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Mike Pompeo became the first secretary of state to visit Belarus in 26 years. He arrived in Minsk and meet with President Alexander Lukashenko on February 1.
The visit came amid new tensions between Minsk and Moscow over energy supplies, and Lukashenko’s unwillingness to fulfill Belarus’ obligations under the Union State agreement between Russia and Belarus. SouthFront covered these developments earlier: UNION STATE, ENERGY. Long story short, Minsk seeks to continue receiving cheap energy resources, technologies, cheap loans (rather donations to the Belarus economy), other economic and trade preferences from Russia, but does not want to act like a Russian ally in the economic, diplomatic and in some cases even security spheres.
Minsk’s approach led to expected issues within the Russia-Belarus relations. On December 31, 2019 Russia stopped supplying oil to Belarus afte rthe two nations had failed to renegotiate an agreed oil price following another round of negotiations on the further implementation of the Union State agreement. In respnose, Lukashenko accused Russia of stopping supplies “to dissolve Belarus.”
Today I will visit Belarus – the first visit by a U.S. Secretary of State in 25 years. I look forward to meeting with President Lukashenka and Foreign Minister Makei in #Minsk as we look to expand our relationship.
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) February 1, 2020
During the meeting with Lukashenko, Pompeo said the US hoped to help provide an opportunity for Belarus to achieve the “sovereignty” and “independence” it seeks.
“The United States wants to help Belarus build its own sovereign country,” Pompeo said at a joint news conference with Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei. “Our energy producers stand ready to deliver 100% of the oil you need at competitive prices. We’re the biggest energy producer in the world and all you have to do is call us.”
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called for “real progress” in bilateral relations with Belarus, and urged economic and political reforms as well as improved human rights conditions. Lukashenko told Pompeo it was “very good that you risked coming to Minsk after various misunderstandings between Belarus and the U.S.” Belarus’ foreign ministry officially welcomed the strengthening role of the United States in Belarus. Minsk said that both Belarus and the United States have many common challenges and threats that they should adress jointly.
The approach of the current Belarusian leadership demonstrates that Lukashenko did not learn lessons of other ‘authoritarian regimes’ that flirted with the United States and its ‘European partners’. Muammar al-Gaddafi (Libya), Slobodan Milosevic (Yugoslavia), Saddam Hussein (Iraq) also thought they can negotiate with the US-led bloc a deal that would allow them to remain in power (or at least alive) in exchange of surrendering their countries’ national interests and allies. Nonetheless, all these cases ended up with large tragedies. The Lukashenko government is putting itself on the brink of this fate by its own hands.
If anyone thinks Putin will let a second Maidan happen or let NATO put their dirty paws on White Russia, is delusional. There is a cost for invading and removing any globalist in power and that cost will be very, very high for Russia proper if lets Belarus slip ( even for just a few years) under western influence.
Belarus could burn from two sides, very easlly…
No it cannot. The main probplem is the connections with Russia even LUKASHENKO is dictator for life and Putin probatly will be too. The mainproblem for both and their countries are they systematicly makes no replacers but even take the possible one away
Oh do STFU you crazy idiot Danish bastard.
If You grap a chair, You might raise Your level.
True danes are nor cousins, cousins,cousins misted up with fatrhers, fathers fathers and mothers, mothers, mothers.
And we do have a saying: Sometimes You gets the real truth by idots and drunk people only.
After Obama was proven a total imperialist other countries would be stupid to think that B. Sanders is not an imperialist. In fact his comments on Venezuela, his support of attacking Yugoslavia are proof the USA is an unreformable imperialist nation and will be until it is eviscerated. Belarus and Russia even without their current leaders will still oppose US imperialism. Belarus does not have Ukraines history. Russia will likely never let a Michael Gorbachev or Yeltsin near power again. Neoliberalism – aka capitalism is raping Ukraine. Did Yelensky and cabinet put all of Ukraines land up for sale to foreigners yet? I bet that law passed.
Thanks for Your comment. I diosagree in most of it.
Other countries can buy land in my country. We are not collapsed by that. They create a lot of jobs, pay tax and the people there pay income tax as well.
Your socalled land is not used or very ineffective used. Its infantile not to see that. Most fields in Ukraine can give 20 times more pr hektar.
Ukraine reached number 1 grain exporter in 2019. Growth rate over the last 3 years was above 30%, just as a remark.
