Displaying items by tag: NATO

The story of this war cannot yet be written, but we can pray about possible scenarios. One would be Russia and Ukraine grinding each other down with neither demonstrating capacity to land a tactically decisive blow. Pray the West will supply Ukraine with all that is needed to overcome Putin. Another could be Putin announcing a ceasefire, pocketing his territorial gains and declaring ‘victory’ with a land corridor to Crimea established. This might change the narrative but not end the fighting. Pray for God’s wisdom to saturate Ukraine’s leaders so that a theoretical peace is avoided, and for US, UK and European policymakers to ensure Russia's invasion fails, for the sake of Ukraine and the international order. Pray for Ukraine’s victory using its new long-range rockets. Pray that it can retrieve territory where Russian supply lines are stretched, causing the troops to withdraw to where they were before the invasion, as Western sanctions hit Russia's war machine.

An extraordinary NATO summit has addressed the most serious security crisis in a generation. NATO's core task was to address the need for a reset of deterrence and the defence of Ukraine in the longer term. Four new battlegroups have been established in the eastern part of the Alliance. There is a new sense of urgency as many countries invest more money in Ukraine and supply essential air, sea and land equipment to defend it and deter attack. President Zelensky, addressing the leaders, asked people everywhere to take to the streets in a show of support for Ukraine to mark one month of the Russian invasion. The UK sanctioned 65 more Russian individuals including the Wagner Group of mercenaries, described as ‘Putin’s private army’. When the NATO meeting ended leaders left for a G7 meeting where sanctions were discussed. See also

Ukraine’s president has said joining NATO would guarantee his country's security. He says it will not be easy, but there is no other path for Ukraine. The UK's defence secretary, Ben Wallace, said Russia will be judged by its actions. ‘We've seen the opposite of some of Russia’s statements. We've seen an increase of troops over the last 48 hours up to 7,000, we've seen a bridge constructed from Belarus into Ukraine - or near Ukraine. At the moment Russia’s troop build-up continues.’ Wallace says NATO is united and is ‘deadly serious on how we're going to face the threat being posed to Ukraine and potentially our security’. Speaking after a meeting of defence ministers, he says it's becoming ‘tragically normal’ for Russia to use ‘malign activity and threats to try and get its way’ and Europe has to respond to that, adding, ‘This is a real challenge to the stability of Europe.’

Defence secretary Ben Wallace will soon be travelling to Moscow to meet Russia's defence minister, but he is lowering expectations of a diplomatic breakthrough. He says there is a chance a Russian invasion could be stopped, but he’s ‘not optimistic’. The UK's response to Russia's military buildup has been more muscular than most. They have supplied Ukraine with 2,000 light anti-tank weapons and troops to help train them. But not all NATO allies are willing to do the same. Germany's new government warned ‘supplying Ukraine with weapons could escalate the conflict’. Instead, Berlin is supplying Ukraine with ‘non-lethal’ field hospitals and 5,000 military helmets. Poland and Latvia have publicly criticised Germany's stance. Wallace hopes that Germany will support tough economic sanctions. After meeting NATO’s secretary general, Mr Wallace said the UK could support NATO by ‘increasing forces on land, sea or air to deter any further Russian aggression’, and could send Ukraine more weapons.

The head of the German navy, Kay-Achim Schönbach, made controversial comments while speaking at a think-tank. On a video later published on social media, he said Putin would not invade Ukraine and needed to be treated as an equal by the West. Also the Crimean peninsula, which Russia annexed in 2014, ‘is gone and will never come back’. Ukraine described Mr Schönbach's comments as ‘categorically unacceptable’. He resigned from his role to ‘avert further damage’. Putin wants the West to stop Ukraine joining NATO, and NATO to abandon military exercises and stop sending weapons to eastern Europe, saying these are a direct threat to Russia's security. Several NATO members are sending military equipment or deploying forces to Ukraine. Germany refuses to send weapons, and Ukraine’s foreign minister said this stance encourages Putin to attack.

Lithuania’s foreign minister Gabriel Landsbergis has warned that reducing NATO troop numbers in the region could worsen the security situation. Prompted by fears of a Russian invasion sparked by 100,000 troops near the Ukrainian border, he said the EU needed to be ‘more involved’ and offer solutions to the crisis. He also called on the EU to review its sanctions against Russia and Belarus to close loopholes and make sure they still had teeth. Lithuania was in ‘constant contact’ with the US during its talks with Russia, and the US had offered a high level of transparency over the negotiations, which did not involve the EU. There is speculation that the US could reduce troops in return for a similar drop in Russian military numbers on the Ukraine border. But Mr Landsbergis warned against any moves to reduce NATO troop numbers in the region. ‘There is this sense of rebuilding the Soviet Union 2.0,’ he said, pointing to Russian troops in Georgia, parts of Ukraine, Moldova, Kazakhstan and Belarus.

Nato leaders have declared China presents a security risk at their annual summit in Brussels, the first time the traditionally Russia-focused military alliance has asserted it needs to respond to Beijing’s growing power.

The final communique, signed off by leaders of the 30-member alliance at the urging of the new US administration, said China’s “stated ambitions and assertive behaviour present systemic challenges to the rules-based international order”.

The Nato leaders declared their concern about China’s “coercive policies” – an apparent reference to the repression of the Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang – the expansion of its nuclear arsenal and its “frequent lack of transparency and use of disinformation”.

The language, notably stronger than the China remarks contained in the G7 statement agreed on Sunday, follows lobbying and pressure by the Biden administration, seeking to create a counterweight of democratic nations in response to Beijing’s growing economic and military might.

