according to British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace.  The Spetsnaz are expected to conduct rearguard operations to disrupt Ukrainian forces if war breaks out. They could blow up bridges, perform deep reconnaissance missions, lead attacks on airfields, perpetuate electronic warfare, snipe important officers, plus attack radar and command and control centers.   Read more ....  Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- January 31, 2022   Vladimir Putin’s Amphibious Gambit Demonstrates Value Of New USMC Ship Design -- Forbes   Turkish drones boost Ukrainian spirits amid fears of Russian invasion -- Al-Monitor  ‘We Can H

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US Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland   CBS Face The Nation: Transcript: Undersecretary of State Victoria Nuland on "Face the Nation," January 30, 2022   MARGARET BRENNAN: We go now to Victoria Nuland, the State Department undersecretary for political affairs. Good morning to you, ambassador.   AMBASSADOR VICTORIA NULAND: Good morning, Margaret. Good to be with you.  MARGARET BRENNAN: We heard from the chairman of the Joint Chiefs this week that Russia has given itself the capability if it wanted for a full invasion, not just an incursion. What is the US assessment at this point? Has Vladimir Putin made a decision on what to do next?   AMB. NULAND: Margaret, we don't believe he's yet made a decision, but as he has done in the past, he's given himself every option, including, as the chairman said, a massive potential invasion of all of Ukraine, including cyber attacks, including incursion from Belarus, where he is moving up to thirty thousand troop

The US sold Egypt 12 Super Hercules C-130 transport aircraft on Tuesday  DW: US cancels military aid for Egypt after major arms sale   The US State Department has said Egypt has not met the conditions to receive the $130 million in military aid. Earlier this week, the US and Egypt concluded an arms sale to the tune of $2.5 billion.  The United States is canceling $130 million (€117 million) in military aid to Egypt over human rights concerns, the State Department said on Friday.  The announcement comes just days after US President Joe Biden's administration approved a $2.5 billion arms sale to Egypt on Tuesday.  This included 12 Super Hercules C-130 transport aircraft and air defense radar systems.   Read more ....   WNU Editor: The U.S. approves a $2.5 billion arms sale to Egypt, and then a few days later cancels a $130 million military aid package. Talk about sending mix-signals.  US Cancels $130 Million Military Aid For Egypt After Major $2.5 Billion Arms Sale   US

  Daily Mail: Abu Dhabi shoots down MISSILE fired at the emirate during visit by Israeli president a week after Yemeni rebels launched deadly drone attacks   * Abu Dhabi's air defence system intercepted the ballistic missile on Sunday  * The missile had been reportedly fired by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels  * Emirati Defense Ministry said the attack did not cause any injuries or damage  Abu Dhabi today shot down a ballistic missile reportedly fired by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, as the Israeli President conducted an official visit to the United Arab Emirates.  The capital city's air defence systems intercepted the missile which had been fired at the emirate on Sunday.  The Emirati Defense Ministry told the Jerusalem Post that the attack did not cause any injuries or damage as the fragments of the missile fell in an unpopulated area.   Read more ....   UAE Shoots Down Missile Fired By Yemen's Houthis During Visit By Israel's President   UAE intercepts Y

Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) and French President Emmanuel Macron, pictured in 2020, spoke over the phone on Friday and agreed to meet with the Normandy Format in Berlin in two week, which excludes the US and NATO, to discuss the crisis in the Ukraine   Daily Mail: Putin splits NATO and cuts out Biden: Russian president agrees to hold talks with Germany, France and Ukraine as squabbling NATO countries fail to decide joint troop deployment and Joe says he'll go it alone   * Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed to meet with Germany, France and Ukraine over the Ukraine-Russian border crisis  * The European-led talk, which will be held in two weeks in Berlin, is said to focus on ''de-escalation' and excludes NATO and the US  * Joe Biden on Friday evening said that he would be moving some troops to Eastern Europe - but 'not too many' - as tensions mount in Ukraine  * Russia has amassed more than 100,000 troops around Ukraine after a steady bu

Zelensky doubled down on his insistence that a Russian invasion is not "imminent," as the US has repeatedly warned. "I'm the President of Ukraine, I'm based here, and I think I know the details deeper than any other president," Zelensky told reporters. https://t.co/XWs5NcspNH — Bryan MacDonald (@27khv) January 29, 2022 Washington Post: U.S. and allies debate the intelligence on how quickly Putin will order an invasion of Ukraine — or whether he will at all   As Russia masses tens of thousands of troops on its border with Ukraine, along with tanks, artillery and missiles capable of striking the capital, officials in Washington, Kyiv and across Europe are debating the likelihood and timing of an invasion.  In one camp, officials in Washington, London and within Ukraine’s national security establishment are convinced that a Russian strike is imminent. But Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, is not persuaded that the intelligence Western nations h

