Bayraktar drones have arrived in Albania, announces defense minister

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By: Euronews Albania

01-03-2024 

Bayraktar TB2 drones in the Kuçova air base. Photo courtesy: Niko Peleshi (Facebook)

The Albanian Minister of Defense, Niko Peleshi, said Bayraktar drones have now arrived in Albania and have been placed in the Kuçova air base, due to open on March 4 as a NATO tactical base.

In a Facebook update, Peleshi said that, “For the past two days, the assembly [of drones] has begun, and simultaneously, the installation of the supporting infrastructure for their operation and control is underway.”

“This development not only enhances Albania’s defense capabilities but also serves as evidence of the country’s commitment to ensuring national security and meeting the highest standards of defense. This achievement is a symbol of our dedication to modernization and innovation in our Armed Forces,” Peleshi concluded.

In December 2022, Albania signed an agreement to purchase a fleet of unmanned military aircraft from the Turkish company Bayraktar.

At that time, Minister Peleshi stated that this assistance from the Turkish Government was of great importance for national security as well as that of the NATO alliance.

During the signing ceremony of the agreement between the Albanian Ministry of Defense and the Turkish company Bayraktar, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama stated that this agreement was reached thanks to the strategic partnership with Turkey.

At that time, Rama made it clear that the drones would be used for military, police, and civilian missions.

“The first three drones that will come will be fully armed and ready for any eventuality, and I hope it never happens, but we do not live in safe times. When our national security is threatened, we will be ready for war,” said Rama in 2022.

Both Rama and Peleshi stated that the drones would also help monitor traffic, as well as territory regarding cannabis cultivation, fires, illegal constructions, and tracking wanted individuals.

Rama announced that the agreement was not only for purchasing the drones but also included their maintenance, training for more than 30 individuals, who would be selected with the help of Bayraktar company to be prepared to take over the control center function, which would be the highest technology object at the Kuçova air base.

In September 2022, Rama had stated that Albania would receive six armed Bayraktar drones from Turkey. However, in December 2022, he announced that initially three drones would come, but no other figure was declared for the future.

It is not known how much a drone has cost Albania, but in September 2022 Rama had spoken of a “beneficial price”, without giving a specific figure.

Other countries have also shown interest in Turkish Bayraktar drones, as this tool has shown success in several battlefields, including Ukraine and Azerbaijan.

The TB2 drone was developed in Turkey by Selcuk Bayraktar, a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He has been dubbed as “the American Elon Musk”, for the unique military aircraft he has developed and for a presence on social networks, where he is often fierce towards his critics.

Bayraktar, who is the chief technology officer at the defense company Bayraktar, married the daughter of the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, in 2016, in a ceremony where Prime Minister Edi Rama was a witness.

Known for their efficiency and advanced technology, the Bayraktar TB2 drone can stay in the sky for up to 27 hours, made possible by a simple motor with propellers, and it can fly up to 150 kilometers from its base. This drone can also be equipped with four missiles of the “smart micro munitions” type, which are quite accurate in destroying armored vehicles from several kilometers away.

The TB2 drones have been used by Turkey in what it calls “counter-terrorism” operations against Kurdish militants. However, their devastating impact was seen during the 2020 conflict over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh when TB2 drones were used by Azerbaijan against Armenian ethnic forces.

However, this drone is seen as revolutionary due to its relatively low cost and easy availability. Large military drones produced by the United States, such as the MQ-9 Reaper, cost tens of millions of dollars, and even states that can afford such technology are unlikely to purchase these drones.

NATO’s chief says the alliance has no plans to send troops to Ukraine

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BY LORNE COOK AND KAREL JANICEK

Updated 12:07 PM GMT+1, February 27, 2024

BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told The Associated Press that the military alliance has no plans to send combat troops into Ukraine amid reports that some Western countries may be considering putting boots on the ground in the war-ravaged country.

Stoltenberg said that “NATO allies are providing unprecedented support to Ukraine. We have done that since 2014 and stepped up after the full-scale invasion. But there are no plans for NATO combat troops on the ground in Ukraine.”

Ahead of a trip to Paris on Monday, where top officials from over 20 countries discussed options to increase help for Ukraine, Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico said that some are weighing whether to strike bilateral deals to send troops to Ukraine to help it fend off the Russian invasion.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala also declined to comment, but he underlined that “the Czech Republic certainly doesn’t want to send its soldiers to Ukraine.”

Prime Minister Donald Tusk also said on Tuesday that “Poland does not plan to send its troops to Ukraine.”

While ruling out NATO military action, Stoltenberg told AP “that this is a war of aggression by Russia against Ukraine, blatantly violating international law. According to international law, Ukraine of course has the right to self-defense, and we have the right to support them in upholding that right.”

