6:00 PM ET, Wednesday, September 13, 2023
The Cipher Brief curates open source information from around the world that impacts national security. Here's a look at today's headlines, broken down by region of the world:
The Americas
U.S. ‘Won’t Hesitate’ to Sanction Russia, North Korea Over Arms Deal. The U.S. State Department said on Wednesday that the Biden administration “won’t hesitate” to impose further sanctions on Russia and North Korea if they agree to any new arms deals. The warning came after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in eastern Russia, ahead of which the U.S. said Pyongyang and Moscow are “actively advancing” towards a deal in which North Korea would send weapons to Russia in exchange for military technology. A department spokesman noted that Secretary of State Antony Blinken raised concerns about North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs with Chinese officials when he visited Beijing. The U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield also noted on Wednesday that Russia’s engagement with North Korea “shows how desperate” Moscow is for support amid the Ukraine war. Reuters CNN
China, Venezuela Sign Bilateral Agreements. China and Venezuela have signed multiple bilateral cooperation agreements on the economy and trade, science and technology, aerospace, and tourism. Chinese state TV reported that Chinese President Xi Jinping signed the deals with Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro after a meeting in Beijing. Xi said he signed the deals to highlight China and Venezuela’s relationship as “good friends with mutual trust,” noting that next year will be the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries. Maduro said Venezuela will work with China within multilateral bodies like BRICS and the United Nations. Venezuela has said it actively supports China’s development and infrastructure projects in its Belt and Road Initiative. Reuters
Western Europe
Germany Blocks Complete Takeover of German Satellite Company by Chinese Firm. The German government on Wednesday forbade Chinese firm Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology from completely taking over German satellite startup KLEO Connect. Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology already owns 53% of KLEO Connect and was seeking to acquire the 45% minority stake of a German company. KLEO Connect seeks to establish a network of 300 small, low earth orbit satellites for global communications services, similar to SpaceX’s Starlink system. Germany’s decision on the satellite firm follows previous moves blocking prospective Chinese investments in German semiconductor companies over national security concerns. Reuters
Central and Eastern Europe
Shoigu Claims Russian Troops Keeping ‘Active Defense’ in Ukraine. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Wednesday that Russian forces are maintaining an “active defense” amid the Ukrainian counteroffensive. Sergei said that Russian defense is “simpler” in some parts of the front than others but asserted that Russian troops are “performing confidently and reliably defending what we need to defend at the moment.” He added that Russian forces have “no other options” than to win. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that while Ukraine’s counteroffensive may not be moving as quickly as some have hoped, it continues to progress “slowly but surely.” Ukrainian forces have in recent weeks said that they have pierced through Russian defenses on the southern front. Reuters
Ukraine Calls for Stronger Sanctions on Moscow After Reports of Increased Russian Missile Output. The New York Times reports that Russia has managed to evade Western sanctions through illicit networks to increase its missile production beyond pre-war levels. The report said that while Russian military production drastically slowed for at least six months after its invasion in February 2022, it was able to reaccelerate military manufacturing by the end of 2022. The report said Russia’s Ministry of Defense and intelligence services have been smuggling key components needed for military production by exporting them from where they were made to countries from which they can be more easily shipped into Russia. Andriy Yermak, head of the Office of the President, said that sanctions “need to be tougher and more sophisticated” to address this development. He added that a special group formed by the Ukrainian government has proposed ways to target Russia’s military supply chains, as well as “evidence of foreign components” required for Russian weapons. The Yermak-McFaul International Working Group previously reported that China is the main supplier of drone components to Russia, accounting for 67% of shipments, with 17% of them going through Hong Kong. New York Times CNN
U.S. Ambassador to Russia Visits Paul Whelan. U.S. Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy visited Paul Whelan, a former marine jailed in Russia on espionage charges. The U.S. State Department said that Tracy reiterated to Whelan that the Biden administration is working to get him back home. Whelan and the U.S. deny the charges against him. The U.S. designates Whelan and Evan Gershkovich, who is also arrested in Russia on spying charges that he denies, as “wrongfully detained.” Reuters
Asia and Oceania
Taiwan Reports Chinese Warplane Incursion Into Air Defense Zone. Taiwan’s defense ministry reported 28 Chinese air force planes entered the southwestern corner of the island’s air defense identification zone on Wednesday morning. The ministry said the warplanes included J-10 fighter jets and that some of the aircraft crossed the Bashi Channel to join the Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong for drills in the western Pacific. The ministry said Taiwan’s forces deployed its own aircraft and activated air defense systems to monitor the incursion. Reuters
China Becomes First to Send New Ambassador to Afghanistan After Taliban Takeover. China formally named a new ambassador to Afghanistan on Wednesday, making it the first country to appoint an envoy to Kabul after the Taliban takeover. The Taliban has yet to be officially recognized by any foreign government, and China did not indicate if the appointment of the ambassador, Zhao Xing, is a step towards formal recognition of the Taliban. China’s foreign ministry said the naming of the envoy was a “normal rotation” and that China’s policy towards Kabul is “clear and consistent.” China’s previous ambassador to Afghanistan, Wang Yu, took the role in 2019 and finished his tenure last month. Several countries have diplomats in Kabul with the title of ambassador, but they all took up their posts before the Taliban takeover. Reuters Al Jazeera Deutsche Welle
