Canada’s Mission in Latvia: Deterring Russian Aggression or Act of Provocation

Canada is expected to lead a NATO force in Latvia, a former part of the Soviet Union, deployed to prevent Russian aggression. Canada’s open-ended involvement includes contributing 450 soldiers by early 2017 in addition to renewing CF-18 aerial reconnaissance over the Baltic.

Meanwhile, Russian state-news agency Sputnik international has clarified reports from the Latvian Ministry of Defence for their readers that the thousand-strong force Canada will be commanding will not entirely be from Canada but from other countries participating in the exercise as well.

Ultimately, the notion of a group of countries gathering military forces on defunct Russian territory for the chief purpose of being a deterrent against Russian aggression, sounds at best a bit ominous and at worst a public shaming of Russia’s present direction in foreign policy matters of state. Is it justified? Probably. Will the NATO banner, the tag of it being an exercise, and the involvement of a country historically known for peacekeeping during the Suez Crisis ease tensions? Probably not. Russia has maintained an interest in the Arctic and while it may not have seen Canada as an enemy in this regard it certainly sees it as a rival. I believe Canada is on the right side of history by leading this act of peacekeeping, but it is just as easy to make the argument that on the other side, Russians may be thinking Canada has cast its lot against them.

With that said, should Russia make another play in the region even if done by a rogue faction giving the government deniability, a framework will be in place to orchestrate a coordinated resistance.

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Cold War Politics: Will Britain stop playing?

As Britain comes under increasing pressure from the United States to renew Trident – its costly nuclear submarine program to keep face amidst Cold War-style deterrence tactics, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has accused its allies in NATO of kindling a new Cold War.

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Turkish airspace: He said, she said

New accusations have come forth from Turkey that a Russian Su-34 bomber breached Turkish airspace on Friday the 29th of January.

 

Video: “United Nations – Year in Review 2015”

From the United Nations YouTube Channel:

“United Nations – 2015 – it was a year of triumphal moments and haunting images: A little boy, washed up on the shore symbolising the plight of 60 million refugees; people in Paris, Beirut and Nairobi running from terror attacks and countries ruined in relentless battles. The “UN Year in Review 2015″ remembers once more the daunting challenges the United Nations faced in its 70th anniversary year – but also gives a glimpse of what can be achieved, when all work together: The potential of constructive dialogue in the Iran Nuclear Deal – the global collaborative effort to curb Ebola – and the unity of all Member States to invest in the future of our planet by unanimously adopting the Sustainable Development Agenda to end extreme poverty and the historic Paris Agreement, to join hands in climate action and prevent further global temperature rise.”

A look back at areas for significant improvement in 2016 following a year of humanitarian crises.

 

Amnesty International accuses Russia of killing hundreds of civilians in Syria

New Syria report today on Russia’s shameful failure to acknowledge civilian killings https://t.co/kEWwpYySuL pic.twitter.com/Yei58fxPBa

— Amnesty International (@amnesty) December 23, 2015

Following Russian news organizations arguably blowing their own horn when it comes to highlighting the country’s increasing involvement in Syria, Amnesty International has purportedly accused Russia of war crimes based on witness reports of cluster bombs being deployed in civilian areas.

 

Fighting Finances: Resolving Terrorist Funds

Source: World Energy Outlook, IEA, Petroleum Economist, Institute for the Study of War via the BBC.

At what has been described as a “rare security council meeting” the United States and Russia are expected to co-sponsor a resolution “targeting financing of terrorist organizations“. 

 

Syria-Turkey: Russian jet downed

A Russian Su-24 fighter jet has been downed by a Turkish warplane after allegedly violating Turkish airspace.

#SYRIA Russian aircraft Su-24 crashed in Syria. According to the preliminary data, the pilots managed to eject from the warplane

— Минобороны России (@mod_russia) November 24, 2015