Sure, I dont think thats the point. The point is devellopment and an income and ownership and rent of land makes and extra hand, where parts might be usefull to copy or partly affiliate.
As I reaclal it most kolkhoses, sovkhoses, kombinates, and like that were very ineffevtive and more or less collapsed.
Making fx 30% grain by that most like says its from a very lowered level. The same is for Russia.
But Ukraine has so many problems. It also have to be able to take in fair tax and income for all. In landuse some few oligarks and warmongols should give back stolen land and not be allowed to oprate as superfeudals of the old days(that goes for Russia as well).
Thought Russia took top spot, for grain exporter. GM free as a bonus.
Did Ukraine ever give China the $3 billion worth of grain, China paid for, in advance, a few years ago?
You didn’t or did not want to understand my comment but still, there you are, talking nonsense…
The nonsense is that Ballarus could burn from both sides.
Bellarus has not a value for West or Nato. The Internal debate between Putin&Russia and Bellarus since the USSR collapse has been the samme.
Do they join or not. Do they assosiate better or in another way or maybee split a little more.
WE DONT CARE. GOT IT.
We all know Lukashenko just is a faggot of Yours trading with Putin for more support, because Bellarus hardly produce anything makin 0 with plus assed minus.
So we are just as nice as we can and wish to trade carrots and potatoes for, what we have. Lukashenko is trying to use it. Putin is too.
We are not. We have a big job with all the other bad neocolonialistic states and oblasks made by Marx, Engels, Tzars, Stalins and other barking mad ones from the past. R hose cost us billions and sometimes seemes to be forever in Your kind of quamire.
So buzz of. Even Lukashenko making Old bad communisme into Dictatorship is Your problem. Go home to Your own crap debate about Pompeo is not a nice guy, which will manipulate Old Russia all the way to Vladisvostok.
Yours fx seees to be Lukashenko will have tax for You having the entrence to Kaliningrad open by the old trade route. Thats Your problem. We can only see You anytime can send Your deplyed missiles against ud from us by the sea and Lukashenka by that close his kingdom of hardly any production for selling stuff.
Your comment has the wrong addres. We have no attemtions as You assume in Your internal propaganda.
We have respected Ballarus still wished to be affiliated to New Russia but also their own. Thats very different from Ukraine which in the last period of WW1 didnt want to be a part of Bolshevisme and therefore uprised as by that was punished and punished having many many killed, jailed and even a severqal millions killed by systematic starvation.
Their wishes was confirmed during WW2. USSR even left the many non communists and evacited only communists and factories. But that was not enough. Fields were burned in 1000s and all infrastructure was destroyed – mines for coal, iron, nikel. railroads, roads, briudges, telefone lines – everything.
I wil not repeat what happend with the jews there even Ukrainians was not happy about them. Most Ukrainiens was not unhappy about them, but many bigger towns such as Kharkow and Dinetsk at that time had more then 30% Jews.
So Ukrainians whatever they are, has very good reasons for independensy. When the Nazis arrived 2 dicisions for infantery would join the Nazis not even being asked for it. Thats the difference to fx Bellarus but also Baltics, Poland and others.
I am sore the trade around the USSR collapse the has included Krimera and 3 Oblast given to Ukraine by Krustchof famous for his shoes and Stalingrad. But thats a detail.
To me Ukraine got those 2 parts of new Ukraine because they had all nuke missiles against western Europe. I many times has told Crimera never was Ukraine as well as those 3 Oblast should be voted back to Russia.
But people here dont see voting as an option but only as it is now by dayli low faire everlasting war for nothing apart from life and property of ni value.
And Russia actually do exact the same good and bad thing in Caucasus.
But facts are its normal procedure to trade with each other and also being helpåed and inspired, if the old car is a no go and need horses in front of it, bacuse You only have hay.
You lost me at “Bellarus has not a value for West or Nato”
You certainly is lost.
I tell You why “west” by EU and also USA see it.
You are certain i am Russian, are you? Level of your ignorance amuses me so much. That much of ignorance usually comes with same amount of arrogance and racism. Racist ranting in combination with ordinary insults is signature of persons like you! USA is 4th Reich. NATO is criminal organization responsible for millions of deaths in span of last 30 years! Russia is ultimate prize but also very tough nut to crack and tougher as the time goes by! Belarus can easily become new Ukraine.
