Russian Navy Warships Are Escorting Nord Stream 2 Pipeline Vessels Building The Undersea Pipeline Between Russia And Germany

Satellite image showing the Nord Stream 2 support vessels being escorted by Russian Navy Warships. Credit Frank Bottema, imagery from Sentinel Hub

Naval News: Russian Navy Warships Are Escorting Nord Stream 2 Pipeline Vessels In Bay Of Biscay

Russia’s controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline is enjoying a naval escort. The undersea pipeline will be built in the Baltic between Russia and Germany. Two offshore supply vessels involved in the project are currently being escorted. They are accompanied by a Project 1155 Udaloy-I Class destroyer and a Project 22160 patrol ship. At the time of writing the ships are currently 40 nautical miles southwest of Brest, France.

Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) analyst Frank Bottema (Twitter) spotted the vessels in a Sentinel satellite image from Yesterday. They are just visible through a gap in the cloud. The vessels’s progress can also be tracked on other forms of OSINT.

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WNU Editor: The naval escort is an eye-opener. I guess the Russians have concerns that the US may seize their ships.

EU To Launch Cyber War Games To Prepare For Russian Or Chinese Cyber Attacks

© Sputnik / Alexey Malgavko

The Guardian: EU to run war games to prepare for Russian and Chinese cyber-attacks

Ministers to be put in fictional scenarios after series of hacking incidents.

The EU is to conduct war games to prepare for Russian and Chinese cyber-attacks, in response to a series of incidents that alarmed European governments.

Pekka Haavisto, Finland’s foreign minister, said an increase in the prevalence of meddling required a reaction from the 28 member states. During meetings in Helsinki in July and September, EU interior and finance ministers will be asked to manage fictional scenarios.

Finland, which takes over the EU’s rotating presidency on 1 July, believes Russia was responsible for blocking GPS signals last October when Finnish forces took part in Nato military exercises in Norway.

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Update: EU to stage war games to prepare for hybrid threats (AP)

WNU Editor: Russia is accusing the EU of launching cyber attacks against them .... Most Cyberattacks on Russian Targets Directed From EU, US - Cyberthreat Centre (Sputnik).

Is Europe About To Weaken Russian Sanctions?

© Sputnik / Sergey Guneev

Tom Luongo, Zero Hedge: Russia Grinds Out Wins In Europe

Europe is finally coming to its senses five years after the coup in Kiev started what is now the new Cold War between Russia and the West.

The first part of Russia’s win comes from Italian leader Matteo Salvini. Speaking for the under-represented in European politics, Salvini declared this week, “I continue to believe that we don’t need sanctions. The issue of their removal unites all decent people.“

Salvini is tackling, head-on, the European political establishment in this week’s European parliamentary elections. And his raising the issue of lifting sanctions on Russia imposed over the reunification with Crimea is a massive attack on them.

It means that Salvini is looking at using the extension of sanctions as a bargaining chip this summer. He is threatening to veto any extension with words this strong on the eve of an election.

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WNU Editor: European sanctions against Russia are weakening. The pressure right now is on the new Ukrainian President to reach a deal with Ukraine's rebels in the east, and with Moscow that supports them. After that .... the Europeans will have the excuse that they need to eliminate most (if not all) of their sanctions against Moscow. My timetable for this to happen is two to three years.

Europe Is Addicted To Russian Energy

Russian president Vladimir Putin greets BP chief executive Robert Dudley (right) and AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot (centre) during a meeting with businessmen at the Kremlin in Moscow on Wednesday. Photograph: Alexander Nemenov/Reuters

David McWilliams, Irish Times: Europe is glued to energy-rich Russia

As Putin marks 20 years in power, he knows how much the world needs his country

As the train screeches to a halt, the young man, in his slim-fit Tom Ford suit, alights energetically. This is Revolution Square station, deep beneath Moscow’s congested boulevards.

Built in 1938, the station is one of the gems of the Moscow metro system, itself one of the finest pieces of public transport infrastructure in the world. Stalin understood symbols. The metro system served as a reminder of the splendour of the Soviet Union. In the war, these places were air-raid shelters. In 1941 and 1942, a hundred war babies a month were being delivered down here as war raged overhead. What else are you going to do?

