Historic decisions on strengthening NATO’s eastern flank made in Madrid

(Baltic Times)

"I am glad that for the first time since the Cold War this is exactly how Russia is perceived in the new strategy just approved by NATO," Kaja Kallas said. Estonia considers it vital that NATO’s collective defense is considerably reinforced. "We agreed that in response to Russia’s aggression, NATO would move to a new forward defense posture that makes it possible to defend every square centimeter of NATO territory from the very first moments of an attack. To achieve this, concrete decisions were taken today on strengthening the eastern flank," the prime minister added.”

—

“Kallas said it is crucial to begin implementing this change of direction immediately after the decision by NATO heads of state and government. "For Estonia, this means cooperating with allies on developing a division-sized unit and its leadership structure, which would be ready to defend Estonia in case of a conflict," she added.”

https://www.baltictimes.com/estonian_pm__historic_decisions_on_strengthening_nato_s_eastern_flank_made_in_madrid/

Eksperdid peavad NATO tippkohtumist Eestile edukaks

(ERR)

“Eesti sõjandus- ja julgeolekueksperdid peavad NATO tippkohtumisel saavutatud kokkuleppeid Eestile soodsaks, kuid rõhutavad, et poliitilised otsused tuleb nüüd ka ellu viia ning toovad esile rea murekohti.”

—

"Üldjoontes oli ju tulemus hea. Loomulikult tahaks alati midagi rohkemat, aga ma usun, et nüüd on see aeg, et neid verbaalseid otsuseid tegudesse viia. See saab olema keeruline ja seal on NATO riikidel, kes oma üksuste suurendamist idapiirkonnas lubasid, veel palju tööd ära teha," ütles endine kaitseväe juhataja kindral Riho Terras.”

https://www.err.ee/1608644320/eksperdid-peavad-nato-tippkohtumist-eestile-edukaks

Estonia's Prime Minister Kaja Kallas on how the NATO summit went

(NPR)

“I would describe this summit as historic because of many things. First of all, Russia is the most imminent and direct threat to allied security. That was set out and put to the papers that everybody sees this this way, not only us, being the frontline states, but also the other allies. Due to this, that Russia is the most imminent and direct threat and has risen the level of aggression, the level of defense should comply with this. So we agreed to move from the deterrence poster to defense posture, which means that not only we would be able to, you know, liberate our country afterwards, but we are actually going to defend the country from the first minute so that the Article 5, which says that attack on one is attack on all, is also really working in practice so that we are able to push back the aggression from the first minute. …”

https://www.npr.org/2022/06/30/1109051151/estonias-prime-minister-kaja-kallas-on-how-the-nato-summit-went

Kaja Kallas speaking to reporters at the 29. June 2022 NATO Summit

“NATO agrees to divisional structure, brigade-sized unit in Estonia.” - ERR

“Martin Herem: loodavat diviisi staapi hakkab juhtima eestlane.” - ERR

“Kaja Kallas: There has been a significant shift in NATO's mindset.” - ERR

“Kallas: NATO mõtteviis on muutunud.” - ERR

Kusti Kantsler: saime NATO tippkohtumiselt pea kõik, mida küsisime

(ERR)

“Kaitseministeeriumi kantsleri Kusti Salmi sõnul sai Eesti Madridis toimuvalt NATO tippkohtumiselt enam-vähem kõik, mida küsima läks ehk et Eestit kaitstakse konflikti korral esimesest momendist alates. “Me tahtsime, et Eestit oleks võimalik kaitsta esimesest sekundist, esimesest meetrist ja seda meile ei tagaks mitte ainult kõmisevad sõnad, vaid seda tagaksid reaalsed väed, juhtimisstruktuurid, plaanid ning kõik muu, mis sinna juurde kuulub. Selle me täna kõik otsustena saime.”

https://www.err.ee/1608643810/kantsler-saime-nato-tippkohtumiselt-pea-koik-mida-kusisime

“Kusti Salm: vajadusel hakkab Eesti ja NATO sõdima sõja esimesest sekundist.“ - Kuku Raadio

Nato to increase forces to 300,000

(The Daily Beast | Financial Times)

“The U.S. military will now have permanent headquarters for the U.S. 5th Army Corps in Poland; will deploy an additional rotational combat brigade to Romania; “enhance” rotational deployments to the Baltics (where there will be a “persistent, heel-to-toe presence in the region”); deploy two more Navy destroyers to Spain; and two additional F-35 squadrons to the United Kingdom, according to the White House.”

