PDB – Russia: War or No War? And White House ‘Tiger Team’ for Ukraine

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Today’s PDB includes a variety of critical, global national security issues.

READ TODAY’S EXTENDED ‘RUSSIA THREAT’ PDB BELOW:

National Security

Russia and China devote more cyber forces to offensive operations than US, says new report. Russia and China have each dedicated significantly more military cyber forces to conducting cyber effects than the United States, according to research by a London-based think tank.

China Threat

TESTING – Taiwan says Communist Chinese plane flew close to remote island. A small Chinese civilian aircraft flew very close to a remote Taiwanese-controlled island next to China’s coast earlier this month, Taiwan’s defense ministry said on Tuesday, adding China may be trying a new strategy to test its reactions.

Russia Threat

Is Putin a strategic master or a strategic failure? As a national leader, Vladimir Putin deserves respect. You underestimate him at your peril. But it is a qualified respect. Putin wields the levers of statecraft with skill and intelligence, but he is not the strategic maestro he is often credited as being – that is if your definition of strategic mastery has anything to do with the direction he is taking Russia and what that means for its future.

Russia Threat – Ukraine

PUTIN SAYS – Russia says some forces pulling back amid Ukraine crisis. Russia said Tuesday that some units participating in military exercises would begin returning to their bases, adding to glimmers of hope that the Kremlin may not be planning to invade Ukraine imminently, though it gave no details on the pullback.

PUTIN DOES – Russia sending troops, equipment closer to Ukraine, satellite images show. Russian troops are moving out of staging areas and heading toward combat positions as it builds up its capacity to attack Ukraine, according to new satellite images released Monday by Maxar Technologies.

Inside the White House response to a potential Ukraine invasion. As fears grow, a “Tiger Team” is quietly gaming out how the United States would respond to a range of jarring scenarios, from a limited show of force to a full-scale, mass-casualty invasion by Russia.

Tone of Ukraine crisis shifts as Russia signals openness to talk more. Russia’s foreign minister said diplomacy is “far from exhausted,” while President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine hinted at a major concession.

Can dusting off an old peace deal stop Russia from invading Ukraine? Here’s what to know. The Minsk peace agreement, reached in 2015 between Russia and Ukraine, was supposed to end conflict in eastern Ukraine that broke out a year earlier.

Homeland Security

CISA warns of potential Russian cyberattacks against US as invasion fears mount. As Ukraine braces for a possible Russian invasion that may come within days, the U.S. government is warning agencies, businesses and other critical organizations to be on their guard against cyberattacks.

TRAITOR – Navy engineer pleads guilty to selling submarine secrets. Jonathan Toebbe acknowledged during the plea hearing to conspiring to pass classified information to a foreign government, causing “injury to the United States.”

Iran Threat

TRUMP’S ‘ABRAHAM ACCORDS’ SUCCESS – Israeli prime minister makes historic visit to Bahrain, seeking to fortify Gulf coalition against Iran. With a red carpet, an honor guard of dozens of fully outfitted soldiers and an escort of two government officials, Naftali Bennett was welcomed Monday as the first-ever Israeli prime minister to visit Bahrain, a historic move for Israel as it attempts to fortify a regional axis of defense against Iran.

North Korea

NUKE TESTS? – Small quakes reported near N Korea nuclear site amid talk of resumed testing. A series of small earthquakes has struck near North Korea’s shuttered nuclear test site, South Korea has said, highlighting the area’s geological instability as Pyongyang hints it could resume testing for the first time since 2017.

International Security

MAKING A POINT – A world away from Ukraine, Russia is courting Latin America. The Ukraine crisis has revived a struggle over Latin America between the U.S. and Russia, as Vladimir V. Putin seeks greater influence in the region.

Nicaragua Seizes Universities, Moving Toward Full Dictatorship. The government said the colleges were stripped of their ability to operate independently this month because they had not complied with financial regulations. Critics, however, saw the move as Mr. Ortega’s latest effort to clamp down on challenges to his tightening grip on power

Biden’s Afghan Disaster

Veterans groups asking Congress to prevent Afghan evacuees from being kicked out of US. With some Afghans evacuated during the massive Kabul airlift facing the risk of losing their legal status in the U.S. in six months, veterans groups are pushing Congress to find a way to let those rescued stay permanently.

END of PDB

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.

Paul Crespo

Website |  + postsBio

Paul Crespo is the Managing Editor of American Liberty Defense News. As a Marine Corps officer, he led Marines, served aboard ships in the Pacific and jumped from helicopters and airplanes. He was also a military attaché with the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) at U.S. embassies worldwide. He later ran for state and federal office, taught political science, wrote for the editorial board of a major newspaper and had his own radio show. A graduate of Georgetown, London and Cambridge universities, he brings decades of experience and insight to the issues that most threaten our American liberty – at home and from abroad. To read more go to: paulcrespo.com.

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