This story originated in VOA’s Russian Service.

WASHINGTON – At this year’s International Arctic Forum in St. Petersburg, Russian leaders made the most peaceable statements to date about Moscow’s long-term plans for the a rapidly melting Arctic.

Answering questions during the forum’s international plenary session, President Vladimir Putin extolled Moscow and Washington’s common interests in the region, explaining that he doesn’t sense any “special military tension” in the region.

Not only does Russia forego military exercises in the Arctic, it’s focused on helping neighbors dramatically increase cargo shipments across Arctic sea routes, he explained.

“Our aviation activity in the Baltic Sea zone, the Arctic, is an order of magnitude lower than the activity of the NATO countries,” he announced to those in attendance, which included the leaders of Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.

“This is a realistic, well-calculated and concrete task. We need to make the Northern sea route safe and commercially feasible,” Putin added.

Some activities omitted

But Putin’s account of an ambitious commercial program to secure an Arctic foothold, which includes the planned construction of ports, infrastructure and even an expanded fleet of icebreakers, omitted the following activities.

May 2017: At Moscow’s annual Victory Day parade, Russia unveils new weapons system with missiles outfitted for use in the Arctic.

October 2017: Arctic detachment of Russian Navy Northern Fleet combat ships practice live-fire missile drills.

February 2018: Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov, commander of the Northern Fleet, declares the strengthening of Russia’s Arctic military presence with the placement of tactical unit outposts. “This is an Arctic-motorized rifle brigade, a tactical group of coastal troops, air defense units that maintain a watch on the islands of the Arctic Ocean, in the archipelagoes of Franz Josef Land, Novaya Zemlya, Severnaya Zemlya and the New Siberian Islands.”

March 2018: “Putin,” a newly released campaign-trail film, shows the president boasting of Arctic-based, state-of-the-art missile-launch detection and tracking systems. “The Arctic region is extremely important for Russia,” Putin is recorded saying, and that U.S. submarines “keep constant watch in the Norwegian Sea off the coast of Norway.”

April 2018: Rosgvardia, Russia’s National Guard, conducts transport and assault exercises on the militarily inhabited Franz Josef Land.

September 2018: Colonel General Oleg Salyukov, commander of the Russia’s ground forces, announces a new generation “Tor-M2” air-defense missile system for use in the Arctic, and he says that the Bastion-P mobile anti-ship and surface-to-surface missile defense systems have already been placed on Kotelny Island.

February 2019: Pro-Kremlin Izvestia newspaper reports on Russian plans for MiG-31 fighter jet patrols of the Arctic, with two squadrons based at the Murmansk region aerodrome and plans for a permanently stationed regiment.

US voices: Arctic strategy needs update

Some U.S. military officials and legislators have expressed concern that Washington isn’t paying enough attention to Russia’s military entrenchment in the region.

They say the Department of Defense Arctic Strategy, last updated in 2017, largely got overlooked in the more all-encompassing National Defense Strategy, the main U.S. military strategy document signed by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

In August 2018, Congress passed a National Defense Authorization Act that approved unprecedented funds for the construction of six new polar class icebreakers by 2029. The U.S. Coast Guard has only two — one of which is 10 years beyond its intended use — compared to Russia’s 46.

The bill also calls for an updated Arctic strategy, including regularly updated summaries of regional foreign threats posed by Russia and China, along with specific roles and missions for each branch of the U.S. military.

According to one expert, the asymmetry of U.S. and Russian assets in the Arctic may have to do with how Russia sees itself and the resources it needs for long-term planning.

“The Arctic is extremely important for Russia, because it’s really part of their national identity,” said Robert Orttung of the George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs. “In contrast to the United States, Russia really is an Arctic country. Much of the territory is in the Arctic, whereas in the U.S., it’s simply Alaska, so we don’t really think of ourselves as an Arctic country.

“I think the most important question for Russia is the energy there, because they depend heavily on the resources,” he added. “And going forward, that’s going to be the main source of oil and gas for the country. Second, of course, is defense, and they see that as the main way to build up their Arctic resources and to protect themselves against what they see as a potential threat coming from the north.”

Orttung also says the melting ice has drained the region of its historically romantic mystique, and that easier access to natural resources may open up more possibilities for international trade and cooperation.