Today, the metro carries seven million passengers a day, close to half the population of this enormous city of 15 million citizens. Trains arrive off-peak every two minutes and at rush hour every 30 seconds.

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WNU Editor: The only thing that I can add to the above commentary is that European and Chinese dependence on Russian energy is only going to grow with time.

Estonia Spy Chief: Russia Will Meddle In European Elections And Continue To Prepare For War

The EU parliament is a 'considerable target for Russian influence operations', says Estonia

CNBC: Report: Russia will meddle in European elections, keep prepping for war with NATO

In a conflict, Russia would likely hit the Baltic States first, but war between Russia and NATO would involve attacks on Western Europe, says a new report.

WASHINGTON — In 2019 Russia will likely try to influence the European Parliament elections, continue intelligence and influence operations against the West, and keep preparing for armed conflict with NATO, according to the latest annual threat assessment by the Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service.

NBC News obtained an exclusive preview of the 70-page report, which provides a window into the activity and goals of the Russian intelligence services from next door in Estonia.

Russia will target the European parliamentary elections in May, the report says, with a likely focus on the larger member states — Germany, France and Italy — where it can hope to have the most influence on the composition of the E.U. Parliament, whose members are elected for five-year terms.

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WNU Editor: The Estonia Foreign Intelligence Report is here .... International Security And Estonia 2019

More News On Estonia's Foreign Intelligence Report

Russia 'very likely' to meddle in European Parliament elections, warns Estonia spy chief -- SKY News
Russia Prepares for War With NATO and Strikes Against Western Europe, Report Reveals -- Newsweek
Russian spies buy congressional directories to hunt down targets, report says -- Yahoo News
Foreign Intelligence Service: Russia remains military threat to Estonia -- ERR

Russian President Putin Warns That European Countries That Host U.S. Nuclear Missiles Will Be Targeted

Reuters: Russia will target European countries if they host U.S. nuclear missiles: Putin

MOSCOW (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Russia would be forced to target any European countries that agreed to host U.S. nuclear missiles following Washington's withdrawal from a landmark Cold war-era arms control treaty.

Speaking at a news conference after holding talks with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, Putin said he wanted to discuss what he called dangerous U.S. plans to leave the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty with U.S. President Donald Trump.

The two leaders are expected to hold talks in Paris on Nov. 11.

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WNU Editor: This is a threat if I ever heard one, and not surprising the Europeans are keeping to themselves .... European NATO allies muted on nuclear treaty's demise (DW).

U.S. Military Bases In Europe Are Dependent On Russia For Their Energy Needs

Ramstein Air Base in Germany

RCD: U.S. Military Sites in Europe Are Dependent on Russia for Electricity

As the Nord Stream II pipeline is beginning construction in the Baltic Sea, President Donald Trump warned that Germany has become “captive to Russia.” Representatives in Congress are also worried about European dependence on Russian energy. To ensure stable operation of critical sites, especially military assets abroad, backup power solutions should be an imperative.

In the first quarter of this year, Russian pipelines supplied 41% of Europe’s gas. Russian natural gas is cheaper for much of Europe because it does not need to undergo the liquification process. Countries that ship gas long distances have to transform it into liquefied natural gas (LNG) by cooling it to -260 degrees Fahrenheit. This shrinks the gas’ volume, making it easier to store and ship. When LNG reaches its destination, it is changed back to a gas and piped to homes and businesses to generate electricity.

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WNU Editor: If a major war breaks out between Russia and the U.S./Europe, the Russians are not going to cut off Europe's gas supplies, they are going to use conventional and nuclear weapons to obliterate these bases.

Russia Has Won The Gas War In Europe

© Issei Kato / Reuters

RT: No need for Europe to buy US gas at triple the price, will continue imports from Russia – Austria

The US is force-feeding Europe its liquefied natural gas, which is three times more expensive that buying it from Russia, Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen said after signing a gas-supply contract with Moscow until 2040.

While US politicians are accusing Europe of being dependent on Russian gas, they forget that “American liquefied gas is two or three times more expensive than Russian gas. Under such circumstances, it makes little sense in purely economic terms to replace Russian gas with American LNG,” Van der Bellen said at a press conference after meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Vienna on Tuesday.

