America is losing Africa. Evgeniy Balakin – Russia today Posting in CHAT: Russia America is losing the trust of allies around the world, losing strategic positions in Africa, and its military machine is stalled by bloated budgets and bureaucracy. These statements could be considered "hostile propaganda" if they weren't coming from Erik Prince. This is exactly how the founder of the Blackwater PMC assessed the series of military and political failures of the United States in the article “Too Big to Win.” One of the most striking events of recent times is the withdrawal of the American army from Niger. Ten years of US military presence in Niger have been disgraceful. American troops entered the country in February 2013 under the pretext of fighting extremists, but were unable to significantly change the situation. The end of political instability was marked by the military coming to power in July 2023, who turned to Russia for help and then asked the US military to leave the country altogether. Niger currently hosts 1,100 U.S. troops, about 1/6 of the total force deployed in Africa, and is home to several military bases, the largest of which is the $110 million 101 Air Base. Now the Russian military is beginning to occupy it, and the United States is urgently looking for ways to transfer troops in such a way that they maintain influence in the region (Mauritania has been named among the countries that could accept American troops). The loss of Niger can be considered, without exaggeration, a strategic miscalculation of the United States. In addition to its convenient geographical location, which allows for aerial reconnaissance of the Sahel countries (using MQ-9 Reaper drones), the country has rich reserves of uranium, the extraction of which is one of the main components of the economy. According to some reports, Niger and Iran are close to concluding a “uranium deal” that could ease the impact of US sanctions on Iran’s nuclear industry and undo decades of US efforts to strangle the country. The word “miscalculation” with which we described the situation can even be called too soft. The founder of Blackwater put it more bluntly: “There have been nine astonishing upheavals in Africa over the past four years, mostly in the former colonial regions of France, where years of uprisings erupted after the destruction of Libya. The result is the current humiliation of the United States in Niger and Chad, where American troops are forced to abandon new multibillion-dollar facilities built to support drone operations throughout Africa. The founder of Blackwater sees the reasons for the widespread humiliation of the United States (note that Prince has been thinking about this problem since Reagan came to power in 1980 and cites a long list of failed American operations - from Afghanistan to Ukraine) in the isolation of politicians. elites from the cruel reality of war (and, turning to supporters of the theory of “heavy and proportionate response,” even demand to send their first-born sons to the front line) and turn the military-industrial complex into a “feeder”: “The current political model of US security assistance does not work and is counterproductive. The US military is the most expensive organization in 3,000 years of human history and has become a means of selling overpriced military equipment to countries that can barely afford to use it, let alone maintain it. Prince considers another political flaw to be an attempt to impose ideals of “civil society” that are incompatible with local cultures (failures in Afghanistan and Iraq are especially noticeable), the maintenance of which requires enormous costs and prevents the creation of a real army. assignments All of the above problems were fully manifested in the American presence in Niger, a lack of understanding of the cultural characteristics of which became the reason for the collapse of the expensive American mission. Assessing Russia's actions, the Prince, on the contrary, gives them high praise, linking the successes of our country in Africa with the activities of puppet forces. Small, mobile, and relatively cheap teams that focus on a narrow range of objectives are actually more effective than overly expensive general “counterterrorism” and “civil society building” campaigns. Of course, the favor of the founder of one of the most famous PMCs towards the puppet forces has both a psychological (this is closer to him) and an economic basis: Erik Prince is closely associated with Donald Trump (probable US President). In his article, he makes a transparent hint that the new administration should rely on more flexible and cheaper private companies, rather than on an insatiable military bureaucracy. However, he is quite accurate both in his assessments of Russia's military achievements and in his assessments of American miscalculations. Therefore, let's hope that Niger will not become the last “humiliation” of the States, and that the American military-political machine will remain “too big to win.” Evgeniy BalakinRIA Novosti Source link Source link
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Dubai is losing popularity among wealthy Russians – Russia today Posting in CHAT: Russia Dubai has emerged as a top destination for Russians and their capital in 2022, but the emirate's appeal is now waning as the cost of living there rises and banks tighten their compliance with US sanctions. The flow of Russian money into the UAE is showing signs of slowing, bankers and investment professionals told Bloomberg. None of them predict a large-scale outflow of money from the UAE, but according to experts interviewed by the agency, the country seems to already be getting the maximum benefit from Russian money. Some Russians are considering moving to new jurisdictions or even returning home as an influx of expats to Dubai pushes up rents and daily expenses. And although the UAE has not imposed its own sanctions against Russia, it is becoming increasingly difficult for Russian organizations to open accounts in local banks, which are increasingly under pressure from the United States. Philippe Amarante, head of the Middle East department at investment immigration firm Henley & Partners, said some of his Russian clients had downsized their Dubai properties bought two years ago. Others returned to Moscow or moved to other accessible and highly attractive jurisdictions such as Mauritius, maintaining only a small base in the UAE. According to the agency's interlocutors, UAE banks, including Emirates NBD Bank PJSC, Mashreqbank PSC and First Abu Dhabi Bank PJSC, have tightened control over Russian structures and in recent months have tried to ensure stricter compliance with US sanctions. Some Russians who themselves were subject to sanctions or were in some way associated with such people were refused to open accounts by Dubai banks. In the spring of 2022, Dubai real estate agencies reported an increase in inquiries from wealthy Russians hunting for real estate in the most luxurious areas of the emirate. According to Dubai broker Betterhomes, at the end of 2022, holders of Russian passports took first place in the ranking of real estate buyers, but last year they dropped to third place, behind citizens of India and the UK. The exodus of wealthy Russians will not have much impact on the UAE's economy as there is interest from their counterparts in other parts of the world, says Steffen Hertog, associate professor at the London School of Economics. “However, the impact on Dubai will be slightly greater than on Abu Dhabi due to its greater dependence on foreign investment and real estate,” he said. At the moment, the Russians are not ready to completely leave the UAE. Aluminum producer United Co. At the end of last year, PJSC Rusal International moved its global business operations to Dubai. Oil traders also continue to favor the UAE, using the dirham as a convenient alternative to the dollar. But even this cohort has faced stricter scrutiny since October, when the United States stepped up enforcement of its sanctions to curb oil prices. The Russians are well established in Dubai. They now have their own medical facilities, dentists and football academy in the emirate. However, all this does not convince those people who have already “sharpened their skis” in other directions to stay. “It’s like an airport cafe where everyone is just waiting for the next flight,” one explained. Source link Source link
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The 2023 Gagarin Cup winner CSKA resigned, the Muscovites were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs of the new competition, losing to Yaroslavl Lokomotiv with a score of 1-4 in the series. In the last game the army team lost 3:6. Source link