“In the past, the Arctic was an area that people were extremely interested in, and there were these heroic explorers who really stirred the imagination in Russia and in the West,” he said. “Of course, that’s kind of changed now. Now the Arctic is seen more as a place of climate change and dramatic changes — and possibilities — in terms of trade and energy development.”

Military dominant situation

But the ultimate Russian goal is to have a militarily dominant situation in the Arctic, “especially at a time when the U.S. is perceived as an adversary,” he added.

“And the U.S. has been spending less money on the Arctic, but I think we have to look at the difference between the rhetoric coming from the Kremlin and President Putin, and the actual development on the ground,” he said. “I think [Putin] talks a better game than actually exists, and it’s more about presenting the face of developing this military capacity, when in fact there aren’t the funds in Russia to actually do that.”

Orttung also says he sees the Arctic as one of the last areas for prospective cooperation.

“The Arctic for Russia and the U.S. in particular is one of the last areas of actual cooperation, where we can work together as a citizen, as scientists, as observers,” he said. “So far, it hasn’t been infected by the difficulty of Russia’s invasion and occupation of Ukraine, for example. That’s sort of been kept as a separate issue. So all this increased talk about militarization — and of course, the U.S. is putting more airplanes and fighter planes in Alaska — and it’s just making it more and more difficult to see how the traditional cooperation that we’ve had in the Arctic can be preserved in the future.”

Retired Admiral Gary Roughead, former chief of U.S. Naval Operations, told VOA’s Russian Service that Russia, like any country, has a primary interest in protecting and defending its coastal borders, and that it has a geopolitical interest in influencing how sea routes are developed and used.

“To see the transpolar routes become more accessible and used … I think that it adds stature to Russia, and particularly to Putin, to begin to identify as being the premier, most powerful Arctic nation by virtue of what it’s doing from a military perspective,” he said.

While he’s no longer directly engaged in U.S. military strategic investments, Roughead said U.S. and European allies should enhance communications and transnational infrastructure for cooperative naval and aerial patrols with conventional and unmanned vessels.

“Something that we looked at was the ability to use unmanned aircraft to be able to patrol in the Arctic, because of their long endurance,” he said. “And that’s something that not only the United States should look at, but Canada and the some of the European Arctic nations to begin to put in place, some cooperatives, activities, perhaps cooperative investments, cooperative operations that allow us to operate up in the high north, routinely, reliably and safely.

“For example, unmanned airplanes being able to take off in one country, conduct the patrol and then land in another country,” he said. “Just having the infrastructure in place to do that — that’s something Arctic nations should strive toward.”

Twenty percent of Russia’s gross domestic product is drawn from the Arctic via mining and shipping, whereas less than 1% of U.S. GDP is taken from the region.

In 2013, the U.S. and Russian signed the Arctic Council’s “Agreement on Cooperation on Marine Oil Pollution Preparedness and Response in the Arctic,” which aims to improve U.S.-Russia collaboration on research in the environmental sciences, biology, ecology and shipping in the region.
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The manufacturer of the iconic Italian scooter, Vespa, makes another line of noisy but affordable three-wheeled transportation vehicles. The name literally means “bee” in Italian, and fans of the motorized tricycle hummed across the Tuscan countryside to celebrate more than seventy years of its production. Arash Arabasadi has the buzz.
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Finland’s leftist Social Democrats won first place in advance voting ahead of Sunday’s parliamentary election, with 18.9 percent of the votes, after 35.5 percent of ballots had been counted, justice ministry data showed.

The center-right National Coalition of outgoing Finance Minister Petteri Orpo came in second, with 17.2 percent of the advance ballots. The Center Party of outgoing Prime Minister Juha Sipila scored third, with 15.4 percent.

The nationalist True Finns party came in fourth, with 15.1 percent of the vote.

About 36 percent of voting-age Finns cast their votes in a seven-day advance voting period that ended on Tuesday.

The results from these votes are often skewed due to differences in voter behavior in different regions.

Public broadcaster Yle is expected to publish its forecast of the final election result at 1830 GMT.

With the top contenders running close, the final results could still show another group winning and getting the first shot at forming government.

The Finns’ strong showing further complicates coalition talks, with most party leaders ruling out any cooperation with them.

At the stake in the election is the future shape of Finland’s welfare system, a corner of its social model, which the leftist want to preserve through tax hikes and the center-right wants to see streamlined because of rising costs.

