A News Aggregator That Covers The World's Major Wars And Conflicts. Military, Political, And Intelligence News Are Also Covered. Occasionally We Will Have Our Own Opinions Or Observations To Make.
(Reuters) - President Alexander Lukashenko said on Friday that Russia, which has already decided to station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, could if necessary put intercontinental nuclear missiles there too.
In an annual address to lawmakers and government officials, Lukashenko said Moscow's plans to station nuclear arms on the territory of its close ally would help protect Belarus, which he said was under threat from the West.
"I am not trying to intimidate or blackmail anyone. I want to safeguard the Belarusian state and ensure peace for the Belarusian people," Lukashenko said.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Friday that he had intensified talks with Russia about deploying tactical nuclear weapons in his country, alleging there were plans to invade Belarus from neighboring Poland.
Speaking at an annual address to lawmakers and government officials, Lukashenko said Moscow’s plans to station nuclear arms in Belarus would help “safeguard” the country, which he said was under threat from the West.
“Take my word for it, I have never deceived you. They are preparing to invade Belarus, to destroy our country,” he told the audience.
WNU Editor: Polish - Belarusian relations were bad before the war. It is (of course) far worse now. I am hearing some reports that Latvia is threatening its Russian minority to learn the native language or face deportation. It is getting very ugly now.
Concerns that NATO may use Poland to invade Belarus in the future is one of the reasons why Putin and Lukashenko agreed to the deployment of nuclear weapons to Belarus .... Russia To Deploy Nuclear Weapons To Belarus (Reuters).
Russian President Vladimir Putin has dismissed Russia’s ambassadors to Latvia and Estonia, the corresponding orders have been posted on the state law website.
Mikhail Vanin is no longer the Ambassador to Latvia, while Vladimir Lipaev was released from his post in Estonia.
In January, Russia announced downgrading the level of diplomatic relations with Estonia. The formal reason behind this move was said to be “reduction in the size of the Russian Embassy in Tallinn”, as per the Russian Foreign Ministry’s statement. The ministry stated that Estonia’s Ambassador to Russia Margus Laidre was to leave the country by 7 February 2023.
The dismissal of these ambassadors is just another sign on how diplomatic relations between Russia and the Baltic nations are now all but non-existent.
European leaders are close to discussing whether the European Union can send peacekeeping troops to Ukraine, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was quoted as saying on Friday.
Orbán, a longtime ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was speaking to local radio station Kossuth Rádió on Friday morning about Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, media outlet Mandiner reported.
Earlier in March, the Russian government mentioned Hungary as being in a group of foreign states that it said had committed "unfriendly actions against Russia, its companies and citizens," despite a longstanding amicable relationship between Orbán and Putin.
There is major electrical work happening near my home that has resulted in no power to my home (and everyone else around me) since early this morning. I have been told that power will be restored later this evening. Maybe even late tonight. When that happens blogging will return.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced earlier this month that the country would finish modernizing the missile defense systems pressed into duty to protect the capital, Moscow, by the end of this year.
The nation will establish an air defense division and brigade, a special-purpose air and missile defense brigade, an anti-aircraft regiment with the S-350 surface-to-air missile complex, a space monitoring radar station Razvyazka and a special operations brigade for air and missile defense by 2023 end, Shoigu said.
Starting in 2020, a significant part of Russia’s State Armament Program has focused on developing aerospace defense capabilities. Over 3.4 trillion Rubles (roughly US$44.3 billion) have been invested in the initiative since it began in 2011, with the air defense upgrade making up about 17.5% of that total.
WNU Editor: This deployment of the advanced S-500 air defense missile system around Moscow is not because of Ukraine. It is being deployed to counter any NATO threat.
‘No limits’ partnership means Russia will provide China the tech and fuel it needs to tip the prevailing global nuclear bomb balance
Russia plans to provide fast breeder nuclear reactor technology to China, an agreement that could allow Beijing to significantly grow its nuclear arsenal and tip the prevailing global balance of nuclear weapons.
