May, 2023

• 9 May

  Geopolitics Still Engulfs Black Sea Grain Initiative – OpEd

  

  United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres has taken steps for the extension, improvement and expansion of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, but Russia authorities explicitly indicated that it would unlikely to participate in the deal due to the fact that its conditions were not respected and taken into consideration. “I …

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• 9 May

  China’s support may not be ‘lethal aid,’ but it’s vital to Russia’s aggression in Ukraine

  

  It’s the conventional wisdom in Washington and in most European capitals: China is only providing limited support to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In Beijing, meanwhile, officials attempt to portray neutrality, emphasizing that the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is not providing weapons to Russia. As PRC leader Xi Jinping told Ukrainian President …

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• 9 May

  Arab League readmits Syria, paving the way for Assad to attend Saudi summit

  

  With Syria’s re-admittance, Assad is now expected to attend the Arab League summit in Saudi Arabia on May 19. Syria was readmitted to the Arab League on Sunday. The move marks a major milestone for the Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad as it seeks to come in from the cold, …

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• 9 May

  US to provide Ukraine $1.2 billion in long-term security aid

  

  The U.S. will provide $1.2 billion more in long-term military aid to Ukraine to further bolster its air defenses as Russia continues to pound Ukraine with drones, rockets and surface-to-air missiles, U.S. officials said Monday. The aid package is expected to be announced on Tuesday and the money will be …

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• 9 May

  US, NATO missile defense exercise kicks off in Atlantic amid Russian show of force

  

  Russia’s military was making its presence felt in international waters near northern Europe as the U.S. and its NATO allies prepared for a missile defense exercise that began Monday in the North Atlantic. Formidable Shield includes live-fire events against subsonic, supersonic and ballistic missiles, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet …

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• 9 May

  Mighty Dollar’s Rule Facing Many Mutinies: A Likely Credible One From BRICS – OpEd

  

  The dollar that has ruled the world at least since the end of World War II is now facing mutinies because of the US power to unilaterally impose sanctions and influence financial policies, as well as ideology and the rise of China as an international economic powerhouse. A surge of …

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• 9 May

  Collapse Of The Russian Empire’s Main Historical Pillar? – Analysis

  

  In early April 2023, the authorities in a few Russian regions bordering Ukraine—Belgorod, Bryansk and Kursk—decided to refuse to hold the regular military parade in honor of Victory Day on May 9 (Svoboda, April 10). Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov stated that he did not want to “provoke the enemy with …

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• 9 May

  Red-Team Analysis Of Russia’s Defensive Combat Strategy

  

  Stalemate as Strategy One thing is certain: Vladimir Putin’s generals did not plan for this. In their optimistic pre-war strategy sessions, they envisioned Russian Airborne Forces (VDV) seizing the Antonov Airport before pouring into Kyiv, the Russian military assuming control of the capital as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his cabinet …

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• 9 May

  An EU Pivot To The Middle East – Analysis

  

  The changes in the global balance of power, and in particular, the challenges posed by a rising China, have made it necessary for Washington to shift more diplomatic and economic resources from the Atlantic to the Pacific. America’s allies in Europe have to assume that under any projected scenario in …

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• 8 May

  Russian oil floods global markets via major Asian intermediaries

  

  Despite western sanctions, there is more Russian fuel being exported around the world than before the Ukraine crisis. It’s just coming via Saudi Arabia, India, China, and other trading states – with steep commissions. Despite western sanctions imposed on Russia over the Ukraine conflict, some Asian and specifically West Asian …

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