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WNU Editor: The Russians have been a reliable supplier of gas (Ukraine excluded) for years .... and at a reasonable price. No one .... including the U.S. .... can compete with that.

More News On Austria's Announcement That They Will Continue To Buy Natural Gas From Russia

Putin says Russia’s plans for gas deliveries to Europe enjoy Austria’s support -- TASS
Austrian President: It Doesn't Make Sense for Europe to Shift to US Gas Delivery -- Sputnik
Europe is still addicted to Russian gas -- Ivana Kottasová, CNN

Western Leaders Are Seeking A Rapprochement With Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron attend a meeting with Russian and French businessmen during the Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum on May 25, 2018. Photo: AFP / Dmitry Lovetsky

M.K. Bhadrakumar, Asia Times: Western leaders back in Russia as tensions appear to ease

East-West relations seem to have changed over past 10 days, as three major Western leaders attend St Petersburg forum

East-West relations have transformed over the past 10-day period. Russia’s isolation from the West after the Maidan coup in Kiev appears to have warmed as abruptly as it began.

Three major Western leaders – German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe – visited Russia during the period since May 18, mainly to attend the St Petersburg Economic Forum. But they had one mantra to chant: Russia is an indispensable partner – and one offer to make – despite sanctions, economic and political ties with Russia are possible and necessary.

On the other hand, US President Donald Trump’s critics, who accuse him of causing a trans-Atlantic rift, have had a rethink, since he may have instead triggered an overall easing of East-West tensions, as America’s European partners dust off their “Ostpolitik” to seek an apparent rapprochement with Russia.

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WNU Editor: I expected this rapprochement to only happen after a political settlement on the Ukraine war was reached. Apparently not. Other issues more important than Ukraine are now surfacing up .... the Syrian war, Iran sanctions, the economy, etc. .... that Western leaders have decided that relations with Russia need to be strengthened, and now is the time to fill in the void that the U.S. (because of internal politics in Washington on everything Russian) has left open.

European Analysts Believe A Recent Russian Military Exercise Was A Simulation To Invade The Baltics

Daily Mail: Russia simulated invading Europe and bombing Germany during Putin's 'West 2017' military drills, analysts reveal

* War games featuring thousands of soldiers took place in Belarus in September
* Russia claimed that they were defensive in nature with foreign monitors present
* But analysts claim it was a dry-run for a 'shock campaign' against NATO states
* 'Zapad' drills featured mock invasion of land linking Belarus to Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, analysts said

Russia simulated going to war against NATO, bombing Germany and invading Baltic states during Vladimir Putin's 'West 2017' military exercises, analysts have revealed.

A massive programme of war games featuring tens of thousands of troops and code named 'Zapad' took place near the Belarus capital Minsk in September.

At the time there were fears Moscow was using the training as a cover to station soldiers and equipment in the country.

Analysts from two Western intelligence agencies have now claimed that the exercises, which included artillery, tanks, rocket launches and simulated air and navy raids, were a dry-run for a 'shock campaign' against Western European NATO members - including Germany and the Netherlands.

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Update: Bild: Russia practiced war against NATO, capture of Baltics during Zapad (Baltic Times)

WNU Editor: Russia's Zapad military exercises happen every 4 years, and this year it occurred on near the Baltic states .... What are Russia's Zapad war games? (DW).

Top U.S. General In Europe Wants To Ship Lethal Weapons To Ukraine

U.S. Army General Curtis Scaparrotti © Francois Lenoir / Reuters

RFE: Top U.S. Military Commander in Europe Calls For Lethal Weaponry For Ukraine

WASHINGTON -- The top U.S. military commander in Europe again backed sending more advanced weaponry to Ukraine to help it in its fight against Russia-backed separatists.

U.S. Army General Curtis Scaparrotti's comments on March 28 reflected on the continuing debate that erupted following Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014, and the separatist insurgency that later broke out.

"I personally believe we need to consider lethal defensive weapons for Ukraine," Scaparrotti told a hearing of the House Armed Services Committee.