—

“The alliance would “significantly reinforce” its defences in eastern Europe, Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg said, pledging that Russia would not be able to capture the Estonian capital Tallinn “just as they have not been able to seize the city of Kirkenes in northern Norway or West Berlin during the cold war.”

—

“NATO’s existing defense posture in the Baltics involves about 8,000 foreign troops -- led by the UK, Canada and Germany -- to deter any possible invasion and act as a so-called tripwire in the event of one. NATO officials agree that the approach is now untenable in light of the scale of Putin’s attack on Ukraine.”

https://www.thedailybeast.com/us-to-boost-military-presence-in-europe-after-biden-says-putin-has-shattered-peace?via=ios

“Madrid Summit Declaration Document” - NATO

“NATO 2022 Strategic Concept.” - NATO [11 pages; pdf]

“NATO invites Finland, Sweden to join’.” - Reuters

“Putin plays down Finnish Nato accession.” - Yle

“Otseblogi: Teateid Madridi tippkohtumiselt.” - Postimees

“How was Turkey’s veto of Nordic NATO bid avoided?” - AP

“Putin condemns NATO’s ‘imperial ambitions’.” - Aljazeera

“NATO calls Russia its ‘most significant and direct threat’.” - AP

“Boris Johnson will send more British troops to Estonia.” - Metro

“The Path To NATO Is Clear For Sweden And Finland.” - 19fortyfive

“Britain to spend 2.5% of GDP on military. Urges allies to follow suit.” - Times

“Soome ja Rootsi liitumine NATO-ga nihutab jõudude tasakaalu.” - ERR

“Sweden ready for Russian retaliation over NATO decision.” - Politico

“European media gives extensive coverage to memorandum on Nordic countries' NATO bids.” - Anadolu Agency, Turkey

“Latvian minister: Russia will remain a threat for the next five decades.” - BNN

“The foreign ministers of Finland, Sweden and Türkiye signed a trilateral memorandum on cooperation on counter-terrorism.” - Finnish Government 

“Britain to commit 1,000 extra troops to Nato’s defence of Estonia.” - Guardian

“Invasion of Ukraine may cost Russia access to Baltic Sea.” - Forces Net

“The Greatest Threats to Alliance Unity Will Come After the Madrid Summit.” - Foreign Affairs

“The US fifth army corps to establish a permanent base in Poland, extra troops would be committed to the Baltic states.” - The Guardian

“Putin said there will be "some tension" with Sweden and Finland if they join NATO.” - Deutsche Welle

“The NATO alliance is one of the best bargains in geopolitics.” - Foreign Policy

“NATO Returns to Combat Stance to Counter a New and Hostile World.” - Bloomberg

“Rumors of NATO’s Brain Death Were Greatly Exaggerated.” - Bloomberg

__________

EstoNews will be taking a break.

Be back in 2 weeks or so. Aitäh!