This month, Bloomberg reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese Premier Xi Jinping announced a long-term agreement to continue developing fast breeder nuclear reactors optimized for plutonium production for nuclear weapons.
The report notes that in December 2022, Russia’s-state owned Rosatom nuclear power company finished transferring 25 tons of highly-enriched uranium to China’s CFR-600 nuclear reactor, which analysts say has the capacity to produce 50 nuclear warheads a year.
Brazil and China have reportedly struck a deal to ditch the U.S. dollar in favor of their own currencies in trade transactions.
The deal, announced Wednesday, will enable China and Brazil to carry out trade and financial transactions directly, exchanging yuan for reais – or vice versa – rather than first converting their currencies to the U.S. dollar.
Brazil-China
The Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil) said the new arrangement is expected to "reduce costs" and "promote even greater bilateral trade and facilitate investment."
Chinese leader Xi Jinping says he is preparing for war. At the annual meeting of China’s parliament and its top political advisory body in March, Xi wove the theme of war readiness through four separate speeches, in one instance telling his generals to “dare to fight.” His government also announced a 7.2 percent increase in China’s defense budget, which has doubled over the last decade, as well as plans to make the country less dependent on foreign grain imports. And in recent months, Beijing has unveiled new military readiness laws, new air-raid shelters in cities across the strait from Taiwan, and new “National Defense Mobilization” offices countrywide.
It is too early to say for certain what these developments mean. Conflict is not certain or imminent. But something has changed in Beijing that policymakers and business leaders worldwide cannot afford to ignore. If Xi says he is readying for war, it would be foolish not to take him at his word.
But the mood in China is different this time. The U.S. and China have always had their differences, but House Speaker Pelosi's trip to Taiwan last year was IMHO the straw that "broke the camel's back". And what is worse is that I sense the lines of communication between Beijing and Washington are now being shut down, and the rhetoric only becoming more hostile and confrontational.
STORY: State Dept's deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel told a news conference "Our message to American citizens residing in Russia is that the travel advisory warning is a level four and that they should leave."
"Any U.S. citizen residing or traveling in Russia should depart immediately as stated in our latest travel advisory. Those who require assistance in departing Russia should contact the U.S. Embassy in Moscow for assistance."
A Moscow court ruled that U.S. national, and journalist for the Wall Street Journal, Evan Gershkovich should be detained for nearly two months on suspicion of spying.
It is believed to be the first criminal case for espionage against a foreign journalist in post-Soviet Russia, a crime punishable by up to 20 years imprisonment.
According to the Greek portal Pronews, received by the editors from "American sources", "during the operation of retaliation for the provocative attack in the Bryansk region," the Russian military attacked the joint Ukrainian-NATO command
In all likelihood, we are talking about the defeat of the “shadow general staff” of NATO in Ukraine, the existence of which Western officials stubbornly deny.
My Ukrainian sources are saying that they have heard rumors .... and it is just rumors .... that 300 were killed, and that number included 40 Westerners. I do not know if this story is true, but I do know that people want answers, and no one in Kyiv or int he West are giving them.
BERLIN (Reuters) - The German government has agreed to send an additional 12 billion euros ($13.01 billion) worth of military support to Ukraine.
The Budget Committee of the German Bundestag gave the green light on Wednesday for the unbudgeted expenditure, which was requested by the defence ministry and the foreign office.
The additional funding includes 3.2 billion euros to be disbursed in 2023 and credit lines for the period between 2024 and 2032 amounting to some 8.8 billion euros.
Finland will become the 31st member of Nato after Turkey's parliament voted to approve its application.
Turkey had delayed Finland's bid to join the West's defensive alliance for months - complaining the Nordic nation was supporting "terrorists".
Sweden, which applied to join Nato at the same time last year, is still being blocked by Ankara over similar complaints.
Any Nato expansion needs the support of all its members.
