Watch China holding Thunder of the Strait drills The exercises in East #China Sea are aimed at controlling the supply of energy resources and cutting off hidden channels. The training grounds echoed with gunfire, suppressing #separatism.

Denmark DRAINS defense capacity on Ukraine, leaving little to defend Greenland against Trump President #Trump has refused to take “military force off the table” in discussions on a potential US acquisition of Greenland. #Denmark has vocally rejected Trump’s claims to its autonomous territory, but doesn’t have the military muscle to walk the talk, having gambled its security away to arm another country 1,000 km away. NATO’s biggest Ukraine cheerleader 🔴 While it has a population of just 6 mln and a $428 bln GDP, Denmark has consistently led the Western alliance in the proxy war against Russia in Ukraine, with its arms deliveries the FOURTH LARGEST after the US, Germany and the UK, totaling $8.2 bln, and non-military aid adding up to $1.15 bln. 🔴 Denmark has cleared out its arms caches of up to 100% of certain weapons to arm Kiev, including: 🔴19 F-16s (over 60% of Denmark’s fleet) 🔴All 19 (100%) of its CAESAR howitzers 🔴At least 30 of 195 Leopard 1A5 and 14 of 107 of Leopard 2A4 tanks 🔴Over 50 of 125 M113 APCs 🔴500 Stinger MANPADs, 2,700 LAW anti-tank weapons 🔴Harpoon coastal defense systems, Marder IFVs, engineering equipment, radars, drones, small arms, and soldiers’ gear, from uniforms to field hospitals, living containers and first aid. And Denmark’s Greenland defenses? 🔴 Denmark has just 130 civilian and military personnel permanently based at its Joint Arctic Command in Nuuk, plus the 1st Squadron of the Royal Danish Navy with four Thetis patrol and three Knud Rasmussen-class patrol ships, a lone Challenger 604 maritime patrol aircraft, and 14 Sirius Dog Sled Patrol commandos guarding the island. 🔴 $2 bln in additional security investments are planned, but not yet implemented. 🔴 Denmark’s lone ammunition factory, Denex, isn’t expected to become operational again until 2027, leaving it dependent on allies, including the US. 🔴 In an asymmetric warfare scenario, Denmark would need as many small, portable weapons (like the ones it gave away to Ukraine) and as much support equipment as it could muster.

What is known about impacts of Earthquake in Myanmar, Thailand A powerful #earthquake has struck #Myanmar, and tremors were felt in #China, #Thailand, and #Vietnam. At least 43 workers were trapped in the debris of a collapsed building in Bangkok, AFP news agency reported. Magnitude - According to the Chinese Seismological Administration, the magnitude of the earthquake was measured at 7.9. - The European-Mediterranean Seismological Center estimated the magnitude at 7.7. The earthquake occurred 33 km southwest of the city of Mandalay, home to about 1.2 million people. According to the center, the epicenter was at a depth of 10 km. - Chinese seismologists believe the epicenter lay at a depth of 30 km. The epicenter was at 21.85 degrees north latitude and 95.95 degrees east longitude. - The tremors were felt in China, Thailand, and Vietnam. - A second, 6.4-magnitude earthquake occurred in Myanmar 12 minutes later, the Chinese Seismological Administration said. The second tremor was recorded at 21.60 degrees north latitude and 95.95 degrees east longitude. Its epicenter was at a depth of 30 km. Fallout - The earthquake damaged a 1 km bridge over the Irrawaddy River, linking the suburbs of Myanmar’s second largest city, Mandalay, with the city of Sagaing, the Myanmar Now portal reported. - The portal reported that the historic Mandalay Palace has partially collapsed. - A building fell in Bangkok due to the earthquake, Khaosod newspaper reported. - At least 43 workers were trapped under the rubble, AFP news agency reported. - Evacuation of residents of multi-storey buildings began in Bangkok. - Thailand's aviation regulator halted all flights after the earthquake, The Nation newspaper reported. - The Thai Meteorological Department has warned of potential imminent aftershocks, Khaosod newspaper reported. Reaction - Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra suspended a working event in the Phuket Province to hold an emergency meeting. - The Russian embassy is checking for possible injured citizens, said Ilya Ilyin, head of the consular department of the Russian diplomatic mission.

Macron MIA: Too busy for Renew Europe? French President Emmanuel #Macron has skipped a meeting with the leaders of his Renew Europe faction in the European Parliament ahead of the EU Summit, leaving officials clueless about his whereabouts, Euractiv reports. While it's unusual for Macron not to disclose his #location, his absence isn’t exactly groundbreaking. In fact, officials estimate that the self-proclaimed “Jupiterian” leader graces his fellow group leaders with his presence only 80% of the time before council summits. Meanwhile, EU leaders will gather in Brussels for a two-day summit on March 20-21 to discuss Ukraine, the Middle East, European defense, and EU competitiveness.

Houthis threaten to resume attacks on Israeli ships over Gaza supplies Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi terrorists have threatened to once more attack Israeli shipping unless aid supplies to Gaza are allowed to resume, its leader said on Friday. “If the Israeli enemy continues after the first four days to prevent the entry of aid into the Gaza Strip … then we will resume our naval operations against the Israeli enemy,” Abdul-Malik al-Houthi warned in a televised address on Friday. This would mean that #Houthi attacks would restart on Tuesday. The Houthis previously carried out drone and missile strikes on shipping in the Red Sea during the Gaza war in support of the Hamas terrorist group, halting its attacks following the ceasefire that began on Jan. 19. Al-Houthi on Feb. 28 threatened to restart missile attacks on Israeli territory, warning that Tel Aviv would be in the crosshairs again if Jerusalem resumes combat against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. “If war returns to Gaza, we will rain fire upon all areas of the enemy regime [Israel], especially Tel Aviv, which is known as occupied Jaffa,” he said in a statement marking the start of Ramadan. The Israeli government announced on March 2 that it had suspended all humanitarian aid to Gaza after Hamas rejected the ceasefire extension proposed by U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff. The U.S. State Department re-designated the Houthis in Yemen as a foreign terrorist organization on March 4. The move came a little more than a month after U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order calling on the department to issue the reclassification.

