In Geopolitics Today - Monday, April 18th
Military Base Construction on the Rise in Asia and the Pacific, US Approves Major Arms Sale to Nigeria, The European Union’s Search for Alternative Energy
Military Base Construction on the Rise in Asia and the Pacific
The construction of military bases by states has been rising across the Asia-Pacific since the late 2000s. China has been instrumental to this rise of military bases across the region, and Beijing has been primarily been driven by the desire to secure its sovereignty claims, protect its sea-based nuclear arsenal, and extend its ability to project power across the entire South China Sea. But as China has modernized its military and establishes more bases, other countries in the region have been forced to adjust their security calculations and build new military bases of their own.
Military bases are important manifestations of the national strategy of any state. They function as a demonstration of a certain level of national commitment which works to deter potential adversaries. Militarily, bases establish a defensible position which extends the capabilities of any state by serving as a platform from which military personnel can monitor dangers and conduct military operations. These advantages appear to justify the endeavour of constructing military bases for many countries in the Asia-Pacific, as Australia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, and the United States all embark on strategically-minded missions to project power over territory. The pace of military base construction in the region is noteworthy after decades of little militarization here, and the trend indicates increased interstate tensions moving forward.
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US Approves Major Arms Sale to Nigeria
After weeks of negotiations, the United States has confirmed that a major arms sale to Nigeria worth up to $1 billion will go ahead. According to a statement issued by the US Department of Defense, the deal involves the transfer of 12 Bell AH-1Z Viper helicopters, and will include engines, guidance, night vision, and targeting systems, as well as years of training. According to US officials, the deal aims to “better equip” the Nigerian military, and prepare the country’s armed forces for “interoperability with the US and other Western partners.”
The US State Department has expressed confidence that the arms deal would improve the national security of Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa. For Washington, this arms sale is said to be conductive toward the foreign policy goals and national security objectives of the US. Nigeria is a major energy exporter and much of this energy supply is crucial to Washington’s efforts at keeping energy prices stable while also isolating Russia from European energy markets. For Nigeria, the advanced attack helicopters will work to bolster their armed forces, which are currently struggling to contain rampant violence within its own borders. The response of the Nigerian government to this rising civil unrest led US officials to question the prudence of this particular transfer of arms to Nigeria before.
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The European Union’s Search for Alternative Energy
In the ongoing search for alternatives to Russian energy supplies, the EU has sought to negotiate with other energy producers in order to fulfil the natural gas needs of its member states. Even though natural gas prices are soaring, and are expected to remain high for the foreseeable future, EU member states are undertaking a dramatic shift in which they will seek to replace a key energy supplier in a relatively short span of time.
Thus far, the EU has negotiated with the US to increase liquefied natural gas (LNG) deliveries, which culminated in a US pledge to provide an additional 15 billion cubic metres of LNG this year. The EU has held discussions with the leadership in Baku, persuading Azerbaijan to maintain energy production at maximum capacity. In addition, the EU dropped its anti-trust investigation against Qatar to help Germany facilitate a long-term LNG deal. Separately, Italy has announced a new supply deal with Algeria, which should help Italy diversify away from Russian energy as the country buys an estimated 30 billion cubic metres of natural gas from Russia each year. The sanctions regime imposed by the EU on Russia is already extensive, and the addition of Russian energy to banned sectors could escalate the economic war until the all areas of the economic relationship between the EU and Russia have broken down.
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