Iran flag and oil platform. Photo Credit: Tasnim News Agency   OilPrice.com: The Wild Card To Watch For Oil Markets In 2022   * The Iran nuclear talks have entered a critical stage, with Secretary Blinken claiming that there are only a few weeks left to reach an agreement  * If a deal is reached, the prospect of Iran bringing new supply onto the market will weigh heavily on oil prices  * Goldman Sachs has pushed its forecast for Iran ramping up production back to the second quarter of 2023, showing a lack of confidence in the talks  As talks on reviving the so-called Iranian nuclear deal enter a critical stage with the window of opportunity for a comprehensive agreement closing, oil markets are on edge once again about how the outcome of the ongoing negotiations would impact supply and demand balances later this year and early next year.  The Biden Administration launched in April 2021 indirect talks with Iran, via the partners in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA),

  The Independent: Russian oligarchs in London to be hit with tough sanctions even if it hurts UK economy, Liz Truss vows   Super-rich Russian oligarchs in London will be hit with tough new sanctions to deter Moscow from invading Ukraine, even if it hurts the UK economy, Liz Truss says.  The foreign secretary rejected claims that the power and wealth of Russians in so-called “Londongrad” will prevent the UK – and the West as a whole – punishing Vladimir Putin’s aggression.  Ms Truss said legislation for new sanctions is imminent, alongside the expected sending of 1,000 further British troops to Estonia and warships to the Black Sea.  She rejected a claim that the cost to the UK would be “dramatic”, saying: “The most important thing is defending freedom and democracy and that is more important than immediate financial issues.   Read more ....   Update #1: Liz Truss warns Vladimir Putin he faces Ukraine 'quagmire' like Afghanistan or Chechnya as she vows to bolster san

  Reuters : U.S. urges China to use influence with Moscow over Ukraine   BEIJING/WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The United States on Thursday called on China to use its influence with Russia to urge a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine crisis, but policy experts doubted Beijing would back Washington in the standoff.  China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke by phone with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Beijing said it wanted all sides to remain calm and "refrain from doing things that agitate tensions and hype up the crisis."  Blinken stressed that tensions should be reduced and warned of the security and economic risks from any Russian aggression, the State Department said.   Read more ....   Update #1: US warns China of 'global security' risks due to Russian threat in Ukraine (France 24)  Update #2: US calls on arch-rival for help against Russia (RT)   WNU Editor: China sees the U.S. as the problem, not Russia .... US itself should put out the fire

An F-35C Lightning II assigned to the “Argonauts” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 147 prepares to make an arrested landing on the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) on Dec. 8, 2018. (U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Matthew Granito).  Task & Purpose: The world’s most advanced fighter jet is already having a very rough year   It's only January... The new year has started with two mishaps for the extremely expensive and notoriously buggy F-35 Joint Strike Fighter: One sank into the South China Sea and another made a belly landing after it was hit by a bird.  On Monday, a Navy F-35C from Carrier Air Wing 2 suffered a “landing mishap” while on the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson. Seven sailors were injured, including the pilot who was forced to eject when the aircraft fell from the deck of the carrier into the South China Sea, where the USS Carl Vinson has been operating along with USS Abraham Lincoln

  CNN: North Korea fires longest range missile since 2017   Seoul, South Korea (CNN)North Korea fired what is presumed to be its longest range ballistic missile since 2017 on Sunday, an escalation of its weapons program and a possible sign of larger tests to come, according to South Korea's President.  Both the South Korean and Japanese governments reported the launch of an Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM), with officials in Tokyo saying the missile reached a height of 2,000 kilometers (1,243 miles) with a range of 800 kilometers (497 miles), before falling into waters off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula.   "If the missile were fired at a normal apogee, its range would be up to 3,500 kilometers to 5,500 kilometers, making it an Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile and North Korea's longest test since 2017," Joseph Dempsey, research associate for defense and military analysis at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London, told

