Four NATO Nations Would Pick Russia to Defend Them If Threatened: Poll

Who you gonna call? For the citizens of four NATO countries asked which military power they’d want fighting on their side if attacked, the answer was simple -- Russia.

That was among the findings of a multi-nation WIN/Gallup International poll published just ahead of Friday’s annual gathering of the transatlantic security community in Germany that appeared to map out shifts in the post-Cold War security alliances which have come under renewed strain and scrutiny since Donald Trump’s election to the U.S. presidency.

By far the largest number of countries polled chose the U.S. for their go-to defense partner, suggesting that it remains the world’s only military power with truly global reach and alliances .... https://www.bloomberg.com

In Stunning Pair Of Interviews, Trump Slams NATO And EU, Threatens BMW With Tax; Prepared To "Cut Ties" With Merkel

In two separate, and quite striking, interviews with Germany's Bild (paywall) and London's Sunday Times (paywall), Donald Trump did what he failed to do in his first US press conference, and covered an extensive amount of policy and strategy, much of which however will likely please neither the pundits, nor the markets.

Among the numerous topics covered in the Bild interview, he called NATO obsolete, predicted that other European Union members would join the U.K. in leaving the bloc and threatened BMW with import duties over a planned plant in Mexico, according to a Sunday interview granted to Germany’s Bild newspaper that will raise concerns in Berlin over trans-Atlantic relations .... http://www.zerohedge.com

Mystery as NATO Auditor General is found shot dead in suspicious circumstances

According to appears, Yves Chandelon, the 62-year-old auditor general of NATO was found miles away from both his on and office.

His body was found in the Belgian town of Andenne, 62 miles away from his rest-home in Lens on December 16.

According to local news per reports Mr Chandelon was the record keeper of three weapons however the gun found at the scene did not belong to him, it has been commanded.

And more bizarrely it has been reported locally that the gun which silenced him was found in the glovebox of the vehicle .... http://abilk.com

China Sides With Russia In Syrian War, Will Provide "Aid And Military Training" To Assad

Beijing and Damascus have agreed that the Chinese military will have closer ties with Syria, and provide humanitarian aid to the civil war torn nation, a high-ranking People's Liberation Army officer said, adding that the training of Syrian personnel by Chinese instructors has also been discussed, according toXinhua.

As has been historically the case, China tends to leave Middle Eastern diplomacy to the other permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, namely the United States, Britain, France and Russia, while relying on the region for oil supplies. But lately, for unknown reasons, China has been trying to get more involved, including sending envoys to help push for a diplomatic resolution to the violence there and hosting Syrian government and opposition figures according to Reuters .... http://www.zerohedge.com

French Foreign Minister: "Russia and Iran will be accomplices in war crimes committed in Aleppo.”

The US accused Russia on Sunday of supporting “barbarism” over the bombing of the Syrian city of Aleppo during an emergency UN Security Council meeting that produced some of the most bitter diplomatic accusations of the five-year-old conflict.

Samantha Power, US ambassador to the UN, said Russian and Syrian forces were “laying waste to what is left of an iconic Middle Eastern city”. Ms Power and her UK and French counterparts later walked out of the session when the Syrian representative addressed the council.

The allegations against Russia, which included claims the Kremlin was condoning war crimes, came as Aleppo was bracing for an onslaught by Russian-backed Syrian government forces .... https://www.ft.com

Provoking nuclear war by media – John Pilger

In the US, the anti-Russia campaign has been elevated to virtual reality. The New York Times columnist Paul Krugman, an economist with a Nobel Prize, has called Donald Trump the “Siberian Candidate” because Trump is Putin’s man, he says. Trump had dared to suggest, in a rare lucid moment, that war with Russia might be a bad idea. In fact, he has gone further and removed American arms shipments to Ukraine from the Republican platform. “Wouldn’t it be great if we got along with Russia,” he said .... https://www.rt.com

Too many US nuclear bombs in Turkey

Writing in Foreign Policy, Jeffrey Lewis, a nuclear proliferation expert at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, asks, “Does it seem like a good idea to station American nuclear weapons at an air base commanded by someone who may have just helped bomb his own country’s presidential palace?”

Hans Kristensen, a nuclear expert with the Federation of American Scientists, argues that “the security situation in Turkey and in the base area no longer meet the safety requirements that the US should have for storage of nuclear weapons. You only get so many warnings before something goes terribly wrong. It’s time to withdraw the weapons.”

Most tellingly, former NATO Supreme Allied Commander James Stavridis recently wrote that if NATO really does house tactical nuclear weapons at Incirlik Air Base, “this poses a very dangerous problem” .... http://jordantimes.com

Turkish Prosecutors Raid Incirlik Airbase Housing US Warplanes And 50 Nuclear Bombs

The saga surrounding the Turkish Incirlik air base, which is not only the headquarters to the US 39th Air Base Wing but also vaults over 50 B1 nuclear bombs, and is critical to all US missions not only against ISIS but the entire middle east continues. Moments ago, Turkey's state-run news agency says seven prosecutors, charged with investigating a foiled coup, have entered the Incirlik Air Base .... http://www.zerohedge.com

John Kerry Blasts Turkey For Accusing US Of Orchestrating Failed Coup, Admits US Had No Idea It Was Coming

As Reuters reports, John Kerry urged Turkey on Saturday to exercise restraint after a failed military coup sparked a government crackdown, and warned its NATO ally that public suggestions of a U.S. role in the plot were "utterly false" and harmful to relations. Kerry also said that authorities should respect the rule of law during their probe of the coup .... http://www.zerohedge.com

Kammenos confirms Obama-Tsipras exchange over Russia at NATO summit

According to a report in the Financial Times on Sunday, as NATO leaders sat down for dinner in Warsaw’s presidential palace, Tsipras “broke form the official consensus and argued for partnership with Vladimir Putin, the Russian president” to end the crisis in Syria.

