NATO Leaders Set to Gather on Russia, Middle East

NATO Leaders Set to Gather on Russia, Middle East

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The leaders of the 28 NATO countries will gather for the first time in two years starting Thursday in Wales, in western Britain, with an agenda very different from the one they had for their last summit. VOA's Al Pessin reports from London.
Originally published at - http://www.voanews.com/media/video/na...

NATO To Create New 'Spearhead' Force For Eastern Europe : The Two-Way : NPR

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NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen on Monday. Yves Logghe/AP hide caption
itoggle caption Yves Logghe/AP
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen on Monday.
Yves Logghe/AP
NATO leaders are expected to set up a rapid-response force to deploy quickly to eastern Europe to defend against potential Russian aggression at their meeting in Wales later this week.
The force of about 4,000 troops will be ready to move on 48 hours notice from a station in a member country close to Russia, The New York Times reported.
The "spearhead" force would be defensive in nature and able to respond "to Russia's aggressive behavior — but it equips the alliance to respond to all security challenges, wherever they may arise," said Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen in a speech on the NATO website.
The Obama administration supports the plan, but emphasized the force's defensive posture, National Security Spokesman Caitlin Hayden tells CNN.
The force is "not intended as a provocation, or as a threat to Russia, but rather as a demonstration of NATO's continued commitment to our collective defense," Hayden said.
Poland and other NATO members in eastern and Baltic states had expressed concerns about Russian actions in Ukraine, and had demanded a stronger response, says the Guardian. The new force will not help with the current situation in Ukraine, but may serve as a deterrent if Russia considers destabilizing the Baltic states.
"The spearhead group will be trained to deal with unconventional actions, from the funding of separatist groups to the use of social media, intimidation and black propaganda," writes the Guardian's Ewen MacAskill.
Russia is bound to view it as an act of aggression, MacAskill says.
The NATO summit, featuring some 60 heads of state, including President Obama, is set for Thursday and Friday at the Celtic Manor Resort, a luxury hotel complex in Newport, Wales.
Update at 7:09 a.m. ET. Russia Reconsiders Military Doctrine:
In response to what it called a military threat, Mikhail Popov, deputy secretary of Russia's military Security Council, said Russia would reconsider its military doctrine.
"Mr. Popov said Russia expected that leaders of NATO would seek to strengthen the alliance's long-term military presence in Eastern Europe by establishing new military bases in the region and by deploying tanks in Estonia, a member of NATO that borders Russia.
"'We believe that the defining factor in our relationship with NATO remains the unacceptability for Russia of plans to move military infrastructures of the alliance to our borders, including by means of expanding the bloc,' Mr. Popov said."
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Sen. Menendez Wants Ukraine Supplied With Defensive Weapons : NPR

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Russia to Revise Military Doctrine in Response to NATO

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With NATO expected to endorse a force of 4,000 troops for Eastern Europe this week, a senior Russian military official said that Moscow would revise its strategy to account for “changing military dangers and military threats.”






Russia to Revise Military Doctrine in Response to NATO - New York Times

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New York Times

Russia to Revise Military Doctrine in Response to NATO
New York Times
MOSCOW — With NATO leaders expected to endorse a rapid-reaction force of 4,000 troops for Eastern Europe this week, a senior Russian military official said on Tuesday that Moscow would revise its military doctrine to account for “changing military ... 
Ukraine claims Russian military forces in major rebel citiesFox News
Pro-Russia Rebels Say They Will Settle For Autonomy In UkraineNPR (blog)
Russia Has Threatened Nuclear Attack, Says Ukraine Defence MinisterNewsweek
The Guardian-The Independent-Wall Street Journal
all 1,466 news articles »

Army to Get 180 New Aircraft by End of Year

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The Russian Air Force will add at least 180 new planes and helicopters to its fleet by the end of 2014, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Tuesday, RIA Novosti reported.
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Window on Eurasia: Russian Officials Move to Expel Siberian Rabbi 

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Paul Goble

 

            Staunton, September 2 – The Federal Migration Service has stripped Osher Krichevsky, Omsk’s chief rabbi, of his residence permit nominally on the basis of a charge of illegal trading of alcohol but in fact, experts say, because of the political situation in the Russian Federation, “Kommersant-Siberia” is reporting today.

 

            Yesterday, the FMS told the rabbi, who has Israeli citizenship, that he has 15 days to leave Russia together with his wife and six children. Krichevsky told the newspaper that the officials had refused to tell him the reason or to meet with him or his representatives to discuss the case (kommersant.ru/doc/2557887).

