The Article 5 guarantee has always been a political instrument as much as a military one. Remove the political will behind it and the military architecture starts to look very different. The eastern flank — Poland, the Baltic states, Romania, and now Finland and Sweden — has been the most serious part of NATO since 2014. These countries have spent, planned, and positioned as … [Read more...] about What NATO’s Eastern Flank Looks Like Without U.S. Guarantees
Russia
Russia is facing a demographic crisis that threatens to destabilize the country
Russia is facing a demographic crisis that threatens to destabilize the country in the coming years. The combination of a low birth rate, the outflow of young and educated people leaving Russia to escape mobilization, hundreds of thousands of dead and wounded as a result of Russian invasion to Ukraine take its toll. The birth rate in Russia has been steadily declining for … [Read more...] about Russia is facing a demographic crisis that threatens to destabilize the country
Russia facing shortage of antibiotics
Historical report (January 2023): The numerical estimates and predictions below refer to a particular period of supply disruption and have not been independently updated here. A decline in antibiotic imports does not by itself establish the incidence of infectious disease among soldiers or civilians. Russia has faced a sharp decline in the import of antibiotics. The supplies of … [Read more...] about Russia facing shortage of antibiotics
Use the U.K. Magnitsky act in Russia in the Navalny case, against the Chinese officials involved in the Uighur genocide
Archive context (February 2021): The post below advocates targeted human-rights sanctions under the UK's Magnitsky-style framework. Such measures can include asset freezes and travel bans against designated individuals. The embedded statement expresses a campaigner's position at that time; it does not establish that every proposed designation was subsequently adopted. There’s a … [Read more...] about Use the U.K. Magnitsky act in Russia in the Navalny case, against the Chinese officials involved in the Uighur genocide
Just when you thought that Borrell’s trip to Russia could not get any worse
The bigger question arising from Borrell’s disaster in Moscow today is if the European Commission that claims to have geopolitical ambitions has any foreign policy.After Borrell’s debacle in Moscow & the EU’s vaccine disaster the EU needs to get serious very fast or...? https://t.co/TrVKz5ceIe— Anders Åslund (@anders_aslund) February 6, 2021 So, Borrell’s Moscow … [Read more...] about Just when you thought that Borrell’s trip to Russia could not get any worse
United States Charges Russian Military Intelligence Officers for Cyber Crimes
The criminal charges the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced today against six officers of the Russian General Staff Main Intelligence Directorate’s (GRU) Military Unit 74455 highlight once again Russia’s continuing disruptive, destructive, and destabilizing activities in cyberspace. As the DOJ and FBI make clear, this Russian … [Read more...] about United States Charges Russian Military Intelligence Officers for Cyber Crimes
U.S. sanctions leaders of China’s Hong Kong crackdown
The United States has imposed sanctions against Chinese Communist Party officials for their role in the crackdown on Hong Kong’s autonomy and freedoms. The U.S. Department of the Treasury issued sanctions August 7 that target Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam and 10 other senior officials, including several who helped develop or implement the Hong Kong National Security Law … [Read more...] about U.S. sanctions leaders of China’s Hong Kong crackdown