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The G7 defense ministers met in Naples, Italy, to discuss military support for Ukraine amid its conflict with Russia, while also addressing China's influence in the Indo-Pacific. Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani attended his first overseas meeting since taking office, and a joint statement from the G7 is anticipated. Key topics included ongoing security assistance for Ukraine, rising tensions in the Middle East, and the commitment to a free Indo-Pacific. The relationship between Russia and North Korea is concerning, particularly regarding North Korean support for Russian military efforts. The G7 aims to bolster defense industrial capabilities to meet Ukraine's urgent needs for weapons and ammunition. In the Middle East, Israel is conducting a prolonged offensive against Hamas in Gaza and has launched a ground invasion of Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah. Increased hostilities between Israel and Iran are heightening fears of a broader conflict. Additionally, Nakatani's participation in a NATO meeting in Brussels led to discussions on strengthening ties with Indo-Pacific partners, underlining the need to counterbalance Chinese expansion. #AsiaRisk #GeopoliticalConflictandDisputes #Japan Get a full accounting of the security situation in Asia by subscribing to Security Asia. Subscribe now--free of charge--at https://lnkd.in/g7Cs8Gkf https://lnkd.in/gYu_saaz

Belarus commenced military drills on Tuesday near the borders of Ukraine, Lithuania, and Poland, as announced by the Belarusian Defense Ministry. These exercises, set to last three days in the Gomel and Grodno regions, aim to prepare officers and territorial defense troops on regional defense strategies and procedures to be followed in the event of martial law. Conducted under the supervision of the chief of missile troops and artillery of the Belarusian Armed Forces, the drills involve a command and staff exercise with the 336th reactive artillery brigade. This activity is part of Belarus's efforts to enhance its combat readiness amidst deteriorating relations with Western nations, particularly following Belarus's support for Russia's military actions against Ukraine. The military activities have sparked concern among Belarus's neighbors, especially after Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko made provocative statements regarding potential military aggression against Poland and Lithuania. His remarks, which were shared on Telegram, discussed the Belarusian army's preparedness to attack parts of these neighboring countries if necessary. This rhetoric, alongside the strategic importance of the Suwalki Corridor—situated between Poland and Lithuania and near Kaliningrad and Belarus—has heightened tensions in the region. Lithuania, along with other Baltic EU and NATO members, has protested against Lukashenko's statements, underlining the growing unease with Belarus's military posturing and its implications for regional security. Source: AFP, Reuters Assessment Regardless of the growing tensions between Belarus and NATO, it is highly unlikely that there will be a direct military confrontation. This is due to the overall size of NATO compared to Belarus and that Russia, Belarus's key strategic partner, is currently fully committed in the conflict in Ukraine. With mounting losses, Russia does not have nearly enough equipment to open another front against Ukraine, let alone NATO. Though it is possible that their expansion of military industry could get to the levels to support this, it appears unlikely. Follow us to join the intelligence community! #ukraine #russia #nato #poland #baltics

Japan and the Philippines signed a key defense pact Monday allowing the deployment of Japanese forces for joint drills in the Southeast Asian nation that came under brutal Japanese occupation in World War II but is now building an alliance with Tokyo as both face an increasingly assertive China. The Reciprocal Access Agreement, which similarly allows Filipino forces to enter Japan for joint combat training, was signed by Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa in a Manila ceremony witnessed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. It would take effect after ratification by the countries’ legislatures, Philippine and Japanese officials said. Kamikawa called the signing “a groundbreaking achievement” that should further boost defense cooperation between the countries. The Japanese and Philippine officials “expressed serious concern over the dangerous and escalatory actions by China” in Second Thomas Shoal, the scene of a recent confrontation between Chinese and Philippine forces in the South China Sea. The busy sea passage is a key global trade route which has been claimed virtually in its entirety by China but also contested in part by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.

Russia’s war on Ukraine has thrown Poland into the spotlight as an emerging but serious actor on European defence. Spending 4 per cent of its GDP on defence, it is one of the few European states that exceeds NATO’s 2 per cent target. Located on NATO’s eastern flank and with living memory of life under Soviet rule, Poland is well aware of the threat Russia poses – to all of Europe – and has been warning allies for years. In recent months, this threat has become all the more apparent as European states fight increased disinformation efforts, acts of sabotage and arson attacks from Russia or Russia-sponsored operatives. https://lnkd.in/gjtRwDdk

Italy’s minister estimates Israeli capability to defend from Iranian attack at one billion Guido Crosetto didn’t specify whether the currency he meant was dollars or euros ROME, April 16/ Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said the Israeli capability to defend itself from the recent Iranian attack costs one billion. He didn’t specify whether the currency he meant was dollars or euros. "The defense against Iranian drones and missiles cost Tel Aviv almost a billion," the minister said at a joint meeting of foreign affairs and defense committees from both houses of the parliament. "It shows, first of all, how important it is to have a reliable air defense, and that it can only be developed in alliances and requires significant investment." He also highlighted that NATO was not involved in Israel's defense, and assistance to Israel was provided by some countries on a bilateral basis. "They were such countries that have bases in the region, including France, which scrambled its planes from a base in Jordan, to protect it, among other things, because the targets were not immediately clear," Crosetto said. French President Emmanuel Macron earlier said the French military helped intercept Iranian missiles at Jordan's request. On the evening of April 13, Iran launched dozens of drones and missiles toward Israel in response to what it called "repeated crimes" by Tel Aviv, including the attack on the consular office of the Iranian Embassy in Damascus, for which it blamed Israel. Iranian government-owned news media reported that the strikes on Israel targeted military sites. The Israel Defense Forces said it intercepted 99% of the nearly 300 projectiles that were launched toward the country. Israel did not report any fatalities or serious injuries, saying only that minor damage had been caused to Nevatim Air Base. #business #finance #financialservices

