View this email in your browser

NEWS THIS WEEK:

“Belarus Clears Migrant Camp at Polish Border, Easing Standoff” (The New York Times): The Belarusian government has cleared the migrant camps along its border with Poland, temporarily calming tensions that have been building for weeks. Many migrants have been relocated to a Belarusian warehouse to provide relief from the freezing and life-threatening conditions of the makeshift camps. However, there is no clear alternative destination for the thousands of people seeking to go west.

• It appears the crisis was orchestrated by Belarusian autocrat Aleksandr Lukashenko in an attempt to strike at the European Union. His 2020 election was largely seen as illegitimate, and he oppressed the political protests that subsequently erupted. In response, the EU issued a series of sanctions.

• Lukashenko enticed migrants, many from the Middle East, to fly to Belarus with promises of easy access across the border into the EU. Reports show that Belarusian officials even urged the migrants across the Polish border, equipping them with wire cutters to cut through fences.

• Unlike the Syrian refugee crisis of 2015-2016, no EU state has offered to accept the thousands of migrants who are largely considered ‘economic migrants’ rather than refugees, sitting at the border. In addition to recalling past migrant crises, the event continues to highlight the political struggles between Eastern European autocrats and the Western-facing European Union.

NEWS THIS WEEK

“Fresh flare-up of violence between Armenia and Azerbaijan a year after end of war” (EuroNews):

Fighting erupted at the border between Azerbaijan and Armenia this week nearly a year after a Russian-brokered peace treaty ended war in the region. While the death toll has yet to be confirmed, both sides confirmed the fighting and made accusations of provocations by the other side. These nations are fighting for control of Nagorno-Karabakh, an ethnically Armenian enclave within Azerbaijan. Last year, Azerbaijan made use of advanced weaponry purchased from Turkey and Israel whereas Armenia used mostly legacy munitions supplied by the former USSR and Russia. Military strategists and historians are currently analyzing this conflict as a potential model for the conduct of future wars.

“U.S. Warns Allies of Possible Russian Incursion as Troops Amass Near Ukraine” (The New York Times): Intelligence analysts in the United States and Britain are growing increasingly concerned that Russia is considering military action to seize more territory from Ukraine. With Europe’s dependence on Russian oil during the current supply shortage and the region facing a migrant crisis, analysts fear Putin will feel emboldened to act. Future operations near Europe could be shaped by the actions to come between Russia and Ukraine.

IN DEFENSE NEWS

“No Pentagon Wrong-Doing in Jan. 6 Reaction, Inspector General Finds” (DefenseOne): On Thursday, the DOD’s inspector general released a report detailing conclusions that the Defense Department’s actions during the Capitol attack “were appropriate, supported by requirements, consistent with the DOD’s roles and responsibilities,” as well as legally compliant. The DOD has been under scrutiny for both its response to the Capitol attack, as well as the overrepresentation of service members and veterans among those that participated in the attack on the Capitol. Civilian and uniformed leadership alike have taken heat for the military’s response. While the report determined the DOD response was not violating any existing mandates, the report offers recommendations for future civil defense operations in the Capitol region. These recommendations include swifter response of civil defense operations in the national capital region and a review of how federal agencies can request assistance from the National Guard.

“Navy holds ‘navigation stand-down’ for submarine force after undersea collision” (Navy Times): Due to the collision of the USS CONNECTICUT with an undersea mountain, the submarine force is conducting a safety review of the fleet. In contrast with safety stand-downs within the surface and aviation forces, not all submarine activity will be halted. The stand-down will help crews learn the lessons of the mishap and refresh important skills, while the fact that submarine operations will continue highlights the critical importance of their work.

A LONG READ FOR YOUR WEEKEND

“The Bad Guys are Winning” (The Atlantic) by Anne Applebaum.

In a wide-ranging piece looking at numerous countries around the globe, journalist and historian Anne Applebaum argues that America and its allies face an uphill battle in combating the backslide of democracy around the world. The bad guys in this story are the autocrats such as Belarusian dictator Aleksander Lukashenko, who Applebaum describes as Autocracy Inc: leaders who are able to operate with impunity by disregarding the outcries of the international community and relying on fellow autocrats to provide economic opportunities in the face of western sanctions. President Biden has made the reinvigoration of democracy a centerpiece of his foreign policy, and Applebaum’s piece offers a compelling look at the difficulties that lie ahead for that initiative.

PODCAST EPISODE OF THE WEEK

“What it’s like to Be in the Military” - The Experience Podcast

For this week, we are featuring a less well-known podcast called The Experience Podcast. The podcast’s host, Elizabeth Pearson Garr, lets the listener vicariously experience intriguing vocations that they might otherwise not have any connection to. In this episode, Garr interviews Naval Academy ‘14 graduate Eric Davids, who recently transitioned from a life in the Marine Corps in Camp Lejeune to working at a software company in Boulder, CO. While we don’t need a podcast telling us what it’s like to be in the military, the podcast itself will provide a junior officer with the two following perspectives. First, it lets you listen in on organic questions from a civilian and a former military member based on genuine curiosity and a search for understanding on what we do on a daily basis. It can help us reflect on how we are perceived, and better understand how others may perceive us. Secondly, this is a fantastic example of a former junior officer, just like you and me, taking advantage of opportunities to bridge the civilian-military divide.

If you are enjoying SEA STATE, please subscribe below and share with your friends on social media! If you have any questions, comments, tips, or feedback for the SEA STATE team, please email us at the link below.

We’ll see you next week.

This issue of SEA STATE was written and edited by Yash Khatavkar, Lauren Hickey, Emma Quinn, Nick Paraiso, Jeremy Gerstein, Madison Sargeant, Julie Stabile, and Scotty Davids.

SEA STATE is not affiliated with the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, or the Department of Defense. All views expressed or shared in this newsletter are the authors’ own and not necessarily endorsed by the U.S. government or any military entity.