This is about people having the right to decide for themselves. They certainly do or should. Rhe Russian espansion by Tzars and later Bolsjevics has taken that right away. And thats even with a long fence west of Berlin to keep that Neocolonialisme.
I dint care if You are Russian or not. You represent the old Moscow point of views, which are for internal use trying to make dominance legitime for stolen land having learnt nothing from WW1 and after that too and again.
Many for good reasons protested and still protested Moscow name the war for the great Fatherland war. I was not for them. Russia never was their father.
Bellarus makes its own destiny. We dont evaluate as You say at all. They have the value of none for us according Naro as well as EU.
It do make sense those Bellarussians try to learn and connect with the EU system, which has not collapsed and learn and use the “why not”.
By tradition that farmland also has sold its products by the Baltics and into western Europe, but we certainly dont need more poor and low productive farmers even it for centuries has been well known Germany and GB produce industrial things for food from Bellarus, Ukraine and Russia.
Thats normalisation driven by Minsk and fx Kiev.
If there was less Russians in Russia, we might try to take it, but unfortunatly thats not how it is. They have to decide themselves, but we see less and less like that. In theother hand they by old tradition seemes to prefare Feudalisme or semilar and be happy about it.
EU certainly dont need more less or non productive zones. Its not like that for us. We already has our own probpems too.
” You represent the old Moscow point of views” Dude, you really don’t know what you aretalking about, i mean, you are clueless. You don’t even know my point of view on Russia and their foreign policy. You don’t know ANYTHING about my political views but, there you are, tagging people, insulting them on a racial level. My god you are something else!
If Yuo talk as a duck, walk like a duck and look like a duck, You most likely is a duck.
Maybee You only is cousin to the main dog, but You are no goat or snake.
You pretend to be stupid or you are natural at it? What happened with Ukraine? Same scenario is more than plausible for Belarus. Ukraine is burning from two sides, west ignited the flames and Russia did the same. They both set Ukraine ablaze but for different reasons!
Let me remind you with one political statement, the real one: “Russia will never wage another war on it’s soil again”
NATO and USA are criminal organizations and cause of most suffering all across the globe!
Tell me, is Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Ukraine better places for living after huge help from those two bullies?
Russia white has nothing west by Nato or EU wish for.
EU already has too much low educated people as poor farmland driven as from ancint times.
Its like USA stealing Syrian oil and ilusion made for internal Russian use. We ¨- Poland – are the only users, because those Bellarussians are even more poor then the poorest in poland farming with horses and heating and polluting the whole world with dirty coal of the wurs kind.
Thats how we see Ballarus.
EU already pay too much for East having no culture for sober build ups apart from collapesed ones by Tzars and Communists. UK is a good example of NO WAY.
To understand the situation: Belorussia is buying Russian oil without customs fees. In the Russia was a lot of frauds when oil was exported without paying any fee. So Russian govt. changed the approach and put taxation on the pumped oil and cut off the fees. To keep gasoline prices at the low level, govt. made some compensation mechanism when part of the price of gasoline sold at the internal market returns to the gasoline production plant. They offered Belorussia to harmonize the fiscal laws of both states so Russian government could return money to the Belorussian gasoline producers for gasoline sold on the Belorussian internal market. Sounds logic, isn’t it?
But let’s recall the Todd’s principles of politics: 1. Anything they tell you they won’t tell you all the truth. 2. Anything they speak, they speak about the money.
The real situation. Because of no customs fee Belorussia bought Russian oil with 30% lower price then it’s sold on the market. After that Belorussian plant produced gasoline which was sold by them with 10% discount from market prices. It gave to the plant owner huge profits. And Belorussia was getting about 0.5 billion dollars as taxes every year. If Lukashenko accepts the Russian govt offer for compensation he will lose part of his power and big part of his money. The end of story.
https://youtu.be/YcXMhwF4EtQ
I suspect Russian annexation of Belarus will come in time. Pompeo makes a big scene of being submissive to the President’s daughter and son-in-law, everyone knows exactly what type of person he really is.
Pompeo won’t be in office himself very long so who cares. And Belarus can get closer to the EU but EU is getting further away from US control, so it’s not all that terrible. As EU citizen it would be nice to easily visit Minsk.
