Special to WorldTribune.com By Miles Yu, Geostrategy-Direct.com Moscow and Kiev have finally agreed to a compromise energy deal ending a dispute that had locked the two former Soviet states into a decade-long diplomatic freeze. Like most western European nations Ukraine relies heavily on Russia’s export of natural gas for heat during winter months. However, Ukraine […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Miles Yu, Geostrategy-Direct.com A senior Haqqani network figure of the Afghan Taliban was killed by unidentified gunmen in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad in the evening of Nov. 10. The attack dealt a major blow to the group who has been widely held responsible for fierce attacks on the U.S-led and […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Miles Yu, Geostrategy-Direct.com The government of Turkey is facing increasing pressure from its key NATO allies, especially the United States, and may abandon its earlier decision to buy a Chinese-made missile defense system that would have cost $3.44 billion. Such a move was strongly indicated last week when Turkey’s Defense Industry […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Miles Yu, Geostrategy-Direct.com The United States and New Zealand will resume close military cooperation after nearly three-decades of a bilateral ban on any joint military actions between the two democracies. The move highlights a new security agenda for both countries in the Asia Pacific region, driven in part by China’s aggressive […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Miles Yu, Geostrategy-Direct.com Iran’s government insists Russian-made S-300 missiles are defensive weapons, therefore not subject to the international ban on weapons exports to Iran. The Russians apparently agree, and are thus in open defiance of the U.S.-led effort to isolate Iran that is developing its own nuclear and long range missile […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Miles Yu, Geostrategy-Direct.com Iran announced on Sept. 27 that serial production of Shahed-129 unmanned aerial vehicles had begun and that the UAVs can strike multiple stationary and mobile targets. Citing sources from Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps [IRGC], the state-run Press TV stated that the armed drone could carry four guided Sadid […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Miles Yu, Geostrategy-Direct.com Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro went on national TV on Oct.1 to announce his decision to expel three U.S. diplomats he charged were colluding with Venezuela’s domestic political opposition party. Maduro has, in recent weeks, been obsessed with fears he would be assassinated by the U.S. Last month, he claimed […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Miles Yu, Geostrategy-Direct.com The Pentagon has agreed to start deploying a missile defense system in Romania beginning in early October. The U.S. missile defense system will be installed at the Deveselu military base in Southern Romania, putting Romania ahead of Poland and the Czech Republic as the first former communist country […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Miles Yu, Geostrategy-Direct.com The post-Soviet ebb of Russian naval glory seems to be over under a more aggressive President Vladimir Putin. That seems to be the unmistakable message Moscow is trying to send to the world. In recent weeks, President Putin ordered a dramatic increase of Russian naval presence in the […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Miles Yu, Geostrategy-Direct.com China is aggressively pressing its global positioning service, known as the Beidou, into service throughout the entire Southeast Asia region. The goal is to extend coverage regionally, before achieving global coverage by 2020. China views Southeast Asia as key to countering the influence of the United States and […]