EU to target airlines, travel agents in Middle East
Belarus says assertions it engineered crisis are absurd
Poland says up to 4,000 people stuck on Belarus border
EU urges Kremlin to press Minsk; Moscow offers to mediate
BRUSSELS/WARSAW/MOSCOW, Nov 15 (Reuters) - France told Russia on Monday NATO would be prepared to defend the sovereignty of Ukraine, near where NATO says Moscow has been staging a troop buildup, while Western leaders sought to tackle a migrants crisis on the eastern borders of the European Union.
The European Union agreed to step up sanctions against Belarus over thousands of migrants stranded in freezing forests on its borders with the EU. Belarus, a close Russian ally, said assertions it had fuelled the crisis were "absurd".
Speaking by telephone to Russian President Vladimir Putin as part of a flurry of conversations between Western leaders and Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, the French leader spoke of his strong concern over the situation on Ukraine's borders.
"Our willingness to defend Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity was reiterated by the president," an adviser to Macron told reporters of the conversation Macron initiated.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov earlier dismissed as "wrong" a U.S. State Department statement that the Belarus border crisis was meant to distract attention from increased Russian military activity close to Ukraine, another former Soviet republic.
The EU is seeking to stop what it says is a policy by Belarus to push migrants towards it to avenge earlier sanctions over a crackdown on protests last year against veteran leader Alexander Lukashenko's contested re-election.
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NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warned Russia on Monday that the western military alliance was standing by Ukraine amid a large and unusual concentration of Russian troops on Ukraine's borders.
Stressing that the important thing now was to prevent situations from spiralling out of control, Stoltenberg urged Russia to be transparent about military activities, to reduce tensions and prevent an escalation.
We have to be clear-eyed, we need to be realistic about the challenges we face. And what we see is a significant, large Russian military build-up," Stoltenberg told a news conference with Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in Brussels.
He said he did not want to speculate about Russia's intentions but added: "We see an unusual concentration of troops, and we know that Russia has been willing to use these types of military capabilities before to conduct aggressive actions against Ukraine."
The Russian troop movements have over the past days spurred fears of a possible attack. Moscow has dismissed such suggestions as inflammatory and complained https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russia-is-not-threat-says-kremlin-after-media-report-about-possible-ukraine-2021-11-12 about increasing activity in the region by the NATO transatlantic alliance.
Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and says the waters around it belong to Moscow now, despite most countries continuing to recognise the peninsula as Ukrainian.
Russian-backed separatists took control of Ukraine's eastern Donbass region that same year and soldiers on both sides continue to be regularly killed in the conflict there.
The troop border build-up - which Ukraine last week estimated at 100,000 - was dangerous, said Stoltenberg, because it reduced the amount of warning time, should Russia decide to "conduct a military aggressive action against Ukraine."
"This is partly forces close to the border between Russia and Ukraine, but it is also partly troops and capabilities which are inside Ukraine, meaning they are in Crimea, which is illegally annexed, and also we see the militants, the separatists in Donbass, which is also part of Ukraine, supported and helped by Russia," he said.
A NATO source, asked to describe how Russia is going about deploying its military equipment towards Ukraine, said: "large equipment such as tanks, self-propelled artillery and infantry fighting vehicles is moved at night to avoid tell-tale pictures showing up on social media as they did during the Russian military build-up in spring."
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In a press briefing on November 10, Pentagon spokesman retired Adm. John Kirby gave further evidence of the Biden administration’s incoherent national strategy. He refused to distinguish between China and “climate change” as threats to U.S. national security.
In response to a question of “which is a bigger threat, the climate or China?” Kirby said, “You’ve heard the secretary talk about the climate as a — a real and existential national security threat … And we considered China as the number one pacing challenge for the department. Both are equally important. Both are — are challenges that the secretary wants the senior leadership at the Pentagon to be focused on, as well as many others, too.”
Kirby’s answer was a bit of a muddle. He first described China as “the number one pacing threat.” But he then immediately added, “Both are equally important.”
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China claimed Tuesday that President Biden denounced Taiwanese independence from the communist nation, but warned the U.S. is "playing with fire" in the South China Sea.
The new round of threats arose following an hours-long virtual summit between Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping that marked the most extensive talks the world leaders have engaged in since Biden took office.
In a read-out following the talks, Chinese officials said Biden reiterated U.S. support for the one-China policy and claimed the U.S. president "does not support ‘Taiwan independence’."
Taiwan and China have shared a complex history since the government of the Republic of China (ROC) relocated to the island in the western Pacific in 1949 amid conflict with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Taiwan identifies as a sovereign nation, but it is officially recognized by China, the United Nations and the U.S. as part of the one-China policy.
