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Current Operations

Defense Policy / Programs

• Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov Hold Joint Press Conference DoD 19 Mar 2022
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Visit to Bulgaria DoD 19 Mar 2022
• Bulgaria Stands Up Multinational Battle Group DoD News 19 Mar 2022 -- Bulgaria has established and is now leading a NATO multinational battle group.
• U.S. To Deploy Armored Unit To Bulgaria To Boost NATO's Eastern Flank RFE/RL 19 Mar 2022 -- The United States will deploy a Stryker armored-vehicle infantry company for a NATO battle group being established in Bulgaria as the Western alliance moves to shore up its eastern flank in the face of Russian aggression in the region.
• U.S. military aircraft crashes in Norway People's Daily 19 Mar 2022 -- A U.S. plane with four crews taking part in a NATO exercise crashed in northern Norway on Friday, confirmed Hovedredningssentral (HRS), or the Joint rescue coordination center, in Northern Norway.
• Xi signs order to promulgate rules on regulating military equipment procurement contracts PLA Daily 19 Mar 2022 -- Xi Jinping, chairman of the Central Military Commission, has signed an order to promulgate a set of interim rules on regulating military equipment procurement contracts.
• Iran will never compromise on security in Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz: IRGC Navy commander Press TV 19 Mar 2022 -- The commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy says Iran will never compromise on defending the country's interests and resources, warning that security of the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz is "our red line."
• Exercise of Eagle Resolve 2022 Concluded in Colorado, USA SPA 19 Mar 2022 -- The activities of (Eagle Resolve 22) exercise were concluded at Fort Carson base in the US state of Colorado, which witnessed many joint combat scenarios regarding joint defense integration.
• Readout of Homeland Security Advisor Dr. Liz Sherwood-Randall's visit to Kosovo The White House 19 Mar 2022
• Readout of Homeland Security Advisor Dr. Liz Sherwood-Randall's Visit to France The White House 19 Mar 2022

Defense Industry

Other Conflicts

Ukraine Conflict News
• Yemen's Ansarullah turns down GCC invitation for talks with Saudi Arabia in Riyadh Press TV 19 Mar 2022 -- Yemen's popular Ansarullah resistance movement has declined to attend talks to be held by the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) at the regional union's headquarters in Riyadh, stressing that it will welcome talks to discuss a peaceful settlement to the ongoing conflict if the venue is a "neutral country", and that the priority is lifting "arbitrary" restrictions on Yemeni ports and Sana'a airport.
• South Yemen Separatists Agree to Participate in National Dialogue in Riyadh Sputnik 19 Mar 2022 -- The Southern Transitional Council, a secessionist organization in South Yemen, has agreed to participate in inter-Yemeni negotiations in Riyadh under the auspices of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) without preconditions, according to an official statement obtained by Sputnik.
• Armenia Calls On UN To 'Restore Neutrality' In Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict RFE/RL 19 Mar 2022 -- Armenia has demanded that the United Nations take steps "to restore its neutral position in the context of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict" as it protested the participation of UN officials in an Azerbaijani event in a key Karabakh town this week.
• France Ready To Support Armenia-Azerbaijan Peace Talks RFE/RL 19 Mar 2022 -- French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has said that France is ready, as a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, to support negotiations between Yerevan and Baku aimed at a peace deal.
• Algeria president vows not to cede rights over 'French colonialist crimes' Press TV 19 Mar 2022 -- Algerian President Abdelmajid Tebboune has vowed not to cede his country's rights over French colonialist crimes against Algeria, saying such rights "are not subject to the statute of limitations."
• Algeria Recalls Ambassador From Spain Over Western Sahara Issue Sputnik 19 Mar 2022 -- The Algerian ambassador to Spain has been recalled from Madrid after Spanish authorities expressed support for Morocco's proposal to give autonomy to Western Sahara, the Algerian Foreign Ministry said.
• UN, Aid Agencies Appeal for $1.2 Billion for South Sudan Refugees VOA 19 Mar 2022 -- The U.N. Refugee Agency, UNHCR, and 102 humanitarian and developmental agencies are asking for $1.2 billion to help 2.3 million South Sudanese refugees and communities sheltering them in five countries.