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Friday 1. July

Mihkelson: Kaliningradi erisuse loomine annaks Venemaale väga vale signaali

(ERR)

“Me oleme näinud kogu aeg, et Venemaa ei ole vastanud ühelegi lääne poliitilisele katsele pingeid lõdvendada või neid vähendada sarnase vastusammuga. Vastupidi, me näeme Venemaa terroristlikku käitumist Ukrainas, kaubanduskeskuste ja elurajoonide pommitamist, justkui signaliseerides, et neid ei huvita absoluutselt maailma ja eeskätt lääne reageering.”

https://www.err.ee/1608645649/mihkelson-kaliningradi-erisuse-loomine-annaks-venemaale-vaga-vale-signaali

Butša massimõrva korraldasid Pihkva üksused

(Postimees)

“Kevadel avalikuks tulnud Butša veresauna Ukrainas panid toime Lõuna-Eesti naabruses paiknevad Pihkva dessantväelased, kelle suhtes kehtestas USA mõne päeva eest sanktsioonid, kirjutas Pihkva uudistekanal Pskovskaja Gubernija. Leht avaldas kolmapäeval viitega USA rahandusministeeriumile uudise, et Ühendriigid kehtestasid sanktsioonid Pihkva oblastis paikneva 76. õhudessantrügemendi ja 234. õhudessantrügemendi, samuti õhujõudude 64. motoriseeritud laskurbrigaadi vastu.”

https://lounapostimees.postimees.ee/7555414/butsa-massimorva-korraldasid-pihkva-uksused

Military Units Credibly Implicated in Human Rights Abuses in Ukraine

(US Department of State, 28. June 2022)

“According to credible reports, Russia’s 76th Guards Air Assault Division has been directly implicated in violence against unarmed civilians in Bucha, as well as beating detained persons.  A soldier of the 76th Guards Air Assault Division has stated his unit was tasked with “clean up” activities and this involved breaking into residential buildings where civilians lived.” [The 76th Guards Air Assault Division’s base is in Pskov - 50 km from Eesti’s southeastern border.]

https://www.state.gov/targeting-russias-war-machine-sanctions-evaders-military-units-credibly-implicated-in-human-rights-abuses-and-russian-federation-officials-involved-in-suppression-of-dissent/

“Russian divisions stationed in Pskov, such as the 76th Airborne Division, suffered heavy losses - around 1,000 casualties - and will take approximately a year to return to its former strength.” - Ministry of Defense Secretary-General Kusti Salm - ERR

Aita punamonumendid üles leida

(Postimees)

“Eestis puudub üldine monumentide register. Samuti ei ole teada, kui palju on meil punamonumente ja kus need asuvad. Kõige täpsemad andmed on olemas Lääne-Virumaa kohta, mille põhjal võib arvata, et Eestis võib olla 500 kuni 1000 punamonumenti. Postimees kutsub oma lugejaid üles märkama erinevaid punamonumente ja neist meile teada andma.”

https://www.postimees.ee/7541480/uleskutse-aita-punamonumendid-ules-leida

Putinjuugendi ja vene laste ajupesula tulek

Juku-Kalle Raid, Postimees

“Našid oli militaarne noorteorganisatsioon, mis tegutses primi-propaganda najal. Ja see teatas juba 17 aastat tagasi vaid üht: Lääs tahab Venemaa hävitada, mistap Venemaa peab hävitama Lääne. Seejärel teostati organisatsiooni poolt hüpe, mis pole sugugi ainult poliitiline, vaid ehk isegi geomeetriline. Toonased 13-aastased, keda «koolitati», on täna puhtaksnühitud ajudega 30-aastased. …”

https://elu24.postimees.ee/7555940/elu25-juku-kalle-raid-putinjuugendi-ja-vene-laste-ajupesula-tulek

A New Iron Curtain

(Fortune)

“A new Iron Curtain is descending between Russia and the West, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday. “From now on, we will trust neither the Americans nor the EU,” Lavrov said at a press conference after talks with his Belarusian counterpart, Vladimir Makei. “We will do everything necessary not to depend on them in critically important industries.”

https://fortune.com/2022/07/01/russia-iron-curtain-soviet-union-callback/

Thursday 30. June

Eesti plaanib keskmaaõhutõrje soetamist koos Lätiga

(ERR)

“Kaitseminister Kalle Laanet ja Läti kaitseminister Artis Pabriks allkirjastasid neljapäeval Madridis NATO tippkohtumisel kavatsuste protokolli, mis loob aluse Eesti ja Läti keskmaa õhutõrje süsteemide ühiseks hankeks.”