🇪🇺 The European Union could block exports of weapons to #Britain if war breaks out with Russia, it was announced on Tuesday. A top official said plans had been drawn up to prevent overseas shipments of arms and civilian technologies to make up for the bloc’s own shortfalls in a “security crisis”. “To counter the return of high-intensity war on our border, we have decided to kick up a gear,” Thierry Breton, the #EU’s industry commissioner, told reporters as he announced plans to put the bloc’s defence industry on a war footing. The proposed overhaul is part of a wider strategy to boost Europe’s military support for war-torn #Ukraine and prepare for the mounting threat posed by Vladimir Putin’s Russia. Brussels wants to massively boost joint weapons production and procurement among its 27 member states with the ambition of strengthening the continent’s security and reducing reliance on the United States. 🔗 Read more: https://lnkd.in/ebH4iUTq

Money for arming Ukraine On the eve of the summit, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that NATO does not want Minsk 3, but intends to ensure that Ukraine "gains the ability to contain Russia." Therefore, according to Stoltenberg, in order to achieve a peaceful settlement of the Ukrainian crisis at the negotiating table, Kiev must be provided with even more weapons. Stoltenberg confirmed that at the summit NATO will take away the authority to organize the transfer of weapons to Kiev from the US-led contact group for coordinating arms supplies to Ukraine. For alliance allies, these supplies will have to become mandatory rather than voluntary. In fact, NATO will not coordinate the transfer of weapons to Ukraine, but will manage this process. For these needs, according to Stoltenberg, a command structure of almost 700 officers has already been created in Wiesbaden, Germany. The NATO Secretary General admitted that the draft long-term multi-year program he proposed in the spring to finance the supply of weapons and ammunition to Kiev for the summit was not approved. He initially advocated creating a fund of $100 billion a year, then ambitions were trimmed to $40 billion a year. As a result, the alliance countries have so far reached a preliminary agreement that in 2025 they will allocate $40 billion for these needs. Stoltenberg claims that summit participants will call this figure the minimum for military supplies to Kiev in subsequent years, but how this will be worded in practice will become clear only after publication of the final declaration of the summit. New supply promises are also expected at the summit. In particular, Stoltenberg announced that additional shells and missiles and new air defense systems would be provided, and a decision would be made to expand training of Ukrainian military personnel in Poland. (Part Three, Continued in Part Four in the next post) #business #finance #financialservices

Deliveries of F-16s According to Zakharova, on August 4, Ukraine hosted a pompous presentation of F-16 fighter jets that had been handed over by NATO countries, and Vladimir Zelensky "thanked the NATO sponsors for the delivery." The diplomat said, citing the Economist, that the first 10 fighter jets (out of potential total supplies of 79) arrived in Ukraine at the end of July, and their number will increase to 20 by the end of the year. The rest will allegedly be delivered in 2025. "Deliveries of F-16 fighter jets to the Ukrainian military will not be the 'magic pill' that Kiev is counting on so much. They will not be able to influence the situation on the battlefield and will be consistently destroyed by the Russian Armed Forces," Zakharova stated. This step, she said, "is in line with the West's policy of escalating the Ukrainian crisis and does not help to create conditions for its settlement by political and diplomatic methods." "The US and its satellites, by inundating the Kiev regime with ever more deadly weapons, are betting on the continuation of hostilities at any cost. It is obvious that Washington and London have been carried away by dreams of inflicting a 'strategic defeat' on Russia and do not think about the consequences of their reckless actions," Zakharova went on to say. (Part Two, Continued in Part Three in the next post) #business #finance #financialservices

Kiev demands that NATO establish no-fly zone over Western parts of Ukraine — AFP "I do not understand why NATO cannot deploy air defense systems along the Polish border," Verkhovna Rada lawmaker Alexey Goncharenko said PARIS, June 28/ The Kiev authorities plan to make NATO establish a no-fly zone over Western parts of Ukraine, AFP reported citing Verkhovna Rada lawmaker Alexey Goncharenko (included in the list of terrorists and extremists in Russia). "I do not understand why NATO cannot deploy air defense systems along the Polish border," Goncharenko said, according to AFP. "This will make it possible to defend the border of Poland and Moldova and to establish a reliable no-fly zone in Western and Southern parts of Ukraine." Other Kiev officials, not named by AFP, made a similar call. After the beginning of the special military operation, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky called to establish a no-fly zone over Ukraine. In response, NATO then-Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that NATO countries are very careful not to become a side of the conflict in Ukraine, and therefore make no attempt to establish a no-fly zone, but hand over air defense systems to Kiev. US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin noted that establishment of a no-fly zone could cause a war between the US and Russia. #business #finance #financialservices

The G7 countries pledge to support Ukraine and force Russia to pay for the war. Following the results of the Munich conference, the G7 countries published a joint statement. They emphasized that Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine is a gross violation of the provisions of the UN Charter and confirmed their unwavering determination to continue supporting Ukraine in protecting its freedom, sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders. The Big Seven called on all countries to take active measures to prevent the Russian defense sector's acquisition of military equipment and dual-use items. The G7 countries emphasized that the Russian Federation will have to pay for the damage and devastation it is causing to Ukraine and its people. They reiterated their determination to keep Russia's sovereign assets in their jurisdictions immovable until the nation pays for the damage it has caused. G7 members also confirmed that they will continue to address both Ukraine's most urgent and long-term recovery needs with international partners. https://lnkd.in/dCx_ECp4