Russian President Vladimir Putin signaled on Monday that in the near future, Moscow and Ankara will complete negotiations on the creation of a gas hub in Turkiye to make the energy situation in the region more balanced. How are the gas hub talks going?
Russo-Turkish energy cooperation is proceeding, as Russian President Vladimir Putin outlined on September 4. Turkiye buys around 45% of its natural gas from Russia per annum via the Blue Stream and TurkStream pipelines across the Black Sea, and is continuing to implement the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant project together with Moscow. Meanwhile, one project that has caught the world's attention is the Russo-Turkish gas hub, which, theoretically, may revive the fuel's flow to the EU.
What is the Russo-Turkish Gas Hub?
In the wake of the sabotage attack that destroyed Russia's Nord Stream infrastructure delivering the nation's natural gas to the EU, President Putin came up with an initiative on October 12, 2022 to redirect the supplies intended for the damaged pipelines to Turkiye and provide the fuel to Europe via a new route, "if our partners are interested in this." The Russian president talked about potentially building additional Black Sea links toward Turkiye.
Ankara welcomed the proposal, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ordering on October 14, 2022 his government to promptly start work on the gas hub plan. Turkiye has the capacity to become a major international energy hub, the Turkish leadership told the media later in the month.....More Below
US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is preparing to leave the Trump administration after what a new report has described as months of tension with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, potentially triggering another change at the army’s top echelons.
According to the Friday report by The Wall Street Journal, Driscoll is expected to step down before the end of the year and could leave his post earlier. The newspaper cited people familiar with discussions over his departure.
The Journal reported that Driscoll and his family vacated the official residence assigned to the army secretary at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall this summer, a move that could indicate he was preparing to leave the position.
The reported departure would come at a time of continuing uncertainty at the top echelons of the army.
Hegseth abruptly removed Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George in April, while Trump has not yet nominated a permanent successo....more below
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The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) warns the enemies that any act of aggression against the Islamic Republic will not go unanswered.
In a statement on Thursday, the IRGC issued a “stern warning” to the enemies after US forces launched strikes against the southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas.
Following the US military attack on a point on the outskirts of Bandar Abbas Airport with aerial projectiles, the IRGC carried out new strikes targeting the US air base from which the attack originated in the wee hours of Thursday, it added.
“This response is a serious warning to the enemy that they should know the act of aggression will not go unanswered,” the IRGC emphasized.
The elite military force warned of a “more decisive” response if the enemy repeated any act of aggression.
It also said the responsibility for the consequences of any IRGC response lies with the aggressor.
The statement comes after the IRGC Navy on Thursday forced an American tanker to turn back. The tanker ...