https://www.err.ee/1608644614/eesti-plaanib-keskmaaohutorje-soetamist-koos-latiga

“Latvia and Estonia sign letter of intent on purchase of medium-range air defense systems.” - Baltic Times

Estonia struggles to contain double-digit inflation and labor shortages

(Emerging Europe)

“A renewed focus on structural reforms would help drive stronger growth and sustain living standards in Estonia as rising inflation, exacerbated by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has harmed its economic recovery and risks undermining its efforts to reduce poverty …”

https://emerging-europe.com/news/estonias-struggle-to-contain-rampant-inflation/

“Eesti inflatsioon oli juunis 22 protsendiga euroala kiireim.” - ERR

Russia has warned citizens against traveling to neighboring Estonia

(Anadolu Agency, Turkey)

“… where stringent curbs on the movement of goods and heavy penalties are set to kick in starting next week.”

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/russia-issues-estonia-travel-warning-over-goods-ban/2624786#

“Due to Estonia's openly hostile attitude toward Russia and its citizens, the Russian Foreign Ministry recommends that Russian citizens abstain from travelling to the Republic of Estonia.” - Baltic Times

Can the gloomy picture in Lithuania get any darker?

(BNN)

“Lithuania is still bracing itself for Russia’s response to its imposition of EU sanctions on the transit trade between Russia and its exclave of Kaliningrad. Moscow regards the ban on the transport of certain goods – notably steel and ferrous metal products – between parts of its territory as a violation of a 2002 agreement with the EU.”

https://bnn-news.com/bnn-analyses-can-the-gloomy-picture-in-lithuania-get-any-darker-235830

Experts present Latvian government list of 69 Soviet monuments to tear down

(BNN)

“On 16 June the Saeima passed in the last reading the Law on prohibition of display of objects praising the Soviet and Nazi regimes and their dismantling in the territory of the Republic of Latvia. This law provides for the removal of objects glorifying totalitarian regimes by 15 November 2022. The list of objects to be removed from Latvia’s territory will need to be composed by the government, which will make its decision based on recommendations from experts.”

https://bnn-news.com/experts-present-latvian-government-list-of-69-soviet-monuments-to-tear-down-235827

“Experts evaluate about 300 objects glorifying Soviet regime.” - BNN

Poland Finishes Construction Of Wall On Belarusian Border To Keep Migrants Out

(RFERL)

“Polish Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski said on June 30 that the construction of the 5.5 meter-high, 186 kilometer-long steel wall will "separate us from the bleak dictatorship of Belarusian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka.”

https://www.rferl.org/a/poland-belarus-border-wall-completed-migrants/31923263.html

Wednesday 29. June

Kanada avab Eestis saatkonna

(ERR)

“Kanada välisminister Melanie Joly teatas, et muudab praegused esindused Eestis, Leedus ja Slovakkias suursaatkondadeks koos resideeruvate suursaadikutega.”

—

“Välisministeerium selgitas, et need muudatused suurendavad Kanada osalust piirkonnas ning aitavad võidelda Venemaa destabiliseeriva tegevusega.”

https://www.err.ee/1608643765/kanada-avab-eestis-saatkonna

“Canada is set to open embassies in Lithuania, Estonia, and Slovakia.” - Foreign Policy

Russian lawmaker: Baltic exclave blockade may fuel conflict

(AP)

“Vladimir Dzhabarov, a deputy head of the foreign affairs committee in the lower house of Russia’s parliament, said that if the Kalingrad region faces blockade “it could lead to an armed conflict. … The Russian state must protect its territory and ensure its security,” Dzhabarov said in televised comments. “If we see that a threat to our security that is fraught with a loss of territory, we will certainly take extreme measures and nothing will stop us.”

https://apnews.com/article/nato-russia-ukraine-moscow-blockades-european-union-e3d1669e4a0b9992c413004a4c2378ce