 

            Krichevsky, 36, has served as the chief rabbi of Omsk and Omsk oblast since September 2001, and in 2007, he received his residence permit. He has been quite active, including in establishing a kosher store at the synagogue there, and officials earlier fined him 2,000 rubles (50 US dollars) for selling alcohol without a license.

 

             Leaders of the Jewish community in Omsk believe that the action against their rabbi was initiated not by the FMS but by the FSB, the Russian security services, and they say that they plan to appeal to Vladimir Putin and “the competent organs in order that justice may be restored.”

 

            The leaders of the community also insist that Krichevsky is “an absolutely apolitical individual,” but other observers there, “Kommersant-Siberia” reports, say that he may have made some “anti-government comments” in private conversations and that the authorities have moved against him to send a warning to other religious leaders.

 

            Under Russian law, the rabbit has ten days to appeal the decision, but his position is weakened by the fact that he cannot appeal until the FMS tells him why he is being expelled, something the FMS is currently unwilling to do, according to legal experts with whom Olga Danilova of the newspaper spoke.

 
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US ban on Russian-made AK-47s sets off a rifle-buying frenzy

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Demand for the assault weapon has risen sharply since US imports were halted as part of sanctions against Moscow
Thirty-six hours after the Obama administration banned importation of the classic brand of assault rifles as part of sanctions against Russia, a Maryland dealer specialising in the weapon took stock of its inventory. There was nothing left.
Labouring almost nonstop, workers at Atlantic Firearms in the state of Maryland had shipped hundreds of Russian-made AK-47s a rifle prized by consumers and despots as buyers wiped out gun dealers inventories around the country. The frenzy was brought on, in part, by a suspicion among some gun owners that the Russia-Ukraine conflict was a back-door excuse to ban guns many Democrats dont like. Some customers bought eight to 10 rifles for nearly $1,000 each or more, stockpiling them as investments.
Continue reading...

Глава МИД Украины о работе трехсторонней контактной группы - Телеграф

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Телеграф

Глава МИД Украины о работе трехсторонней контактной группы
Телеграф
Трехсторонняя контактная группа готова продолжить работу и ждет политической воли со стороны представителей ДНР и ЛНР. Об этом заявил министр иностранных дел Украины Павел Климкин. "Я разговаривал с участниками этих консультаций как с украинской стороны, так и со ...

и другие »

Ukraine and Russia Trade Barbs Online 

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Soon after Ukraine's defense minister said online that Russia has started a "great war," Moscow replied that it is actually that minister who is "dragging the Ukrainian people into a bloody conflict."

Putin claims Russian forces 'could conquer Ukraine capital in two weeks' 

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Leak reveals Russian president told José Manuel Barroso that his forces could conquer Kiev if he ordered them to do so
Vladimir Putin has said Russian forces could conquer the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, in two weeks if he so ordered, the Kremlin has confirmed.
Moscow declined to deny that the president had spoken of taking Kiev in a phone conversation on Friday with José Manuel Barroso, the outgoing president of the European commission.
Continue reading...



Время Свободы - Дневной выпуск - 02 сентября, 2014

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Свежая информация о событиях текущего дня и ее анализ вместе с экспертами. Новости экономики, культуры, науки и техники.



Download audio: http://realaudio.rferl.org/RU/2014/09/02/20140902-120000-RU-program.mp3
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Ukraine dispatch: Burnt out tanks and ashes of APCs on journey through no-man's land 

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In the corridors of no-mans land between the advancing and retreating armies, writes Roland Oliphant, the evidence of a desperate, panicked, rapid retreat can be found everywhere








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Эстония хочет построить у себя постоянные базы НАТО - Радиостанция ЭХО МОСКВЫ

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Lenta.ru

Эстония хочет построить у себя постоянные базы НАТО
Радиостанция ЭХО МОСКВЫ
Иностранные военные базы могут появиться примерно в 800 километрах от Москвы. Эстонский президент Тоомас Хендрик Ильвес подтвердил сегодня журналистам, что республика рассчитывает разместить их у себя. Члены альянса не должны делиться на государства первого и ...
Президент Эстонии выступил за создание баз НАТО на территории страны для защиты от РоссииМосковский комсомолец
Эстония призвала НАТО создать базы на ее территории для защиты от РоссииBFM.Ru
Мэтью Брыза: в Таллинне президент Обама должен пообещать аннулировать соглашение между НАТО и РоссиейDELFI.ee

Все похожие статьи: 107 »

Soviet Media Powerhouse: TASS Through The Ages

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Russia's state news agency ITAR-TASS has just rebranded itself and will be known by its old, Soviet-era name TASS. Founded in 1925, the Telegraph Agency Of The Soviet Union was responsible for all news content for radio, television, and print media. It became ITAR-TASS in 1992 after the break-up of the Soviet Union.

