War/Defence Updates: 1) Israel – Hamas; 2) Putin and Ukraine, 3) Canada Will Send Helicopters To Latvia Next Year, Defence Minister Says
1) Israel – Hamas War
History of conflict (up to October 25th): LINK: https://barrie360.com/everything-to-know-about-israel-hamas-war/
Courtesy of Barrie360.com Published all week:
2) Putin Says There Will Be No Peace In Ukraine Until Russia’s Goals, Still Unchanged, Are Achieved
Courtesy Barrie360.com and Canadian PressPublished: Dec 14th, 2023
By Harriet Morris in Moscow – The Associated Press
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday there would be no peace in Ukraine until the Kremlin realizes its goals, which remain unchanged after nearly two years of fighting that has sent tensions soaring between Moscow and the West.
Speaking at a year-end news conference that lasted over four hours and offered him an opportunity to reinforce his grip on power, Putin gave some rare details on what Moscow calls its “special military operation.”
He dismissed the need for a second wave of mobilization of reservists to fight in Ukraine — a move that has been deeply unpopular. He said there are some 617,000 Russian soldiers there, including around 244,000 troops who were called up to fight alongside professional military forces.
“There will be peace when we will achieve our goals,” Putin said, repeating a frequent Kremlin line. “Victory will be ours.”
Putin highlighted Russian military gains in Ukraine as the conflict’s second winter approached.
“Almost all along the line of contact our armed forces, let’s put it modestly, are improving their positions, almost all in an active stage of action and there is an improvement in the position of our troops all along,” he said.
“The enemy has declared a big counteroffensive, but he hasn’t achieved anything anywhere,” Putin added, claiming that the latest Ukrainian attempt to create a bridgehead on the eastern bank of the Dnieper River also fizzled and Ukrainian troops suffered heavy losses.
He alleged Kyiv was sacrificing its troops in order to show some success to its Western sponsors as it seeks more aid.
“I believe it’s stupid and irresponsible on behalf of the country’s political leadership, but it’s their business,” he said.
Putin, who has held power for nearly 24 years and announced last week he is running for reelection, was greeted with applause as he arrived in the hall in central Moscow. He didn’t hold his traditional news conference last year after his military failed to capture Kyiv and as the Ukrainian army retook lost territory.
But with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pleading for more U.S aid amid a stalling counteroffensive and fracturing Western support, he decided to face reporters once more — although the session is heavily choreographed and more spectacle than scrutiny.
It was the first time that Putin took questions from Western journalists since the fighting in Ukraine began. Ordinary citizens were able to submit questions alongside those from journalists, and Russian media said at least 2 million were sent in advance.
The news conference began with questions about Ukraine and highlighted concerns some Russians have about another wave of mobilization.
“There is no need” for mobilization now, Putin said, because 1,500 men are recruited every day. As of Wednesday, 486,000 soldiers have signed contracts with the military, he said.
His remarks about another mobilization were met with skepticism by some independent Russian media, which noted he had promised not to draft reservists for Ukraine and then reversed course and ordered a “partial” call-up. The move, which he announced in September 2022, prompted thousands of Russians to flee the country.
He reiterated that Moscow’s goals in Ukraine — “de-Nazification, de-militarization and a neutral status” of Ukraine — remain unchanged. He had spelled out those loosely defined objectives the day he sent in troops February 2022.
The claim of “de-Nazification” refers to Russia’s false assertions that Ukraine’s government is heavily influenced by radical nationalist and neo-Nazi groups — an allegation derided by Kyiv and the West.
Putin has also demanded that Ukraine remain neutral and refrain from joining NATO.
He reaffirmed his claim that much of today’s Ukraine, including the Black Sea port of Odesa and other coastal areas, historically belonged to Russia and were given away by Soviet founder Vladimir Lenin.
While Moscow had accepted the new reality after the USSR’s collapse in 1991, Putin said he was forced to respond to what he described as an attempt by the West to turn Ukraine into a tool to challenge and threaten Russia.
“Russians and Ukrainians are one people, and what’s going on now is a huge tragedy, a civil war between brothers who have found themselves on the opposite sides,” he added.