The Finns call for limits on the country’s environmental policies, arguing the nation has gone too far in addressing issues such as climate change at its own expense, as well as a revamp of its immigration stance.

With the European Parliament election less than two months away, the Finnish ballot is also being watched in Brussels.

A strong result for the Finns Party could bolster a nationalist bloc threatening to shake up EU policy-making.
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Tens of thousdands gathered at St. Peter’s Square as Pope Francis celebrated Palm Sunday Mass. Palm Sunday marks the start of the holiest and one of the busiest times on the Pope’s calendar. On the day the Church also celebrated the day of the youth, the pope urged young people not to be ashamed to show their enthusiasm for Jesus.

As is tradition, Sunday Mass in Saint Peter’s Square on Palm Sunday began with Pope Francis sprinkling holy water and blessing palm fronds and olive branches for the service in front of the towering obelisk in the center of the square. The Vatican said over 40,000 people were present for the occasion.

The pope wore bright red vestments and held a braided palm as he and many cardinals and bishops took part in a long procession before he held mass at an open-air altar in front of Saint Peter’s Basilica. Palm Sunday marks the day Jesus made his triumphant entry into Jerusalem.

Pope Francis began his homily by saying, “Joyful acclamations at Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem, followed by his humiliation. Festive cries followed by brutal torture. This two-fold mystery accompanies our entrance into Holy Week each year.”

The pope said that it was important to resist the temptations of triumphalism and remain humble. He added, “One subtle form of triumphalism is spiritual worldliness, which represents the greatest danger, the most treacherous temptation facing the Church”. The pope said that “Jesus destroyed his triumphalism by his Passion”.

On Palm Sunday, the church also marks World Youth Day. The pope called on young people not to be ashamed to show their enthusiasm for Jesus but at the same time not to fear following “him on the way to the cross.” The Vatican has announced that the next World Youth Day will be held in Portugal in 2021.

Pope Francis asked those gathered at the end of the mass to pray for peace in the Holy Land and all of the Middle East.

Like every year the pope has a busy schedule this week. On Holy Thursday he will visit the prison of Velletri, south of Rome, where he will wash the feet of 12 prisoners. On Good Friday he will lead the Way of the Cross procession at Rome’s ancient Colosseum. And, on Easter Sunday the pope will give his traditional blessing to the city and to the world.

 

 
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A lawyer representing jailed WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange says the Ecuadorian government has been spreading lies about his behavior inside its embassy in London.

Jennifer Robinson told Sky News on Sunday that Ecuador is making “pretty outrageous allegations” to justify allowing British police into its embassy Thursday in order to take Assange into custody.

Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno withdrew Assange’s political asylum this week, opening the way for his seizure by British police.

Robinson says Assange has had “a very difficult time” since Moreno came to power in 2017.

Assange is jailed in Britain for jumping bail and faces an extradition request from the United States for conspiracy. Sweden also is considering reviving a rape investigation of him.

His next court appearance is May 2 via video link.

 
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Police in London opened fire outside the Ukrainian embassy on Saturday after a man rammed his vehicle into the ambassador’s empty parked car at least twice before being arrested, officials said.

No one was hurt in the incident, which happened early on Saturday outside the embassy building in the affluent Holland Park area of west London, and it was not being treated as terrorism, police said in a statement.

The embassy said in a statement that the ambassador’s empty official vehicle had been deliberately rammed as it sat parked in front of the building.

“The police were called immediately, and the suspect’s vehicle was blocked up,” it added.

“Nevertheless, despite the police actions, the attacker hit the ambassador’s car again. In response, the police were forced to open fire on the perpetrator’s vehicle.”

TV footage later showed a silver car slewed across the cordoned-off road with its driver’s door open and window shattered.

Police said they had been called at around 9.50 am on Saturday to reports of a car having hit several vehicles in the road.

“On arrival at the scene, a vehicle was driven at police officers,” they added in a statement. “Police firearms and Taser were discharged, the vehicle was stopped and a man, aged in his 40s, was arrested.”

The man was taken to hospital as a precaution but was not injured, they added.

 
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Malta’s prime minister announced on Twitter Saturday that four European Union countries have finally come forward to take in the 64 migrants who were rescued off the coast of Libya by a German vessel ten days ago.