“His position was quickly slapped down by US President Barack Obama,” the report said .... http://www.ekathimerini.com

NATO missile defense goes live in Europe, isolating Russia not the goal – Stoltenberg

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced that the alliance’s ballistic missile defense system in Europe is now operational. The system includes warships, long-range missile defense interceptors and radars placed across the territory controlled by the allied forces.

“Today we have decided to declare initial operational capability of the NATO ballistic missile defense system. This means that the US ships based in Spain, the radar in Turkey and the interceptor site in Romania are now able to work together under NATO command and NATO control," he explained.

Stoltenberg added that the shield is “entirely defensive" and "represents no threat to Russia's strategic nuclear deterrent.” .... https://www.rt.com

Britain to send hundreds of troops to Russian border amid Nato concerns

The UK will deploy hundreds of troops in response to growing concerns over Russia’s presence on its border with the Baltic states, David Cameron is set to announce.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon says 650 troops will be sent to eastern Europe to help Nato in its mission to “deter Russia from any further aggression”.

A battalion of 500 soldiers will be sent to Estonia while 150 troops will be based in Poland, Mr Fallon confirmed, with the UK assuming leadership of Nato’s standby force early next year .... http://www.independent.co.uk

Putin: ‘EU is Russia’s friend; NATO is the problem’

Vladimir Putin used a keynote address in his home city of St. Petersburg this weekend to outline his belief that America uses NATO to drive a wedge between the EU and Russia. Instead, he offered an alternative vision for European unity.

Jean-Claude Juncker has a dream. The European Union Commission President can see a future where a common European home stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to its Pacific counterpart. This weekend, he told The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum that “for the European Union and Russia, the prize, one day, could be great: a vast region governed by the rule of law, trading freely and working together on common projects.” .... https://www.rt.com

EU Army on way? EU cannot rely on NATO and needs new defence policy says Brussels chief

According to a new foreign policy document from the Brussels-based institution to be handed to EU leaders next week, a "credible European defence" is also essential to preserve good relations with the US.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini's Global Strategy document states that "as Europeans we must take greater responsibility for our security".

The white paper, seen by Politico, adds: "While NATO exists to defend its members — most of which are European — from external attack, Europeans must be better equipped, trained and organised to contribute decisively to such collective efforts, as well as to act autonomously if and when necessary.

"A more credible European defence is essential also for the sake of a healthy transatlantic partnership with the United States." .... http://www.express.co.uk

Putin: Russia will respond to 'aggressive NATO rhetoric'

Russia will take adequate measures to counter NATO's increasingly “aggressive rhetoric," President Vladimir Putin told MPs at the closing session of the State Duma. He called to create an international security system open to all countries.

It’s necessary to create a collective security system void of "bloc-like thinking" and open to all countries, Putin said on Wednesday in Russia's parliament.

"Russia is ready to discuss this extremely important issue," he said, adding that such proposals have been so far left unanswered by Western countries.

"But again, as it was at the beginning of WWII, we don't see any positive response," he continued. "On the contrary, NATO ups its aggressive rhetoric and aggressive actions near our borders."

"In this environment, we must pay special attention to strengthening our country's defense capabilities," he concluded .... https://www.rt.com

Putin: ‘EU is Russia’s friend; NATO is the problem’

Vladimir Putin used a keynote address in his home city of St. Petersburg this weekend to outline his belief that America uses NATO to drive a wedge between the EU and Russia. Instead, he offered an alternative vision for European unity.

Jean-Claude Juncker has a dream. The European Union Commission President can see a future where a common European home stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to its Pacific counterpart. This weekend, he told The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum that “for the European Union and Russia, the prize, one day, could be great: a vast region governed by the rule of law, trading freely and working together on common projects.”

In 2010, Vladimir Putin had a similar mental picture. And he took to the pages of Germany’s Süddeutsche Zeitung to announce it. "We propose the creation of a harmonious economic community stretching from Lisbon to Vladivostok," Putin suggested. "In the future, we could even consider a free trade zone or even more advanced forms of economic integration. The result would be a unified continental market with a capacity worth trillions of euros.” .... https://www.rt.com

South China Sea warning looms over G7 summit

The foreign ministers of the Group of Seven nations began a summit in Japan on Sunday by calling for an end to nuclear weapons, but Beijing warned the meeting’s “deserving concerns” could be overshadowed by a Japanese move to make the South China Sea a key item on the agenda.

The meeting is taking place in Hiroshima, a Japanese city obliterated by a US atomic bomb more than seven decades ago, but Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Ki­shida, who presides over the two-day annual meeting this year, said the ministers would also discuss maritime security .... http://www.scmp.com

Putin & The Failure Of Washington's Propagandist Predictions

The American presstitutes are captives of their own propaganda and are now surprised at the failure of their propagandistic predictions.

Having stripped the Islamic State of offensive capability and liberated Syria from the Washington-supported terrorists, Putin has now shifted to diplomacy. If peace fails in Syria, the failure cannot be blamed on Russia.

Putin has also demonstrated that, unlike Washington, Russia is able to achieve decisive military results in a short time without Russian casualties and to withdraw without becoming a permanent occupying force. This very impressive performance is causing the world to rethink which country is really the superpower .... http://www.zerohedge.com

How much more the U.S. spends on defense than everybody else