The visit is a sign of the US’s increasing focus on the region, where NATO forces are spending more time.

The increased military activity reflects the sea’s strategic value amid tensions between NATO and Russia.

On November 12, the flagship of the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet, USS Mount Whitney, and Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Porter arrived at the Black Sea port of Constanta in Romania after visiting Batumi, Georgia.

The US warships were operating with NATO allies and partners in the Black Sea, according to the US European Command, and their deployment followed soon after US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visited the region.

Russia was incensed by that activity.

In a meeting with Russian military leadership, President Vladimir Putin seemed to threaten the US warships, saying Russian forces “can catch a glimpse” of USS Mount Whitney “through binoculars or through the crosshairs of matching defense systems.”

Putin’s comments come amid heightened tensions between Russia and NATO. Seven years after Russia’s seizure of Crimea and with tensions simmering elsewhere in Eastern Europe, the Black Sea remains a hotspot — and it may heat up.

The Black Sea is in a strategic location, connecting the Caucasus with Europe along Russia’s southwestern flank. It contains some of Russia’s only warm-water ports and provides Russia access to the Mediterranean and the waters beyond.

The sea features prominently in Russian defense and security architecture because supremacy there is seen as vital for Russian security and for supporting power projection far from Russian shores. It also allows Moscow to challenge NATO.

The region “is the locus of the Kremlin’s tests against alliance credibility and resolve, which have escalated over the last two decades in the conventional and nonconventional domain,” Alina Polyakova, president of the Center for European Policy Analysis, a think-tank, said in October at a Senate hearing.

Those tests include close encounters with NATO forces at sea and in the air as well as attacks on Ukraine and Georgia, which are NATO partners seeking full membership.

NATO has stepped up its presence in the Black Sea — as shown by Austin’s visit and the Sixth Fleet’s exercises — but limitations of geography and international law mean countering Russia there is not a straightforward effort.

After the Soviet collapse, Russia’s Black Sea Fleet fell into obsolescence.

With Russia’s 2008 military reforms and its 2011-2020 State Armament Program, the Black Sea Fleet became a lighter, more agile force able to operate in near-shore areas and surrounding waters.

The fleet’s main elements are three Admiral Grigorovich-class guided-missile frigates built after the 2014 Crimean crisis, two Krivak-class guided-missile frigates, and its flagship, Slava-class guided-missile cruiser Moskva. It also includes six new Improved Kilo-class diesel-electric attack submarines and an older Kilo-class sub.

Those ships are supported by a host of smaller and auxiliary vessels, including six guided-missile corvettes and five missile boats, underlining the fleet’s littoral capabilities.

The fleet is complemented by the newly formed 22nd Army Corps, one air-defense and two aviation divisions based in Crimea, and one air-defense division based in Rostov-on-Don.

Moscow is also enhancing its anti-access/area-denial capabilities in the Black Sea, particularly around Crimea, to protect its warships and hold off rival forces. Adding to the fleet’s ability to strike at distance are 108 Kalibr sea-launched cruise missiles, which have a maximum range of approximately 1,200 miles.

NATO’s Black Sea members and partners are at a military disadvantage when compared to Russia.

Romania has a navy of three frigates, seven corvettes, a handful of auxiliary boats, and an old Kilo-class submarine. Bulgaria does not fare much better, with four frigates, three corvettes, and a few support ships, most of them minesweepers.

Turkey has a sizable and capable navy, but its warming relationship with Russia and its estrangement with NATO have raised doubts about its commitment to the alliance.

Ukraine is rebuilding its naval force after the loss of Crimea, and Georgia, the smallest Black Sea state, has only a coast guard.

In a clash with Russia, those countries would likely seek outside help, but there are limits on what outside countries can do.

The Montreux Convention of 1936 restricts what kind of ships and how many ships non-Black Sea countries can send into the sea. It also limits their stay to 21 days, and Turkey must be given advanced warning of any transit into or out of the sea.

