In early January of 2022, it was reported in the USA that there were rioters in Kazakhstan. They mobbed together and were protesting and angry about the cost of fuel and the rises in prices of gasoline. Everyday, more and more people were gathering in and causing violence. People were crossing border countries to also address the grievances they had with the government price controls. It was also later found that there were actually paid protesters and snipers with rifles and outfitted in uniforms being added to the large group of rioters. Prior to this protest another country of Belarus had multiple immigrations of people funneling in from Afghanistan and other parts of the middle east. Protests and rioting and injury took place.Belarus is a member state of the collected Security Organization Treaty Organization (CSTO). Belarus’s northeast border shares with Russia for 770 miles.
“Since June 2021, thousands of people – mainly from Iraq, but also from Syria, Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon and several other countries – have been trying to reach the European Union (EU) via Belarus.
While Belarus has eased the migration flows, political leaders from Poland and Lithuania have repeatedly accused the Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko of facilitating migrants and asylum seekers to cross EU borders.
In response, EU countries have built fences, significantly increased border patrols and declared a state of emergency along the border areas, which limits independent humanitarian assistance organizations from entering the areas.”(from OHCA services website)
Now, lets take a quick look at Kazakhstan?
Where is this country of Kazakhstan?'' It shares 4,750 miles of border with Russia.It also shares a border with China in the east. It is a Central Asian country and a former Soviet republic. In 1991 when the Soviet Union dissolved it became independent. It has an authoritarian government. It holds 12% of the world's uranium and 1.6 barrels of oil per day, which is a world’s leading producer of oil. The Majority of the sparse population are Muslim. Most christians are of Eastern Russian Orthodox.
There are two factions that interfere with kazakhstan. One is based on the collected Security Organization Treaty Organization (CSTO) which is the counterpart of the (NATO) North Atlantic Treaty Organization-30 independent member countries.
Some of the 30 NATO Members: are USA,Belgium, Canada, Estonia, Italy, Poland, Romania, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom,Netherlands, Iceland
The 9 members of the CSTO are: Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Uzbekistan There are also “Observant States,” that can become members if they are in agreement to uphold the treaty. These are: National Assembly of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia.
Latest News of Ukraine
Ukraine is not a member of Nato. Russia speaks out loudly reminding NATO of their promise to reject any applications of Ukraine in seeking to become a member of Nato. This reminder is based on the Treaty that Nato signed with the CSTO. It is related to a missile and military troop installment agreement based on distance from borders. Just yesterday, The NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCI Agency) and Ukraine signed on 17 January 2022 a renewed Memorandum of Agreement to continue their work together on technology-related projects.
“We have successfully worked with Ukraine for several years, delivering key capabilities and exchanging knowledge,” said NCI Agency General Manager Ludwig Decamps. “Under this renewed agreement, we will deepen our collaboration with Ukraine to support them in modernizing their information technology and communications services, while identifying areas where training may be required for their personnel. Our experts stand ready to continue this critical partnership.”
Relations between NATO and Ukraine date back to the early 1990s. Cooperation has deepened over time and is mutually beneficial, with Ukraine actively contributing to NATO-led operations and missions.
Since the Agency’s Supervisory Board approved the first agreement in 2015, the Agency has consistently supported Ukraine on technology matters, primarily through the NATO-Ukraine Command, Control, Communication and Computers (C4) Trust Fund.
“The Memorandum signed today continues our cooperation established in 2015. With NATO’s support we plan to further introduce modern information technologies and services into the command and control system of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” said Ambassador Nataliia Galibarenko, Head of Mission of Ukraine to NATO.
Projects include an effort to deliver secure communications equipment to Ukraine in December 2018, which are still in use today.
The NATO-Ukraine Regional Airspace Security Programme (RASP) was also developed under this agreement, to provide early notification and coordination on airspace threats. The system includes an integrated IP phone system, and offers tools to operators to help them interact with each other, such as chat, geographical pointers and highlighting of an aircraft track. The units are connected through a dedicated network separate from the Internet.
Work with Ukraine also includes a Knowledge Sharing Initiative where Agency subject matter experts share their knowledge of NATO practices in developing capabilities in the Command, Control, Communications and Computers (C4) domain.
The Knowledge Sharing Initiative includes training, workshops and subject matter expertise to support Ukraine in modernizing its defense capabilities. (per Nato News website).
Russia has 100,000 troops on its own border between Ukraine and Russia. The UN has been conducting military drills near the Russian border in the Black Sea.
(9:42 a.m. EST Jan 18, 2022 From AP)
MOSCOW — Russia is sending troops from the country’s far east to Belarus for major war games, officials said Tuesday, in a deployment further beefing up Russian military assets near Ukraine amid Western fears of an invasion.
Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin said the drills are intended to practice a joint response to external threats by the alliance of Russia and Belarus, which have close political, economic and military ties. Fomin didn’t say how many troops and weapons were being redeployed for the exercises, or give the number of troops that will be involved in the war games.
Ukrainian officials have warned that Russia could launch an attack from various directions, including from the territory of its ally Belarus.
The deployment would dramatically bolster an estimated 100,000 troops with tanks and other heavy weapons amassed near Ukraine in what the West fears could be a prelude to an invasion. Russia has denied an intention to attack its ex-Soviet neighbor, but demanded guarantees from the West that NATO will not expand to Ukraine or other ex-Soviet nations or place its troops and weapons there.
Washington and its allies firmly rejected Moscow’s demands during last week’s Russia-U.S. negotiations in Geneva and a related NATO-Russia meeting in Brussels.
Fomin said the drills, which involve an unspecified number of troops from Russia’s Eastern Military District that encompasses Eastern Siberia and the Far East, reflect the need to practice concentrating the country’s entire military potential in western Russia.
“A situation may arise when forces and means of the regional group of forces will be insufficient to ensure reliable security of the union state, and we must be ready to strengthen it,” Fomin said at a meeting with foreign military attaches. “We have reached an understanding with Belarus that it’s necessary to engage the entire military potential for joint defense.”
Belarus’ authoritarian president, Alexander Lukashenko said the joint maneuvers will be conducted on Belarus’ western border and also in the country’s south, where it borders Ukraine. Lukashenko has increasingly relied on the Kremlin’s support amid Western sanctions over a brutal crackdown on domestic protests.
The U.S. and its allies have urged Russia to deescalate the situation by calling the troops back to their barracks.
“In recent weeks, more than 100,000 Russian troops with tanks and guns have gathered near Ukraine without an understandable reason, and it’s hard not to understand that as a threat,” German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock told reporters after the talks in Moscow with Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov.
Lavrov has responded by reaffirming Moscow’s argument that it’s free to deploy its forces wherever it considers it necessary on its territory.
“We can’t accept demands about our armed forces on our own territory,” Lavrov said, adding that “troops’ training is something that every country does.”
“We aren’t threatening anyone, but we are hearing threats to us,” he added. “We will decide how to react depending on what specific steps our partners will take.”
So, who is poking the Bear and why?