With eye on US’ Asia pivot, Russia surges in Far East

[bemildred]

The great German statesman Otto von Bismarck once said, “Political judgement is the ability to hear the distant hoof-beats of the horse of history”. The Kremlin’s decision to establish a military base on the disputed Kurile Islands in North-east Asia must be counted as a matter of political judgement. Moscow intends to write history with the hope that history will, thereupon, be kind to it.

Nonetheless, it has been a low-key ‘announcement’, made inter alia by Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu during a routine meeting of his ministry’s board in Moscow on Friday. Perhaps, it cannot even be regarded as an ‘announcement’.

Shoigu simply disclosed that a team from the Russian Pacific Fleet is being dispatched to the disputed islands on a 3-month mission to determine the feasibility of building a naval base at a suitable location somewhere on the Greater Kurile Ridge.

Shoigu also slipped in a vital bit of information that Bal and Bastion shore-to-ship missiles and Eleron-3 drones will be deployed on the islands before the end of this year. These are of course formidable state-of-the-art Russian missile systems with the capability to protect naval bases and other strategic installations on the coast, defend coastline in probable landing approach areas and to establish control over strait zone and territorial waters in areas of high-risk assaults as well as for gaining overall dominance over the sea. Both have a range of up to 300 kilometers.

http://atimes.com/2016/03/with-eye-on-us-asia-pivot-russia-surges-in-far-east/

[yourpaljoey]

1. This continued 'alliance' between Russia and China is very interesting

The SOC, BRICS... what next?

[bemildred]

2. "Russia and China have a common stance with regard to the ABM deployments."

Best sentence in it. Bhadrakumar does tend to gush a bit now and then, but he has the way of nailing things too.

Russia and China are a lot friendlier than they might be because of our good efforts. Yes.

[yourpaljoey]

3. I am quite surprised by the extent of the ABM deployments in that region

Somehow I have completely missed that.

[bemildred]

4. I think it is recent.

It was sort of like with the Syrian situation starting to solidify and look like it might not get worse, there was a desire to start something somewhere else, sort of have it ready for later or something. It is very strange the way that situation has developed. But I haven't paid that much attention to it yet. N. Koreas antics seem to part of it.

I don't really see what we are trying to accomplish there.

[bemildred]

6. North Korea began nuke tests after U.S. rejection, Russian diplomat says

See, there's this. The Russians might be lying, but we've been very consistent about not talking to Kim without upfront concessions, don't want to lend him legitimacy. A misplaced concern in my view. So it sounds consistent. It does suggest that if we want little Kim to stop the acting out, there is a simple if unpalatable solution. But with us it's all about how it looks.

SEOUL, March 28 (UPI) -- North Korea began a fresh round of nuclear provocations after the United States turned down an offer of peace talks, a Russian diplomat said.

The source, who was not unidentified, told Russian news agency RIA Novosti that North Korea had hoped to restart a dialogue with Washington.

North Korea's optimism was dashed when the United States rejected the offer, according to the source.

"At present, North Korea is seeking talks with the United States, but the goal is not being realized," the source said.

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2016/03/28/North-Korea-began-nuke-tests-after-US-rejection-Russian-diplomat-says/1081459170798/

[yourpaljoey]

7. wow, that certainly has the ring of truth to it

[bemildred]

5. China appoints special envoy to Syria

And ...

BEIJING (AFP) - China has appointed its first special envoy to Syria, its foreign ministry said Tuesday (March 29), as the Asian nation seeks to increase its diplomatic footprint in the Middle East.

China depends on the volatile region for its oil supplies but has long taken a back seat in its disputes, only recently beginning to expand its role.

In recent months, Beijing has hosted high-level delegations from both the Syrian government and the opposition.

It consistently says the crisis needs a "political solution" but has four times vetoed UN Security Council measures aimed at addressing the conflict - the latest seeking the investigation of war crimes in the country.

http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/china-appoints-special-envoy-to-syria

[yourpaljoey]

8. China

There was some talk in the wind about China sending military support
to the Syrian arena to work with Russia. Was unable to verify such.
There is talk of BRICS working with Syria to rebuild.
And now Russia offers the peace pipe to Turkey... very interesting.
That act of diplomacy surely gains good will while costing Putin nothing.

[bemildred]

9. Yes, I've heard such things too.

Moral support only from those guys. BRICS have their own issues, Chinese want to do business, not go to war.

No idea what Erdogan will do next, watching him thrash around would be entertaining if it was unimportant.

The Chinese, however, have been diplomatically quite supportive of Russia-Iran-Syria without getting too chummy, and not wanting to piss of anybody else off either. Or that's how it looks to me.

Costs nothing, exactly. There is a cliche attributed to Churchill to the effect that if you have to kill a man, it costs nothing to be polite. My observation has been that Putin likes to rub it in at times (see: http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160329/1037135853/syria-russia-bouthaina-shaaban.html and http://www.newsweek.com/putin-ally-says-us-has-not-thanked-russia-liberating-palmyra-441653?piano_t=1), so it is good to see he can forgo that at times.

[yourpaljoey]

10. "The U.S. has not praised or thanked Russia for 'liberating' the historic Syrian city of Palmyra"

Putin chuckled in his morning coffee when he thought of that.