News Reports

• Serdar Berdymukhammedov Takes The Reins As Turkmenistan's President RFE/RL 19 Mar 2022 -- Serdar Berdymukhammedov, son of long-standing autocratic Turkmen leader Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov, has taken office as president.
• Turkmenistan's Newly Elected President Promises Country Will Remain Neutral Sputnik 19 Mar 2022 -- Turkmen President-elect Serdar Berdimuhamedov in his inauguration speech on Saturday has promised that Turkmenistan will continue its policy of neutrality.
• Germany Unable to Heat Homes Next Winter Without Russian Gas Supplies, Minister Says Sputnik 19 Mar 2022 -- Germany cannot yet stop Russian gas supplies as it risks facing shortages that will not allow the country to support its industry and heat homes next winter, German Economy Minister Robert Habeck said on Saturday.
• Japan Urges India To Take Tougher Stand Against Russia RFE/RL 19 Mar 2022 -- Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has pressed Indian leader Narendra Modi to take a tougher stand against Russia's invasion of Ukraine, saying it had shaken the "foundation of international order" and required a clear response.
• Russia under no illusion it could ever rely on West again: Lavrov Press TV 19 Mar 2022 -- Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says the Kremlin is now well aware of the fact that it can never rely on the West.
• Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's remarks and answers to questions during his meeting with finalists of the International Track as part of the Leaders of Russia management competition, Moscow, March 19, 2022 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 19 Mar 2022
• Telephone conversation with Prime Minister of Luxembourg Xavier Bettel President of Russia 19 Mar 2022 -- Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with Prime Minister of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg Xavier Bettel at the Luxembourg side's initiative.
• UK's Johnson says West must not 'normalize' ties with Russia Press TV 19 Mar 2022 -- Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned the West against "renormalizing" ties with Russia, which he accuses of attacking civilians in Ukraine.
• Britain's Johnson Warns Against Attempts To 'Renormalize' Relations With Russia RFE/RL 19 Mar 2022 -- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned that the West should not attempt to "renormalize relations" with Russian President Vladimir Putin following his unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
• Biden's comments on Taiwan a signal to China: scholars CNA 19 Mar 2022 -- U.S. President Joe Biden's comments regarding Taiwan during a telephone call with his Chinese counterpart were meant to discourage Beijing from making any rash moves on Taiwan amid the Ukraine crisis, a Taiwanese professor said Saturday.
• Biden raises concerns about tensions in Taiwan Strait during call with Xi CNA 19 Mar 2022 -- United States President Joe Biden expressed concern about China's "provocative actions" during a video call with China's leader Xi Jinping (習近平) on Friday, according to the White House.
• Improper handling of Taiwan issue to influence Sino-US ties: Xi to Biden Press TV 19 Mar 2022 -- China's President Xi Jinping has warned his American counterpart, Joe Biden, that improper handling of the thorny issue of the Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) will negatively impact the already strained Sino-US relations.
• Xi has candid, in-depth exchange of views with Biden Global Times 19 Mar 2022 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping had a video call with U.S. President Joe Biden at the request of the latter on Friday. The two Presidents had a candid and in-depth exchange of views on China-U.S. relations, the situation in Ukraine, and other issues of mutual interest.
• President Xi Jinping Has a Video Call with US President Joe Biden PRC MofA 19 Mar 2022 -- On the evening of 18 March, President Xi Jinping had a video call with US President Joe Biden at the request of the latter. The two Presidents had a candid and in-depth exchange of views on China-US relations, the situation in Ukraine, and other issues of mutual interest.
• Xi urges US, NATO to talk with Russia, opposes indiscriminate sanctions Global Times 19 Mar 2022 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping encouraged the US and NATO to have conversations with Russia to solve the problems behind the Ukraine crisis, and expressed opposition to indiscriminate sanctions, during his video meeting with US President Joe Biden on Friday.
• Four Chinese military aircraft enter Taiwan's ADIZ CNA 19 Mar 2022 -- Four Chinese military aircraft, two fighter jets and two bombers, flew into the southwestern part of Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ) Saturday, the Ministry of National Defense said.
• Iran to start works on power grid link-up with Qatar: Minister Press TV 19 Mar 2022 -- Iran's Energy Minister Ali Akbar Mehrabian says the country will soon start works on linking up its electricity grid to the neighboring Qatar.
• Russia urges West to address 'Iran's legitimate demands' in Vienna talks Press TV 19 Mar 2022 -- Russia has called on the Western parties to the negotiations in Vienna to work on addressing "Iran's legitimate demands" instead of blaming Moscow for the stalemate in the talks aimed at reviving the 2015 nuclear deal.
• Iran Reportedly Built Covert Financial System to Trade With Foreign Countries Despite US Sanctions Sputnik 19 Mar 2022 -- The WSJ story about Iran's system to circumvent American sanctions casts a shadow on the prospects of the US and EU's recent sanctions succeeding in severing Russia from the financial and other global markets over the situation in Ukraine.
• Junta under pressure to restore access to electricity in Myanmar Radio Free Asia 19 Mar 2022 -- Scheduled cuts to Myanmar's shaky electricity supply over the past week to take pressure off the country's strained power grid have failed to remedy dire shortages, sources said Friday, as activists warned that the junta's failure to restore power distribution could cost hundreds of thousands of jobs.
• Pakistani FM Says PM Imran Khan Will Not Step Down Despite Looming Confidence Vote Sputnik 19 Mar 2022 -- Around 100 opposition parliamentarians earlier submitted a no-confidence motion before the National Assembly Secretariat against Pakistan's ruling party, Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI).
• Some See Assad's Visit to UAE as Step Forward for Syria VOA 19 Mar 2022 -- Arab media based in the United Arab Emirates cast a positive light on the visit of Syrian President Bashar al Assad to both Abu Dhabi and Dubai on Friday, to meet the top rulers of the important Gulf state, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed and Dubai's Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum.