In this series, we take a look at 5 current conflicts, crises and events around the world every two weeks. This time in focus: Moscow welcomes the shift to the right in France, NATO-Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on arms deliveries to Kiev and how they can bring peace and how shockwaves from gunfire harmed US soldiers in Syria.
Event #1: Le Pen triumphs, Moscow applauds
Marine Le Pen’s “Rassemblement National” (RN) scored a historic victory in the elections for the European Parliament in France. Her party received 31% of the vote, more than twice as much as President Emmanuel Macron’s party. https://militaeraktuell.at/bundesheer-embraer-beschaffung-rueckt-immer-naeher/ The right-wing nationalist Le Pen may have been a strong contender at the start of the war in Ukraine (-> current news from the Ukraine war), she repeatedly voted against sanctions against Russia and spoke out against arms deliveries to Kiev. The RN wants shift more powers from Brussels to the national level thereby weakening the international community. EU enlargement towards the Balkans is also out of the question for the right-wing nationalist party. Unsurprisingly, Moscow welcomed the gains made by the French right and right-wing groups in the EU Parliament. An article in the magazine Politico shows the Russian reactions to the elections on June 9.
Event #2: Stoltenberg: “The more we communicate credibly that we support Ukraine in the long term, the sooner the war will end.”
In an interview with the NDR podcast Armed Forces and Strategies NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg was cautiously optimistic about the West’s support for Ukraine. The fact that Washington has now launched a 61 billion US dollar (56.8 billion euro) aid package is an important step, according to Stoltenberg. The European allies’ stocks of weapons had previously been too small and production too low to deliver the promised quantities to Kiev. However, this is also changing because production in Europe is being increased.
“Reliable military aid for Ukraine is therefore the only way to peace.
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NATO-Generalsekretär Jens Stoltenberg
But that is not enough. “The more we can communicate in a credible way and also show that we are prepared to support Ukraine in the long term, the sooner this war can end,” says Stoltenberg. Because Russia’s President Vladimir Putin still believes that he can sit the West out. Only when the Kremlin realizes that it cannot do this will it be more willing to sit down at the negotiating table, says Stoltenberg. “Reliable military aid for Ukraine is therefore the only way to peace.”
Event #3: Expert on political Islam: enormous appeal of Islamist influencers
Around a thousand Islamists from the Muslim Interactive group marched through Hamburg at the end of April demanding the introduction of a caliphate. The outrage in Germany was huge. But the demonstration was just the tip of a movement that is using social media in particular to promote its vision of an Islamist dictatorship. The appeal of Islamist influencers is enormous, says Lisa Fellhofer, Director of the Documentation Center for Political Islam in our 5-question interview on the topic.
Event #4: Modi’s third term: India continues on the path of strategic autonomy
After six weeks of elections, Narendra Modi has been re-elected as Prime Minister of India for the third time. He no longer has an absolute majority and is reliant on coalition partners. However, this is unlikely to change Modi’s foreign policy course of strategic autonomy, according to the Time magazine in a recent analysis. In line with this strategy, India did not condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine and maintained its trade relations with Moscow, much to the displeasure of the USA. At the same time, New Dheli deepened security relations with Washington – which in turn is a cause for concern for Beijing and Moscow.
India can be a valuable partner for Washington and like-minded allies in standing up to China. India’s growing global influence and its efforts to strengthen the global South in terms of a multilateral world order (-> Interview with Austrian Army Colonel Markus Reisner on the growing conflicts between the Global North and the Global South), but is setting alarm bells ringing in the USA. Through these balancing acts, India is bridging the gap between the competing camps and positioning itself as a bridge and potential mediator, according to Time magazine. This strategy, coupled with a rapidly growing economy, could pave the way for India to become a major geopolitical power. https://militaeraktuell.at/im-ranger-test-garmin-tactix-7-amoled-edition/
Event #5: US Marines after Syria deployment: hallucinations and panic attacks
Since their deployment in Syria in 2016 and 2017, numerous US Marines have suffered from hallucinations, panic attacks and depression. Some drifted into homelessness, while others committed or attempted suicide, reports the New York Times. What they all have in common is that they served in artillery units that fired tens of thousands of shells in the fight against the Islamic State (IS) – far more shells per crew member than any American artillery battery had fired since the Vietnam War, according to experts. Until now, it was assumed that the pressure waves from the projectiles fired were harmless to the body. But this assessment was probably wrong. According to the New York Times, each cannon shot triggers a shock wave that whips through the brain at the speed of cruise missiles. Studies have shown that this led to traumatic brain injuries in a large number of marines.
Click here for “5 views of the world #003“: What was? What is? What will be?
Topics: The death of Iran’s President Raisi, Putin’s offer to negotiate peace with Kiev and the increasing criticism of Israel’s Gaza offensive.
Click here for “5 views of the world #005“: What was? What is? What will be?
Topics: Ongoing shelling, heightened rhetoric – is a new Lebanon war looming? Moscow and Pyongyang renew Cold War-era military pact, Israel calls ultra-Orthodox to arms.