NATO is the bigger concern.
Not with Putin and his Western style politics in power.
Your a piece of lying Jew shit a coward as well.
If you were God you would know I’m not Jewish idiot. You are an out back deranged fool.
Don’t make a fool of yourself, everyone knows I brought the beginning with me to prove that I am the only Prophet to be ever coming back, for example Lionel Loder still living has pursued a strategy of satanic fraud to protect the homosexual Sid Loder who murdered my mother in association with the Freemason Lodge.
The Masons promised Sid he would be make a lot of money, but of course being Jews the had no intention of giving him the contacts because they wanted to be able to argue that Sid did it voluntarily and inevitability would supported israel with a Divine Sanction because it was the right thing to do.
Sid Loder wasn’t very smart, he settled for a pat on the back and a scabby apron filled with cheap badges, until Australia Day 1983 when he couldn’t take it any more and killed himself.
These are real influential people check out the Sid Loder Park Mitchelton Brisbane QLD. and I am Rodney Terence Loder I lived with Sid Loder at 17 Blackwood Rd. Mitchelton, fit the first 18 years of my life, these are accusations of crimes, there is no statue of limitations on murder.
You are a fool and a liar! I challenge your divinity! Smite me oh great? One?
But Raptar Driver I don’t know where you live so how can I smite you without such knowledge, Allah (swt) knows where you are but in order to protect His (swt) impartiality I have to remain ignorant, and besides no body in Heaven knows exactly who Allah (swt) He (swt) keeps it a secret from us, however I am really well connected to Fate, and as you know Fate feels 2 things mainly, first is that the original Fate who was the boss before Allah (swt) got ripped off and second, Fate wants to end everything so he can be boss again, if I ask my best friend Fate to smite you he will likely take a few extras with you.
Lessons not learned from Ukraine.
Found it strange, the brother of Bill Browder’s good mate and Common Purpose Founder, Timothy Bell, founded Bell Pottinger and Sans Frontieres. Bell Pottinger who were paid over $500 million from the Pentagon, to spin the Iraq War. The same Timothy Bell who was the special adviser and PR management, behind Margaret Thatcher, Pinochet, Litvenko, Berezovsky and wasn’t he also Lukashenko’s special adviser?
What will Belarus get in return? First Strike Missile Defence Systems, anything of value pillaged and of course purchase US LNG 10 times the price of what Russia can offer. Where is the US going to get the crude oil from? Isn’t that the reason they are demanding the natural resources of Venezuela and Iran?
Plus, the CIS members have never ratified their borders, in accordance with international law, since fall of Soviet Union. They are only recognised whilst part of CIS. So, if the US purchase Ukraine and Belarus, where does that leave the CIS?
As long as You systematicly use bad and higly censured and biased sources, You certainly make Your own quamire abut it Yourself.
The main problems are between Lukashenko and Putin, where Lukashenko is an already by Russia equppied beggar for free fossiles.
Pompeo was just on a friendly visit being open an nice and probatly used as possible threat to Putin. None in EU and Nato want Bellarus. They have nothing to offer unless You have too much money.
Pompeo on friendly visit was am outstanding joke :-) Chapeau!
It is beter for Russia to let go Lukashenko. Because he is too much rebellion and Untrustworthy. Let him join NATO. Russia must withdraw all its assets and privileges zBye Belarus 9f Lukasstinko.
You are incorrect. Nato dont want Ballarussia at all. The same goes with EU. Its a very good reason for UK to leave to giove billions to eatern russian given not even a single ruble back.
You descriebe an illusion. EU and Nato dont need even more poor farmers and underdvellopped infrastructures and productions.
Nato is not attacking anything. We say: No more Russian Neocolonialisme all the way to Berlin and make a basta too. When we tell You and Putin that, its like theirs and Your own censure makes our messages dont reach.
But You do understand gund. So we put some, where Russia is not now. We put some, where Russia shoud never be again aprt from good trade and friendship partly based on that.
It is not about poor farmers or uneducated people. NATO wants Belarus strategically for full encirclement of Russia. NATO wants to close all possible flight routes of Russia. To you remember what their did when Russians cargo ships landed in Venezuela. Flight route via Malta was immediately closed.
Thats because of the boycut another reason You deny to understand even it is stupid.
And You can go to Venezuala by Istanbul.
