After the complete impasse between Moscow and Washington yesterday, we need to examine what may happen as we look into the future…
#Russia #US #Ukraine #Donbass

https://gpovanman.wordpress.com/2022/01/13/western-dreams-gone-south/

Worrying words are now coming from Kiev. What could this all mean? Let’s find out…
#Russia #US #Ukraine #Donbass

https://gposhorts.wordpress.com/2022/01/24/the-ukrainian-push/

#your_opinion

🇲🇽🇺🇸🇨🇦 Despite recent clashes between the Sinaloa Cartel and Mexican central authorities that left dozens dead, the Three Leaders Summit in North America largely went as planned.

▪️ The biggest deviation known to date was President Biden breaking with established protocol and riding with his Mexican counterpart in what was a touch of Biden's preference for personal diplomacy. Despite a somewhat heated clash between the two Presidents early on over the role of the U.S. in recent decades in Latin America, the American side has achieved most of their goals coming into the meeting. This suggests Biden's gambit, among other gestures, was largely successful.

▪️ On the agenda were issues ranging from migration, climate change to economic integration. The former has become an especially heated topic in the United States as of late, and finding solutions has become time sensitive for the Biden Administration as it moves closer to a possible 2024 re-election bid. On a more strategic outlook, the agreements to deepen economic ties among the North American nations will perhaps be the most lasting outcome from this Summit. In light of increasing Global tensions, the movement to strengthen supply chains by focusing on joint mapping of mineral resources and developing future manufacturing labor capital are notable, as is the emphasis placed on reshoring semi-conductor production. The latter fits into broader movements this year by the U.S. to reduce its exposure to China, particularly as Washington grows increasingly ominous in its warnings related to Taiwan.

▪️ Areas of disagreement, while far fewer, are notable and do deserve a mention. Mexico's energy policies remain contentious between it and the rest of the USMCA bloc, and were not resolved by this meeting. Equally, U.S. hopes for concrete steps to reduce the fentanyl supply into the U.S. from Mexico also fell flat, but the exact causes for lack of agreement is interesting to speculate upon. Was it because Mexican authorities were not eager to further antagonize the cartels, given recent violence? It is notable a sop of sorts has already been extended by central authorities via the immediate extradition to the United States of Ovidio Guzmán being ruled out. Alternatively, it could just be a result of the U.S. emphasizing its longer term strategic goals and thus downgrading other considerations. Still, one can't shake the feeling that the rocky beginning and awkward ending to the meeting could've also just been political theater by AMLO, seeking to protect his domestic flank given the scope of the agreements made.

▪️ Overall, the U.S. moves here are major. A consistent theme in U.S. diplomacy of late has been the concept of deepening integration with its neighbors, but especially Mexico. As the Baby Boomer Generation begins to pass into retirement, American business is perhaps seeing a solution to this labor crunch south of the border. Mexican labor is fairly skilled, and their youth demographic is also numerous; Mexico is already the second largest trading partner of the United States and, unlike imports from China, imports from Mexico have the effect of increasing jobs domestically via supplying the parts necessary for high value input manufacturing in the United States itself. By increasing ties with Mexico, the U.S. can also help protect its Southern flank from Chinese influence efforts, which are growing in Latin America. Thus, a closer relationship with Mexico results in a happy convergence between national security concerns and economic interests, which make it so attractive to Washington foreign policy experts.

#Mexico #US #Canada

@meriblood

🇨🇳 #China is selling their #US Treasuries at a fast rate

Meanwhile, the People's Bank of China has added over 102 tons of #gold in the past 4 months. Total gold reserves are now 2,050 tons.

China is clearly trying to limit their counterparty risk in a conflict with the US.

📎 Indo Pacific News

🇮🇷 #Iran - 🇺🇸 #US - 🇮🇱 #Israel: Footage from the wartime period shows the IRGC Aerospace Force launching several Emad medium-range ballistic missiles from a flat, open area during the early hours of the morning. The launch site appears to lack any surrounding mountainous terrain or nearby tunnel infrastructure, leaving the launches fully exposed and highly vulnerable to detection by ISR platforms.

Despite this, the launches were apparently conducted without incident, with the launch crews reportedly returning safely to their bases afterward. This suggests the operators were confident there was no immediate aerial threat at the time, allowing them to carry out the launches openly and with a high degree of confidence.

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🇮🇷 #Iran - 🇺🇸 #US: Footage appears to show the IRGC Navy launching a possible Qader anti-ship cruise missile at a U.S. destroyer in the Strait of Hormuz earlier tonight.

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