In Ukraine, the military is suffering under corruption. Andrew Higgins has a good piece in The New York Times about the movement of large-scale corruption from the gas business to military procurement: Nearly four years into a grinding war against rebels armed by Russia, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry proudly announced last month that it had improved […]
Military strategy and politics
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New report on Germany’s troubled equipment status
Deutsche Welle: Many primary weapons systems in the Bundeswehr are not available for training exercises or deployment, according to a new Defense Ministry study. The “Report on the Operational Readiness of the Bundeswehr’s Primary Weapons Systems 2017,” which has been seen by the Reuters news agency and the RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland media group, is set to […]
Russia has lost its economic leverage over Ukraine
Nicu Popescu has written a great article for Carnegie Moscow Center about the future relationship between Russia and Ukraine. “Those in Moscow who believe that all is not lost for Russia in Ukraine, citing the example of Georgia, which is gradually normalizing relations with Russia despite the 2008 war, are being overly optimistic. While the […]
U.S. military budget for 2018 blows the boundaries of reason
US military spending is an interesting topic. On the one hand there is a widespread conception among military personnel that the military is suffering under severe budget constraints. On the other hand the actual spending on the military is very high — and much higher than during the Cold War. Now the 2018 budget is […]
The idea that NATO wants to attack Russia is very common
In Russian security discussions there is a very different narrative about world events than in the West. Few people realize the extend to which the West is portrayed as a fascist coalition that wants to undermine Russia and uses clandestine conspiracies to achieve its goals. This is not just a propaganda byline but a fairly […]
South Ossetians can now get a job as a Russian soldier
Russia has approved legislation to permit citizens of South Ossetia to sign up for Russian military service. They will be enrolled on a military base in South Ossetia. That reports Ria Novosti. The step is controversial because South Ossetia is disputed territory. Most countries still recognize South Ossetia as a part of Georgia, but after […]
Denmark increases military spending, still far from 2 percent
Denmark has a new political Defense Agreement for 2018-2023. The old agreement ran out four weeks ago, and it is unusual in Denmark that a new agreement is not in place before the last one expires. The politicians have decided to increase the Danish defense budget as a reaction to a perceived threat from Russia. […]
SOF supported guerrilla warfare is the realistic military scenario in the Baltic States
This terrific article by James K. Wither is a must-read for everyone concerned with military strategy in the Baltic region. It is published in Small Wars Journal under the title ”Modern Guerrillas” and the Defense of the Baltic States. The best prospect to deter or if necessary defend an attack on the Baltic States remains […]
Russia’s foreign policy toward USA is not schizophrenic
Professor Kimberly Marten tries to explain an apparently schizophrenic Russian foreign policy toward the United States in this policy memo on PONARS Eurasia. She comes up with four possible explanations: Putin succumbed to his own ignorance and biases. Putin’s advisors are afraid to tell him the truth. Inconsistent foreign policy is the result of infighting […]
More US soldiers and Baltic Sea Policing Mission among ICDS recommendations for NATO
How should the United States and NATO prioritize their resources to the Baltic States? That is the topic of this policy paper that Erik Marmei and Gabriel White have written for ICDS. The policy paper outlines a series of weaknesses with the defense in the Baltic States. It is pointed out that despite the fact […]