Tag: Ukraine

From Russia to China and even TikTok subverting law and order in public schools, this is the SOFREP week in review.

In a seeming de-escalation of the security crisis along the Russian-Ukrainian border, Moscow has withdrawn ten-thousand of the estimated 110,000 troops it has positioned near the border. Moscow did this even as it reasserted its demand of a legal guarantee that Ukraine will never be admitted to NATO, that the U.S. cease selling arms to Ukraine and that it act as mediator in negotiations between Russia, Ukraine and European countries.

President Biden and UK Defense Minister Ben Wallace are both ruling out the possibility that NATO will commit troops to repel an invasion of Ukraine by Putin and Russia.

SOFREP looks at the “Doomsday” scenario making the rounds on TV that fears Russia and China will act in concert to invade Taiwan and Ukraine.

Russian President for life, Vladamir Putin has lived most of his life shrouded in mystery. He may be worth more than sixty billion dollars with equity stakes in some of Europe’s largest energy companies while sitting at the head of one of the most powerful countries in the world. What makes him tick? And what does the future hold for Europe with Putin in the Kremlin?

President Biden has threatened Russia with economic sanctions but President Putin has more to gain by invading Ukraine than the sanctions would cost his country. If the administration was serious about defending Ukraine from invasion, these are the weapons systems the U.S. should be providing them with for self-defense.

Putin said Russia needed “legal guarantees” that Moscow’s security concerns in the region will be respected.

“Any escalatory actions by Russia would be a great concern to the United States… and would trigger serious consequences,” Anthony Blinken said.

The Pentagon is unsure what this newest move by Russia means.

Nord Stream 2 continues to be a major geopolitical liability for Europe and the recent U.S.-German agreement doesn’t solve that.

The White House has put on hold a military aid package to Ukraine. The aid was originally given in response to massive Russian troop buildups along Ukraine’s border this spring. Politico, citing “four people familiar with internal deliberations,” reported that the military aid, which contained small arms, anti-tank missiles, as well as short-range air defense […]

The US move is a token gesture towards Germany and NATO and will not change the power balance on the ground.