What's new

A Tripartite Call [ATTN: Bajorország, Tarusa]

Pelasgia

Established Nation
Joined
Sep 30, 2014
Messages
4,254
Location
Athens, Greece
Nick
Demos
Marshal Leon Vatatzidis sat comfortably in his leather chair, behind the oak wood office of the President of the Pelasgian Union. Behind him hanged a portrait of the late President Notaras, who had done more for Pelasgian in death than in life, while, in the corner of his screen, a large icon of Christ the Pantokrator could be seen, dressed in Propontine imperial regalia and holding a book with some inscription from the New Testament.
"You are connected, Your Excellency," said Alexandros, his trusted assistant. "The connection is direct and secure. We have received confirmation from our colleagues @Bajorország and @Tarusa ."
Vatatzidis nodded. "Good. Let us begin then." He looked directly at the wall across from him, where the figures of the Pannonian and Tarusan leaders were displayed on a screen. "Good day, Your Excellencies. I wished that we could have met in person, but present circumstances make us pressed for time. No matter; one of the items I wish to discuss in this meeting is a more permanent and official cooperation between our three proud Nations; at Mr. Schönbrunn, the Pannonian Foreign Minister's most kind suggestion, a future meeting officiating our coalition could be held in Kipest.
"Moving on to the matter at hand: what is to be done with regard to Pannonia, and the Populist interference in that sovereign nation. It is our belief that the principle of national sovereignty, which has upheld peace in our world for a long time, should be protected from short-sighted, puritan zealots and overseas imperialists--these being Remion and the Federation, respectively. To this end, we would recommend a joint front on two axes: firstly, consistent diplomatic cooperation to denounce the Populists' initiatives and to deny them any recognition and participation. We will not share any negotiating table with the separatists; we will only suffer to meet with the Populists who really pull their strings. Moreover, given Remion's illegal and abrupt escalation, and the large-scale drills near its border, we must face the harsh reality that our adversaries might be preparing--or might have already undertaken--a armed intervention. Therefore, Pelasgia and Tarusa should be ready to deploy more materiel and troops to Pannonia. Our current numbers are a good start, but a wider lend-lease program and a presence through unmarked operatives or mercenaries would be ideal. Pannonia's own forces should be on high alert, given Remion's actions, as I am certain that this situation could very will escalate beyond an aerial invasion.
"Finally, our intelligence agencies should be constantly coordinating. Wars today are won through information. We must establish news outlets, think-tanks, activist groups, and the like, all of which will appear impartial but will truly be funded and controlled by us behind the scenes, in order to promote the true narrative of events in Pannonia. Medical groups and news sites, as well as armies of fact-checkers and online trolls, would be extremely useful in this regard. The State Security Service of the Pelasgian Union already has a division dedicated to these tasks, and we would be glad to assist in this regard."
 

Jydsken-Østveg

Established Nation
Joined
Oct 30, 2006
Messages
6,379
Location
Stavanger
Capital
Trollshjem
Nick
Coro (Skepps)
Zoltán Kovács was a man that seemingly always wore the same suit. Occasionally his tie might change, but usually it embraced the stripes of the flag in some manner.

Kovács nodded in agreement with what he heard. His advisors were off-camera and facing him so that they could communicate with hand gestures or non-verbal cues. "I agree with everything stipulated here. We must defeat the populists to our best ability. I shall make no secret that I command a nation that has been betrayed. Our military in shambles. We cannot hold back any attack upon us by a foreign adversary. Time is our only ally. The longer we have to fix our problems the better. Unfortunately this is not a quick fix. Our arms suppliers are mostly foreign and they refuse to trade with us now. We must now modernize with equipment from Pelasgia and Tarusa. This cannot happen over night. For you aid, I am willing to offer any technology found in these Eiffelland armored tanks. We doubt they contain any real secrets to their military, but they may be useful for combat readiness for your militaries. In return, your tanks would be required. Your arms. Your munitions. I am happy to hear about a lend-lease program and will gladly accept whatever aid is possible."

"Kispest is open to you both. I wish to hold a summit for our Governments and organize an official pact between our nations. Until then, as you say, intelligence is important and we shall cooperate with your agencies to give our three nations the best edge possible in combating foreign adversaries. Controlling the narrative on the internet is indeed important. The truth is important, and it must be told to the populists and their citizens. In the meantime I will begin the process for peace talks. A war is not winnable today in my mind and I do not like embarking in projects I cannot win. So I shall change the story so that I have won, or I will win at a later time. Peace is on the table and the breakaway states at not invited. It will be the job of the populists to campaign for them."
 

