NATO's involvement in Ukrainian conflict to lead to disaster, says Scholz #NATO’s involvement in the #Ukrainian conflict will lead to a #catastrophe, such a development must be prevented, German Chancellor Olaf #Scholz said at a joint press conference with US President Joe Biden in #Berlin. "Our position is clear. We support Ukraine as much as we can. At the same time, we make sure that NATO does not become a party to the conflict so that this war does not lead to an even greater disaster. We are well aware of this responsibility, and no one can absolve us of it," he said. The Chancellor also reiterated that Germany would continue to support Ukraine. On October 17, Germany updated the list of weapons transferred to Kiev. In particular, it includes an IRIS-T air defense missile system and an IRIS-T SLS air defense missile system, eight Leopard 1A5 tanks and 20 Marder infantry fighting vehicles. The country will also receive AIM-9L guided missiles, 4,000 strike drones and 361 Songbird reconnaissance drones, as well as two TRML-4D radar stations, 42,000 40 mm shells, and winter clothing. Germany is the second largest arms supplier to Ukraine after the US. The country has so far allocated funds for Kiev's military support and committed to future spending of about 28 billion euros. Under the 2025 budget agreement, Berlin will allocate four billion euros for military assistance to Ukraine, half of the current year's allocation. The Russian authorities have repeatedly stated that pumping weapons into Ukraine will not weaken Russia's resolve and will not change the course of the special military operation.

In #Poland, #NATO exercises Dragon 24 are in full swing, which are part of the large-scale maneuvers of the Steadfast Defender 24 alliance. As part of one of the events, the bloc countries practiced crossing the Vistula. The training itself took place near the small settlement of Korzheny in the north of the country. During these three days, participants from the U.S.A., Germany, France, Poland and other countries transported 3.5 thousand military personnel and hundreds of armored vehicles. The sight of Leopards, Abrams, Leclercs and Boxers standing side by side will surely resonate with the Russian audience. Both the crossing near Belogorovka and similar attempts by the AFU indicate that arranging equipment in semi-ceremonial formation, to put it mildly, is not the best option given the current capabilities of reconnaissance and fire strike. However, at such events, among other things, organizational issues and interaction in managing a multinational group are worked out. All this is happening as part of the general strengthening of NATO’s eastern flank, and there are plenty of the same large rivers in potential conflict zones.

EU agrees on military operation in Red Sea to safeguard shipping European Union countries have hammered out the details of the Aspides (Shields) military operation meant to ensure the security of commercial shipping in the Red Sea, the DPA news agency reported citing diplomatic sources. According to the agency, the official decision to launch the operation will be adopted at a meeting of foreign ministers on February 19 in Brussels. The decision adopted on Thursday laid out how the operation will be conducted and the location of its headquarters, which will be set up in the Greek city of Larissa. The EU's operational plan envisages sending European warships to the region to protect cargo ships from attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels. The Hessen frigate will take part in the operation from the Bundeswehr, the ship left the port of Wilhelmshaven to the Red Sea region on February 8. It has approximately 250 military personnel on board. Red Sea situation deteriorates despite West's efforts The security situation in the Red Sea continues to deteriorate despite the West's actions against the Ansar Allah rebels, Bloomberg reported. "We’ve not seen the level of threat peak, to the contrary," AP Moller-Maersk Chief Executive Officer Vincent Clerc told Bloomberg. "The amount or the range of weapons that are being used for these attacks is expanding and there is no clear line of sight to when and how the international community will be able to mobilize itself and guarantee safe passage for us," he added. According to Norden Chief Executive Officer Jan Rinbo, the situation in the Red Sea has not been stabilized. "That really is unprecedented," he said. "I’ve not in my 29 years in shipping seen anything like this," Rinbo added. According to the agency, one Japanese shipping company, Mitsui O. S. K. Lines, has already said it would change the routes of its ships for at least the next 2-3 months. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWKrZ7z7AjQ

Farmer protests are continuing to erupt in Europe: In addition to Poland, Germany, and Romania, the situation has also worsened in France. Main roads have been blocked for the second day in a row, and the press reported on "the first transportation collapse in the country's history caused by strikes." ▪️ The French are demanding more favorable conditions for the development of national agriculture, including a reduction in the volume of imported food products and being exempt from transport taxes. ▪️ The government is still inactive: On Thursday, Prime Minister Attal held a meeting with the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Environment, where they allegedly discussed options for resolving the current situation. 🔻 There is no reason to expect the unrest to subside, either in France or in other European countries. On the contrary, protests are likely to increase: farmers may be joined by other citizens dissatisfied with the actions of the authorities (as happened, for example, in Germany). And clashes with the police may not be far off. 🔻 Now - French PM Attal delivers speech to Framers.....