Putin’s last news conference was in 2021 as the U.S warned that Russia was about to send troops into Ukraine. He delayed an annual state-of-the-nation address until February 2023.
Relations with the U.S. since then have plunged to new lows as the conflict continued. Russia detained Moscow-based U.S. journalist Evan Gershkovich in March.
Shortly before Putin spoke, a Russian court ruled that Gershkovich, 32, must stay behind bars until at least Jan. 30.
U.S citizen Paul Whelan, a corporate security executive from Michigan, also has been jailed in Russia since his 2018 arrest on espionage-related charges.
Russia recently rejected an offer to bring home Gershkovich and Whelan, both labeled by the U.S. government as wrongfully detained.
3) Canada Will Send Helicopters To Latvia Next Year, Defence Minister Says
By Sarah Ritchie in Ottawa
Four Canadian Griffon helicopters will be sent to Latvia next year as part of a NATO deterrence mission, Defence Minister Bill Blair announced during a visit to the Baltic country Friday.
Blair and defence chief Gen. Wayne Eyre are meeting with Latvian leaders and visiting Canadian troops at Camp Ādaži, just outside Riga, where Canada leads a NATO battle group.
NATO — which also has battle groups in Lithuania, Poland, Estonia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia — has plans to scale up to brigades all along its eastern flank in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Canada has already said it will double its troops in Latvia to around 2,200 by 2026, and will contribute a squadron of 15 Leopard 2 tanks plus associated personnel.
The tanks have already arrived in Latvia and the 130 troops are expected to be there next spring.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited Latvia before the NATO summit in Lithuania last July, announcing $2.6 billion has been set aside to help Canada grow its presence in the country, including a $1.4-billion commitment made in the 2022 federal budget.
Blair’s announcement Friday details how some of that will be spent.
The Armed Forces is buying portable anti-armour missile systems from Rafael Advanced Defence Systems. The contract is worth US$32.2 million and the systems are set to be delivered next summer.
That procurement was expedited because it was deemed an urgent operational requirement. Canada is also working on an urgent procurement of a short-range air defence system for the Latvia brigade and counter-drone systems.
Blair said Friday that he expects contracts for those will be signed in the new year, and that medium-range radar capabilities have been deployed as part of the contribution to air defence for the brigade.
The four Griffon helicopters are set to arrive next summer, representing the first time Canada has had a consistent tactical aviation presence in Europe since the missions in Kosovo and Bosnia in the 1990s and early 2000s.
The Royal Canadian Air Force has a fleet of 85 Griffons, which have been in service since the 1990s.
In 2022, the federal government announced an $800-million contract for upgrades that will extend their life into the 2030s. The first of those upgraded helicopters is set to be ready next year, with the final upgrades done by 2028.
Canada also plans to send Chinook helicopters periodically to the country starting in the fall of 2025.
Meanwhile, $15 million will go toward infrastructure improvements in Latvia. Camp Ādaži is home to around 1,700 troops, including 800 Canadians, and its facilities are visibly strained.
The base is a mix of permanent buildings, temporary shelters, tents and shipping containers. Portable toilets are scattered throughout the property.
Blair announced Canada will spend 3.1 million euros to “improve living conditions” and another four million euros to build accommodations at Ceri, the nearby location that will be headquarters for the brigade.
Latvian Defence Minister Andris Sprūds and Blair held a joint press conference Friday morning in which they reaffirmed the commitment of both countries to support Ukraine.
Local journalists asked Blair whether Canada’s free trade deal with Ukraine is at risk of being blocked by the opposition.
Conservative members of Parliament have voted against a government bill that would implement a negotiated update to the existing Canada-Ukraine trade agreement.
Tories said they voted against it because the updated deal, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed during a visit to Ottawa in September, includes language around both countries promoting carbon pricing.
Ukraine has had a carbon price in place for years, and its ambassador to Canada has been urging the Conservatives to change their position.
“The support of my government for Ukraine, and for working closely with all of our allies together in support of Ukraine, remains absolutely resolute and ironclad,” Blair said Friday.
He assured reporters that the bill will ultimately pass.
It is awaiting a final vote in the House of Commons before proceeding to the Senate.