In Geopolitics Today: Wednesday, September 28th
War in Ukraine a Chance for the US to Increase Arms Exports, Baltic Natural Gas Pipeline Opens, and other stories.
War in Ukraine a Chance for the US to Increase Arms Exports
The war in Ukraine is providing an opportunity for the United States to increase its dominance in global arms exports. A member of the US National Security Council (NSC) acknowledged as much when she stated that there lies an “opportunity” for US arms makers to find new buyers at a time when Russia’s defence industry is crippled by sanctions and occupied by orders from Russia’s armed forces.
The coordinator for defence policy and arms control for the US NSC recently stated that countries that rely on Russian military equipment will be forced to look elsewhere due to sanctions, calling on US weapons manufacturers to be “ready to go” in order to seize the opportunity. The comments indicate an interest by the US government to expand the country’s dominance in the global arms trade. US arms producers accounted for 39 percent of global arms sales, while their Russian equivalents made up roughly 19 percent.
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Baltic Natural Gas Pipeline Opens
A ceremony marking the opening of the Baltic Pipe natural gas pipeline was held in Goleniow, Poland. Polish President Andrzej Duda, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, were all present to celebrate the opening of a pipeline that will serve as a key route to carry gas from Norway through Denmark to Poland.
The Baltic Pipe project consists of five major components: a North Sea offshore pipeline, an onshore pipeline in Denmark, a compressor station in Denmark, a Baltic Sea offshore pipeline, and onshore facilities in Poland. Gas transmission through the pipeline is expected to start carrying natural gas from the 1st of October and promises to carry 10 billion cubic meters per year from Norway to Poland. The project is a collaboration between the Danish gas and electricity transmission system operator Energinet and the Polish gas transmission system operator GAZ-SYSTEM.
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The US Warns Sudan over Possible Russian Base on the Red Sea
The US Ambassador to Sudan, John Godfrey, has warned the Sudanese government that repercussions would follow if Khartoum allowed Russia to build a military base near the Red Sea. Following reports that Russia is trying to implement an agreement signed in 2017 to establish a military base along the Red Sea, the US diplomat cautioned warned that such a move will isolate Sudan from the international community and undermine the country's interests.
Sudan signed an agreement allowing Moscow to build the base, capable of hosting nuclear-powered ships, during the government of former President Omar Hassan al-Bashir. Under the terms of the deal, Russia would lease the site for 25 years with the possibility of further extending this time-frame for 10 years, potentially giving Moscow access to the Red Sea's warm waters and the strategic waterway of Bab el-Mandeb. While the US diplomat acknowledged that Sudan has a sovereign right to choose its partners, Khartoum's choices will “have consequences.”
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National Cyber Power Index 2022
It is evident from today’s geopolitical environment that states are pursuing a more comprehensive set of cyber power capabilities. To best understand the actions of states and national power today, it is useful to conceptualize cyber power as composed of the objectives that states will attempt to achieve in and through cyberspace.
A recent report published by the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs aims to understand and track the cyber power capabilities of states as an evolving set of policies and capabilities. The framework utilized by the researchers allows policymakers to consider a range of challenges and threats from state actors in the cyber domain. The report allows for better understanding of the evolution of the cyber power of states, factors that remain fundamental to geopolitical outcomes for the foreseeable future.