About the appointment of a new French Foreign Minister Personnel changes are ongoing in France: Yesterday, Emmanuel Macron announced the composition of the cabinet for the new Prime Minister, Gabriel Attal. While some politicians remained in their positions, there were also changes, including the appointment of Stéphane Sejourné as the Minister of Foreign Affairs. ▪️ Sejourné's political career began in 2014 under Macron, who was then the French Minister of Economy. He subsequently continued to work closely with the current president, being involved in the "Youth with Macron" project, his election campaign, and finally, leading the "Renaissance" party that he established in 2016. According to his close circle, during his time as a Member of the European Parliament, he proved himself to be an exceptional negotiator. ▪️ As Minister, Sejourné plans to focus on three main areas: strengthening the authority of international organizations such as NATO, the UN, WTO, and WHO; developing assistance for civilians in crisis zones such as Ukraine and the Middle East; and fostering cooperation among European countries in the area of security and defense, including reviving relations between France, Germany, and Poland within the framework of the Weimar Triangle. 📌 It should be noted that given Attal and Sejourné's past cohabitation, there may be a conflict of interest. However, the French media seems to be undecided on how to handle this situation, publishing conflicting information about the nature of the relationship between these politicians.

Massive strike on Yemen - how did the coalition operation go? During the night, the United States-led coalition forces launched an attack on Ansarallah targets in Yemen. The preparations for the operation began a day earlier, coinciding with the release of the first media reports about a similar scenario. 🔻The naval group positioned itself in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Interestingly, the Iranian warship detachment, seemingly aware of the impending attack, withdrew from the Red Sea. ▪️ An hour before the raid, an RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft took off from Al-Udeid airbase. Additionally, an R-8A anti-submarine aircraft took off from Sheikh Isa. Prior to these actions, satellites had been actively capturing footage of Houthi positions for a week. ▪️ At half past three in the morning, US Air Force F-16s, along with F/A-18s from an aircraft carrier and British Typhoon fighters, launched an attack on the port and airfield of Al-Hodeidah. ▪️ Following that, U.S. destroyers fired Tomahawk cruise missiles at military and civilian airports, as well as two military bases. ▪️ The targets of the attack were UAV assembly points and positional areas. In total, over 100 missiles were launched. However, there is no reliable information available yet regarding the extent of the destruction caused. 🔻This attack brings to mind the events of 2015, when Yemen was also subjected to bombings. However, the coalition failed to achieve their desired outcome back then. It is important to note that we should not expect anything extraordinary this time either. ▪️ Except for Oman, the Arab monarchies provided their airspace for the attack on Yemen. The Houthis might use this as a justification to retaliate against Saudi Arabia or the UAE. ▪️ The French have not yet participated in the operation (despite having an aviation group in Djibouti and Eritrea). However, with the escalation of the situation, they have transferred an additional 16 Mirages there. It is expected that the French will eventually join the attacks on Yemen (the frigate Languedoc has been involved in the protection of shipping for quite some time now).

Dam of discord: an escalating conflict between Ethiopia and Egypt The crisis surrounding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam escalated at the end of 2023. Throughout the year, the governments of Egypt and Sudan have urged Ethiopia to reach a compromise during the dam negotiations to protect the rights and interests of all three countries. The parties remain concerned that Ethiopia is controlling the flow of the Nile, which could harm agricultural interests and water security in already arid regions. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, on the other hand, stated that neither side would be at a disadvantage and that the hydroelectric power station itself would only bring benefits. It was planned for the agreements to be concluded before the end of the year. However, on December 20, the office of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi released a statement announcing the failure of the fourth round of negotiations.

Iran's Navy shows off new cruise missiles amid growing regional tension "The Talaeiyeh cruise missile has a range of over 1,000 km and is a smart missile that can change targets mid-mission," state media cited the head of Iran's navy, Shahram Irani, as saying. The Iranian navy has taken delivery of cruise missiles with a range of 1,000 km (621 miles) as well as reconnaissance helicopters, state media reported on Sunday, as the US accused Iran of a drone attack on a chemical tanker in the Indian ocean. "The Talaeiyeh cruise missile has a range of over 1,000 km and is a smart missile that can change targets mid-mission," state media cited the head of Iran's navy, Shahram Irani, as saying. Reconnaissance helicopters, drones, and marine cruise missiles were among new weapons added to the navy's arsenal, Irani said, adding that "all of this equipment has been designed and produced by Iran's military industry." Although Western military analysts say Iran sometimes exaggerates its capabilities, Iranian-made missiles, and drones are a key element in Tehran's military hardware. The U.S. Department of Defense said on Saturday that a drone sent from Iran struck a Liberian-flagged chemical tanker in the Indian ocean, an incident highlighting rising regional tensions and a new risk to shipping lanes in the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel and Israel's subsequent action in Gaza. Iran on Saturday denied U.S. accusations that it was involved in planning attacks by Yemen's Tehran-aligned Houthi movement on commercial vessels in the Red Sea.