NATO as an alliance provides Ukraine only non-lethal aid and support like medical supplies, uniforms and winter equipment, but some members send weapons and ammunition bilaterally or in groups. Any decision for the organization to send troops would require unanimous support from all member countries.

The idea of putting boots on the ground has so far been taboo, particularly as NATO seeks to avoid being dragged into a wider war with nuclear-armed Russia. However, Ukraine’s backers have gradually provided more hi-tech and long-range weapons since Russia invaded two years ago.

French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday that sending Western troops on the ground in Ukraine should not be “ruled out” in the future, as Russia’s full-scale invasion grinds into a third year.

“We will do everything needed so Russia cannot win the war,” the French leader said after hosting the gathering in Paris. While he underlined that “there’s no consensus today” to send a combined force, he also said that “nothing can be ruled out.”

The conference was held just after France, Germany and the U.K. each signed 10-year bilateral security agreements with Ukraine in a signal of long-term backing as Kyiv works to shore up Western support.

T

European nations are worried that the U.S. will dial back support, as aid for Kyiv is held up in Congress. They also have concerns that former President Donald Trump might return to the White House and change the course of U.S. policy on the continent.

Several European countries, including France, expressed support Monday for an initiative launched by the Czech Republic to buy shells for Ukraine outside the European Union, participants at the meeting said.

Macron said that a new coalition will be launched to deliver medium and long-range missiles. France announced last month the delivery of 40 additional long-range Scalp cruise missiles.

In an interview last week, Stoltenberg did not oppose the idea that Ukraine be allowed to use Western weapons to strike targets in Russia. Some countries have placed restrictions on the use of materiel they provide, asking that it be used only inside Ukraine.

“It’s for each and every ally to decide whether there are some caveats on what they deliver,” Stoltenberg told Radio Free Europe. But, he said, Ukraine’s right to self-defense “includes also striking legitimate military targets, Russian military targets, outside Ukraine.”

"We told you 15 years ago, Putin is coming, then 10 and 5 years ago. Trust us now"

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Ivo Daalder, former US ambassador to NATO, expressed concern for the future of Europe in an article for Politico before the US elections, in which Trump can win

SOURCE: BLIC, POLITICO TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2024 | 11:00

He clarified that the recently held Munich Security Conference was marked by the Ukrainian withdrawal from Avdiivka and the sudden death of Alexei Navalny.

"Taking place so quickly, both of these events created a sobering mood at the Hotel Bayerischer Hof. And sitting in meetings, talking over meals and in hallways, my overwhelming feeling was that Europe was facing its worst fears," Daalder wrote.

According to him, there is a growing concern that Russia is winning in Ukraine and could then turn to the rest of Europe, and there is a growing realization that the US could elect a leader who does not believe in NATO and treats allies more like enemies.

"Europe has found itself between Putin and Trump," said former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt in a conversation with Daalder. Europe now needs to figure out a way to take care of itself. But can it? Will it? These were the questions that dominated the weekend.

"Europe has the right to be worried: the war in Ukraine is not going well, and the troops at the front are running out of ammunition and men." Explaining the decision to withdraw from Adviivka, General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi said: 'In a situation where the enemy is advancing over the body of his soldiers with a 10 to 1 shell advantage, under constant bombardment, this is the only correct solution'. And without more military aid, Ukraine will face difficult decisions and a costly retreat. In this regard, Europe did its part, sending all the equipment in its limited stock and spending more on military support than the US. But this weekend, neither US Vice President Kamala Harris nor a large congressional delegation could convince Ukraine or its European supporters that a new US aid package could soon be approved," said Daalder.

He continued to criticize the US Congress for not passing a law on a new round of aid for Ukraine, adding that no one believed their excuses.

By the way, Daalder says, at over 4 percent, Estonia's aid to Ukraine represents by far the largest percentage of any country's GDP — and ten times the U.S. commitment.

However, as troubling as Russia's success on the ground is, NATO allies are also increasingly concerned that Moscow has bigger ambitions, such as eventually challenging NATO directly. And although not immediate, the threat of Russia's potential ability to do so in the next 5-6 years is taken very seriously.

"One person sounding the alarm is the Director General of Estonia's Foreign Intelligence Service, Kaupo Rosin, who has warned that Russia expects a conflict with NATO in the next decade and is preparing accordingly. 'There are things we can do to counter this,' he told me. But we better take this seriously and start reacting now. I heard a similar message from Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski: 'We told you 15 years ago that Putin was coming. You didn't believe us. We told you again 10 years ago. And five. You still didn't believe us. Trust us now,' he said," Daalder writes.

But the biggest uncertainty for most Europeans does not involve Putin, but America.