You tell bullshit, and I know, that you know.
The emabrgos placed by the US are weapons of economic warfare aginst Russia to maintain US hegemonie. https://fas.org/sgp/crs/row/IF10779.pdf But as you can see, if fires back big times https://nationalinterest.org/blog/skeptics/russia-winning-sanctions-game-47517
Putin plays frienship with Erdogan to acces bosphorus. Even NATO made it clear that the have plan to bomb Kaliningrad. Jens please think twice before commenting. Don’t just comment because you want to make a point.
Do you rememberthe USS Donald Cook and USS Theodore Roosevelt, trying to get close to Khaliningrad and what happened next?
Can you imagine if Russia closed it’s Airways to all NATO member states?
NATO also wants to shut off all the seas to Russia as well.
I dont understand what you are talking about.
How large is Russia and what chaos would unfold if she refused to let any nation, that is a member of NATO, from flying through her airspace?
Then you have the various seas and Ironically, despite the US never signing the ‘Law of the Sea Convention’, the US leads the NATO member states by trying to cause problems for Russia using the various waterways.
Please revisit my coment before making any comment.I dont have an idea what you are talking about.Because I have never say anything about big Russia and NATO waterways and USA signing Russia documents.
I did read your comment and other comments. No need to revisit as it is like popping into the local kindergarten and I prefer hanging out with the adults.
Hanging out with elders have make you so in mature and confuse.Very obvious you cant adapt to new technological word as you are out date like the elders which you are hanging with.
He cannot join NATO and neither can Ukraine. They have never ratified their borders, in accordance with international law, since the fall of the Soviet Union.
It is the reason that Ukraine could not join NATO, back in 1997 and the reasonn why Ukraine cannot become a. Ember of the EU. Same applies to Belarus. The borders are only recognised whilst Russia, Belarus and Ukraine are part of the CIS. Whether So ros and friends like it or not.
But their have severe ties with Russia. So there is nothing that you can do.Only sitting idly and disputing without Ukraine and Belarus government support.
They might have severed ties with Russia, but, have not ratified their borders, since the fall of the Soviet Union, back in 1991. Where were the borders of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, back in 1917, when the Bolsheviks overthrew the Russian Empire? Where are they now? Even Ban Ki-moon, said when leading the UN, the borders between the CIS members have not been ratified in accordance with international law, since the fall of the Soviet Union.
Nought to do with what I want or believe. Just the rules of International law. The reason Ukraine could not join NATO, back in 1997 and cannot be a full member of the EU.
Have you never asked yourself why Ukraine has not withdrawn from the CIS member nations, owing to her obsessive jealousy of Russia?
Belarus will become yet another debt serf of the IMF while damaging it’s own security by damaging relations with Russia.
Like the article hints, do a deal with the devil and the devil owns you.
I hope You are not correct. I am not IMF but I haope they give only loans, which will paid back based in production or fx energysavings paying back by that.
Lukashenko is an opportunistic POS. Putin was right; the breakup (splintering) of the Soviet Union was a disaster.
Yes, You can say so. But its also his only choise hardly producing anything himself. The only good income semes to be Bellarussians working in the poor parts of Poland being even more then the farmers there with their horses, waggons and dirty coal.
Lukashenko is the same idiot like Erdogon – wants to dance on 2 weddings at the same time and make as much personal profit as possible… this will not go well for a long time. and do not think that Belarus will join the NATO)))))) mother Russia will prevent this.
“This means he [Vladimir Putin] gets Crimea, but the slow strangling of the Bear continues. NATO still wins.” (Russia will get Crimea (but the West still wins), By Ken Fraser, [Australian] ABC news, 03/03/2014) [An example of anti-Russian narratives in Australian media.]
Despite such adversarial/provocative attitudes, in reality the aggressive expansion of military bloc architecture does not enhance the security of participating nations. It merely ensures in the event of military conflict, member/partner states are more likely to be drawn into a broader war.