American President Biden is seeking to build an international consensus against China and has used the G7 and NATO summits to support this.  China has issued strong rebuttals, saying “The U.S. is ill and very ill indeed” and that “the G-7 had better take its pulse and come up with a prescription.”

Pray: that our leaders will continue to show strength and courage as they stand up for what is right and good. (1 Tim 2:1-4)

Pray: that the language of diplomacy will bring peace and hope and subdue the language of confrontation and threat.

More / Sources: The Guardian, Bloomberg

The ongoing departure of American troops from Afghanistan has led to an upsurge in violence, great instability, and real fear for the future of the county. 

In the last week alone the fight between Afghan government troops and the Taliban has entered a more brutal phase as a reduction in airstrikes against the militants by withdrawing U.S. forces has largely shifted combat to ground engagements, many on the edges of densely populated urban areas after some recent Taliban advances. 

It is in this context that we share with you the following message from John D Robb – Co-Founder of International Prayer Connect.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Afghanistan needs our special prayers at this time. This nation, from which the 9/11 attacks and other terror plots were launched 20 years ago, could again fall into the hands of the Taliban, the Islamic radical group that ruled the country, creating great havoc and harm for both their people and our world.

Please see this call to prayer from a dear friend who has given decades of his life along with his team to serve the country and its long-suffering people.

Can we pray and agree together with the authority Jesus has given us in Matthew 18:18-20 that a divine reversal will take place? The Lord also said that by releasing even a mustard seed of real faith we can see mountains move and nothing will be impossible to us (Matthew 17:20).

From our concerned brother:

"In our last prayer-mail we informed you that the US and NATO decided to pull out all the troops by September. Many of us, especially the Afghan people were shocked by this decision and even worse that this is being done without any conditions required of the Taliban. It was clear before and has become now even more evident that the Afghan Army strongly needs help to defend their country. 
The Afghan government reports that after 1st May 30 additional districts fell into the hands of Taliban. They controlled already 73 districts and by now it has risen to 104. They have even conquered areas where they have not been strong before. In several instances cities or military bases have been surrounded by Taliban for up to three weeks and no help came, after which they were captured. 

Target killings, especially in the capital have risen. The vehicle of a close brother of one of our believers was blown up and he just escaped where all the other passengers burnt to death.

One of our local worker’s relatives returned from a wedding to their home when the Taliban stopped their bus, took six young people out and killed them in front of the eyes of all their relatives. While ten deminers were recently killed, probably by IS, today it was reported that five polio vaccinators were killed and four injured by the Taliban.

There have been power cuts in the capital as the Taliban blew up power lines. It has been reported that 28 antennas have been destroyed which makes communication extremely difficult.
 
Much more sad news can be added to those already mentioned. We would like to ask you to fervently pray for Afghanistan that God would step in and save this nation from being captured and governed again by the Taliban. We share the deep disappointment with our friends in the country about the way this country has been abandoned, and we look to God Almighty and pray that He will release His heavenly Hosts to save this nation.

Please pray with us for:

• The government as well as the army will stay united and for wisdom in all their decisions.
• Courage and strength for the Afghan army and police force and that they would successfully recapture all the lost territory.
• Protection of our foreign and local staff and local brothers and sisters throughout the country and for wisdom and discernment in making the right decisions. So far, our teams were able to carry on the work.
• That many Afghans will get to know the Lord in these times of desperation and uncertainty.

In the Bible are many examples how God is able to protect his people from overwhelming enemies that He has the power to rescue also this nation (Psalm 68)." 

May I, John, add the following? Let us pray that the US government and NATO authorities will reconsider their foolish decision and decide to leave at least a skeleton force to support the Afghans rather than abandon them. It makes no sense to have tens of thousands of troops in other places where international security is threatened and not here from where the 9/11 attacks were planned and carried out.

Thanks so much for keeping this challenging situation in your prayers of faith at this crucial time. Let's pray with His authority mingled with faith and watch to see what He does to bring deliverance.

Yours in Christ,

John D Robb – Co-Founder
International Prayer Connect

Following the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and the Taliban Government refusing the USA’s demand for them to surrender Osama bin Laden, the longest war in US history began, killing 3,500 coalition soldiers and 110,000 Afghans. A Taliban insurgency continues, and its forces now control nearly 20% of Afghan territory. Almost half the land is ‘contested’, and the Taliban is stronger today than at any time since the war began. A large-scale US effort to defeat the Taliban would prove costlier than the American public (and therefore any president) is willing to bear. In February 2020 the Taliban agreed to stop their attacks on coalition forces and Afghan civilians, and the USA and NATO agreed to remove their forces by May 2021.  Once that happens, there will be nothing to prevent civil war because Pakistan, India, Russia, Iran and others will back their own proxies. Nobody wants a vacuum of power in the country.

In 1949 the UN agreed a Convention of the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others. Seventy years later, there are an estimated 21 million forced-labour victims worldwide. Contemporary forms of slavery include trafficking, sexual exploitation, child labour, forced marriage, and abducting children for use in armed conflict. Pray for stronger, wiser networking between governments and agencies working to eliminate slavery. Also in 1949, NATO was established as the world's most powerful defence alliance. The current ‘alliance’ has strained relations between America and France, who hold opposing views, Turkey disagrees with NATO’S plans for Baltic areas, the USA is criticising NATO countries for their alliance funding, and the UK’s Armed Forces Christian Union's director said it is unfortunate that ‘public disagreements’ have marked the anniversary of an alliance created to stand for unity. See