Tarusa

Establishing Nation
Joined
Jun 18, 2019
Messages
876
Location
Middle of Nowhere USA
Capital
Kremlyov
Nick
JJ
Yuri sat in his office, adorned with all the glamour of history from the Royal family. He stared at the portrait to the left of the doorway of General Arkady Kutuzov, the Tarusan General who led the armies of the Varovian Commonwealth across the continent. How fitting it would be that now 200 years later, the Tarusans would be back in the central part of Europe waging yet another conflict.

"Gentleman, the Tarusan Military Complex will be at the disposal of keeping the Kovacs regime armed. I must ask what is the status of available troops currently to the government Mr. Kovacs? This is information that would be of critical importance to my advisors, so that we can best come up with a plan of how we can be of the best assistance."

A man appeared and walked over to the Tsar, whispering into his ear momentarily before walking back out of view of the screen. It was none other than Leontiy Makarov, the Minister of Defense.

"As for the Eiffelland tanks, being as it is our rival, and information like this could be of some use to us. We will gladly take several of them to be analyzed and field tested. In exchange, the ministry of defense has stated its willingness to part ways with a handful of UAV's. Something small, but useful in their purpose. We may not be open to the idea of an open conflict against other nations, and are hoping to avoid this while preserving the territorial integrity of your nation. I as the absolute ruler of the Empire am prepared to give the world a more visual stance of our support for your regime and the territorial integrity of Pannonia will order a battle group from the Axshaina Sea Fleet to make a Port call in one of the port cities. Perhaps such a move may put more pressure from neighboring states to push for Remion to agree to more amicable terms for "peace talks"."
 

Jydsken-Østveg

Established Nation
Joined
Oct 30, 2006
Messages
6,379
Location
Stavanger
Capital
Trollshjem
Nick
Coro (Skepps)
Kovács answered immediately, "General, the Pannonian Armed Forces likely has around 22,000 men available at its disposal. We estimate that we will call up another 20,000 from reserve upon necessity, but have been reluctant to do so as to not provoke Remion. The PAF so to speak, is in disarray and disorganized however. As I said before, we require time. We need to train new members for new roles in leadership. We need to figure out which reservists will still answer the call. Our estimate assumes 3/4ths will not answer the call. There are further complications with entire units that are now incomplete. We must merge units, train them, and create new ones. Imagine now that we need to go through this process for all branches of our military. A new pilot cannot be ready by next month even. This is a process that requires reformation at its most extreme. Furthermore, there is worry within our ranks that there may be leaks or moles to others in these breakaway states. The Pannonian Navy might have entire ships mutiny upon the beginning of armed conflict. We must root these out before any campaign can be considered secure. Especially in a modern world of cell phones, I cannot say for sure that a random man will not be texting his orders and missions to a friend outside of the chain of command. It is my intention to eventually delete this military structure and create a new armed forces loyal to me. However, I must remove the threat from Remion before I can embark on such a process. Removing a military and creating a new one with enemies at the gates is not a rational course of action."

Kovács paused upon receiving information from one of his advisors near him and was not amused, but was quick on his feet to come to a solution. "Gentlemen, I have been told that my diplomats have agreed to the demands of Remion in that all mercenaries must depart Pannonia for talks to begin. I believe this is nothing more than a technical problem. The mercenaries in Pannonia will join the Pannonian Army officially, or they will be stationed as members in your own militaries perhaps. I imagine we put them on a plane back to Pelasgia and Tarusa where they change their patches and fly back as members of a legitimate national military. I imagine this 24 hour taxi roundabout will be enough to calm the populists. Do you all have a better idea in mind?"
 

Pelasgia

Established Nation
Joined
Sep 30, 2014
Messages
4,254
Location
Athens, Greece
Nick
Demos
"Perhaps the mercenary troops could be reorganized as peacekeepers invited by the Government of Bajorország to operate in the region? It would be rather easy for us to put a flag, and a blue helmet and armband on the shoulders of our troops. Alternatively, they could be enlisted as an auxiliary force, known as the Pannonian National Guard. Pelasgia will conform with Pannonia's wishes, of course, though we do caution our colleague to not yield too easily to the pressures of Remion."

President Vatatzidis paused to review a file brought to him by an aide.

"Pelasgia would be very excited to get its hands on Eiffelland's tank technology. In exchange for this, we would be willing to offer a segment of the IFVs and other armoured vehicles already brought to Pannonia by our mercenaries, which are drawn from our surplus. Moreover, regarding the point made by our Tarusan colleague about a naval show of force, Pelasgia has deployed some submarines armed with cruise missiles off the coast of Pannonia. However, we would be willing to deploy a larger force in the area, including a carrier fleet, if the Pannonia government judges this to be in its interest.