  Daily Mail: Justin Trudeau and his family leave their home in Ottawa for a secret location amid security concerns as thousands of 'Freedom Convoy' truckers march in front his office in protest at vaccine requirement to cross the US-Canada border   * Justin Trudeau and his family have left their Ottawa home amid security concerns as demonstrators marched up and down the streets in front the Prime Minister's office to rally against the vaccine mandate  * Protestors could be seen carrying copies of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, while others carried signs reading 'God keep our land glorious and free,' 'Make Canada great again,' and 'we are here for our freedom'  * The convoy set out from British Columbia on Sunday and was cheered by hundreds of Canadians as it made its 2,000-mile journey to protest vaccine mandates  * Since mid January, Canada and the United States have imposed a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for foreign truck drivers crossing

  Reuters: Exclusive-Russia moves blood supplies near Ukraine, adding to U.S. concern, officials say   WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Russia's military buildup near Ukraine has expanded to include supplies of blood along with other medical materials that would allow it to treat casualties, in yet another key indicator of Moscow's military readiness, three U.S. officials tell Reuters.  Current and former U.S. officials say concrete indicators -- like blood supplies -- are critical in determining whether Moscow would be prepared to carry out an invasion, if Russian President Vladimir Putin decided to do so.  The disclosure of the blood supplies by U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, adds another piece of context to growing U.S. warnings that Russia could be preparing for a new invasion of Ukraine as it masses more than 100,000 troops near its borders.   Read more ....   WNU Editor: Russian media is skeptical .... US officials make Russian blood claim – Reuters (

    Daily Mail : Biden warns he will deploy troops WITHOUT NATO's backing: President says he will move troops to Eastern Europe 'in the near term' but not as part of NATO force as General Milley warns Russian attack on Ukraine 'would be horrific'   * Joe Biden on Friday evening said that he would be moving some troops to Eastern Europe - but 'not too many' - as tensions mount in Ukraine  * Landing back in Washington DC after a trip to Pittsburgh, the president said that the troops would be moved 'in the near term', but did not say when  * Hours earlier Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, said that the world was overreacting to the threat of a Russian invasion of his country  * Zelensky chided world leaders for their public statements, saying 'we don't need this panic' and condemning the withdrawal of diplomats  * Chairman of Joint Chiefs Gen Milley warned of 'horrific' consequences if Russia put its 100,000-plus fo

The CBC suggests "Russian actors" are behind the #TruckersForFreedom convoy. Seriously. #cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/a6sQyWtKkx — True North (@TrueNorthCentre) January 29, 2022 WNU Editor: WTF!!!!  But it gets better than that. Just saw on CTV News (Canada's largest broadcaster) a pundit from the NDP (one of Canada's political parties) saying that people with Swastikas were at the demonstration!!!!! I was there, and I certainly saw no Swastikas. from War News Updates https://ift.tt/dQcaPmG1Z via IFTTT

  WNU Editor: I have seen my share of protests in my life, but the one I say today was special.  You have your usual wack jobs and fringe groups present, but 99% (if not more) were peaceful and happy to be there to make their voices heard.  And yes .... tens of thousands of flag and home-made sign carrying truckers and their supporters showed up, even with -20C temperatures and non-stop hostile coverage from the main stream media and our country's political leaders.  There was also a massive police presence, but they kept their distance when they saw that most of the protesters were like them. People who work hard for a living. Families. An age group that was predominantly from 30 to 60. In short. Canada's law-abiding middle class. I am still digesting what I saw today. But what really struck me and made today's protest in Ottawa unique and different from past protests that I have seen is that the ones who showed up to demonstrate was a cross section of people who m

Task & Purpose: Navy confirms video and photo of F-35 that crashed in South China Sea are real   The crash occurred aboard the USS Carl Vinson on Monday   A video showing the moments leading up to the crash of an F-35C Joint Strike Fighter that occurred aboard the USS Carl Vinson on Monday is now circulating online.  The Navy also confirmed that a photo showing an canopyless F-35 bobbing in the water which had begun circulating shortly before the video was also related to the crash.   Read more ....   WNU Editor: I raised the question last night on the authenticity of this picture and video. We now know that both are real. from War News Updates https://ift.tt/3KSmXkb via IFTTT