Estonia warns of long-term Russia threat

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PM says there is agreement among Nato nations for a firm, united response but alliance should have taken more notice of Georgia war in 2008

President Says Estonia Wants Permanent NATO Bases

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Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves says his country wants NATO to set up permanent bases on its territory to protect it against potential threats from Russia.

'Why Criticize?' Putin, Lavrov Meet Russia's Admiring Young Elite 

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If Russian officials seek unconditional support for anything from policy to fashion sense, they need not look farther than the Seliger youth camp. The Kremlin-sponsored camp, some 350 kilometers northwest of Moscow, annually hosts thousands of politically minded young people -- aged between 11 and 30 -- ostensibly to discuss ideas for Russia's future. But debate is not really on the agenda.

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Temporary Shutdown Of Outlets & Agricultural Ban In Russia To Worsen ... - Forbes

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Temporary Shutdown Of Outlets & Agricultural Ban In Russia To Worsen ...
Forbes
McDonald's Corporation continues to face closures in the Eastern markets, as Russia's food safety watchdog ordered the temporary closure of five McDonald's restaurants in Moscow and Southern Stavropol region last week. The first four were closed on ...

and more »

Russian Investigators Seize Assets of Pro-Kiev Ukrainian Billionaire 

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Russian investigators have seized a Moscow office building belonging to a Ukrainian billionaire whose fierce anti-separatist policies have kept the eastern Ukrainian region he governs loyal to Kiev.

Baltic states fear Kremlin focus on ethnic Russians

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Moscow would probably defend any move – at least with regard to Estonia and Latvia – by claiming that their large ethnic Russian communities suffer human rights abuses

В Днепропетровске прооперировали десятки украинских военных из «Иловайского котла» 

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Врачи Днепропетровска за сутки прооперировали десятки раненых бойцов украинской армии, которым удалось...
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Петр Порошенко упростил процедуру призыва на военную службу - Коммерсантъ

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GIGAmir

Петр Порошенко упростил процедуру призыва на военную службу
Коммерсантъ
Петр Порошенко подписал изменения в закон «О внесении изменений в законы Украины “О воинской обязанности и военной службе” и “Об основах предотвращения и противодействия коррупции” (относительно призыва граждан на военную службу)», упрощающие процедуру призыва ...
Порошенко упростил процедуру призыва на военную службу на УкраинеBFM.Ru
Петр Порошенко подписал закон, упрощающий процедуру призыва на военную службуКомсомольская правда
Порошенко подписал закон о комплектовании контрактной армии и упрощению призываВедомости
NEWSru.com -Украинское национальное информагентство -СЕГОДНЯ
Все похожие статьи: 26 »

В НАТО затеяли серию военных учений в Центральной и Восточной Европе - СЕГОДНЯ

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СЕГОДНЯ

В НАТО затеяли серию военных учений в Центральной и Восточной Европе
СЕГОДНЯ
Начатые как американские, военные учения Saber Junction ("Скрещенные сабли") переходят в крупномасштабные многонациональные маневры НАТО под кодовым названием Steadfast Javelin ("Верное копье") II, которые пройдут с 2 по 8 сентября в пяти странах североатлантического ...
В Латвии проходят военные учения Steadfast Javelin IIAviation EXplorer

Все похожие статьи: 22 »
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Window on Eurasia: Putin’s War in Ukraine Saves Tatarstan’s Special Status For Now, Commentator Says

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Paul Goble

 

            Staunton, September 2 – Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine has “unexpectedly” allowed Tatarstan to retain its presidency and thus “again confirm its status as a special region within Russia, ‘an exception from the rules,’ …as former Federal Council speaker Sergey Mironov put it, and thus, “a bastion of federalism” within Russia, according to a Muslim commentator.

 

            In comments to Ansar.ru, Abdulla Rinat Mukhametov says that Putin’s decision to allow Tatarstan to retain its presidency is the unexpected result of his war in Ukraine. Given that “the problems of federalization, decentralization, development and the authority of the regions in Russia is no less a problem than in Ukraine,” Putin doesn’t want to rock the boat just now. 

 

            When Moscow talks about restrictions on the rights of Russian speakers in Ukraine, he continues, it is reasonable that the Russian leader should also recall that “far from everything is in order with the non-Russian and even the Russian subjects” of the Russian Federation (ansar.ru/analytics/2014/09/01/52902).

 

            Demonstrations in support of federalization in Russia have taken place in several major cities of the country in recent times, something the “anti-Putin opposition” has attempted to exploit and that the regime has effectively squelched, Mukhametov says. But that hasn’t changed the reality that “potentially, federalism is one of the most important challenges” to Moscow.

 

“If a wise resolution will not be found,” he continues, “it will hardly be possible to speak about the well-being” of Russia.

