Security & Defense

Putin Targets the Baltics to Discredit NATO

By Edward Lucas, Wall Street Journal

“[T]he squeeze on the Baltics stems not from any real interest in the fate of expatriate Russians—a matter that Moscow systematically ignores in most countries.

CIA Halts Spying in Europe

By Ken Dilanian, AP

“The CIA has curbed spying on friendly governments in Western Europe in response to the furor over a German caught selling secrets to the United States and the Edward Snowden revelations of classified information held by the National Security Agency, according to current and former U.S. officials.”

Report: Kremlin Considering Steps to Disconnect Russia from the Internet During Emergencies

By Anna Smolchenko and Olga Rotenberg, AFP

Russia is considering measures to protect its cyberspace from the “unpredictable” West, President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman said on Friday after a newspaper said Moscow was contemplating unplugging the Internet during protests or war.

NATO Official: ‘Very Alarming’ Cyber Threat Level for at Least Ten Years

By Warwick Ashford, Computer Weekly

The “very alarming” level of cyber threats organisations face is unlikely to fall for at least ten years, according to Suleyman Anil, head of cyber defence head at the emerging security challenges division of Nato.

Putin: Russian Troops could be in Vilnius, Warsaw, and Bucharest in Two Days

By Delfi and BBC

From Delfi:  In a meeting with Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko, Vladimir Putin allegedly threatened that, if he wanted, the Russian army could occupy Poland and the Baltic states in two days.

Spain to Replace Dutch in Turkey Patriot Missile Deployment

Spain will send a Patriot anti-ballistic missile battery to Turkey’s southern border with Syria as part of a NATO initiative, Defence Minister Pedro Morenes said on Wednesday, replacing the Netherlands’ contribution to the deployment.

Is China’s Ambassador to Iceland Missing Because He Spied for Japan?

By Reuters and Kyodo News International

From Reuters:  China’s Foreign Ministry refused to say on Wednesday where its ambassador to Iceland was or who was even representing Beijing in the country, following reports he had been arrested by state security for passing secrets to Japan.