In this context and with recognition the Russian Federation will not remain inactive while it experiences military encirclement, NATO moves to integrate Belarus into its military architecture increases significantly the potential for a catastrophic war. Regardless, this US-NATO project continues:
– Ex-NATO General Secretary Says US-led Military Bloc Would Like To See Ukraine-style Changes In Belarus, Southfront, 08/11/2018: “Ex-NATO General Secretary Anders Fogh Rasmussen says Belarus should follow experience of Ukraine and Georgia in determining its future…… In an interview with Polskie Radio, Rasmussen de-facto stated that Belarus, after some reforms, would be able to exploit its geographical location (close to Russia) and play an important role in the NATO strategy to deter Russia…… He stated that Belarus is not a democratic state now, but it should move in this direction “like” Ukraine and Georgia. Rasmussen stated that it’s highly likely some opposition forces appear in the country that will force it to become “democratic”.” [translation: ‘regime change’ and eventual military bloc integration]
Although undesired, the development of a Eurasian Union (Russia-China-Iran-Syria-Central Asian Nations, etc.) is a logical response to counter the globally expanding and militarised European Union-NATO bloc (a replication of the Soviet Union economic/military bloc model but in opposition to Russia is a logical response to EU-NATO moves to expand their bloc and military architecture around non-bloc members.
It is worth noting the concurrent development of an Asian NATO (with Australia playing a key role in engineering this structure).[Refer Part 2]
Structures and behaviours replicating situations preceding previous world wars should be evident. The structure of military exercises relates to preparations for conflict between opposing nuclear armed powers. Indeed, it is likely the many wars of aggression and illegal military occupations of the US-NATO-Israel-allied bloc will continue to expand until they progress to the situation of becoming one.
In the meantime, the Russian Federation is correctly accelerating its defensive and retaliatory capabilities. Recognising the direction of developments in its region (with forms of warfare being active), the potential for a direct kinetic stage of conflict with an opposing military bloc should be apparent.
‘Enhanced partnership status of Australia with NATO and the development of an Asian NATO’
– “From Washington to Brussels to Canberra – the Pentagon, NATO and a rapidly evolving Asian NATO – the strategy like the terminology is identical: Interminable military deployments and combat operations in South and Central Asia as the model for new wars.” (NATO: Afghan War Model For Future 21st Century Operations, by Rick Rozoff, Stop NATO, Global Research, November 19, 2010)
-“Australia is in the process of receiving an upgrade to “enhanced Partnership” status, giving greater diplomatic and military access to NATO operations. Australia is represented by Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and Defence Minister David Johnston, who have Russian president Vladimir Putin firmly in their sights.” (NATO summit: Australia strengthens ties with Atlantic alliance, but strains of global policing starting to show, By Mark Corcoran, [Australian] ABC news, 05/09/2014)
– “there are indications that NATO will be much more active in Australia’s region than in the past. The Alliance will approve a new strategic concept later this year to guide NATO’s objectives, strategy, and force planning, which will clarify the role NATO may play in the Asia Pacific. The new concept will acknowledge that NATO remains, at its core, a transatlantic alliance.” [Dr Stephan Frühling and Dr Benjamin Schreer are Lecturer and Senior Lecturer in the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University] (Australia and NATO: A deeper relationship?, LowyInterpreter, 11 October 2010)
‘Developing military cooperation between Australia and Singapore’ – “The military agreement will begin to operate in 2017. It will more than double the number of Singapore’s troops training in Australia each year, from 6,000 to 14,000. Singapore will spend $US1.7 billion to expand facilities at the Shoalwater Bay Training Area and the Townsville Field Training Area in the northeastern Australian state of Queensland. Singaporean troops have been training in the area since 1990. Under the new arrangement, Singapore’s military will have access to the bases [for] “unilateral land training.” Singapore and the US are the only two countries building such facilities in Australia, and both are expanding them substantially.” (Singapore expands military training in Australia, By John Roberts, 16 May 2016)
– “we have taken ….. one important step forward with a comprehensive strategic partnership [CSP] that [Australian] PM [Tony Abbott] and I have just signed,” Mr Lee told a news conference. I would like to thank Mr Abbott for his very strong support, because without his initiating this and pushing this and bringing it through the CSP may not have materialised.” (Australia-Singapore CSP: Tony Abbott, Lee Hsien Loong sign agreement formalising defence, economic ties, 29/06/2015)