The failure of the US Congress to support Ukraine has left many speechless. And Trump's warning that he will "encourage" Russia "to do whatever it wants" to an ally that has not "paid" is still echoing loudly.

Protecting NATO and European defense from Trump, as they say now, will not be easy. But many now realize that it must be done. Even if Biden is re-elected, Europeans are increasingly aware that the era of strong transatlantic presidents may be coming to an end.

Εθνικός συναγερμός: Ο Γκέιργος Γκόρος, μοίρασε χιλιάδες περιουσιακές αποφάσεις, σε Αλβανούς, στη Χιμάρα

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Σταύρη Μάρκο

Δημοσιογράφος

Σύμφωνα με τις Συμβολαιογραφικές στατιστικές πηγές που ερευνούν ο ΣΠΑΚ και η αμερικανική DEA, πραγματοποιήθηκαν αγοραπωλησίες με έγγραφα του δήμου Χιμάρας, οι οποίες διανύουν πολύ τραγική περίοδο. Είναι ύποπτο ότι ότι οι αποφάσεις αυτές είναι πάνω από 5 χιλιάδες σύμφωνα με πηγές, από τη χρονιά που το Σοσιαλιστικό Κόμμα ανέλαβε την εξουσία το 2011 με τον δήμαρχο  του, Γκέιργο Γκόρο, και μέχρι σήμερα, 13 ολόκληρα χρόνια, έχουν διανεμηθεί και πουληθεί ακίνητα όλων των κατηγοριών, σπίτια, ακίνητα, λιβάδια, βοσκοτόπια και υπάρχοντα. Στην ελληνική κοινότητα της Χιμάρας πουλήθηκαν περνώντας στην κυριότητα Αλβανών πολιτών, διαταράσσοντας την εθνοτική ισορροπία και πλήττοντας το ζωτικό συμφέρον του μεγαλύτερου μέρους του ελληνικού πληθυσμού της Χιμάρας.

Αυτές οι δραματικές εξελίξεις, που εξαρτώνται από την προσδοκία κήρυξης της Απογραφής Πληθυσμού στην Αλβανία, για την οποία το αλβανικό κράτος είναι βέβαιο ότι θα επεξεργάζεται άλλη μια μαζική χειραγώγηση, επηρέασαν επίσης τη μετεγκατάσταση του Γραφείου Κτηματογράφησης της Χιμάρας στα Τίρανα, ένα άλλο σκανδαλώδες δράση της κυβέρνησης Ράμα, για τον έλεγχο της επικράτειας και των περιουσιών της Χιμάρας.

Κατά τη διάρκεια της κατηγορίας του πολιτικά φυλακισμένου Προέδρου Φρέντι Μπελέρι, εν ενεργεία δήμαρχο Γεώργιο Γκόρος και πρώην υπουργού Εξωτερικών Τζάκα, στον Δήμο Χιμάρας, εμφανίστηκε ξεκάθαρα μια τραγικοκωμική καταγγελία του, ο λόγος για τον οποίο ο Γεώργιος Γκόρος, «Είχε την ευκαιρία να χαρεί, κάθε Αλβανός, ολιγάρχης ή μαφιόζος, από όπου κι αν ήταν, από κάθε μέρος της Αλβανίας, του έλεγε ποια γη θέλει, από τα περιουσιακά στοιχεία της Χιμάρας και με αντάλλαγμα το όνειρο έγινε πραγματικότητα».

Η ανάλυσή μας ξεκινά με την πιο δύσκολη χρονιά που διανύει η Χιμάρα, το 2023, όπου ο Δήμος εξακολουθεί να βρίσκεται στο σιδερένιο χέρι του Έντι Ράμα, πραγματοποιώντας από νωρίς έναν στόχο της Εθνοκάθαρσης της Χιμάρας, στην οποία οι ανακριτικές πηγές μιλούν για τη χρονιά που δίνονται από τον Δήμο Χιμάρας, περισσότερα οικόπεδα από τα χρόνια που ο Γκόρο ασκεί τα καθήκοντά του ως νόμιμα εκλεγμένος. Διότι φέτος προστέθηκε άλλος ένας Νόμος, ο Νόμος για τις Τουριστικές Αναπτύξεις, στις Προστατευόμενες Περιοχές, που μαζί με τον Νόμο για τους Στρατηγικούς Επενδυτές, δίνει την τελευταία κλωτσιά στη Χιμάρα.