Those limits benefit Russia and hinder what the US can do. Only three of the US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are allowed to be in the Black Sea at one time. But an Arleigh Burke is a powerful platform. Each can carry 56 Tomahawk missiles, which have roughly the same range as the Kalibr.

While two Arleigh Burkes could match the Black Sea Fleet’s Kalibr complement, Russia watches their movements closely.

Black Sea states, on their own and with NATO, are working to improve their ability to counter Russia, navigating the region’s geographic and political constraints to do so.

Romania already hosts a land-based Aegis ballistic-defense missile system, and it’s expanding other facilities to host more NATO troops. Bulgaria is working with the US to expand its military capabilities. Ukraine has taken a number of steps to modernize and expand its own military.

In the weeks since Austin’s visit, officials in the region and US lawmakers have urged the Biden administration to do more to support countries there, including additional weapons sales and troop deployments. Others have advocated developing a clearer strategy for the region as a deterrent.

USS Mount Whitney began sailing out of the Black Sea on November 15, and USS Porter followed it out on November 16. Such deployments often raise Russian ire, but the US shows no sign of backing off, saying its presence there demonstrates “continued commitment to collective defense of the European region and reinforces the strength of the NATO alliance.”

Constantine Atlamazoglou works on transatlantic and European security. He holds a master’s degree on security studies and European affairs from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.

Read the original article on Business Insider
https://www.businessinsider.com/us-navy-warships-in-black-sea-amid-nato-russia-tensions-2021-11

Source: https://uk.news.yahoo.com/us-warships-went-another-mission-232026661.html

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As many as 3,000 troops will be deployed along the U.S. border with Mexico until Sept. 30, 2022, stretching the military’s mission there into a fourth year, the chief Pentagon spokesman said Tuesday.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin approved a request to extend the mission that supports the Department of Homeland Security along the southwest border, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby told reporters. Austin signed the request June 23, according to a defense official who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Austin authorized up to 3,000 troops to serve on the mission, which is down from the 4,000 approved to serve at the southwest border for fiscal 2021, Kirby said. Deployments will continue to be staffed primarily by National Guard troops working in a federal status under the command and control of U.S. Northern Command, the defense official said.

About 3,800 troops are deployed now to the southwest border in support of U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents. The troops are a mix of active-duty service members and National Guard troops from nearly two dozen states. Their work includes helping to identify, monitor and analyze patterns of unauthorized entry and alert Border Patrol agents.

The Defense Department has spent more than $840 million on the mission so far, according to a February report from the Government Accountability Office.

Former President Donald Trump first ordered National Guard troops to the southern border in April 2018 and added active-duty personnel to the mission about six months later.

When President Joe Biden took office in January, he ended construction of a physical border wall initiated by Trump but he has kept the troops in place.

Following the extension of the mission, governors in Ohio and North Dakota announced approval to send Guard troops on the federal deployment.

These federal missions are separate from state-level missions ongoing in Arizona and Texas, where Republican governors disagree with the way that the Biden administration is handling border security.

Both states have activated hundreds of Guard members to serve at the border in support of state law enforcement. South Dakota and Arkansas announced last month plans to deploy Guard troops to support Texas’ state-led mission.

Source: https://www.stripes.com/theaters/us/2021-07-06/us-mexico-border-troops-immigration-crisis-2071343.html

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Gantz is expected to request a $1 billion budget for replenishing the Iron Dome following Operation Guardian of the Walls.
Defense Minister Benny Gantz was slated Wednesday to travel to the United States for a meeting with top U.S. security officials, including National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.

Gantz’s trip comes on the heels of statements by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel would continue working to thwart Iran’s nuclear program, even at the cost of tensions with the United States.

During a farewell speech on Monday evening for departing Mossad head Yossi Cohen, Netanyahu said that while Israel respects the U.S.’s attempts to stop Iran’s nuclear development through diplomacy, the Jewish State would use any means necessary to protect Israel’s security.