Zhao Lijian: China 🇨🇳 has no interest to recover the crashed US F-35 jet from the South China Sea, just recently the US crashed it's submarine into a underwater mountain - Instead of parading its weapons, the US should do something constructive for regional peace & stability 👍 pic.twitter.com/Tb2UeIcJ1j — StarBoy 🥭 (@StarboyHK) January 28, 2022 WNU Editor: Should we believe this spokesman from the foreign ministry in Beijing when he says the Chinese government has no plans to try and locate the F-35C?  You tell me. from War News Updates https://ift.tt/3AGLeFo via IFTTT

The Boeing F-15EX is on Indonesia’s wish-list. (Boeing)   Breaking Defense: Indonesia wants ‘up to 50 warships’ in next two years as part of $125B air, naval splurge   Amidst incursions by China into Indonesia's Extended Economic Zone, Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto is looking for a major investment in military gear.  SYDNEY: For the first time in decades, Indonesia appears ready to significantly improve its air and naval capabilities, with early commitments of spending $125 billion over the next 20-plus years.  Defense minister Prabowo Subianto was quoted in an English-language website Jan. 27 saying that he has told Indonesia’s president that the country will have “up to 50 warships” in the next two years. Sadly, no details were available as to what kinds of “warships” he might have meant, whether frigates and destroyers or offshore patrol craft. It may, suggests one analyst who asked not to be identified, simply mean Indonesia’s navy will have 50 ships ready to go to se

Post Millennial: Biden administration to regulate Bitcoin, NFTs and cryptocurrencies as matter of 'national security' within weeks   The Biden administration has expressed its intent to develop a cohesive set of policies to regulate Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies as current legislation and enforcement are too scattered across the board – arguing that the move is a matter of national security.  According to Bloomberg, the White House will release an executive order in the coming weeks to task federal agencies with assessing the risks and opportunities posed by cryptocurrency. The publication reports that senior officials of the Biden administration held multiple meetings on developing the plan, with a full directive coming down from President Biden in a few weeks.  It’s set to come under the umbrella of national security efforts as the administration wants to analyze cryptocurrencies sand employ a “cohesive regulatory framework” that would cover Bitcoin, alt-coins, stablecoin

  CNA/Reuters: Nearly 40% of people in Ethiopia's Tigray lack adequate food: WFP   NAIROBI: Fifteen months of war have left nearly 40 per cent of the people in Ethiopia's Tigray region without enough food as aid groups struggle to reach cut-off areas, the World Food Programme (WFP) said on Friday (Jan 28).  Although the ability of aid workers to enter Tigray improved during the summer months and "kept starvation at bay" for people there, no aid convoy has reached Tigray since mid-December, the United Nations agency said in an assessment.  Many people were using extreme coping strategies like cutting the number of meals they eat daily, it said. "A new food security assessment, released today by the United Nations World Food Programme, shows that almost 40 per cent of Tigrayans are suffering an extreme lack of food, after 15 months of conflict," it said. Tigray region has a population of about 5.5 million people.   Read more ....  Doctors Beg For Food

  CSM: ‘No one has food’: In bleak Afghan winter, a fight for survival   With snow falling across the frozen landscape, scores of desperate Afghans wait in line for World Food Program rations in Logar province, south of Kabul.  “We really need this food. If we don’t receive it, my children will go hungry,” says Latifa, a mother of eight, speaking through her faded-blue burqa.  Latifa signs for her family’s quota of flour and oil with a purple-ink thumbprint. A single loose thread hangs from the blue mesh that covers her face amid a scene of deprivation being repeated in every province across Afghanistan.    Read more ....  Air Workers Race Against Time As Millions Of Afghans Starve In The Middle Of Winter   'One million children will die': UK urged to release unspent Afghanistan aid -- SKY News   Aid workers ‘race against time’ in freezing Afghan winter -- AP   Afghans forced to sell children, organs during Taliban takeover, starvation -- NYPost/Reuters   As H

Concerns are growing that President Joe Biden may be blocked by NATO from deploying U.S. forces to ally countries under the NATO Response Force (NRF). Biden has already put 8,500 troops on standby to deploy to Eastern Europe and the Baltics should Russia invade Ukraine, but he needs a unanimous vote from all 30 NATO members to go forward with deploying   Daily Mail: Will America have to go it alone? Biden fears NATO won't let him deploy troops to protect Ukraine because member countries fear Putin will punish them   * Concerns are growing that President Joe Biden may be blocked by NATO from deployment U.S. forces to ally countries under the NATO Response Force (NRF)  * Biden has already put 8,500 troops on standby to deploy to Eastern Europe should Russia invade Ukraine, but he needs a unanimous vote from all 30 NATO members to go forward with deploying  * Some NATO nations – like France, Germany, Hungary and Turkey – don't want U.S. forces stationed there so they can dev