The administration of then-President Barack Obama sent Ukraine flak jackets, night-vision goggles, and other equipment. But officials resisted calls, in Congress and elsewhere, to send "lethal defensive weaponry" such as Javelin antitank missiles, fearing that would invite escalation from Russia.

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WNU Editor: Sending weapons to Ukraine so that a military solution can then be implemented to end this war is a pipe-dream .... what Ukraine needs right now .... and has been needing for the past few years .... is a political solution.

More News On The Top U.S. General In Europe Wanting To Ship Lethal Weapons To Ukraine

US general seeks weapons support for Ukraine -- AFP
EUCOM chief: US should provide weapons to Ukraine -- Stars and Stripes
US Must Consider Providing Lethal Weapons to Ukraine - European Command Chief -- Sputnik
Top US general in Europe urges arming Ukraine -- RT

Will Russia Try To Influence The Upcoming French And German Elections?

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande in Berlin, Germany, October 20, 2016. © Hannibal Hanschke / Reuters

The Guardian: Russian involvement in US vote raises fears for European elections

CIA investigation may have implications for upcoming French and German polls, even raising doubts over integrity of Brexit vote

The CIA’s conclusion that Russia covertly intervened to swing last month’s presidential election in favour of Donald Trump but its actions did not place the overall credibility of the result in doubt will be hard to swallow for some.

The classified CIA investigation, which has not been published, may also have implications for the integrity of Britain’s Brexit referendum last June, and how upcoming elections in France and Germany could be vulnerable to Russian manipulation. The latest revelations are not entirely new. What is fresh is the bald assertion that Moscow was working for Trump.

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WNU Editor: The U.S., France, and Germany have been influencing elections in other countries for years. And now they are upset that someone may be trying to influence theirs (and a big maybe at that) .... the irony of all of this speaks for itself.

EU -Russia Deal On Ukraine Collapses

Politico: EU bid to appease Russia over Ukraine deal collapses

The Kremlin threatens sanctions against Ukraine for tightening ties with the EU.

A last-minute attempt to prevent Russia from slapping economic sanctions on Ukraine failed Monday, as EU-led negotiations between the parties broke down.

The sticking point is the launch of a delayed EU free trade agreement with Ukraine that will enter into force on January 1. The EU had been talking for 18 months over Russia’s concerns the deal would harm its economy, but those discussions deadlocked with officials accusing each other of failing to compromise.

Update #1: Putin says Russia 'to continue efforts' to settle trade ties with Ukraine, EU (Reuters)
Update #2: Russia And EU Play Tit For Tat With Sanctions Over Ukraine (Tim Worstall, Forbes)

WNU Editor: Ukraine has had (until now) a form of free trade with Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union. It has been beneficial for Ukrainian exporters .... and it is huge. That is why Russian sanctions will have an enormous impact .... the EU knows this, because in the end it will only mean that Ukraine will require billions in EU aid to stay afloat.

Who Are Putin's Friends In Europe?

The Business Insider/The Economist: Here's who backs Putin in Europe — and why

Populist parties of both right and left, many pro-Russian, did well in last May's European elections, taking between them a quarter of the seats. This has raised fears of a coherent pro-Russian block forming in Strasbourg.

In Greece, the now-ruling radical-left Syriza party leans towards Russia. On February 11th Nikos Kotzias, the new foreign minister, went to Moscow--his first visit to a foreign capital outside the European Union.

WNU Editor: Russian President Putin has always cultivated personal friendships and alliances .... not political parties. And it is through these relationships that he influences European policy. Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and former Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi are two people that immediately come to my mind.

Russia Showing Off Its MIlitary Muscle

In Air and Cyberspace, on Land and Sea, Russia Shows Muscle -- New York Times

MOSCOW — The casual reader of The New York Times may be forgiven for thinking he or she had dozed off and awakened in a John le Carré novel. How else to explain the sudden increase of bombers in the skies over Europe, kidnapped spies, troop buildups in Eastern Europe and roaming submarines in the Baltic Sea?

Much of what we see today, we hope, is bluster, as when a popular Russian television host reminded his prime-time audience that Russia could reduce the United States to “radioactive dust” (to help explain why President Obama’s hair was graying).

But something has indeed been afoot since Vladimir V. Putin resumed the presidency of Russia in 2012 and sought to push back against the West, which he has accused of meddling in Russia’s backyard.