– “The report [‘Australia-Japan-US Maritime Cooperation’ by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies] contains specific recommendations to enhance “inter-operability” on intelligence and surveillance, submarine and anti-submarine warfare, amphibious forces and logistics….. The report’s author, Andrew Shearer, is a senior figure in the Australian foreign policy and military establishment…. Shearer is also very well connected in Washington…… Shearer makes clear [the] main “hard security” objective is to prepare for war with China. The Pentagon’s preoccupation with “freedom of navigation” and China’s A2/AD [s[Anti-Access, Area Denial] systems flows directly from its military strategy for war with China—Air Sea Battle. This is premised on being able to launch massive missile and air attacks on the Chinese mainland from warships and submarines in nearby waters, as well as from military bases in Japan and South Korea. Australia and Japan are central to Air Sea Battle and associated strategies, which include a naval blockade of China to strangle its economy…… “In the event of a conflict with China, the United States and its allies could adopt a range of strategies to counter its A2/AD capabilities,” the report explains. All are based on Air Sea Battle, which “relies on networked, integrated forces to take the offensive across air, maritime, land, space and cyberspace to disrupt, destroy and defeat an adversary’s A2/AD capabilities, allowing friendly forces maximum flexibility to defeat opposing forces.” (CSIS report argues for strong US-Japan-Australia alliance against China, By Peter Symonds, 9 April 2016)
It is worth noting Australia is firmly aligned with the U.S/NATO bloc and its adversarial position towards the Russian Federation (RF) is well established, evident through its policies and actions. Australia will continue to engage in adversarial (often confrontational) behaviour (which includes participation in allied proxy warfare operations against the Russian Federation). For example:
“Paul Dibb, the former head of two Australian spy organizations and a deputy defence minister, has just published [‘Why Russia is a threat to the international order’, Australian Strategic Policy Institute] a call for Australian troops to be ready to fight in Europe against [Russia]. [There was a] leak last month of Australian cabinet plans for an Australian Army force to fight in eastern Ukraine, alongside Dutch and other NATO units…. The plan for an Australian force of up to 3,000 troops to fight in Ukraine in 2014 was revealed by James Brown in a report issued three weeks ago. Brown is a former Australian Army captain and head of research at the US Studies Centre of the University of Sydney….. For the Ukraine operation Brown has reported the “planning for these military options consumed Australia’s intelligence agencies. The National Security Committee of [the Australian ministerial] Cabinet met every day for more than three weeks…. His report also conceals the involvement of Dutch, NATO, and US commanders in the Ukraine war plan….. He does claim that then-Prime Minister Abbott had been foolhardy in considering such a largescale force in broad daylight on an open battlefield at the Russian frontier. He prefers, he reported, Australian special forces operating with the Americans, in the dark.” (Australian Armchair General Weaponizes Himself in War Against Russia, John Helmer (Dances with Bears), 04/07/2016)
Indeed, forms of warfare are active, albeit in preliminary stages (so far short of direct military conflict). These include: economic warfare operations (sanctions, economic sabotage operations) of which Australia is an actor/advocate; information warfare (involving the misrepresentation of events through omission of information, false narratives, lack of or inaccurate context, demonising efforts, war propaganda, etc.); proxy warfare operations (active/intensifying in Ukraine, southern regions of the RF, Syria, etc.); lawfare (politically motivated tribunals/prosecutions with intelligence sources revealing have a predetermined attribution of guilt); regime change operations (efforts to engineer the RF as a client state through the installation of aligned political assets, application of colour revolution technology, etc.); destabilisation operations (efforts to engineer civil unrest, protests, civil dissent, uprisings, etc.); partition operations (covert support of separatist/militant groups); the ongoing NATO bloc expansion project (in violation of former agreements); the pursuit of nuclear primacy (efforts to overcome mutually assured destruction through first strike with retaliatory missile interception capabilities involving multi-layered/multi-phase missile architecture); etc……
U.S., NATO and Israeli advisors work with the Dept of Defence/ ADF and ‘think tanks’ such as the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, the Lowy Institute, etc. in the development of strategic policy (the Lowy Institute was established by Frank Lowy and Martin Indyk, both of whom also established the Israeli Institute for National Strategy and Policy). Australia is an extension of the U.S.-NATO-Israel-allied bloc. As evident through their policies and actions, it is clear Cold War attitudes, policies and actions persist. In fact I would argue that from observing the actions of certain Western powers, the Cold War never ended, only the format changed. Russia is correct to respond to ongoing adversarial policies and actions accordingly.
