Voice of America: “Europe and Russia should unite forces”

The Voice of America writes today about the expectations of Russia regarding the upcoming Syrian negotiations. Recent efforts made by the United Nations to resolve the crisis in Syria could lead to success in a united struggle against Islamic State. The fact is that the destabilization of the situation around ISIS is becoming a threat to the global community, and attempts by Syrian factions to join the terrorist organization, can serve as a prerequisite for the West and Russia to seek common solutions to the crisis.

Islamic State, a radical Sunni Muslim organization, holds militias in Syria and Iraq, and remains the most unpredictable force in the world, which threatens the stability of many countries in the Middle East. In order to face the very serious threat from ISIS, Europe and Russia should forget their differences and unite efforts, otherwise the world’s boundaries may change forever.

Russian Deployment of Missile Defenses Hidden in Plain Sight

Despite its incessant propaganda against U.S. ballistic missile defense efforts, Russia is building a unified “aerospace defense” system aimed at intercepting U.S. ballistic missiles.

Russia is now pressing for a legally binding commitment by the U.S. that would limit our missiles defenses. Furthermore, Russia is demanding a veto on U.S. deployment decisions. Indeed, as General Nikolai Makarov stated, “The main condition for joint work [in the area of missile defense] should be the permanent participation of Russian experts in drafting the European missile defense architecture.”

Moreover, Russia’s effort to build an aerospace defense system began far before the 2002 U.S. decision to deploy very limited missile defenses. As Colonel-General Boris Cheltsov of the Academy of Military Sciences, Aerospace Defense Department Chief, revealed: “Back in 1994, the first Russian Federation’s Aerospace Defense project came about. In 2006, the Russian president [Putin] has approved the Conception for the Creation of the Aerospace Defense System.” As a result of the 2006 decision, according to Colonel-General Cheltsov, and after President Putin approved the Russian Federation Aerospace Defense Construction Blueprint 6, work began to be conducted on the development of a real-time data transmission system, on active antenna arrays and on fundamentally new detection, reconnaissance and weapon systems, including systems based upon “new physical principles.”