Good morning, and welcome to the Global Situation Report for Friday, 13 September 2024.
- Global Rollup
- Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview yesterday that Ukraine is unable to use the long range missiles of the ATACMS and Storm Shadow without direct EU and U.S. involvement. Specifically, he believes only NATO servicemen can enter the flight data into the missile launching systems. Putin promised that Russia will “make appropriate decisions” based on new threats.
- Russia’s Foreign Ministry is warning that the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) intends to incite large-scale protests over Georgia’s October election. The Ministry says this may lead into a color revolution.
- Germany sent a frigate and replenishment ship through the Taiwan Strait yesterday for the first time in 22 years. This comes after China’s preemptive condemnation of the Strait transit earlier this month. (As discussed previously, Germany is unlikely to make a large military contribution to any Pacific war but could wage economic warfare against China. – J.V.)
- China’s Defense Minister, Admiral Dong Jun said the Chinese armed forces will “resolutely implement the Global Security Initiative” during his keynote speech at an ongoing Chinese defense forum. (This is a noted departure from how China previously referred to their alternative to the U.S.-led global security order. In prior mentions, China has presented this as an offer for all countries to join and not as something they would impose upon the world. – J.V.)
- The Shanghai Cooperation Organization Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (SCO-RATS) laid out its plan for practical cooperation to fight terrorism, separatism, and extremism at its 42nd Council Meeting. The SCO-RATS intend to enhance interoperability between the ten member states in counter-terrorism operations.
THAT’S A WRAP: This does it for today’s edition. Thank you for reading. If you know folks who would also like to receive this email, would you please forward it to them? We appreciate you spreading the word. – M.S.