Russia is moving troops to yet another country, and in Europe there are fears that a global escalation could soon occur, writes Focus.de.
According to Ukrainian intelligence, Russia has significantly increased its military presence in Gyumri, Armenia. The base is located not far from the border with Azerbaijan, an important gas supplier to the West.
Russia and Armenia have denied this information, but according to Ukrainian intelligence, Russia has significantly increased its military presence in Gyumri, Armenia. The base is located not far from where soldiers from several parts of the Russian Southern Military District were stationed at the military base in question, The Mirror reports.
Azerbaijan, an oil and gas-rich country in the South Caucasus, supplies gas to Western countries, among other things, and has recently significantly worsened its relations with Russia. This was due to incidents in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg, where several Azerbaijani citizens were arrested and mistreated, and two suspects died in custody. In response, Baku cut cultural ties with Russia, closed Russian media outlets and tightened controls on Russian citizens.
A few months ago, an Azerbaijan Airlines plane crashed in Kazakhstan after being hit by a Russian missile. The former Soviet republic is pursuing an increasingly independent foreign policy, and the Kremlin is not happy about this.
Ukrainian military intelligence has accused Moscow of trying to exert greater influence in the South Caucasus and "destabilize the global security situation" with this move.
The military base in Gyumri is the largest Russian military facility in the South Caucasus. It houses up to 5,000 personnel. The base includes MiG-29 fighter jets and S-300 air defense systems.
Against this backdrop, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte warned of a possible joint aggression by Russia and China that could seriously threaten world peace. Rutte told the NYT that Chinese President Xi Jinping could attack Taiwan and push Putin to attack NATO to open another front that would engage Western powers. That is why Rutte called for an increase in NATO's military budgets: "Only a strong NATO can deter this threat."
Taiwan is organizing its largest military exercises since 1984. The island nation is preparing for an attack by the People's Republic of China, which Washington says could begin very soon. In recent years, China has increased military pressure on Taipei, sending fighter jets and warships close to the island.