South Korea’s Yoon Names New Defense Minister. South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol named Shin Won-sik as his new defense minister on Wednesday. Shin, a lawmaker from the ruling People Power Party and retired three-star general, said he will work to ensure South Koreans can live peacefully amid “serious security challenges.” His nomination, which is subject to parliamentary confirmation, follows missile launches from North Korea and a meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Reuters
Lavrov Says West Broke Promises on North Korea, Weapons Transfers. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that the geopolitical climate had changed completely since the United Nations imposed sanctions on North Korea and accused the West of breaking pledges of humanitarian support for Pyongyang. Speaking on Russian TV, Lavrov claimed that the reason that Russia and China have blocked further U.S.-drafted sanctions against North Korea last year was because the West had given a false promise of providing humanitarian aid for the country. His comments came after Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met in eastern Russia. When asked about the Putin-Kim meeting and whether it could lead to an arms deal between Russia and North Korea, Lavrov did not directly reply. Instead, he said the West had broken its own agreements by providing Soviet-era weapons to Ukraine, referencing weapons sent to Kyiv by central and eastern European countries which were previously in the Moscow-led Warsaw Pact but are now NATO members. Lavrov claimed this violated contractual agreements since the weapons were originally given by Moscow with end-user certificates that prevented them from being given to third parties. Reuters
Middle East and Northern Africa
U.S. to Withhold Egypt Military Aid, Redirect to Taiwan and Others. Sources say the U.S. is planning to withhold $85 million in military aid to Egypt for failing to make progress on the release of political prisoners and other human rights issues. Officials said the Biden administration has notified Congress of the decision and that the aid will be redirected to other partners, with $55 million reportedly going to Taiwan and $30 million being allocated for Lebanon. The Egyptian Embassy in Washington did not immediately comment on the move. Some U.S. lawmakers are now calling on the Biden administration to withhold another $235 million in conditional foreign military financing that goes to Egypt for failing to meet similar democracy and human rights requirements. The requirements can be waived if it is determined that the aid will serve U.S. national security interests or if the funds go to “counterterrorism, border security and nonproliferation programs for Egypt.” Reuters Wall Street Journal
U.S., Bahrain Sign Strategic Security and Economic Agreement. The U.S. and Bahrain signed a strategic security and economic agreement on Wednesday. Secretary of State Antony Blinken signed the deal with Bahrain’s crown prince and prime minister, Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, at the State Department. Blinken said the deal will expand defense and intelligence collaboration between the U.S. and Bahrain to help boost regional security and prosperity, adding that the deal may be a framework for similar arrangements with other countries. The White House added that the deal will help the U.S. Central Command to integrate regional air and missile defense systems and increase “maritime domain awareness.” Bahrain is designated a major non-NATO ally and hosts the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet and the headquarters of the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command. Reuters France 24 New York Times
Sub Saharan Africa
UN Special Envoy to Sudan Steps Down. The United Nations special envoy to Sudan, Volker Perthes, is stepping down. This comes over three months after Sudan declared him unwelcome after disputes between Sudan’s army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces led to conflict. Perthes warned on Wednesday that the fighting is set to develop into a “full-blown civil war” and noted that both sides are detaining and “even torturing civilians” and are reportedly engaged in extrajudicial killings. Reuters
Cyber and Tech
Pegasus Spyware Found on Exiled Russian Journalist’s Phone. Researchers from Citizen Lab and digital rights nonprofit Access Now have found that the phone of Russian journalist Galina Timchenko has been infected with NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware. The spyware was reportedly installed on the iPhone of Timchenko, owner of Russian independent media outlet Meduza, while she was at a conference in Berlin with other exiled Russian journalists in February, weeks after Meduza was outlawed for being critical of the Kremlin. Access Now says it is the first documented case of a Pegasus infection targeting a Russian citizen. Researchers said it is unclear who was behind the attack, though Pegasus is reportedly sold to government agencies. Timchenko reportedly received a warning that she was a target of state-sponsored hackers in June, though she noted Russian authorities have been trying to hack her and her outlet for years. The Record
Chinese Scientists Claim to Develop World’s Strongest Radar Chip. Researchers at Chinese defense company China Electronics Technology Group (CETC) claim to have made an extremely powerful radar chip that uses semiconductor technology subject to U.S. sanctions. The researchers said the new chip can generate radar signals with peak power reaching 2.4 kilowatts, which is one or two orders of magnitude higher than similar power-amplifying chips in most existing radar systems. The researchers added that the chip can be mass-produced at relatively low cost and be used for an extremely powerful radar that operates in the X band, a high-frequency microwave range used for military threat identification. Researchers said the chip uses gallium nitride. The U.S. and its allies have banned the export of high-powered gallium-based semiconductors to China. South China Morning Post
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