In Geopolitics Today: Wednesday, December 28th
Poland Buys Two Spy Satellites from Airbus, Defence Ministers of Russia, Syria and Turkey Hold Talks in Moscow, and other stories.
Poland Buys Two Spy Satellites from Airbus
Poland has signed a contract to buy two French military satellites and a receiving station, the defence ministry announced on Tuesday. The satellites will come under the Polish flag by 2027, but Warsaw will be able to use other French observation systems immediately.
The deal between Airbus and the Polish Armament Agency was announced after a meeting of Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak and his French counterpart Sébastien Lecornu in Warsaw. France will provide Poland with a satellite package made up of two separate agreements covering the construction and delivery of two latest-generation optoelectronic observation satellites by the year 2027. The deal, valued at approximately $612 million, will allow the Polish military to detect threats early and obtain reconnaissance data with an image accuracy of about 30 centimeters.
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Spain Appoints New Ambassador to Venezuela
The Spanish government has appointed a new ambassador to Venezuela, indicating a potential improvement in relations between the two countries. This move slowly reverses Spain's recognition of Juan Guaido as interim president and the recall of its ambassador to Venezuela in 2018.
The appointment comes as political talks between the Venezuelan government and opposition groups are ongoing in Mexico. Spain's foreign ministry stated that the decision to appoint an ambassador was based on changing circumstances, and that Spain hopes to influence the Venezuelan political process through increased representation in Venezuelan affairs. The new ambassador is Ramon Santos Martinez, who has served as the acting head of Spain’s diplomatic mission in Caracas since November 2021.
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The US and China Scramble for Resources in the DRC
The United States is seeking to strengthen its relationship with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which is a major source of minerals used in technology, including cobalt, copper, and coltan.
The DRC is estimated to have $24 trillion worth of untapped mineral resources. The country is the world's largest producer of cobalt, which is a key component in lithium-ion batteries used in phones, computers, and electric vehicles. It is also Africa's largest producer of copper, and contains 70% of the world's coltan, which is used in cell phone and computer manufacturing. While Chinese companies have controlled a large share of cobalt mines in the DRC, things are changing as Washington has recently signed deals with the DRC and Zambia to support the development of an electric vehicle value chain.
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Defence Ministers of Russia, Syria and Turkey Hold Talks in Moscow
The defence ministers of Turkey, Syria, and Russia have held talks in Moscow. It was the first ministerial-level meeting between Turkey and Syria since the start of the Syrian conflict 11 years ago. The intelligence chiefs of the three countries also attended the talks, which are said to have taken place in a "positive atmosphere" between the three defence ministers.
The meeting reportedly focused on the Syrian crisis, the refugee problem, and joint efforts against terror organizations active in Syria. Russia has been trying to facilitate a reconciliation between Turkey and Syria, which have been on opposite sides of the Syrian civil war. The talks come amid warnings by Turkey of a new land incursion into Syria and as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who faces elections in June, is under pressure to send Syrian refugees back to their home country due to rising anti-refugee sentiment in Turkey amid an economic crisis.
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Sri Lanka Cutting Troop Numbers as Part of IMF Negotiations
Sri Lanka's government is considering reducing the size of its military by 16,000 troops as part of an effort to reduce military spending and secure a $2.9 billion package from the International Monetary Fund.
The size of the Sri Lankan armed forces has grown from an estimated 15,000 in the 1980s to nearly 250,000 at the end of the country's civil war in 2009, and has become an important source of employment for low-income rural families. While reducing military spending could potentially lead to increased investment and economic growth, downsizing the military could also have negative consequences, including an increase in crime and violence as former soldiers struggle to find employment in a weak job market.