January-February 2021
From Wednesday 27 to Tuesday 2
MAIN TOPICS:
- CONFLICTS
- ALLIANCES
- STRATEGIC RESOURCES
- ENERGY
- DETERRENCE
- INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS
- ANTI-GOVERNMENT PROTESTS
- TERRORISM
ASIA PACIFIC:
CHINA: China intensified its rhetoric directed towards Taiwan and said its independence would result in war. Meanwhile, Taipei accused Beijing of flying a dozen military jets in its airspace in an act of intimidation. U.S. observers said China was intent on testing President Joe Biden, who had been sworn in just days before.
SOURCE: FOX NEWS
PHILIPPINES: The United States will defend the Philippines against attacks in the South China Sea, according to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who stressed the importance of the U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty.
SOURCE: NEWSWEEK
AUSTRALIA: Australia’s defense minister announced a major investment in developing and procuring new air-defense and anti-ship missiles, advanced torpedoes, and naval vessels. Australia hopes that its new arsenal will prove to be enough to keep belligerents from threatening the Southern Pacific, especially China.
SOURCE: THE DIPLOMAT
QUAD: The UK is planning joining the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) created to counter China. It may be discussed during Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s planned visit to India.
SOURCE: SPUTNIK
EURASIA:
CAUCASUS: Iran is having active diplomatic relations with three neighboring countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia) of the Caucasus region and it has gained a better opportunity to play a more influential role in the region following the departure of former US President Donald Trump from office. According to analyst, Iran pursues the foreign policy of resolving disputes of the Caucasus region without the presence of any ultra-regional powers.
SOURCE: IRNA
BLACK SEA: The U.S. Navy has sent a third warship into the Black Sea as it steps up its presence in the strategic region. It is the largest U.S. Navy presence in the Black Sea in three years, and comes days after President Joe Biden spoke for the first time with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Black Sea has taken on greater strategic importance for the United States and NATO after Russia illegally annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula.
SOURCE: RADIO FREE EUROPE
SOUTH ASIA:
AFGHANISTAN: Taliban delegation is visiting Tehran for talks with Iranian officials on the Afghan peace process. Iran accuses US of stalling Afghan peace talks. Iran has in recent years backed Taliban’s inclusion in Afghanistan’s future political structure, and repeatedly called for the ouster of US forces from the country.
SOURCE: YENISAFAK
AFGHANISTAN: European soldiers of the NATO-led Resolute Support Mission (RSM) in Afghanistan will not be withdrawn from this war-torn country in May under a conditional peace agreement signed by the Trump administration and the insurgent Taliban in February of last year. There are still some 7,500 NATO troops deployed to Afghanistan.
SOURCE: BUSINESS TIMES
INDIA: India had alleged that China and Pakistan were behind the ongoing protests by farmers in India (thousands of farmers have been protesting since November against three laws that the government claims are aimed at liberalizing the agriculture sector). Pakistan rejected New Delhi’s claim.
SOURCE: ANADOLU AGENCY
INDIA: The blast caused on January 29, 2021 outside the Israeli Embassy building in New Delhi is considered by Israeli and Indian authorities a terrorist attack, probably by Iran. The modus operandi suggests the main goal was political/psychological: to inspire permanent fear of more serious revenge attacks against Israeli and Jewish targets worldwide. Iran denied it would do such a thing in India especially when New Delhi is making strenuous efforts, despite disapproval by the US and some European countries, to develop new methods to pay for Iranian oil.
SOURCE: JERUSALEM POST
MYANMAR: Myanmar’s military has detained the country’s president and declared one year-state of emergency. The army alleges the recent landslide election win by Ms Suu Kyi’s party was marred by fraud. She urged supporters to “protest against the coup”. The U.S. has threatened to take action against those responsible for the detention.
SOURCES: PREMIUM TIMES – BBC
MIDDLE EAST:
SYRIA: The US forces are setting up a new military base in Al- Yaarubiya area in the east of Al-Hasakah province, near the border with Iraq. In the last few months, the US military has brought thousands of trucks carrying weapons, military equipment and logistics to al-Hasakah to plunder Syria’s oil and other natural resources.
SOURCE: MEHR NEWS
SYRIA: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stressed during a press conference with his Iranian counterpart the necessity of finding a political solution to the crisis in Syria and implementing UN Resolution 2254 through a Syrian-Syrian dialogue without any external interference.
SOURCE: SYRIAN OBSERVER
SYRIA: Iranian forces are concerned about losing their influence and their members in Syria’s Deir ez-Zor province in favor of the formations supported by Russia. The province is particularly important for Russia due to its proximity to the border with Iraq and its vast underground wealth, including oil.
SOURCE: AL MONITOR
ISRAEL: Thousands of Israelis demonstrated against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and called for him to step down. This is the 32nd week that such protests have been held against the Israeli leader, who faces three indictments on corruption and fraud charges.
SOURCE: MIDDLE EAST MONITOR
EUROPE:
NORD STREAM 2: Russia may file a lawsuit over the hindrances other countries have been posing to the gas pipeline project Nord Stream 2. Believes that the US has not changed its stance essentially and that pressure on the project would go on.
SOURCE: TASS
AFRICA:
LYBIA: The United States urged Turkey, Russia and the United Arab Emirates to immediately halt their military intervention in Libya and withdraw military personnel. These latest developments are likely to prompt Turkey and the UAE to focus on how they will deal with the new administration of U.S. President Joe Biden.
SOURCE: AHVAL NEWS
SOMALIA: In Somalia, a car bomb exploded at the entrance of a hotel frequented by Somali officials, members of the security forces and community leaders. At least three people were killed. Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility. The Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabaab has been waging a violent insurgency across the Horn of Africa country seeking to unseat the internationally backed government in Mogadishu.
SOURCE: FRANCE 24
MORE GEOPOLITICAL NEWS:
FREE SUBSCRIPTION
Get new content delivered directly to your inbox.
