DAILY GEOPOLITICAL INSIGHTS: The Geopolitical News Roundup & Analysis for Tuesday 8th August 2023

DAILY GEOPOLITICAL INSIGHTS: The Geopolitical News Roundup & Analysis for Tuesday 8th August 2023
Geopolitical Insights By: Iain Fraser – Associate Publisher GEÓ
Geopolitical Intelligence Network
GEOPoliticalMatters.com/Insights
8th August 2023

DAILY GEOPOLITICAL INSIGHTS: Good Morning from the GEO´ Newsroom in Gibraltar. Geopolitical Insights for Tuesday, 8th August 2023 – including Ukraine war – latest Sitrep, Belarus starts military exercises on NATO borders and China Trade Slump threatens recovery … Read Full Story & Analysis | This is a fluid news story – follow updates via @GEO_IntelDesk on Twitter using Hashtag #GEOInsights.

UKRAINE WAR LATEST …
The Ukraine counter-offensive has now entered its second month and Ukraine has little to show for the concerted effort despite the deployment of billions of pounds of Western military equipment to aid the counter-offensive. Conversely, Ukraine has been effective in a defensive role, at least limiting Putin´s land grab. Having said that Russia still occupies nearly one-fifth of Ukraine – including the cities of Donetsk, in the east, and Mariupol, which it captured after months of siege, and its forces are well dug in … Read Full Story & Analysis | This is a fluid news story – follow updates via @GEO_IntelDesk on Twitter using Hashtag #UkraineWar

BELARUS STARTS MILITARY DRILLS NEAR BORDERS …
AP has reported that Belarus has begun military drills near its border with Poland and Lithuania in a move vied as highly provocative in the already fractious region. Tensions are already heightened prompting both NATO Member countries to bolster their border security amid fears that the relocation of thousands of Wagner Group mercenary troops to Belarus might not just be part of a Putin/Prigozhin plea-bargain type amnesty but something far more sinister, even, unconfirmed intelligence suggests may have been a pre-condition of Putin´s agreement not to prosecute Wagner boss Prigozhin … Read Full Story & Analysis | This is a fluid news story – follow updates via @GEO_IntelDesk on Twitter using Hashtag #Belarus

CHINA TRADE SLUMP THREATENS RECOVERY …
Reuters has reported this morning that China’s imports and exports fell further than expected in July threatening growth prospects in the world’s second-largest economy and heightening pressure for the government to provide fresh stimulus to prop up demand. The report confirms that Imports dropped 12.4% in July year-on-year, customs data showed on Tuesday, missing a forecast fall of 5% in a Reuters poll. Exports contracted 14.5%, steeper than an expected 12.5% decline and the previous month’s 12.4% fall … Read Full Story & Analysis | This is a fluid news story – follow updates via @GEO_IntelDesk on Twitter using Hashtag #ChinaTrade