“Venemaa paigutas Kaliningradi rannikule laevatõrje raketisüsteemid.” - ERR

“Russia has deployed advanced anti-ship missiles to firing positions in Kaliningrad.” - Naval News

"We must think of the unthinkable' - says former Estonian president.” - Sky News

Russia Hits Out at Norway Over Blocked Arctic Archipelago Access

(The Moscow Times)

“Russian officials have voiced outrage and threatened retaliation after they said Norway blocked a shipment of essential goods, including food and medical supplies, destined for Russian miners on the Svalbard archipelago. … The shipment was reportedly headed for Barentsburg, the Arctic archipelago’s second-largest settlement, where some 400 people work for Russian state-owned coal mining company Arktikugol.”

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2022/06/29/russia-hits-out-at-norway-over-blocked-arctic-archipelago-access-a78138

“Russian Lawmakers OK 'Foreign Agent' Amendment Making It Easier To Target Individual Critics.” - RFERL

"Does Putin’s ‘toxic masculinity’ really matter?” - by Mark Galeotti, The Spectator

Tuesday 28. June

Defense ministry: Estonia well protected

(ERR)

“Russian forces stationed near the country's border are in no position to launch an attack, Ministry of Defense Secretary-General Kusti Salm said, replying to comments made by the prime minister last week.”

—

“First, the official highlighted the Russian divisions stationed in Pskov, such as the 76th Airborne Division, suffered heavy losses - around 1,000 casualties - and will take approximately a year to return to its former strength. Secondly, Salm said Estonia has increased its own combat capabilities.”

—

[Note that Pskov is 50km from the Estonian border station in Koidula.]

https://news.err.ee/1608642196/defense-ministry-official-estonia-is-well-protected

“Sanctions turn Estonia's Koidula freight station into ghost station.” - ERR

“Two Less Obvious Lessons for Baltic Defense from Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine.” - FPRI

“The Estonian women preparing for war.” - The Guardian

“Canada sends 2 warships to Baltic Sea to bolster security.” - Defense Talk

NATO summit offers Estonia chance to make case for a permanent military base

By Colonel Jon Sweet (retd.), Washington Examiner

“Estonia's primary military concern is Russian artillery. It has seen the devastating impact those artillery forces are having in Ukraine. Every square inch of Estonia is within range. And having lived under Russian occupation before, Estonians have no intention of letting history repeat itself. The challenge is that Russia might be able to launch a blitzkrieg rush across Estonia, quickly seizing its territory. Without a good deal of advance warning, NATO would struggle to mobilize quickly enough to react to a Russian invasion.”

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/courage-strength-optimism/nato-summit-offers-estonia-chance-to-make-case-for-permanent-base

“NATO must focus on the long term.” - Politico Europe

Electricity firms agree plans for third line between Finland, Estonia

(Yle)

“Once completed the EstLink 3 connection beneath the Gulf of Finland will have an estimated capacity of between 700 to 1,000 megawatts, according to the company.”

https://yle.fi/news/3-12513671

Yandex Maps Makes Russia’s Borders with Ukraine and Other Countries Disappear

By Paul Goble

“Yandex Maps … has announced that its maps won’t be showing political borders anymore. … This represents a change of major dimensions and clearly sends a message about how Moscow now views the state border that were established in 1991. It tells Russians that as far as their country is concerned, political borders are no longer as important as other kinds, at least with regard to countries bordering the Russian Federation.”

http://windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2022/06/yandex-maps-makes-russias-borders-with.html

Zelensky Warns Belarusians: Don't Let Putin Drag You Into War

(Newsweek)

"You are being drawn into the war. The Kremlin has already decided everything for you," Zelensky said during a video address on Sunday night. "But you are not slaves and cannon fodder. You don't have to die."

https://www.newsweek.com/zelensky-warns-belarusians-putin-drag-war-ukraine-nuclear-missiles-1719367

Monday 27. June

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania want extra troops on the ground

(Financial Review, 26. June)

