Foto tank Leopard 2 diambil dari Reuters
STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT. Germany has decided to expel a large group of Russian diplomats from the country, the Russian Foreign Ministry shortly afterwards, Moscow retaliated by ordering dozens of Berlin’s staff to return home.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova elaborated confirming to domestic media that “more than 20” diplomats will be sent home by each side.
Sanctions imposed on Russia are pushing the global economy closer towards a major crisis, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov claimed. The official was commenting on reports that G7 members are considering a near-total ban on exports to Russia.
Ukraine is looking for “brave” investors as it seeks to sell big state-run companies at distressed prices to raise funds for its aid-dependent budget, Bloomberg reported on Thursday, citing the head of the State Property Fund (SPF), Rustem Umerov.
Currently, more than 3,500 companies are listed as state-owned with almost 1,800 of them bankrupt and non-functional. The list for privatization includes distilleries and grain elevators, which could be of interest to investors, as well as hundreds of abandoned facilities, which will likely see limited demand.
The arrest of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich last month brought to light the stark reality of media freedom in Russia, which is rapidly becoming one of the world’s most perilous places for journalists.
As many as 22 journalists are currently imprisoned in Russia for their work, according to data from international press freedom organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the highest figure since the group began collecting data.
And the number of jailed journalists is likely to increase as Russia tightens draconian wartime censorship laws. New reports of journalists detained for their work emerge almost weekly.
While many of the incarcerated reporters and editors are from regional cities in Russia and have seen little media attention on their cases, others like Gershkovich are well known.
Former US president Donald Trump has promised to put a swift end to the bloodshed in Ukraine should he be elected again in 2024. The Republican also trashed the incumbent Joe Biden’s foreign policy, claiming it has made the world a more dangerous place.
Russia has appointed new commanders of both its Baltic and Pacific fleets. Admiral Viktor Liina, the former commander of Russia’s Baltic Fleet, will now head the country’s Pacific Fleet headquartered in the Far East port of Vladivostok, according to Interfax.
Liina’s predecessor in the Pacific, admiral Sergey Avakyants, 65, will reportedly be retired after reaching the maximum permitted age for military service.
The reshuffle coincides with the conclusion of surprise military drills in the Sea of Japan, the Sea of Okhotsk and the Bering Sea, which were ordered by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu last week.
Liina, 54, was appointed as head of the Baltic Fleet in October 2021 after serving as deputy chief of the General Staff of Russia’s Armed Forces for two years. Prior to that, he served as the deputy commander of the Black Sea Fleet.
In the Baltic, Liina will reportedly be replaced by 54-year-old vice admiral Vladimir Vorobyov, who will take on the post after serving as deputy chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces.
Vorobyov, who was made an admiral by President Vladimir Putin in February, has previously served in Russia’s Northern and Baltic fleets.
Last but not least, a military conflict between China and Taiwan could take place in 2027, the self-governing island’s Foreign Minister Joseph Wu has claimed.