  Daily Mail: Putin moves his elite paratroopers to Ukrainian border in Belarus in yet ANOTHER troop build-up amid invasion fears - while US sends Kiev 300 lethal Javelin anti-tank weapons and warns Russia is planning to go in by mid-February   * Video footage has emerged appearing to show Russian paratroopers and equipment headed for the border  * Russian tanks, trucks, military equipment and unit carriages were spotted loaded on a southwest bound train  * US has shipped 300 Javelin anti-tank missiles to Ukraine, latest part of a $200million military aid package  * Javelins are infrared guided missiles, designed to fly high into the air before slamming down on their targets -making them especially deadly against tanks because armour is thinnest on the top  * Ukraine has also been sent American Stinger anti-aircraft missiles and British-made NLAW anti-tank weapons  * Weapons are designed to inflict punishing losses on Putin's forces so he thinks twice about plans to invade

Daily Mail: China backs Putin as top diplomat warns US that Russia's security demands 'must be taken seriously' amid fears of war in Ukraine   * China backed Putin in Ukraine crisis, saying demands must be 'taken seriously'  * Foreign minister Wang Yi urged America to abandon its 'Cold War mentality'  * He delivered the comments during a call with Secretary of State Antony Blinken  * Came after Blinken sent a letter to Moscow, rejecting most of Putin's demands China has thrown its back behind Russia over Ukraine, warning the US that Putin's security demands must be 'taken seriously'.  Foreign minister Wang Yi told Secretary of State Antony Blinken that he should abandon his 'Cold War mentality' and engage in negotiations during a call today.  The call took place just after Blinken had delivered a letter to Moscow, rejecting most of Putin's demands around Ukraine.   Read more ....   WNU editor: US Secretary of State Bli

  Daily Mail: Biden sparks gas panic: Joe warns he will pull the plug on $11bn Russian gas pipeline into Germany Nord Stream 2 if Putin invades Ukraine - as he 'kicks out' 27 Russian diplomats from DC   * 'I want to be very clear: if Russia invades Ukraine one way or another, Nord Stream 2 will not move forward,' State Dept. spox Ned Price told NPR  * This morning, Germany backed the threat of sanctions on the gas pipeline in the event of an invasion  * The State Department asked 24 Russian diplomats to depart Washington and return home on Tuesday, according to the Russian Embassy  * Embassy tweeted that State Dept request meant 'our colleagues were forced to leave earlier than their tenure'  * The US is reportedly discussing the deployment of additional troops to countries like Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania but not every NATO member is on board  * Russia warns of 'retaliatory measures' if US rejects security demands and continues 'aggressiv

Kiev mayor Vitali Klitschko has branded Germany's latest offer of 5,000 helmets to Ukraine a 'joke'   Daily Mail: Kiev mayor Vitali Klitschko brands new German offer to send 5,000 HELMETS a 'joke' and asks 'What will they give us next? Pillows?' as the nation refuses to give Ukraine weapons   * The ex-boxer said Germany's lack of support for Ukraine left him 'speechless'  * German Chancellor Olaf Scholz refused to provide arms to the threatened nation  * Germany has long maintained a policy of not sending weapons to conflict zones  * But there is speculation that German reliance on Russian gas and the nation's chequered military past may have influenced Scholz decision to restrict aid  * Top US diplomat warns Russia is likely to use military force by mid-February  Kiev mayor Vitali Klitschko has branded Germany's latest offer of 5,000 helmets to Ukraine a 'joke' in the latest swipe at Olaf Scholz's lack of support for

  DW: US, NATO send written response on Russia's security demands   US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington made no concessions, but said the move offered a new "diplomatic path" out of the Ukraine crisis.  The United States and NATO said on Wednesday that they delivered written replies to security demands that Russia had made.  It comes amid heightened tensions and repeated warnings that Russia could be preparing military action against Ukraine.  Russia had demanded security guarantees that Ukraine would never join NATO, and that the alliance stops its eastward expansion — which the US and NATO rejected.  Read more ....  WNU Editor : I am not surprised that NATO and the US rejected Russia's concerns. But I did expect at least a small concession or two on Ukraine, in particular on putting pressure on Ukraine to implement some provisions of the Minsk accord that they had originally agreed to. US, NATO Reject Russia's Security Demands In Wr