“… because Ukraine has shown the first fight is the most important one.”

https://www.afr.com/world/europe/ukraine-war-underscores-need-for-permanent-nato-eastern-defences-20220626-p5awos

“For First Time, Putin says His Goal in Ukraine is 'Recovering' Russian Territory.” - by Paul Goble

“Ukraine war is a 1937 moment, says new army chief General Sir Patrick Sanders.” - The Times, UK

Opinion: It’s time to suspend the 1997 NATO-Russia Founding Act

(The Hill)

“The Founding Act contained two key assurances to show that NATO enlargement posed no military threat to Russia. First, NATO members reiterated that they had “no intention, no plan and no reason to deploy nuclear weapons on the territory of new members” (the “three no’s”). Second, the Alliance stated that “in the current and foreseeable security environment,” NATO defense did not require the “additional permanent stationing of substantial combat forces” in new members. Russia pledged to exercise similar restraint.”

—

“Following Russia’s initial assaults on Ukraine in 2014, the Alliance deployed, on a rotating basis, small battalion-sized battlegroups in the Baltic states and Poland, essentially as trip-wires …”

—

“Regardless of how the Russia-Ukraine war ends, NATO members must accept that they face a long-term military threat to their east. Ensuring that the Kremlin does not try something against a NATO member requires that the Alliance station, on a permanent basis, more robust combat forces in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania. To deter today’s Russia, those forces should serve as more than trip-wires and have ground and air capabilities sufficient to hold off attacking forces until Allied reinforcements arrive.”

https://thehill.com/opinion/international/3514801-nato-russia-its-time-to-suspend-the-founding-act/

“The NATO / Russia Founding Act” - NATO Official text

Commentary: NATO Must Free Itself from Its Promises to Russia

 (The Bulwark, March 2022)

“In retrospect, Vladimir Putin announced his intention to abrogate the NATO-Russia Founding Act in 2007, though of course, not in so many words. Two months after his bellicose speech at 2007 the Munich Security Conference, Russia conducted the first state-sponsored cyberattack against Estonia. The next year, Russia invaded Georgia, one-fifth of which remains under Russian occupation. Five years after that, Russia annexed Crimea and launched a proxy war in eastern Ukraine. … If, despite repeated hostility and aggression, the “current and foreseeable security environment” from 1997 still existed in January 2022, it ended in February, when Putin decided to try to force Ukraine to abandon its independence with a war the likes of which Europe has not seen since World War II.”

https://www.thebulwark.com/nato-must-free-itself-from-its-promises-to-russia-putin-ukraine/

Opinion: Now is the time to make NATO even stronger

By Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda

(Washington Post)

“The time has come to understand that Russia cannot be stopped by persuasion, cooperation, appeasement or concessions. Russia takes such gestures as a sign of weakness, as permission to expand and intensify its onslaught. When Putin hears Western leaders talk about the need to negotiate, the need for a cease-fire, the need to avoid “humiliating” Russia, he is only encouraged to increase his gamble for world conquest.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/06/23/lithuanian-president-gitanas-nauseda-strengthen-nato-russia-war-ukraine/

“Finland and Sweden joining NATO: A Strategic Win-Win.” - Internationale Politik Quarterly 

“Nato has no choice but to support Ukraine. Our future security depends upon it.” - The Times

Putin’s War has driven a wedge between Sámi in Russia and those in Nordic countries

(Foreign Policy)

“The Sámi are no strangers to division. The Indigenous people of Arctic Europe, they once freely moved across the northernmost lands of the continent, fishing its coasts, hunting in its forests, and herding reindeer over its tundra. … Now, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has split the Sámi again. Some leaders from the small Russian Sámi community have openly aligned with the government of Russian President Vladimir Putin, driving a schism with Sámi in Sweden, Finland, and Norway.”

https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/06/27/russia-ukraine-war-saami-indigenous-arctic-people-norway-sweden-finland/?tpcc=recirc_latest062921

