Good morning, and welcome to the Global Situation Report for Monday, 22 April 2024.
- POLAND ‘READY TO HOST NATO NUKES’: Polish President Andrzej Duda said that Poland is ready to host NATO nuclear weapons in response to Russia’s deployment of nuclear weapons to Belarus.
- “If our allies decide to deploy nuclear arms on our territory as part of nuclear sharing to reinforce NATO’s eastern flank, we are ready to do so,” Duda said.
- Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk seemed surprised by the statement.
Why It Matters: The statement drew a harsh response from Russia, with foreign minister Sergei Lavrov again warning that Russia and NATO are “teetering dangerously” on nuclear war. These statements are not uncommon, but nuclear reposturing in light of a new weapons package to Ukraine is a dangerous development. – M.S.
- SHEINBAUM PROPOSES INDUSTRIAL PARKS FOR MIGRANTS: Mexican presidential candidate, Claudia Sheinbaum, who is likely to be the next president, proposed the construction of 10 new industrial parks in Mexico’s southern states in order to employ migrants.
- “Migrants go to the United States because in their country they don’t have [opportunities]. The southern [Mexico] border is going to serve to employ migrants in a considerable percentage,” a Morena party official said.
Why It Matters: Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has repeatedly requested more money from the United States in order to improve economic conditions. This may become an attractive target for U.S. foreign development aid for two reasons. First, because Mexico is a near-shoring option for U.S. manufacturing. And second, because it could make a small dent in the numbers of migrants headed towards the U.S. border. – M.S.
- Global Rollup
- The U.S. Navy will test the Epirus High-Powered Microwave (HPM) at the 2024 Advanced Naval Technology Exercise Coastal Trident Program to specifically target outboard motors. (The Navy is increasingly interested in abnormal uses of Electronic Warfare. They are likely to increase funding for similar existing systems and field them on a greater number of hulls. – J.V.)
- The USS Boxer will be out of commission for an unknown period of time due to the unavailability of large dry docks for rudder repair. The ship was supposed to be on a Pacific deployment.
- Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) secretary general Imangali Tasmagambetov said that “new points of tension” are being “provoked in Eurasia as geopolitical struggle [between East and West] goes into high gear.” He said CSTO member nations will naturally draw closer as a result.
- China dissolved the People’s Liberation Army Strategic Support Force and split the missions into the Aerospace Force, Information Support Force, and Cyberspace Force. The new names accurately reflect their unique missions.
- Australia’s first three submarine officers graduated this weekend. Australia can now command submarines received in the AUKUS agreement.
- Germany arrested three Germans for delivering defense technology to China’s Ministry of State Security and two Russian dual-citizens for planning terrorist attacks and scouting U.S. military bases, all within a week.
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.