Putin’s Russia in biggest Arctic military push since Soviet fall

January 31, 2017 — Reuters reports: “The nuclear icebreaker Lenin, the pride and joy of the Soviet Union’s Arctic great game, lies at perpetual anchor in the frigid water here. A relic of the Cold War, it is now a museum.

But nearly three decades after the Lenin was taken out of service to be turned into a visitor attraction, Russia is again on the march in the Arctic and building new nuclear icebreakers.

It is part of a push to firm Moscow’s hand in the High North as it vies for dominance with traditional rivals Canada, the United States, and Norway as well as newcomer China.

Interviews with officials and military analysts and reviews of government documents show Russia’s build-up is the biggest since the 1991 Soviet fall and will, in some areas, give Moscow more military capabilities than the Soviet Union once had…”  (Russia in Bible prophecy is the main instigator of death and suffering during Armageddon – Revelation 16:16.  Ezekiel chapters 38 & 39, which I have proclaimed for sixty years, aided by Oriental and Islamic nations, bring total chaos and atomic devastation upon the world.  Worse yes, it’s just ahead of us.  Every nation I included in World War III is forming exactly as taught this global blood bath six decades ago.  The only good news is that the Rapture precedes Armageddon – “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth” – Revelation 3:10.  Then our deliverance as believers – Revelation 4:1 and our joy because of missing Armageddon.  See the next two reports.)

US warns Russia amid reports of new cruise missile

February 15, 2017 — SpaceDaily.com reports: “The United States warned Russia to respect its arms control treaty obligations on Tuesday amid reports that Moscow has deployed a new cruise missile that may breach them.

According to the New York Times, Moscow has secretly deployed an operational ground-launched cruise missile unit of a type that contravenes a 1987 US-Russia arms control treaty.

The US State Department would not directly confirm the report, but expressed concern that Russia was in any case already in breach of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.

‘We do not comment on intelligence matters,’ acting State Department spokesman Mark Toner said of the report.

But, citing a 2016 US treaty compliance report, Toner said Russia ‘remains in violation of its INF Treaty obligations.’…”

 Cold War redux? U.S.-Russian missile spat in Europe

February 17, 2017 — SpaceDaily.com reports: “The United States and Russia may be on the verge of a new arms race in Europe, decades after the missile crisis that shook the Old Continent in the waning years of the Soviet Union.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly said he would like to build warmer ties with Moscow, but in Europe tensions have been high since Russia annexed Crimea and began to foment separatism in Ukraine.

NATO has deployed reinforcements to the Baltic States and Poland on its eastern flank, and the United States and European Union have imposed sanctions on Russians implicated in the unrest.

Now, according to the New York Times, Moscow has secretly deployed an operational ground-launched cruise missile unit of a type that contravenes a 1987 US-Russia arms control treaty.

US officials have not confirmed the anonymously-sourced report, but the State Department expressed concern that Russia was in any case already in breach of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.

If confirmed, the move would be a flagrant violation of the treaty negotiated by President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev that banned intermediate-range missiles from US and Russian arsenals, and led to the destruction of 2,700 missiles…”

 North Korea slams UN condemnation of missile launch

February 16, 2017 — SpaceDaily.com reports: “North Korea defended its latest ballistic missile launch and slammed UN Security Council condemnation in a defiant statement Wednesday, as tensions escalate over the reclusive state’s recent behaviour.

The communique from the North’s foreign ministry came as investigators in Malaysia probe the shock assassination of Kim Jong-Un’s half-brother Monday.

The North’s leader has been trying to strengthen his grip on power in the face of growing international pressure over his country’s nuclear and missile programmes.

The United Nations Security Council, which includes the North’s only major ally China, sharply castigated Pyongyang on Monday for the missile test a day earlier, describing it as a ‘grave violation’ of UN resolutions and threatening ‘further significant measures’.

The rocket launch was the first since US President Donald Trump came to power and was seen as a challenge to the new American leader, who has vowed a strong response to the provocation.

The country is barred under UN resolutions from carrying out ballistic missile launches or nuclear tests…”  (The Kings of the East move towards the Middle East united with Russia and Iran – Revelation 16:12; Ezekiel 38 & 39; Revelation 9:14 – 18.  See the next report.)

China Steps up Opposition to U.S. Missile Defense System

February 1, 2017 — Voice of America News reports: “China is stepping up its efforts to stop South Korea from deploying a U.S. missile defense system on its soil, turning up the pressure on the economic front, while warning of the impact on diplomatic relations if the system is put in place this year.

The missile system and China’s objections are likely to be a hot topic this week during newly appointed U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis’ first trip to Asia.

Although U.S. and South Korean officials have long stressed that the key aim of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System (THAAD) is to counter North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities, Beijing argues that in the long run it could do much more than that…”

Mattis warns North Korea of ‘overwhelming’ response to nuclear use

February 3, 2017 — BBC News reports: “The US Defence Secretary James Mattis has said any use of nuclear weapons by North Korea would be met with an ‘effective and overwhelming’ response.

Mr Mattis spoke in South Korea, where he had been reaffirming US support, before flying to Tokyo.

He also reconfirmed plans to deploy a US missile defence system in South Korea later this year.

North Korea’s repeated missile and nuclear tests and aggressive statements continue to alarm and anger the region…”  (South Korea out of devotion and love to America for our nation’s protection and love shown to this nation will undoubtedly stick with America.  Also, while North Korea is a haven for Communism, South Korea has become a Christian nation because of America’s love and missionary outreach and ministry to these precious people.  See the next report.)

U.S. pledges nuclear defence for Japan, South Korea after North Korea missile launch

February 17, 2017 — SpaceDaily.com reports: “US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Thursday pledged that Washington would use the full range of its arsenal, including nuclear weapons, to defend allies Japan and South Korea against North Korea if needed.

‘The United States remains steadfast in its defence commitments to its allies, the Republic of Korea and Japan, including the commitment to provide extended deterrence, backed by the full range of its nuclear and conventional defence capabilities,’ Tillerson said in a joint statement after meeting the foreign ministers in Bonn.

North Korea has carried out repeated missile launches despite UN sanctions and last year conducted two nuclear tests in a bid to develop a weapons system capable of hitting the US mainland.

Pyongyang said the latest missile tested on Sunday could carry a nuclear warhead.

Seoul said the rocket travelled some 500 kilometres (300 miles) before it came down in the Sea of Japan (East Sea).

The joint statement said Tillerson, South Korea’s Yun Byung-Se and Japan’s Fumio Kishida ‘condemned in the strongest terms’ the test which was carried out in ‘flagrant disregard’ for multiple UN Security Council resolutions.

The three countries would work together to ensure that further violations would be ‘met with an even stronger international response,’ it said, demanding that Pyongyang abandon its nuclear and missile programmes…”