Here are recent examples of Russia’s new assertiveness. Of course, none of this has been confirmed by Moscow.

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My Comment: Being one who grew up during the Cold War .... sorry .... but I am not impressed by this "Russian show of force". I remember the multiple forward based Soviet armored divisions in East Germany that were just minutes away from the West. The movement of dozens of jets .... not a few planes .... near the borders of NATO to provoke a response. The placing of over one million Soviet soldiers throughout eastern Europe .... not a brigade or two near the Baltic states. This "show of force" is just a shadow of what the Warsaw Pact once was.

Europe Folds To Russian Demands To Delay Their Free Trade Deal With Ukraine

Russia Wins Delay In EU-Ukraine Trade Pact -- Reuters

* Ukraine will continue to have preferential access to EU
* Russia worried about pact's impact on its industry
* Trade talks part of Ukraine peace process-EU official (Adds Ukrainian minister's quote)

BRUSSELS, Sept 12 (Reuters) - The European Union and Ukraine agreed on Friday to delay the implementation of their free-trade pact until the end of next year in a concession to Russia, which had complained its industry would be hurt by the deal.

Russia and the West are bitterly at odds over Ukraine, and the European Union and United States both imposed new sanctions against Moscow on Friday over what they say is its military backing for separatist rebels in the east of the country. Russia, which denies involvement, said it would consider retaliating.

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My Comment: Zero Hedge has a good analysis on this capitulation .... but the big reason on why Europe capitulated is this one .... Central, East Europe Brace for Energy Shortages as Russian Gas Flows Fall (Wall Street Journal)

Yup .... the above graph shows how vulnerable eastern Europe is right now to Russian gas supplies.

European Leaders Put Pressure On Russian President Putin To Convince Ukraine Rebels To Lay Down Their Arms

Russian President Vladimir Putin has had a telephone conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande. ITAR-TASS

Merkel, Hollande Call On Putin To Convince Ukraine Rebels To Lay Down Arms -- Deutsche Welle

The leaders of France and Germany have called on Russia to support a cease-fire plan, proposed by Ukraine's president, under threat of sanctions. Meanwhile, heavy fighting has been reported in eastern Ukraine.

In a three-way telephone conversation on Thursday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to convince pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine to lay down their arms.

Merkel and Hollande warned Putin that if the Kremlin failed to play a constructive role in ending the violence in Ukraine, the international community would impose additional sanctions against Russia.

The warning came after NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said on Thursday that Russia had deployed several thousand additional troops to the Ukrainian border, calling it "a very regrettable step backward."

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Update: France, Germany Urge Russia on Cease-Fire With Ukraine -- WSJ

My Comment: The cynic in me is wondering if this has more to do with Russian natural gas supplies to Europe .... than finding a peaceful solution to the crisis in eastern Ukraine.

British, Dutch, And Danish Fighters Scramble To Confront Russian Bombers (Updated)

Air incident: An RAF Typhoon was scrambled after a TU-95 flew near UK airspace. © MOD/Crown Copyright

RAF Fighter Jet Scrambled As Russian Bombers Approach Scottish Coast -- STV News

The Ministry of Defence has confirmed that a RAF fighter jet was scrambled from a Scottish RAF base after a Russian bomber was detected in UK airspace.

A Typhoon fast attack jet was sent to investigate after radar operators detected two "unknown and unidentified" aircraft near the north of Scotland.

A spokesman for the MoD said: "The aircraft were identified as Russian but they did not enter UK sovereign airspace."