Finland will now be formally admitted into Nato at its next summit, taking place in July in Lithuania.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave his approval to Finland's bid earlier in March, praising the country's "authentic and concrete steps" on Turkish security.
* Donald Trump has become the first former president to face criminal charges
* It marks the end of a years-long investigation into hush money paid to Daniels
* It means Trump faces arrest and the prospect of humiliating court appearances
Donald Trump reacted with fury on Thursday as news broke that a Manhattan jury had voted to indict him over $130,000 in hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels.
He said Democrats would regret ever persecuting an innocent man when his supporters dump them out of office.
And he is expected to travel to Manhattan next week to be formally arrested, according to a source familiar with the plans, who said the head of his security detail traveled recently to New York to liaise with prosecutors.
WNU Editor: A lot of updates on the Russia - Ukraine war from the Military Summary channel (see above). Alexander Mercouris gives his updates on the war below.
According to the Greek portal Pronews, received by the editors from "American sources", "during the operation of retaliation for the provocative attack in the Bryansk region," the Russian military attacked the joint Ukrainian-NATO command
Lawmakers from the pro-Russia, far-right Freedom Party walked out of the lower house of Austria's parliament during a speech by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, protesting that it violated Austria's neutrality https://t.co/NOHQPp2B4xpic.twitter.com/X860ri3XfU
We work very hard to sanction your country, destroy your economy and immiserate your population. The least you could do is show some respect for our efforts and hard work and stop mocking us for it. https://t.co/6JneQQDDDx
BREAKING: Donald Trump’s lawyer says he has been indicted. The case involving payments made during his 2016 presidential campaign to silence claims of an extramarital sexual encounter is the first criminal case against a former U.S. president. https://t.co/hUZeBaaeDw
BREAKING: A New York grand jury voted Thursday to indict former President Donald Trump in connection with a $130,000 hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election, his lawyer told CNBC. https://t.co/Ekbx7a8C8Zpic.twitter.com/eeRI1XIaFR
#UPDATE Tehran said the International Court of Justice's verdict on Thursday underlined Washington's "illegal behaviour," while the US State Department claimed victory as the court "rejected the vast majority of Iran's case."https://t.co/v0BXiUbma1
Brazil's far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro returned from three months in the United States and has vowed to lead the opposition to Lula's government, raising the stakes for the new administration after a highly polarized election https://t.co/GB9QlNLS11pic.twitter.com/qhDtdvqL2K
NEW YORK (Reuters) -Donald Trump has been indicted by a Manhattan grand jury after a probe into hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels, becoming the first former U.S. president to face criminal charges even as he makes another run for the White House, a law enforcement source said on Thursday.
The charges, arising from an investigation led by Democratic Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, could reshape the 2024 presidential race.
Trump previously said he would continue campaigning for the Republican Party's nomination if charged with a crime.
The specific charges are not yet known and the indictment will likely be announced in the coming days, the New York Times reported. Trump will have to travel to Manhattan for fingerprinting and other processing at that point.
* Trump leads DeSantis 54% to 24% in new Fox News poll
* That is double from last month
* Pollster says voters showing their support to Trump amid indictment reports
Donald Trump has doubled his lead in the Republican presidential primary amid reports he'll be indicted by the Manhattan district attorney's office, a new poll finds.
Voters see the case as politically motivating, pollster Daron Shaw said, and it's bringing them back to Trump's corner.
The Fox News poll found Trump has doubled his lead since February and is up by 30 points over Ron DeSantis, 54% to the Florida governor's 24%.
Last month, Trump led DeSantis by 15 points: 43% to 28%.
WNU Editor: Former President Trump is the clear leader in the Republican primaries. It is going to be very difficult for Governor DeSantis to win the Republican Presidential nomination, and doubly so if the former President is indicted.