 

“De facto,” the Muslim commentator continues, “Russia is a federation today only on paper and by name. In reality, it is more a unitary state,” and Putin’s effort to eliminate republic presidents was supposed to “complete this process.” As a result, had Tatarstan given it, this would have been “the symbolic end of real federalism.”

 

            The Ukrainian crisis has given Tatarstan a chance to save what is left of federalism at least for a time and even remain a leader of federalist forces in Russia, he says. Putin’s concession reflects the fact that neither he nor anyone else in Moscow wants to risk destabilizing the situation inside the country while it is at war with Ukraine.

 

            But in retaining the office of the presidency, Tatarstan has retained something else, at least part of the “at one time broad authorities” that it had had under the terms of the corresponding agreements with Moscow and the Russian Constitution. How long that will last remains unclear given that “the general anti-federalist trend in the state is obvious.”

 

            If and when the conflict in Ukraine comes to an end, he argues, then “the same neo-imperialist policy which is being carried out against Ukraine will “intensify” inside Russia against the Middle Volga, the North Caucasus and elsewhere.

 

            Just now, many North Caucasians view the Ukrainian crisis as “manna from heaven” because the Russian media have ceased to attack people from that region and the level of anti-Caucasus attitudes in Russian society has declined. But Mukhametov says that in his view, such attitudes will re-emerge in “even more brutal forms” after Ukraine.

 

            And their re-emergence will be paralleled by a re-emergence of anti-minority and anti-regional sentiment more generally. That “will threaten minorities” of all kinds, including religious ones like Islam, and prevent them along with the country’s various nations from becoming subjects of Russian statehood with equal rights.

 

 

 
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· · · ·

Window on Eurasia: As Russians' Enthusiasm for Crimea’s Annexation Wanes, Kremlin Prepares to Combat Demonstrations 

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Paul Goble

 

            Staunton, September 2 – Russians are less enthralled about the annexation of Crimea than they were a few months ago, according to a Levada Center poll, an apparent result of information fatigue and growing recognition of the costs involved but a trend that appears to have prompted the Kremlin to organize druzhinniki to combat opposition protests.

 

            Most government outlets have stressed that the new poll shows Russians to have become more acceptant of Crimea being part of the Russian Federation than they were, but the opposition Dozhd television in its report today argues that the poll shows something else -- that “Russians have begun to reflect about the negative consequences of the annexation” (tvrain.ru/articles/levada_tsentr_rossijane_perestajut_radovatsja_prisoedineniju_kryma-374864/).

 

            Over the last six months, feelings of joy about the annexation and approval of the leadership of the country on this point have fallen, the poll found, as have the percentage of Russians who “are ready to reduce their personal spending in order to finance the new region” of the Russian Federation.

           

            According to the latest poll, the share of Russians who say they feel joy about Crimea now being part of Russia stands at 16 percent, compared to 23 percent four months earlier. Forty percent say they approve of the Kremlin’s actions on Crimea, down from 47 percent; and 30 percent say that the annexation makes them proud of their country, down from 37 percent earlier.

 

            Those opposed to the annexation number only nine percent, the same figure as in the earlier poll.  But far fewer think that residents of Ukraine and other neighboring countries do not have negative opinions about Russia and Russians than did earlier. But 73 percent say that they view Crimea as part of Russia, up from 64 percent earlier, the figure government outlets cite.

 

            While this poll does not suggest a sea change in Russian attitudes, the softening of support if not the hardening of opposition to what Putin has been doing appears to be behind plans to form “anti-Maidan popular militias [druzhinniki]” as part of an effort to ward off “anti-government” actions by “the extra-systemic opposition” (izvestia.ru/news/576041).

 

            In some regions, including Crimea, these groups are to begin work this month. They supposedly will monitor the situation and assist the police, but some observers say that they are being created to fight a danger that does not exist and that may in the end provoke precisely the kind of opposition the regime appears to be concerned about.
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Ukraine Cites 15000 Russian Troops and Rebels as Putin Threatens War - Bloomberg

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Bloomberg

Ukraine Cites 15000 Russian Troops and Rebels as Putin Threatens War
Bloomberg
Russia stepped up its criticism of the U.S. over Ukraine as President Barack Obama heads to eastern Europe to reassure NATO members of their security. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Ukraine's allies are stoking the five-month conflict and ...
Kremlin says Putin's 'I can take Kiev' remark misquotedUSA TODAY
Russian forces strengthening positions in Ukraine: Kiev militaryReuters
Ukraine claims Russian military forces in major rebel citiesFox News
Telegraph.co.uk -Wall Street Journal -RIA Novosti
all 1,520 news articles »

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