“If we have to choose, [and] I hope it does not happen, between friction with our great friend the United States and the elimination of the existential threat – the elimination of the existential threat prevails.”

On his Twitter account, Gantz appeared to contradict Netanyahu’s approach. “The U.S. has been and will continue to be Israel’s most important ally, protecting Israel’s security and its qualitative edge in the region,” he wrote.

“The Biden Administration is a true friend of Israel, and Israel doesn’t have nor will it ever have a greater partner than the United States,” he added.

“Even if differences arise, they will be resolved through direct dialogue, behind closed doors, not through provocative statements that serve to harm Israeli sec May’surity.”

During Gantz’s trip to the U.S., he is expected to submit a request for $1 billion to replenish the Iron Dome, as many of its missiles were deployed during the 11-day clash between Israel and Hamas-based terror groups.

Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-NC), who is a longtime Israel advocate, said he believed the request would be granted.

“Iron Dome performed incredibly well, saving thousands of Israeli lives and tens of thousands of Palestinian lives,” Graham said. “I would imagine that the administration would say yes to this request and it will sail through Congress.”

Source: https://worldisraelnews.com/gantz-heads-to-washington-for-security-talks-1-billion-request-for-iron-dome

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President Biden is expected to announce Wednesday his decision to begin the drawdown of U.S. forces before May 1 and the plan to have all the troops out of the country by September 11, at the latest.

According to a senior administration official, Mr. Biden has made the determination that the best path forward to protect American interests is to end the war in Afghanistan to address the global threat picture of today that includes China, pandemics, and terrorism in places across the globe.

The U.S. went into Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks to prevent terrorists from launching more attacks from Afghanistan. The Biden administration has determined that al Qaeda does not currently possess an external plotting capability, according to the official.

There will be counterterrorism capabilities that remain in the region to counter the potential reemergence of al Qaeda and hold the Taliban to its commitment that al Qaeda will not grow its capabilities.

An Afghan government official texted a response to the news: “Well we now have to charter our own way forward.” The Afghanistan government is concerned about the withdrawal of U.S. troops; Afghan National Security Adviser Hamdullah Mohib predicts civil war will ensue.

The Biden administration has had to contend with a May 1 deadline negotiated by the Trump administration with the Taliban last year in a deal that called for a reduction of violence. The deadline of September 11, according to the official, is not “conditions-based.”

The Taliban has threatened to harm U.S. troops if there is a break from the May 1 deadline. The official said the Taliban knows any violence against U.S. forces will prompt “a forceful response.”

The U.S. has been consulting with NATO allies and will coordinate the withdrawal of NATO forces within the U.S. timeframe. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken are traveling to Brussels on Wednesday.

The Biden administration is still pushing for the diplomatic process to find a political settlement between the Taliban and the Afghan government. The next peace negotiations will take place in Istanbul later this month, and the senior administration official said the Biden administration is committed to ensuring that women are both participating in the talks as well as the government.

The Washington Post first reported the president’s plans.

Some Republicans were vocal in their criticism. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said in a speech on the Senate floor that Mr. Biden was making a “grave mistake.”

“Precipitously withdrawing U.S. forces from Afghanistan is a grave mistake. It is retreat in the face of an enemy that has not yet been vanquished and abdication of American leadership,” McConnell said.

GOP Senator Jim Inhofe called Mr. Biden’s decision “outrageous,” and Senator Joni Ernst said that it was “concerning.”

“I think a random withdrawal just because you’re celebrating an anniversary is not the right decision,” Ernst said.

Republican Congressman Michael McCaul, the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said that he was “shocked and extremely concerned” by reports of Mr. Biden’s decision.

