The strategy has worked for Russia so far since 2008 from their perspective, so they see no reason to stop. Invading the Baltics would be much easier than Ukraine. Yes it can end poorly, but Russia can't confront NATO directly, hence the current strategy. As the Ukraine war grinds on and on, Russia has less and less to lose, and will be more keen to carry out such provocations.
Yesterday three Russian MiG 31BM aircraft entered Estonian airspace for 12-13 minutes, and were escorted out by Italian F-35As and photographed by Swedish Gripens. The MiG 31s were only armed with infrared guided short range R-73/74 air to air missiles, no radar guided missiles.
This inline with previous Russian actions in the realm of chipping away at deterrence of it's adversaries, such as flying styrofoam Gerbera drones/decoys into Poland during Russian air raids in Ukraine, hosting ambiguous military exercises on the borders, etc. The playbook is quite simple:
Why would Iran be happy? If this is a mutual defence pact between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan (including some sort of nuclear umbrella) doesn't that imply that Pakistan has to help defend Saudi Arabia if, for instance, Ansarallah/Houthis attack Saudi Arabia? Or if the US launches an attack on Iran from Saudi Arabia (which already happened this year), now if Iran attacks US military bases or Aramco oil facilities in Saudi Arabia in response, Pakistan is obligated to help defend Saudi Arabia from Iranian attacks? This only works as a net benefit for Iran if the defence pact essentially ignores Iranian attacks (via Iran itself or Yemen) on Saudi Arabia, and is only a defence pact aimed at Israel. I cannot see Saudi Arabia signing onto such a pact.
To me it reads more as Saudi Arabia making a move out of its own self interest, with Saudi Arabia as the sole benefactor, given the context of both the Iranian and Israeli ballistic missile attacks on Qatar over the past few months. Saudi Arabia is defending against both flanks here, regardless of Chinese mediation. The Saudi Arabian - Pakistan relationship is not pro Iran. For instance, if Iran were to obtain nuclear weapons, Saudi Arabia would seek out nuclear proliferation, likely with Pakistani help.
For those who did not grow up in the LDS church, it is fairly all-consuming. You spend 3 hours on Sunday at Church, ~2 hour each Wednesday at Youth Group, ~2 hours cleaning the church once a month or so, time doing service, time doing your assigned roles in the church as it's all unpaid lay clergy. You hang out with Mormons all day every day. You have a certain certainty as you have the "gift of the holy ghost" which is basically deputized emotions given prophetic power, what you feel is always right. There is huge emphasis on the church being true, the only true church, with very specific rites and rituals that are required. This instills them a deep idealistic and romantic outlook, symbolic things are very real and materialism is a thing of the world. There are literal truths about existence that they have access to, the earthly world was one realm of many and they would eventually become Gods.
This isn't even only a Mormon thing, plenty of evangelical/protestant churches are like this too. Plus mission work and so forth.
If Colombia really wants to stop buying US weapons, it would be a self castration of their defence capabilities. Practically all existing equipment is American. They wouldn't have ammo, maintenance, or spares for three quarters of their equipment.
He says this every time he talks about Afghanistan. Not sure if there's a realistic avenue for it, that ship has likely sailed.
China is probably the reason this renewed attempt at negotiations is even happening in the first place. If snapback is implemented, Iran is under a UN arms embargo. Thus for Iran to purchase Chinese weapons, it's important for Iran to avoid snapback. China does not want to break UN sanctions to arm Iran.
Yeah Europe is not satisfied currently and want Iran to offer up more, hence the public pressure campaign from Macron.
Usually leftist parties split after formation over a silly issue. To split before officially being formed has to be a new depressing record.
Looks like a Israeli jeep ran over an IED from the aftermath photos. Bulldozer probably missed it.
The most ironic thing here was that it was the liberals who brought "cancelling" to the forefront circa 2016-2020, and they were "cancelling" people for saying the exact same stuff liberals had said less than a decade ago. People were getting "cancelled" during 2016-2020 for saying the exact same stuff that Obama said on the campaign trail in 2008 and 2012! Firstly how is that even workable, and secondly how legitimate was the heel turn by the libs on such core beliefs? Then post 2020 the liberal strategy went even further, and essentially boiled down to "we must win every election from 2024 until Trump and his allies physically can no longer campaign", which is another unworkable and impossible goal. Of course if your opponent gets into power, they are going to use the tools you used against them, against you. This is now happening , and is extremely basic logic even kids understand. But no, anyone that offered criticism of the liberal strategy during this time period, no matter how far left, was labeled "a nazi fascist Trump supporter". For daring to criticize Hillary, Biden or Harris. For daring to question if the 180° turn by the libs on social issues to suddenly be ultra progressive was legitimate.
Not in UK's actual sovereign airspace. Russian flights into air defence identification zones are common, but not into a nation's sovereign airspace, there is a big difference. A nation's sovereign airspace (and territorial waters) is everything up to 12 miles/19.2km from it's coastline. Russian aircraft were a few kilometres from the Estonian capital.