Banananomics: Strategic Propaganda And War Technology

Strategic Propaganda And War Technology

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned Western countries they're taking a "grave and dangerous step" by supplying weapons to Ukraine, which could result in Moscow arming their enemies.

Inputs that matter: French Army General Pierre Schill conveyed that the conflict in Eastern Europe has "changed the dynamics of combat."

• The crisis has proven that the flow of information must be controlled "to influence both national and international public opinion."

• "Without the capacity to convince and to counter adverse influence, any military engagement can fail."

• A Harris Poll report released in February showed that about 70% of Americans want the government to push Ukraine toward a negotiated peace deal with Russia.

• Former US diplomats Michael Gfoeller and David Rundell wrote last year in Newsweek that NATO's "propaganda machine" had "overplayed its hand" in the former Soviet republic.

The opportunity: NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday that more than 20 NATO members will meet the alliance's target of allocating at least 2% of GDP to defense this year.

• "Across Europe and Canada, NATO allies are increasing defense spending by 18% this year, that's the biggest increase in decades, and 23 allies are going to spend 2% of GDP or more on defense this year," he said.

• Speaking earlier at the Wilson Center think tank, Stoltenberg said the allies' increase in defense spending "is good for Europe and good for America, especially since much of this extra money is spent here in the United States."

Zoom in: Meanwhile, a Russian nuclear-powered submarine and other naval vessels left Havana on Monday after a five-day visit to Cuba.

• The deployment came amid significant tensions over the war in Ukraine, where the Western-backed government is fighting a Russian invasion.

• The US Southern Command said that on Thursday, the United States fast-attack submarine USS Helena arrived at the American naval base Guantanamo Bay as part of a planned and routine port visit.

Between the lines: North Korea is under heavy U.N. Security Council economic sanctions over its nuclear weapons and missile programs, while Russia is also grappling with sanctions by the United States and its Western partners over its aggression in Ukraine.

• Russian President Vladimir Putin thanked North Korea for supporting his actions in Ukraine.

• He said their countries would cooperate closely to overcome U.S.-led sanctions as he headed to Pyongyang on Tuesday for a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

• In the North Korean capital of Pyongyang, the streets were decorated with Putin's portraits and Russian flags.

• Putin said Russia and North Korea will develop trade and payment systems "that are not controlled by the West" and jointly oppose sanctions against the countries, which he described as "illegal, unilateral restrictions."

Follow the money: U.S. President Joe Biden said NATO is facing one of the most consequential moments for Europe since World War Two as Ukraine battles Russian forces.

• NATO defense spending will be a major topic at next month's alliance summit in Washington, Stoltenberg said, followed by Russia's war against Ukraine.

• Stoltenberg acknowledges that the goal of the NATO program is to help make Ukraine a large-scale tech provider once the war ends.

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