"More importantly, Pelasgia stands ready to assist Pannoania in any way needed during the negotiation with Remion; we will not recognize any new entities unless Pannonian Government does so first and we will publicly support your position no matter what. To this end, we are prepared to attend these talks to counterbalance the pressure of Remion and the Federation."
 

Tarusa

Establishing Nation
Joined
Jun 18, 2019
Messages
876
Location
Middle of Nowhere USA
Capital
Kremlyov
Nick
JJ
It is simple enough to fold our private contractors together into the label of a Foreign Legion. Call it whatever you wish, they could be enlisted into the military of the Pannonian government and be using service as a path to citizenship, again call it whatever you want. The military equipment can be "bought" by Pannonia, meaning it has no reason to be leaving the country as it is now the property of your government.
 

Vrijpoort

Establishing Nation
Joined
Jul 27, 2018
Messages
583
Location
Berlin, Germany
Capital
Vrijpoort
Nick
Drei
An aide of Kovács approached the table with a silver tray on which a single piece of quality paper lay. The handwritten note was brief:

Senior Minister of Vrijpoort is on the line.

A telephone was brought to the table and when Kovács signalled that he was ready the operator's voice came on:

'Herr Ministerpräsident, Seniorministerin Weldaad von Freiport...'

The two leaders spoke to each other almost always in German as neither spoke the other's mother tongue.

'Zoltán. I'm insulted. Why was I not invited to this little get together? Gentleman only? Come now...let me help you.'

OOC: sorry if I overstepped, but wanted to get in on this somehow.
 

Jydsken-Østveg

Established Nation
Joined
Oct 30, 2006
Messages
6,379
Location
Stavanger
Capital
Trollshjem
Nick
Coro (Skepps)
An aide of Kovács approached the table with a silver tray on which a single piece of quality paper lay. The handwritten note was brief:

Senior Minister of Vrijpoort is on the line.

A telephone was brought to the table and when Kovács signalled that he was ready the operator's voice came on:

'Herr Ministerpräsident, Seniorministerin Weldaad von Freiport...'

The two leaders spoke to each other almost always in German as neither spoke the other's mother tongue.

'Zoltán. I'm insulted. Why was I not invited to this little get together? Gentleman only? Come now...let me help you.'

OOC: sorry if I overstepped, but wanted to get in on this somehow.

Excusing himself briefly from the conference call, Kovács was more annoyed that the call could be interrupted at all. "Mr. von Freiport, it has always been clear as day to me that Vrijpoort will not act in ways that threaten its business. If that is because of bullets, public opinion, or economic conditions, it does not matter. Your country are good friends to me, you helped me become Prime Minister with your funding, but I do not believe for a second that you will be interested in joining a long term pact of steel once the embargoes start coming from the zealots in Remion, the Federation, and Eiffelland. The people of Vrijpoort will not stand it. Tell me why you upset this impression I have from your country?"
 

Vrijpoort

Establishing Nation
Joined
Jul 27, 2018
Messages
583
Location
Berlin, Germany
Capital
Vrijpoort
Nick
Drei
OOC: Sorry, I should have worded my German differently, but it's Senior Minister Melinda Weldaad on the line, not a man ;)

Weldaad rolled her eyes in her office while listening to Kovács. The stereotypical description of Vrijpoort was mostly true, but a tad shallow.

'To be quite frank, sir, we will not stand for foreign powers, especially those from off-continent, impose a no-fly zone right on our border and amass troops quite close as well. You are correct that I will not authorise engagement in a full-scale war unless it is for self defense, but you can be damned sure that I will not allow non-Pannonian troops to camp a stone's throw away from the Crown Jewel of the Meridian and I will not stand to see Remian soldiers patrolling the platforms of commuter rail stations in West Zara.'

Weldaad paused for a moment to allow this to sink in.

'We excel in finance, as you well know, intelligence, especially of the digital sort, and aerial warfare. Some of these things could go a long way to help you and the Pelasgians and Tarusans. Money for whatever you need can be delivered from various sources. It will not be traced back to Vrijpoort's government easily, if at all. We are experts in muddling those things up beyond recognition. The Nedernesian Signals Directorate and Divisie Twee can share intelligence and could provide even better reports in West and East Zara if I received your permission to allow them to operate more openly in those regions. We have very good people who could conduct special strikes with minimal risk of the source of such strikes being detected - or the supposed source could be strongly suggested and this information spread online quickly and efficiently. Our Sky Force will not join this fracas easily unless we feel threatened or cut off by the aggressors. For now they haven't completely cut us off, but if they do you should know that I will test their little lines on the map and ensure Vrijpoort maintains free access to the rest of the world.'