* US General Mark Milley said late last night that Russia was suffering major losses
* Hard fighting in and around Bakhmut has inflicted huge casualties on both sides
Russian forces are 'getting hammered' in the battle for the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut in fighting described as a 'slaughter-fest' by senior US officials.
Chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff General Mark Milley told lawmakers late last night: 'The Russians have not made any progress whatsoever in and around Bakhmut.
'It's a slaughter-fest for the Russians. They're getting hammered in the vicinity of Bakhmut and the Ukrainians have fought very very well.'
WNU Editor: The media narrative from the West continues to stay same. The battle for Bakhmut is going their way, and Russian forces are getting slaughtered .... Ukrainians in a Hidden Command Post See Bakhmut Going Their Way (DNYUZ/New York Times). But the problem with this narrative is that if the Russian forces are facing massive losses that would cripple any army, how come they continue to advance and seize more territory .... Ukraine controls a third of Bakhmut, says presidential adviser (Straits Times).
Top US General Says The Battle For Bakhmut Has Become A "Slaughter-Fest" For The Russians
Israel is suspected of carrying out numerous attacks against Syrian and Iranian military targets in Syria this year.
Two Syrian soldiers were injured in a suspected Israeli missile attack early Thursday morning.
Syria's official news outlet SANA reported that the missiles hit unspecified targets outside of Damascus at 1:20 a.m. local time (6:20 p.m. ET Wednesday). The missiles were fired from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Syrian air defenses downed some of the missiles. Two Syrian soldiers were injured in addition to material damage, according to SANA.
Videos spread of social media purportedly showing the Israeli strikes.
Preliminary military assessment has identified the left-wing ELN as responsible for the attack in a northern province.
An attack by the Colombian rebel group known as the National Liberation Army (ELN) has allegedly killed nine government soldiers, in a blow to the government’s efforts to negotiate a truce with armed groups and curb violence in the country.
The attack, one of the deadliest to occur in the last several months, took place on Wednesday in the rural state of Norte de Santander, near the border with Venezuela. It came more than two weeks after the government and the ELN held a second round of ceasefire negotiations in Mexico City.
(Reuters) - The head of Russia's Wagner mercenary group acknowledged on Wednesday that fighting for the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut had inflicted severe damage on his own forces as well as the Ukrainian side.
Bakhmut, a small eastern city that has for months been the target of a Russian offensive, has seen intense fighting and destruction in what has become the longest, bloodiest battle of the war.
WNU Editor: Considering how long and bloody the battle for Bakhmut has been for the past 8 months, no surprises on the high casualties. And while the Western press is focused on Evgeny Prigozhin's remarks on the high casualties within the Wagner group, Evgeny Prigozhin has also commented on what he believes is the current state of the Ukraine army .... Ukrainian army ‘almost destroyed’ – Wagner chief (RT).
Nine US service members were killed after two helicopters with the 101st Airborne Division crashed late Wednesday in southwestern Kentucky, officials said. There were no survivors.
The two HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters crashed around 10 p.m. in Trigg County near the Tennessee border, officials at nearby Fort Campbell said early Thursday. They were taking part “in a routine training mission when the incident occurred,” the base said in a statement on Facebook.
The helicopters were medical evacuation aircraft, and it’s believed the crash happened while they were flying and not during a medical evacuation drill, Brig. Gen. John Lubas, deputy commander of the 101st Airborne Division, said during a Thursday morning news conference at Fort Campbell.
Evan Gershkovich, a US citizen, could face up to 20 years in prison.
Russian security services detained Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal correspondent, in Yekaterinburg on Thursday on suspicion of spying for the U.S., according to state media reports.
Gershkovich, who is a U.S. citizen, is “suspected of espionage in the interests of the American government” and accused of “trying to obtain secret information,” Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said in a statement, according to state news agency TASS.
In Russia, the charge of espionage is punishable by 20 years in prison.