Επιπλέον, πρέπει να δούμε την ιστορική προοπτική του πώς το αλβανικό κράτος, ανεξάρτητα από την κρατική μορφή, τη δικτατορία ή το φιλελεύθερο δημοκρατικό σύστημα, μπόρεσε να ερμηνεύσει μέσω νόμων και καμουφλαρισμένων ενεργειών μέσω κυβερνητικών αποφάσεων ή των λεγόμενων Τουριστικών Εξελίξεων. ληστεύοντας τις περιουσίες των εθνικών κοινοτήτων.όπως στην περίπτωση της Χιμάρας, οι οποίες προστατεύονται από τις αρχές και τα ψηφίσματα του Συμβουλίου της Ευρώπης και της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης. Φυσικά, η ικανότητά τους έφτασε στο αποκορύφωμά της, όταν μπόρεσαν να συμπεριλάβουν σε αυτή τη στρατηγική της ληστείας και ένα μέρος των κατοίκων της Χιμάρας, αφού, σύμφωνα με την έρευνα, δεν άντεξαν τις πιέσεις και παρέδωσαν ή πούλησαν τα κτήματα. που στις περισσότερες περιπτώσεις ήταν με τον κομμουνιστικό νόμο 7501.

Σύμφωνα με τα στατιστικά του Γραφείου Κτηματολογίου, ο πρώην Διευθυντής του, Αρτάν Λαμέ, είχε δηλώσει ότι στον Δήμο Χιμάρας έχει ξεκινήσει η διαδικασία εγγραφής περίπου 8500 τάπιων, ενώ δεν ξεπερνούν τα 1300 ταπί κατοίκων της παλιάς Χιμάρας. με τα 7 χωριά, και παραδόξως, ο αριθμός των Αλβανών με περιουσία στη Χιμάρα του σημερινού δήμου (όχι απαραίτητα εγγεγραμμένοι κάτοικοι), έχει διπλασιαστεί. Αυτές οι δραματικές εξελίξεις, που εξαρτώνται από την προσδοκία κήρυξης της Απογραφής Πληθυσμού στην Αλβανία, για την οποία το αλβανικό κράτος είναι βέβαιο ότι θα επεξεργάζεται άλλη μια μαζική χειραγώγηση, επηρέασαν επίσης τη μετεγκατάσταση του Γραφείου Κτηματογράφησης της Χιμάρας στα Τίρανα, ένα άλλο σκανδαλώδες δράση της κυβέρνησης Ράμα, για τον έλεγχο της επικράτειας και των περιουσιών της Χιμάρας.

Πρέπει να δούμε αυτή την υπόθεση, όχι πολιτικά απομονωμένη, αλλά πρέπει να πούμε ότι, το ελληνικό βέτο κατά της Αλβανίας στην ΕΕ, λόγω της δικαστικής διαδικασίας, του εκλεγμένου Δημάρχου Φρέντι Μπελέρι, που την Τετάρτη είνε η απόφαση από το δικαστήριο , όχι μόνο δεν έχει θετικά αποτελέσματα, αλλά έχει επιδεινώσει στο μέγιστο το βιοτικό επίπεδο της Ελληνικής Κοινότητας της Χιμάρας, που βιώνει την επιβίωσή της μπροστά στον εκβιασμό και τον ψυχολογικό τρόμο, στον οποίο κάθε εθνικό συμφέρον της Ελλάδας, υπεράσπιση της Μειονότητας, έχει γίνει αισθητή στα ελληνικά της στη Χιμάρα. Ο κ. Μητσοτάκης έρχεται την Τετάρτη στα Τίρανα για να προωθήσει τη βοήθεια που θα δοθεί στην Ουκρανία και μάλιστα υποτιμά το εθνικό συμφέρον της Ελληνικής Δημοκρατίας για τη διασφάλιση των ελευθεριών και των ανθρωπίνων δικαιωμάτων στον Δήμο Χιμάρας.

Ωστόσο, μετά την Τετάρτη, στη Σύνοδο Κορυφής για την Ουκρανία στα Τίρανα, θα νιώσουμε μια άλλη εμπειρία, αυτή της λαϊκίστικης νίκης του Αλβανού πρωθυπουργού Έντι Ράμα, (μέσω των Ανεξάρτητων Δικαστηρίων όπως ισχυρίζεται ότι μπόρεσε να μετατρέψει την υπόθεση Μπελέρι) σε μια μεγάλη νίκη εθνική, όχι λόγω του ελέγχου του Δήμου Χιμάρας, αλλά και για να δώσει ένα μήνυμα στην Ελλάδα, στους φίλους της Αλβανίας, στην περίπτωσή μας, την Τουρκία, την Ιταλία ή ακόμα και τη Γερμανία, συμπεριλαμβανομένης της επίσκεψης του Αμερικανού υπουργού Εξωτερικών Blinken, Ως στήριξη στην κυβέρνηση Ράμα, δεν ρωτούν για την Ελλάδα, ακόμα χειρότερα, όταν κάνουν ότι θέλουν με την ελληνική εθνική μειονότητα στη Χιμάρα.