“This premature withdrawal shows a complete disregard for the realities on the ground and will not only put Afghans at risk but endanger the lives of U.S. citizens at home and abroad. I have urgently requested details on this decision and strongly urge the president to reconsider,” McCaul said in a statement. The congressman had previously pushed back against the Trump administration’s decision to slash the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

Some Democrats, too, responded to the news of the withdrawal with some skepticism. Democratic Senator Bob Menendez, the chair of the Foreign Relations Committee, told reporters on Tuesday that he wants “to hear the administration’s rationale” for pulling out of Afghanistan.

“I just am concerned that after so much blood and national treasure that we don’t lose what we were seeking to achieve,” Menendez said. He added that he will “certainly will not be supportive of any assistance to Afghanistan if there is backsliding on civil society [and] the rights that women have achieved.”

“If the Taliban ultimately doesn’t keep its obligations, then there will be consequences and one of them will be that there will be no money flowing. So I don’t know how they will rebuild the country,” Menendez said.

Democratic Senator Jack Reed expressed unease over the decision, saying that the U.S. must “maintain a presence for regional stability.”

“This should be seen as transitional, not as closure,” Reed said.

But other lawmakers welcomed the news. Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, said in a statement that Mr. Biden was making “the brave and right decision.”

“We owe an enormous debt of gratitude to every U.S. and coalition service member who has served in Afghanistan since 2001, and we will never forget the over 2,300 U.S. service members who gave their lives there. We also remember the over 100,000 Afghan civilians who have been killed in this war,” Sanders said. “The United States must remain committed to diplomatic, economic, and humanitarian support for Afghanistan even as we bring this military intervention to an end.”

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Germany expresses concern over Russia’s military buildup near Ukraine / Photo from UNIAN

Representative of the German Federal Government Ulrike Demmer has said her country was concerned over the movement of Russian troops toward the Ukrainian border.

“As you know, NATO, the EU, and many partners have recently expressed concern over the expansion of Russia’s military presence. The German government shares this concern and informed Moscow about it,” she said in German at a briefing broadcast on YouTube.

Russian troops amassed along Ukraine’s borders

On March 30, 2021, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Colonel-General Ruslan Khomchak said Russia had deployed 28 battalion tactical groups along the state border of Ukraine and in the temporarily occupied territories. It is also said to be planning to bring up to 25 battalion tactical groups under the guise of preparing for military drills. Such actions pose a threat to Ukraine’s military security.

–The U.S. Department of Defense said it was “aware of Russian troop movements” on Ukraine’s borders and was concerned about recent escalations of Russian aggression in eastern Ukraine.

–On April 1, 2021, the Kremlin commented on the movement of Russian troops near Ukraine’s borders, saying this should not cause “any concern” to anyone.

–Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says Moscow is trying to put pressure on Kyiv by amassing its military forces along the Russian-Ukrainian border. At the same time, he assures Ukraine is ready to counter any provocation and continues to defend in the negotiations the position of maintaining a more effective ceasefire in Donbas.

–The Ukrainian Defense Ministry’s Main Intelligence Directorate does not rule out that enemy forces may try to go for an incursion and deploy their troops deeper into the territory of Ukraine. According to intelligence reports, Russia is building up its military presence near the Ukrainian borders and is completing the preparation of a set of measures aimed at forcing Ukraine into a military response.

–On April 1, 2021, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Ukrainian Defense Minister Andriy Taran had a phone call on the initiative of the American side. Austin condemned the recent aggressive and provocative actions by Russia in eastern Ukraine and assured his counterpart of U.S. readiness to support Ukraine in the context of Russia’s ongoing aggression in Donbas and Crimea.

–In turn, the Kremlin vowed “additional measures” if the U.S. troops are deployed on the territory of Ukraine.

–U.S. President Joe Biden in his first call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on April 2, 2021, affirmed the U.S. “unwavering support” for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity “in the face of Russia’s ongoing aggression” in Donbas and Crimea.

Translation: Kanaryan Lyudmila

Source: https://www.unian.info/politics/escalation-in-donbas-germany-expresses-concern-over-russia-s-military-buildup-near-ukraine-11380162.html

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