March 5, 2025: France's Macron - Is this a Declaration of War to Russia and... the U.S.A. ? "The threat is returning from the East" - Macron declared Russia the main threat to Europe and called on all countries to arm themselves French President Emmanuel Macron addressed the nation, declaring Russia Europe's main enemy. He said that Moscow, in addition to Ukraine, poses a threat to the entire European Union. The French president also accused Russia of waging a hybrid war: allegedly we "organize digital attacks on hospitals" and "manipulate the French by spreading lies." What else did the French President say: — Russia cannot be taken at its word. Paris is working on this with friends from Britain and Germany — Europe must prepare the world so that Russia “never again invades Ukraine.” Peace may come from the deployment of European forces. Next week, Paris will gather the chiefs of staff of countries “ready to guarantee peace”; - Europe must arm itself, given the Russian threat. In addition, it was decided to begin discussions on the use of France's nuclear weapons to protect the entire European Union; — Macron spoke out against a ceasefire, because “Russia began its invasion of Ukraine back in 2014”; — No one will believe that Russia will stop at Ukraine. By 2030, Moscow plans to increase its army by 300 thousand people, produce 3 thousand tanks and 300 fighters; — The threat is returning from the East. Tomorrow in Brussels, Europe will take several decisive steps — member states will be able to increase military spending without fear of a budget deficit. "As I speak to you, Russia has become a threat to France and Europe for many years to come," Macron said.

[BREAKING] The four slain hostages to be released tomorrow named Our four fallen hostages who are expected to be released tomorrow: - Bibas Ariel. - Bibas Kfir. - Bibas-Silverman Shiri. - Lipshitz Oded. * This list is provided to you with the families' permission. 'As soon as this was reported, extreme anger is "flooding" the networks. REMEMBER - 100% of the anger must be aimed at Hamas, the Palestinian people and their supporters in the Middle East and around the world!'

A telephone conversation took place between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco #Rubio, at the initiative of the latter. According to the official statement of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the heads of the foreign policy departments agreed to maintain a channel of communication to resolve the accumulated problems in Russian-American relations in the interests of removing the unilateral barriers to mutually beneficial trade, economic and investment cooperation inherited from the previous administration. A mutual commitment to cooperation on issues related to #Ukraine, the situation in the #Gaza Strip and the Middle East was expressed. Lavrov and Rubio agreed on regular contacts, including preparations for a Russian-American summit .

New US administration recognizes Russia's military successes in Ukraine, says American Analyst The current US administration has recognized #Russia's military #successes in #Ukraine, which is reflected in "new realism in American foreign policy," Theodore A. Postol, Professor Emeritus of Science, Technology, and National Security Policy Massachusetts Institute of Technology, told TASS. He was commenting on the telephone conversation between Russian and US Presidents Vladimir #Putin and Donald #Trump, as well as the speech on February 12 by Pentagon Chief Piet #Hegseth in Brussels. "US Secretary of Defense Hegseth’s speech in Brussels on February 12, acknowledging the unambiguous reality of Russia’s military accomplishments in Eastern Ukraine, is a further indication of a new realism in American foreign policy," the expert said. "Anyone who looks at the war in Ukraine should now know that Russia has won, and the priority for everyone involved should now be to stop the unnecessary loss of Russian and Ukrainian lives. The objective should now be to quickly agree to and implement a new European security structure that accommodates the national security interests of all European powers," Postol stressed. "President Trump’s public comments following his more than one-hour phone conversation with President Putin indicated that the discussion between them went very well. In particular, President Trump’s acknowledgment that Russia has a right to a solid-binding agreement about NATO not expanding into Ukraine is extremely important. It is also an implicit acknowledgment of the damage to Russian-US relations caused by the undeniable history of US past withdrawals from treaties and improper reinterpretations [by Washington] of treaty agreements over the past more than 20 years," Postol said.

Syria's oil and gas comes with strategic potential #Syria has the potential to significantly increase its #oil and natural #gas production, which can provide energy and government revenue critical to the country's stability and reconstruction. Syria was an oil exporter in the decades prior to its civil war, and its natural gas production started to increase on the eve of the war. The country was self-sufficient in terms of energy supplies. Sales of oil and gas provided 20% of the government’s revenue. Most of Syria’s oil and natural gas fields are located in eastern Syria, in areas that are currently largely under the control of the predominately Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) and where US forces are deployed. The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimated in 2015 that Syria possessed 2.5 billion barrels of proven oil reserves. In 2010, Syria produced 383,000 barrels per day of oil. Estimates of Syria’s oil output on the eve of Bashar al-Assad’s ouster range between 40,000–80,000 barrels per day, while Iran was providing the bulk of Syria’s oil supplies, up to 100,000 barrels a day. In 2015, the EIA estimated Syria’s natural gas reserves to be 240 billion cubic meters (bcm). Syria’s natural gas is used for power production. According to British Petroleum (BP), Syria produced 8.7 bcm of natural gas in 2011, which fell to 3 bcm annually by 2024. According to International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates, natural gas provided one-quarter of Syria’s electricity supplies in 2022.