Joseph Muscat wrote that all 64 migrants onboard vessel Alan Kurdi will be disembarked and redistributed between Germany, France, Portugal and Luxembourg thanks to effective coordination by the EU Commission and Malta. He added that “None will remain in Malta, which cannot shoulder this burden alone.”

Officials for the German humanitarian group Sea Eye said it responded to a call made to Alarm Phone, the telephone service migrants can call if they are in distress in the Mediterranean. Sea Eye said the migrants were rescued from an overcrowded dinghy.  

Sea Eye, using a German vessel named the Alan Kurdi, said it was in the area searching for another dinghy with some 50 people on board, which issued a distress call and then disappeared.

The rescued included ten women, five children and a newborn baby.  One young woman was evacuated earlier this week after complaining of dizziness and faintness.

Jan Ribbeck, operations manager of the Alan Kurdi and who is also a doctor, said earlier this week the migrants for the most part had to sleep on deck and were not protected from the weather or the sea water.  

He said the migrants were cold, wet and did not have dry clothes to change into. He added that due to the bad weather, they had to be taken below deck. Since Sunday evening, 81 people were huddled together in a room designed for 20 people.  

Many of the migrants are suffering with seasickness, Ribbeck said.

“It leaves me speechless that Europe is not in a position to spare 81 people such ordeals,” he said as the migrants lingered on the boat waiting to find a safe port.

Italy’s Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said the Alan Kurdi is flying a German flag and is run by a German non-governmental organization and with a German captain and therefore it should head to Germany.

Maltese authorities were informed Tuesday morning about the shortage of water and food and a need for some clothing. Malta allowed a transport to replenish supplies on Wednesday.

Sea Eye spokesman Dominik Reisinger said the “political question about the distribution of the rescued overshadows the human rights” of those onboard.

 

 
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With Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reaffirming his commitment to buy Russian missiles in the face of renewed warnings from NATO ally the United States about sanctions, Ankara and Washington remain on a collision course. Analysts warn that with a July date looming for Ankara to take delivery of the missiles, time is running out to avert a rupture in bilateral ties.

“Turkey must choose — does it want to remain a critical partner in the most successful military alliance in history?” said David Satterfield, the U.S. nominee to be the ambassador to Turkey, speaking at a confirmation hearing Thursday before the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “Or does it want to risk the security of that partnership by making such reckless decisions that undermine our alliance?” 

“We tell them [journalists], ‘This is a job done, all is ready,’ ” said Erdogan. He confirmed the purchase of the S-400 missiles as he spoke to Turkish reporters Monday, while returning from Moscow after his third meeting this year with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“It’s like a slow-motion car crash. It’s even difficult now to call Turkey and the U.S. allies, so I am not very optimistic about the relationship,” said former senior Turkish diplomat Aydin Selcen, who served in Washington.

Washington claims the S-400 missiles will compromise U.S.-made military defense systems used by Turkey, in particular the F-35 fighter jet. The Pentagon has warned that delivery of the F-35 planes to Turkey, which is a co-producer of the aircraft, is in jeopardy with any deployment of the Russian missiles.

The U.S. Congress is also warning that Ankara’s procurement of Russian weapons would open the door to financial sanctions, under CAATSA — the Countering American Adversaries Through Sanctions Act. Under the 2017 legislation, Turkish institutions and individuals can be targeted by hefty fines.

Any U.S. fine could rock Turkey’s economy, which is in recession after last year’s collapse of the lira, triggered by the Trump administration’s decision to impose sanctions on Turkey over the detention in Turkey of American pastor Andrew Brunson, who has since been released.

“I don’t think market participants have a very good handle on how high the stakes are,” said analyst Atilla Yesilada of Global Source Partners, “in the bad-case scenario of Turkey-U.S. brinkmanship in the S-400 drama.”

On Friday, the lira fell sharply amid growing investor concerns about U.S.-Turkish tensions and reports of a steep fall in Turkey’s foreign currency reserves. “I fear Erdogan has not been told by his advisers how little foreign reserves Turkey has left,” said an analyst for a foreign bank, speaking anonymously. “Turkey has very little room and time to maneuver now.”

Some analysts suggest Turkey is too important for the U.S. to crack down on. “I was speaking to American diplomats. I told them, ‘It’s America’s choice — do they want to hit Turkey with sanctions that will make an unstable Turkey, that will destabilize the rest of the region?’ ” asked international relations professor Huseyin Bagci, of Ankara’s Middle East Technical University.