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Update #1: RAF Jet Chases Russian Planes Away From UK -- SKY News
Update #2: Dutch Scramble Jets After Russian Bombers Approach -- AP

My Comment: The Europeans are not the only ones who are now confronting Russian bombers .... Japan scrambles fighters against Russian bombers for 6 days in row -- Global Post/AFP

British, Dutch, And Danish Fighters Scramble To Confront Russian Bombers (Updated)

RAF fighter jets scrambled to investigate Russian planes -- BBC
Russian Bombers North of Scotland Draw Attention of British -- WSJ
Russian aircraft chased away from British airspace -- UPI
UK says scrambles jets to see off Russian planes near Scotland -- Reuters
RAF sees off Russian ‘Bears’ as fears rise over Ukraine -- Scottish Express
RAF Typhoons scrambled to Russian bombers -- The Telegraph
Russian bombers buzz U.K. airspace; jets scrambled to chase off ‘Bears’ -- Washington Times
RAF fighter jets intercept Russian bombers off coast of Scotland -- The Guardian
RAF Typhoon scrambled after two Russian planes stray into UK airspace today -- Daily Mail
NATO states lead Russia jets out of North Sea space -- Press TV (Iran)
NATO States Scramble Jets After Russian Bombers Approach -- Radio Free Europe
Incidents over the North Sea: Russian long-range bombers to test NATO air defense -- National Turk
Dutch fighter jets intercept 2 Russian bombers in their airspace -- CNN

My Comment: As to this being a normal thing .... yes ... it has happened before. But this is the first time since the Cold War that two bombers were used, and there were also Russian naval assets in the area .... something that has also not happened since the Cold War.

Update: I love the Russian explanation for this .... cough, cough .... "exercise" .... Russian Bombers Conduct Test Flights Over Northern Europe -- RIA Novosti

Should The West Have A More Robust Military Response To Russia's Involvement In Ukraine?

Thinking the Unthinkable in Ukraine -- Janine Davidson, National Interest

As Russian forces begin exercises on Ukraine’s border and continue their hold on Crimea, I worry about military escalation—unintentional and intentional. What fuels my concern about unintentional escalation is a disconcerting interaction I had last year with a Russian general at a NATO conference in Europe. I was leading a breakout session with a dozen generals and admirals from the region. I was taken aback as many of the Western European NATO officers began lamenting their individual countries' declining defense budgets and their inability to keep up with American military capability. As complicated as things might be inside NATO, and as difficult as it is to rally collective action at times, NATO is still the premier military alliance in the world. No one is giving up on it, I assured them.

When the Russian general spoke, he leaned into the table and said, "When I was a young soldier in the Soviet Army during the Cold War, I thought of NATO like this..." and he held his hand into a powerful fist. "But now that I am serving with NATO as a liaison, I am thinking, this..." and his hand went limp and wobbly with a whiny sounding sigh. If this small interaction reflects in any way a wider view of NATO by Russian civilian and military leaders, NATO has its work cut out for it in demonstrating to Vladimir Putin that continued military aggression in Ukraine will be challenged.

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My Comment: Moscow is looking at what the political leaders are doing .... not what the military leaders are saying. And what they are seeing is a total lack of will from the White House and from almost all of the European capitals on confronting Russia and it's involvement in Ukraine. Upping the military presence in the Black Sea, eastern Europe, etc. .... is not going to phase the Russian leadership one bit.

Europe Is Starting To Suspend It's Defense Contracts With Russia

French navy command ship Mistral. © AFP 2014/ Eric Feferberg

France Should Return Money if Warship Deal Cancelled – Rogozin -- RIA Novsoti

MOSCOW, March 20 (RIA Novosti) – France should either fulfill its contract obligations under a June 2011 contract to deliver two Mistral-class warships to the Russian navy or return the money, a Russian deputy premier said on Wednesday.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said on Monday that Paris will consider canceling the 1.2-billion-euro deal if Moscow provokes further escalation in Ukraine.

The remarks came after the US and EU imposed sanctions on senior Russian officials following a referendum in Ukraine's Crimea in which voters overwhelmingly supported secession and reunification with Russia.

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Germany Suspends Rheinmetall Military Contract With Russia -- Deutsche Welle

German Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel has halted a major Russian military contract for the Rheinmetall defense technology group, at least temporarily, in the wake of the ongoing crisis in Crimea.

The economy ministry led by Social Democrat Sigmar Gabriel said on Wednesday evening that it would suspend a planned defense contract in Russia for German firm Rheinmetall, owing to developments in Crimea.

"Given the current situation, the German government considers the construction of a military training facility in Russia to be inappropriate," Gabriel's ministry told the German DPA news agency on Wednesday.

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My Comment: These are billion dollar contracts .... this is going to hurt European defense contractors.