NATO not seeking conflict with Russia, wants to show readiness to defend itself, says Pentagon

NATO expects to prove to Moscow that it is ready to defend itself, but is not seeking to provoke a direct conflict with Russia, US Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Celeste Wallander said.

Speaking at the Caspian Policy Center (CPC), the US official was asked how NATO was planning to boost security in the Black Sea region without entering a direct confrontation with Russia. She replied that NATO will pursue this goal in accordance with decisions and instructions developed between the Madrid summit of 2022 and the Vilnius summit in 2023. During the 2023 summit, NATO leaders approved the plan of deploying 300,000 servicemen on NATO’s eastern flank.

"Those are defensive capabilities. They are meant to make it very clear that NATO can and will defend itself," she said. "The goal is not to provoke a war with Russia. The goal is to make it very clear that the Russian leadership should not even be tempted to imagine that NATO is not unified, capable, determined and able to defend itself."

Chinese military to continue maneuvering around Taiwan, Defense Ministry says

The Chinese military will not stop conducting routine military maneuvers around Taiwan, Defense Ministry Spokesman Wu Qian said at a briefing.

According to him, China’s People’s LIberation Army (PLA) recently carried out a patrol near the island "to further increase the actual level of combat training of troops and enhance their ability to protect national sovereignty and territorial integrity."

"The PLA continues to train troops and make preparations for war, and it will continue to organize related military activities on a regular basis," Wu Qian stated.

The Taiwanese military said on X on January 25 that six vessels and 18 aerial vehicles belonging to the PLA had been detected around the island.

Since Yemen's Ansarullah started its operations against Israeli-affiliated shipping, cargo passing through the Suez Canal has decreased by approximately 85%

Suez Canal shipping has come to an almost complete stop after the Red Sea attacks. This has a major impact on the Israeli economy, they won't be able to handle this much longer.