Friday, 24 October 2014

Swedish 'Cold War' thriller exposes Baltic Sea nerves over Russia | Reuters

"Whether it was caused by paranoia or a secret naval mission, Sweden's biggest military mobilisation since the Cold War over the last three days has underscored growing concerns about Russian President Vladimir Putin's intentions in the Baltic Sea region.

In just over a month, an Estonian intelligence officer has been reported abducted by Russian forces, Finland has complained of Russian interference with one of its research vessels, and Sweden has lodged an official protest over a "serious violation" when Russian warplanes entered its air space.

With shades of Frederick Forsyth, the maritime mystery has fired the imagination of the region. Moscow has denied it has any submarine in mechanical trouble in Sweden's waters, but nervous governments fear that the Baltic Sea could become the next flashpoint with Russia after Ukraine."

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/10/20/uk-sweden-deployment-idUKKCN0I91QV20141020






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Sweden gets two new sightings, as hunt for undersea intruder goes on | Reuters

"Swedish military is working on two new observations that could be evidence of suspected "foreign underwater activity" near the country's capital, a senior naval officer said on Tuesday.

Swedish forces have been scouring the sea off Stockholm since Friday, after what the military called three credible reports of activity by foreign submarines or divers using an underwater vehicle."

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/10/21/uk-sweden-deployment-idUKKCN0IA29A20141021






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Polish ex-minister quoted saying Putin offered to divide Ukraine with Poland | Reuters

"Sikorsky, who until September served as Poland's foreign minister, was quoted telling U.S. website Politico that Putin made the proposal during Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk's visit to Moscow in 2008 - although he later said some of the interview had been "overinterpreted".

"He wanted us to become participants in this partition of Ukraine ... This was one of the first things that Putin said to my prime minister, Donald Tusk, when he visited Moscow," he was quoted as saying in the interview dated Oct. 19."

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/10/20/uk-ukraine-crisis-poland-sikorski-idUKKCN0I925D20141020






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World View: Plane Crash Killing France's Total SA President Jeopardizes Russia's Oil Contracts







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What Really Happened to Strauss-Kahn? by Edward Jay Epstein | The New York Review of Books







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