I personally like the reporting that Evan Gershkovich has been doing for WSJ. He is in Russia, and for the past few months his reporting on how the war is impacting regular Russians has been a go to place for me. I know his reporting on the Wagner group has had an impact. Even Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin had to recently acknowledge this .... Wagner chief admits Bakhmut battle has 'battered' his army (CNN).
On a personal note. Before the war I knew a lot of independent journalists and independent news organizations in Russia. I was a regular weekly guest for one Moscow radio station commenting on Canadian - U.S. politics. But the war has changed everything. Russia is in a state of war right now, and there are restrictions on what can be covered when it comes to the war and the industrial base that supports it.
But even with these restrictions, Russian social media has been very active, and they are very critical of Russia's war effort. It should also be noted that while Russian news media is censored, Russians still have access to outside news media organizations via the internet.
Wall Street Journal Reporter Arrested In Russia On Spying Charges
An anti-war activist holds up a sign "Stop war exercise, Go home" in front of a South Korean marine taking position during a U.S and South Korea marine corps combined amphibious landing drill called the 'Ssangyong' exercise, in Pohang, South Korea. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji
WNU Editor: The above picture is from this photo-gallery .... Top Photos of the Day (Reuters).
The world's stockpile of usable nuclear warheads increased by over 130 in 2022, Norwegian People's Aid has reported. The authors have warned of the risk that nuclear weapons pose to humanity.
The number of nuclear warheads that states could deploy reached a total of 9,576 at the beginning of 2023, up from 9,440 the previous year, according to a report published by the NGO Norwegian People's Aid (NPA) on Wednesday.
The Nuclear Weapons Ban Monitor report said that the weaponized nuclear power amounted to a "collective destructive power of more than 135,000 Hiroshima bombs."
The issue of nuclear weapons has become its most prominent since the end of the Cold War thanks in part to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and subsequent aggressive rhetoric, as well as fears over Iran's nuclear program and North Korea's renewed missile tests.
WASHINGTON: The United States has told Russia it will cease exchanging some data on its nuclear forces following Moscow's refusal to do so, the White House said on Tuesday (Mar 28), calling this a response to Russia's suspending participation in the New START nuclear arms treaty.
While Russian President Vladimir Putin has not formally withdrawn from the treaty, which limits the two sides' deployed strategic nuclear arsenals, his Feb 21 suspension imperils the last pillar of US-Russian arms control.
Between the two of them, the United States and Russia hold nearly 90 per cent of the world's nuclear warheads - enough to destroy the planet many times over.
"Under international law, the United States has the right to respond to Russia's breaches of the New START Treaty by taking proportionate and reversible countermeasures in order to induce Russia to return to compliance with its obligations," a spokesperson for the National Security Council said.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff U.S. Army Gen. Mark A. Milley testifies before the House Appropriations Committee-Defense on the 2024 DoD Budget in the Rayburn House Office Building, March 23, 2023, in Washington D.C. (DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Alexander Kubitza)
The top general in the U.S. military warned Thursday that not supporting Ukraine now would lead to a massive increase in future defense budgets -- and global conflict that has been avoided since World War II ended.
"If that rules-based order, which is in its 80th year, if that goes out the window, then be very careful," Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Mark Milley testified to Congress on Thursday. "We'll be doubling our defense budgets at that point because that will introduce not an era of great power competition. That'll begin an era of great power conflict. And that'll be extraordinarily dangerous for the whole world."
Milley's remark at a House Appropriations Committee defense subcommittee hearing comes amid growing skepticism from Republicans about the price tag of U.S. aid to Ukraine. Milley was testifying alongside Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin about the Biden administration's $842 billion request for Pentagon spending for fiscal 2024.