Bagci says a lack of clarity by Washington about its intentions exacerbates the current tensions.

“The Americans are confused. What we hear from the American Pentagon, the State Department, is it [the S-400 sale] will create troubles and reduce trust and cause sanctions. But the American president has said nothing,” said Bagci.

“If [U.S. President Donald] Trump says don’t buy [the S-400 missiles],” he added, “it will carry much more political weight. However, as long as there is no statement from the American president, there will probably be no return from this deal.”

The Turkish president’s advisers routinely maintain that the only voice that counts in Washington is that of Trump. They allege dark forces are operating around the U.S. president, seeking to sour ties with Ankara.

Analysts warn that any strategy by Ankara of relying on Erdogan’s relationship with Trump is risky. “There is a danger for Ankara in miscalculating U.S. intentions,” said Selcen. “But the [U.S.] intentions are there, clearly stated, it is also true, Trump did not come out publicly on these issues.”

Berat Albayrak, Turkey’s economy czar and Erdogan’s son-in-law, is due in Washington in the coming days for a series of meetings and conferences. According to Turkish media reports, Albayrak is expected to meet high-level U.S. officials including Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser. The two men reportedly have developed a close working relationship.

“It remains to be seen whether those parties at the Pentagon [and] White House will use this visit by Mr. Albayrak as a last measure to convey once again America’s message on these issues concerning Turkey’s national security,” said Selcen. “But time is ticking, and we’re in the middle of April, and the S-400 is due to be delivered to Turkey in July. So there is not much time.” 

Some analysts warn that Washington has already run out of time. “The S-400s will be delivered; the question is not delivery,” said Bagci. “But the question is: Is it going to be used? It could be deployed to Turkish Cyprus, so it’s not in Turkey. In Turkey, every home has a guest room. So the S-400 could be like a vase in the guest room, not unused.”
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As the Czech Republic moves to boost its arms spending under a proposed defense accord with Washington, its ambassador in Washington says his government hopes U.S. defense contractors will bid aggressively for his country’s business. 

 

“Obviously, our American friends are [submitting] some tenders for what we intend to buy in the next year. I wish them success,” Hynek Kmoníček told VOA in an interview this week. 

 

“Nobody says how the tender will end up, but we definitely have the intention to bring as many American military partners to our tenders as possible, because the more competitors you have, the better price you get at the end,” he said. 

   

Kmoníček said the defense agreement under negotiation is likely to resemble a pact signed several days ago between the United States and Hungary. The U.S. State Department said the Hungary deal “will facilitate greater partnerships to address shared threats and global challenges.” 

  

The Czech Republic, Kmoníček said, is a nation of just 10 million people, strategically located “on the way from Western Europe to Russia and back.” 

 

“If you look at our history, it’s not an easy history; everybody liked us, everybody occupied us,” he said in explaining his country’s reasons for pursuing the bilateral defense agreement. 

WATCH: Czech Ambassador: Our Main Defense Partner Is US

“We need friends who understand why we are who we are” and who are willing to form an alliance, he said, adding that the majority of his fellow citizens see NATO as a “seal” of their defense. 

 

Kmoníček said the Czech Republic has committed to doubling its current defense expenditures in order to reach the NATO benchmark of 2% of GDP by 2024 — a significant increase but one that enjoys popular support in his country. 

 

“If you look at the opinion of the man in the street, he knows that times have changed, that we’re not living in a world as safe as it was 20 or 25 years ago,” he said.  

WATCH: Czech Ambassador: ‘These Are Our Sons’ 

Ultimately, “what we want to know is whatever we buy for our army” provides the best protection available. “These are our sons,” and ensuring their safety is the government’s obligation, Kmoníček said.   

 

A second component of the proposed defense accord calls for the Czech Republic to work toward “full compatibility with all the other NATO equipment because you need to synchronize with your partners,” Kmoníček said. 

 

“The main defense partner for the Czech Republic is the United States, so anything new which will come in that respect is more than welcome.”  

  

The ambassador said a defense dialogue takes place between the United States and the Czech Republic once a year. He said the new bilateral agreement could be in sight by the time the next round takes place a year from now. 
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