China made it clear Tuesday that it has every intention of bringing the island under "complete reunification" with mainland China and threatened action if forces attempt to stop this.
"Should the separatist forces for ‘Taiwan independence’ provoke us, force our hands or even cross the red line, we will be compelled to take resolute measures," the readout said. "On this question bearing on China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, there is no room for compromise."
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The Pentagon on Monday said it has the authority to require members of the National Guard to get vaccinated against COVID-19 after the Oklahoma National Guard’s newly appointed commander refused to impose a vaccine mandate ordered by the Defense Department.
Pentagon press secretary John Kirby told reporters that U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin “has the authorities he needs to require this vaccine across the force, including the National Guard.”
Kirby later added during a news briefing that it is “a lawful order for National Guardsmen to receive the COVID vaccine.”
“It is a lawful order,” he repeated. “Refusing to do that, absent an approved exemption, puts them in the same potential [for punishment] as active-duty members who refuse the vaccine.”
The Defense Department in September said that all uniformed personnel must be vaccinated against COVID-19, the disease caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, with varying deadlines for each branch.
However, on Nov. 11, the adjutant general for Oklahoma Brig. Gen. Thomas Mancino wrote in a policy memorandum ordering that “no Oklahoma Guardsmen be required to take the COVID-19 Vaccine.”
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.@MarineNationale to run large scale exercise #Polaris21 in the W. Mediterranean & Atlantic (Nov 18-Dec 3) Involving half of French fleet & carrier FS Charles de Gaulle. @HMSDragon & elements of #CSG21 (?) likley to participate. ——
KYIV, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Britain's defence minister Ben Wallace met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on a visit to Kyiv on Tuesday, a show of support at a time when Ukraine and NATO countries have expressed concern about Russian troop movements near Ukraine's borders.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government this week had voiced Britain's "unwavering" support for Ukraine and said it would back Kyiv in the face of Russian hostility while opposing the construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.
In a statement after their meeting, Zelenskiy welcomed a framework agreement to use British financing to enhance Ukraine's naval capabilities, allowing Ukraine to buy missiles, build missile ships and a navy base on the Sea of Azov.
"The United Kingdom has become our key partner in building the Ukrainian fleet," Zelenskiy said, according to a statement on the presidential website.
Ukraine and NATO countries have expressed concern about Russian troop movements near Ukraine's borders. Moscow in turn accused Ukraine, the United States and allies of destabilising behaviour, including in the Black Sea. read more
Britain's most senior military officer, General Nick Carter, said there was a greater risk of an accidental war breaking out between the West and Russia than at any time since the Cold War.
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Cybersecurity researchers say they have uncovered evidence that Belarus has been involved in a hybrid hacking and disinformation campaign against Eastern European NATO members since 2016 that aimed to sow discord in the military alliance, steal confidential information, and spy on dissidents.
Today’s report by the prominent US cybersecurity firm Mandiant appears to mark the first time Belarus has been blamed in the campaign known as Ghostwriter. European Union members have said they suspected involvement by Belarus’ close ally Russia, and Poland has directly accused Moscow of hacking government officials’ emails and leaking them online.
While Mandiant says it has compelling forensic evidence that Belarus was involved in the hacking — whose targets have also included German lawmakers — it says it has no direct proof of Russian participation, though that does not rule it out and attributing cyberoperations can be difficult.
The Belarus government did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A press officer at the Russian embassy in Washington had no immediate comment on alleged Russian involvement in Ghostwriter. Russian officials regularly reject accusations that they are involved in hacking and disinformation activity.
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Russia said on Tuesday it had conducted a weapons test that targeted an old Russian satellite with "razor-sharp precision" and denied allegations by the United States, Britain and NATO that the test had been dangerous for orbiting spacecraft.
U.S. officials said Monday's test had generated a debris field in low-Earth orbit that endangered the International Space Station (ISS) and that would pose a hazard to space activities for years. read more
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the test was reckless, posed a threat to the ISS and an orbiting Chinese spacecraft, and showed Russia was developing new weapons systems. A British government spokesperson condemned the test and urged Moscow to join discussions at the United Nations on "responsible behaviour when it comes to space."
Russia's Defence Ministry said the debris from the test had not posed a threat to the ISS, and that Washington knew this.
"We did indeed successfully test a promising system. It hit the old satellite with razor-sharp precision. The fragments that formed pose no threat to space activity," Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu was quoted as saying by the RIA news agency.
The target was a non-operational spacecraft, Tselina-D, that had been in orbit since 1982, the ministry said in a statement.
It said the United States, China and India had conducted similar tests in the past.
Russia's space agency said the ISS's crew had temporarily to moved into their respective spacecraft.
The Defence Ministry said Russia was forced to beef up its defence capabilities because of weapons tests by the United States and Washington establishing a space force in 2020.
Moscow said it had sought an agreement to stop weapons being deployed in space for years, but that Washington and its allies had blocked the deal at the United Nations.
Reporting by Polina Devitt in Moscow, Sabine Siebold and Robin Emmott in Brussels, Idrees Ali and Steve Gorman in Washington, and Kate Holton in London; writing by Tom Balmforth; Editing by Catherine Evans and Timothy Heritage
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Nov 15, aerospace controllers at 22 Wg and CF18s from Canadian NORAD Region exercised with
@US_Stratcom
B1 aircraft on their return from Europe to the . CF18s conducted air intercept training while wishing our #FriendsPartnersAllies a warm welcome home
@NORADCommand
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Satellites, ships in crosshairs: Are Russia, China running circles around US? - analysis
By SETH J. FRANTZMAN
Published: NOVEMBER 16, 2021 09:37
Updated: NOVEMBER 16, 2021 16:21
Washington is nonplussed that Russia has conducted what the US calls a “dangerous and irresponsible” missile test. It targeted one of Russia’s own satellites as part of an apparent anti-satellite missile system. The US says that the test endangered the crew of the International Space Station (ISS).
Meanwhile, H.I. Sutton at USNI News noted that “a second suspected missile target in the shape of a US aircraft carrier has been spotted in a remote Chinese desert, according to satellite photos.” The carrier looks to be a target for missiles. “Carrier target is about 300 miles away from a larger suspected missile range in the Taklamakan Desert,” first reported by USNI News on Sunday. “The two sites share similar characteristics and are aligned on a map with the carriers facing the same direction – as if in a convoy. Like the first, this new target shares the same dimensions as a US Navy aircraft carrier,” the report notes.
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China is also building new aircraft carriers, one of which may be launched as early as next year. The US appears to be reacting every week to new reports about these kinds of threats, whether it is hypersonic missilesor “carrier destroying” missiles, or threats to space and America’s global role.
There are other threats as well. The US and Western allies are talking about defending Ukraine against Russia. They are also embroiled in a potential clash with Belarus. At the same time US President Joe Biden is warning China not to take action against Taiwan.
The list of crises is growing and the US has signaled that it wants to move from 20 years of the global war on terror to face down “near-peer” adversaries like Russia and China. But Russia and China have watched the US withdraw from Afghanistan and be pushed around again and again in other places. Turkey, for instance, got the US to withdraw from part of Syria and even attacked its partners on the ground and the US has stayed silent.
Can Washington simultaneously deal with all these emerging problems? It appears to have been surprised by the Chinese hypersonic missile gains. The stories about China using mock US ships for target practice and Russia destroying a satellite all seem to be potential new challenges to the US.
While America has the most sophisticated military technology, such as F-35s, it is generally slow at procurement and has rested on its laurels for years. There are new weapons in the pipeline and the US wants to invest in its navy but at air shows like Dubai it tends to be countries like Russia that steal the spotlight, most recently with their new “Checkmate” warplane. Whether those planes are actually as good as the designers say is unclear but what matters sometimes is perception and the perception is that the US is being challenged everywhere.
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Secretary of State for Defence, the Right Honourable Ben Wallace MP and Ukraine Defence Minister Oleksii Yuriyovych Reznikov said:
Ukraine and the United Kingdom are strategic partners in security and defence.
Last week, an Intergovernmental Framework Agreement was signed in London. This document continues progress on joint projects to develop the capabilities of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as agreed in June when the UK, Ukraine and industry signed a Memorandum of Implementation to collaborate to boost Ukraine’s naval capabilities.
Today’s meeting is the next stage in bilateral cooperation for enhancing Ukraine’s defence capabilities and increasing interoperability.
Our governments have no desire to be adversarial, or seek in any way to strategically encircle or undermine the Russian Federation. We are concerned by Russia’s military build-up and activity around the borders of Ukraine.
Ukraine’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity is indisputable.
The United Kingdom stands shoulder to shoulder with the people of Ukraine and will continue its long-standing determination to support them.
We are unwavering in that support and together we remain vigilant and united in the defence of our common values and freedoms.
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While Russia continues to claim that nothing is out of the ordinary, Ukraine is calling on its allies for support and protection.
"The best way to deter an aggressive Russia is to make it clear for the Kremlin that Ukraine is strong, but also that it has strong allies who will not leave it alone in the face of Moscow's ever-increasing aggressiveness," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said last Wednesday in a joint conference with U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.
In Ukraine, a nation of 44 million people whose military is still rebuilding from years of violent conflict, many have accused Russia of continually using tactics like these to intimidate and frighten. A recent visit by President Vladimir Putin to the occupied region of Crimiea only inflamed local anxieties.
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