WNU Editor: A lot of updates on the Russia - Ukraine war from the Military Summary channel (see above). Alexander Mercouris gives his updates on the war below.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned in an @AP interview that if Ukraine loses a battle in Bakhmut, a key eastern city, Russia could begin building international support for a deal that could force his country to make unacceptable compromises. https://t.co/qxaot2iihK
Xi visited Putin in Russia last week, raising the prospect that Beijing might be ready to provide Moscow with the weapons and ammunition it needs to refill its depleted stockpile. But Xi’s trip ended without any such announcement. https://t.co/ihxY1t1EFA
The European Union imposed tough sanctions on Russia, yet trade keeps flowing between the two sides. Here's a look at the areas where business is still booming pic.twitter.com/kAK6Vylhhg
A judge ruled that former US Vice President Mike Pence must testify about conversations with former President Donald Trump before the Capitol attack, Nashville school shooter was under doctor's care for 'emotional disorder,' and more. Here are the top 5⃣ stories of the day pic.twitter.com/ZcT3XXA6mu
Stocks rose broadly Wednesday, as strong gains in tech helped the Nasdaq rebound after a losing session. Sentiment was also lifted by easing concerns around the state of the banking sector.
BREAKING: The Vatican says Pope Francis will be hospitalized for several days for treatment of a pulmonary infection after experiencing difficulty breathing in recent days. https://t.co/79B0wBitw3
A vote on whether to indict Donald Trump likely wouldn’t come until late April at the earliest.
The grand jury investigating hush money paid on Trump’s behalf will take a previously scheduled hiatus, a person familiar with the matter said. https://t.co/fML6pyiL5F
A very strange video! The US is illegally occupying Syrian territory and its occupation forces are openly stealing Syria's oil. Now, US army bases in Syria have been attacked. Yet, UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq suggests there is no evidence of a US military presence in Syria. pic.twitter.com/iEn2XyHBcH
The number of nuclear warheads that states could deploy reached a total of 9,576 at the beginning of 2023 — up from 9,440 the previous year — according to a new report. https://t.co/BfkDYPkrRd
Allegations of attempted meddling by China put uncomfortable spotlight on publicity-shy CSIS
Most Canadians have no idea where the country’s spy agency is located, nor do they know much about its daily operations. This is not because the Canadian Security Intelligence Service operates in a particularly clandestine fashion, it’s because most Canadians don’t care.
The CSIS, a civilian-run organisation based in a triangular structure of concrete and glass on the outskirts of Ottawa, lacks the intrigue of Britain’s MI5 and the notoriety of America’s Central Intelligence Agency.
“I look nothing like Daniel Craig, and I did not arrive here in an Aston Martin. I’m just as disappointed as you are – on both fronts,” its director, David Vigneault, said in a speech in 2018, poking fun at the service’s largely uncharismatic reputation. “Most of you remember the movie Fight Club. And you will know that the first rule of Fight Club is ‘don’t talk about Fight Club’. Well, the first rule of CSIS has always been ‘don’t talk’. Period.”
WNU Editor: No one really knows where these leaks are coming from. But it is clear that there is at least one person in the national security bureaucracy who is not satisfied with the complete lack of response from the Canadian government on intelligence reports that China is interfering in Canada's elections.
'We are ready to see him here,’ Ukrainian president says.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday invited his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to Ukraine, for what would be the first direct communication between the two leaders since the beginning of Russia’s all-out war on Ukraine.
“We are ready to see [Xi] here,” Zelenskyy said in an interview with the Associated Press, a U.S. newswire, on a train to Kyiv, adding, “I want to speak with him.”
“I had contact with him before full-scale war. But during all this year, more than one year, I didn’t have [contact],” Zelenskyy said.
WNU editor: I personally would not mind if Chinese President Xi goes to Kyiv. Anything to get the peace process moving forward should be supported. But I also know the Chinese do not operate like this. The will want Zelensky to first fly to Beijing to meet Xi. I also know the Chinese will first want to enter into talks before any official announcement is made.
Beijing will not want President Xi to fly to Ukraine, or President Zelensky flying to Beijing, just for a photo-op. Beijing will want something concrete in return, but the problem is that I do not see Ukraine President Zelensky willing to compromise on anything right now.