__________

Putin’s War

__________

Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment: 30. June 2022

(ISW)

“Russian forces retreated from the Snake Island.”

https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-june-30

The Catastrophic Environmental Costs Of Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine

(RFERL)

“The lingering consequences felt by the population include lung diseases and various types of cancer due to the inhalation of heavy metals and carcinogens present in explosives, and also in the rubble of shelled buildings. Asbestos, a highly toxic substance that was only recently banned in Ukraine, is the main concern when it comes to human health.”

https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-environmental-catastrophe-russia-invasion-ecosystems/31919411.html

Putin’s archaic war: Russia’s newly outlawed professional class – and how it could one day return

By Kadri Liik, ECFR

“This month, Vladimir Putin made headlines by comparing his landgrabs to those of Peter the Great. … (This) immediately prompted questions about whether Putin is looking to seize further places, including NATO territory. This is hard to know, but one can say for certain that in a number of ways Putin’s deeds serve an agenda that is a direct opposite to that of Peter. Peter, after all, was Russia’s great moderniser, and the person who, it is often said, ‘opened a window into Europe.’ Putin’s landgrabs, in contrast, are closing the window to the West, and they have the effect of actively demodernising Russia. …”

https://ecfr.eu/article/putins-archaic-war-russias-newly-outlawed-professional-class-and-how-it-could-one-day-return/

What Does Russia Want?

By Tom Nichols, The Atlantic - 9. June

“First, brutality and cruelty is bred into Russian soldiers. Unlike the American military, where officers and NCOs (the sergeants and chiefs) think of the men and women under their command as their charges and responsibility, Russia has an old-school hierarchy in which younger enlisted men are at the mercy of veterans, and the veterans are under the command of senior officers who keep their distance and expect to be treated like royalty. … this is a problem ingrained in Russian military culture, and it predates even the Soviet experience.”

—

“Second, and more worrisome: For many Russians, life under Putin is miserable, and Russian military life is especially miserable. What we’re seeing now is the gleeful murder and destruction of innocent people by men who are taking out their own misery on others.”

https://newsletters.theatlantic.com/peacefield/62a249a20a81280021a6dbf8/russia-ukraine-war-outcome-putin-goal/

And Finally, Nukes:

Ukraine Wants NATO’s Help Against Russia’s WMDs

(Foreign Policy)

“Ukraine is calling out Russia’s “state nuclear terrorism.”

https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/06/28/ukraine-nato-russia-weapons-mass-destruction/

“Russian space chief and hardcore Putin loyalist Dmitry Rogozin’s nuclear threats are getting more unhinged.” - The Daily Beast

“Nato has to be ready for a Russian nuclear strike.” - The Telegraph

Russia to send Belarus nuclear-capable Iskander-M missiles within months

(The Guardian | Defense News)

“In the coming months, we will transfer to Belarus Iskander-M tactical missile systems, which can use ballistic or cruise missiles, in their conventional and nuclear versions,” Putin said in a broadcast on Russian television at the start of his meeting with Lukashenko in St Petersburg.”

—

“We are very concerned about training flights by the U.S. and NATO airplanes, which practice carrying nuclear warheads and nuclear weapons,” Lukashenko said. “Therefore, I ask you to consider an equivalent response to these actions, without overdoing it.”

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jun/26/russia-to-send-belarus-nuclear-capable-missiles-within-months-as-g7-leaders-gather-in-germany?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

—

https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2022/06/27/russia-to-provide-nuclear-capable-missiles-and-fighter-jets-to-belarus/

“Putin also said Russia would help Belarus upgrade its fleet of Su-25 fighter jets to make them capable of carrying nuclear weapons.” - Deutsche Welle

“Spiraling Putin Chooses Chaos in New Nuclear Provocation.” - Daily Beast

“Russia sent over 40 missiles towards various military targets in Ukraine from Belarusian territory.” - BNE

“Iskander-M missiles have been used heavily against Ukraine and have already been deployed to Belarus.” - The WarZone

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