In the event of an eventual broader/more advanced stage of conflict, it is probable the Russian Federation and the PRC would identify NATO bloc members and partners that would participate in hostile actions and indeed act as military projection platforms. Quiet adjustment of strategic policy would be effective in responding to the adversarial posture and actions of opposing bloc nations.
Nic You are telling abot Austraia. Unfortunatly half if it is crap. But thanks.
It is unfortunate you are unable to reply in an intelligent manner. But this is to be expected as your many comments clarify you are a fool. I am comfortable for others to read my comments and the related information I have provided and compare them with your comments and come to their own conclusions.
Communicating with fools is a waste of time and I have no more time to waste on you.
Its none of Your business if people read Your comments or not.
I am sure Australiawouldprefare cold war and a little more rain.
Do Nato has to attack or defend Australia. I wont look it up, but as I recall it Australia has denied nukes on their ground.
True. The thief named Russia, USSR and now Russia gain has had to give the styolen land and populations back to its owners.
Moron.
Thanks . Is Morron Your first or last name.
I once knew one, which the first 5 years of his life was named “STOP IT”.
Do not understand your comment.
Crimea, using self determination, is back home with Russia.
NATO used self determination, to justify invading Kosovo.
BREXIT, Scottish Referendum, Falkland Islands Referendum – all used self determination to justify the referendums.
US used self determination to gain independence from Great Britain on 4 July 1776.
So why do the nations who use self determination, deny Crimea the right?
The union treaty was never fully implemented. And is unlikely to be fully implemented from the looks of it. It should probably be replaced with something more mutually agreeable.
How long will Putin tolerate this loss of Russian lands? As long as he needs to stay in power. This is the Russian world falling apart forever?
Thats not Russian land. It belongs to the the people living there. No more Neocolonialisme of the terrible kind all the way to Berlin and Kabul. NO MORE.
Russain should fokus on keep. Thats modernisations all over in steps, whcih can be handled. I see none of that apart framing in the bad old day version has regained because of the western boycuts.
Well, there might be one more, where China in th its best will make corners of Siberia to a Neocolonistic part of their territory.
So if You kind of love Russia, You should learn to improve it by own production by own minerals instead of making some small income by export.
Blerussia is russian land. also ukraine. Lands east from ural are colonies.
White Russia is middle man buying Donbass coils and selling it to Kiev. Getting russian oil and selling it to Kiev. Interesting how Ukraine experienced sharp increase in commodity prices, over 100% in past year only. So White Russia is making huge amount of money exploiting situation in Ukraine only. Seems Lukashenko forgot to pay some interests and Pompeo came to kindly remind him to do so.
Funny, it seems to me that it is Putin following the path Milosevic.
Funny, it seems to me that your brainless.
You’re an idiot for being so dismissive. We Serbs went through this already and the similarities are very evident.
I dont see that at all.
I would say that before they came in power, there were semilarities. The countries didnt do needed possible reforms.
Leaders like the ones in USSR and Tito were lalmost dead and lived in old days of WW2.
Had they tryed new ones fx like Gorbatjoff or Jeltzin 10-20 years before they at least had had a chance for delaying their collapsed.
I have seen modernized tryes for communisme having moved some few rotten fingers and toes as well. Its not so bad.
I allow me to give an example named China. They are very communistic in some parts and even has digitalized control, but they now produce very well and even give parts of it to its population. Thats a big improvement for several 100 millions of them and it seemes slowly to spread out more.
I kind of comapre with USA. China now also has a big middle class, whcih also are good in jobs and paying tax for needs for all.
there r numerous jokes that regard Lukashenko in Russia and Ukraine—Belarus is insignificant; without Russia they will become 4th world
butt … russia is 4th world, tooo
u confuse north amerika w Russia…”the people of north amerika tolerate a level of ugliness in their daily lives nearly without precedent in the history of western civilization”. Yuri Bezmenov LOL
Nothing is changing in Belarus. I’ve read articles like this for over ten years now. To date, there have been no significant changes in Belarus’ long-term, strategic relationship with Russia. Lukashenko is not a fool or a traitor. He knows exactly what would happen if Belarus started seriously making any major “concessions” to the West. And he has already defeated several Western color-coup attempts against Belarus.
Anyone who trusts Pompeo is an arse
So Belarus shouldn’t surrender its sovereignty to US but should surrender it to Russia? sounds hypocritical to me.