Weldaad spun a globe in her office casually while making her next point.

'Lastly I wanted to call mostly to say that I will not allow West Zara to disintegrate into chaos, either because of the terrorist ZLA and their supporters or due to foreign intervention from elsewhere. You know how important West Zara is to Vrijpoort and the larger regional economy. If the Pannonian forces are not in a position to secure the immediate areas bordering Vrijpoort, I think it would be wise for us to discuss the Royal Vrijpoort Expeditionary Force sending in some sort of peacekeepers to ensure a stable ecosystem for cross-border commerce to continue. The purvey would be limited and directed by you. We could even try to discuss this in the EF as a way for us to enter with their blessing. I have a feeling that you would prefer our troops there keeping an eye on things as opposed to the forces of other less amicable countries...'

'This is all up to you so long as you maintain control over West Zara, Kovács. As long as the situation remains largely peaceful and stable, this can likely be arranged and sequestered from events happening elsewhere in Pannonia. You are correct indeed that I will not formally have Vrijpoort join the team, so to speak, but we can certainly provide much needed support in funds, logistics and information. That is why I ask you to let me send a military attaché to these meetings you are having with the Pelasgians and Tarusans. I genuinely believe that we can help Pannonia. You are our most important trading and political partner by far and I don't want to see your country tear itself apart.'

Weldaad waited for her counterpart to take it in and respond. She didn't expect full answers to all her offers but hoped that at least the door would be kept open for further discussions on the subject. Meanwhile, as she waited for Kovács to figure out what he wanted to say, the generals, sky admirals and intelligence officials sitting in her room waited patiently for their turn to brief the senior minister on possible infiltration and incursion plans into West Zara should the situation there turn south, both figuratively and literally. The very existence of Vrijpoort hung in the balance, but a foreigner from a large land surely couldn't understand the situation from that perspective.
 

Jydsken-Østveg

Established Nation
Joined
Oct 30, 2006
Messages
6,379
Location
Stavanger
Capital
Trollshjem
Nick
Coro (Skepps)
OOC: Sorry, I should have worded my German differently, but it's Senior Minister Melinda Weldaad on the line, not a man ;)

Weldaad rolled her eyes in her office while listening to Kovács. The stereotypical description of Vrijpoort was mostly true, but a tad shallow.

'To be quite frank, sir, we will not stand for foreign powers, especially those from off-continent, impose a no-fly zone right on our border and amass troops quite close as well. You are correct that I will not authorise engagement in a full-scale war unless it is for self defense, but you can be damned sure that I will not allow non-Pannonian troops to camp a stone's throw away from the Crown Jewel of the Meridian and I will not stand to see Remian soldiers patrolling the platforms of commuter rail stations in West Zara.'

Weldaad paused for a moment to allow this to sink in.

'We excel in finance, as you well know, intelligence, especially of the digital sort, and aerial warfare. Some of these things could go a long way to help you and the Pelasgians and Tarusans. Money for whatever you need can be delivered from various sources. It will not be traced back to Vrijpoort's government easily, if at all. We are experts in muddling those things up beyond recognition. The Nedernesian Signals Directorate and Divisie Twee can share intelligence and could provide even better reports in West and East Zara if I received your permission to allow them to operate more openly in those regions. We have very good people who could conduct special strikes with minimal risk of the source of such strikes being detected - or the supposed source could be strongly suggested and this information spread online quickly and efficiently. Our Sky Force will not join this fracas easily unless we feel threatened or cut off by the aggressors. For now they haven't completely cut us off, but if they do you should know that I will test their little lines on the map and ensure Vrijpoort maintains free access to the rest of the world.'

Weldaad spun a globe in her office casually while making her next point.

'Lastly I wanted to call mostly to say that I will not allow West Zara to disintegrate into chaos, either because of the terrorist ZLA and their supporters or due to foreign intervention from elsewhere. You know how important West Zara is to Vrijpoort and the larger regional economy. If the Pannonian forces are not in a position to secure the immediate areas bordering Vrijpoort, I think it would be wise for us to discuss the Royal Vrijpoort Expeditionary Force sending in some sort of peacekeepers to ensure a stable ecosystem for cross-border commerce to continue. The purvey would be limited and directed by you. We could even try to discuss this in the EF as a way for us to enter with their blessing. I have a feeling that you would prefer our troops there keeping an eye on things as opposed to the forces of other less amicable countries...'

'This is all up to you so long as you maintain control over West Zara, Kovács. As long as the situation remains largely peaceful and stable, this can likely be arranged and sequestered from events happening elsewhere in Pannonia. You are correct indeed that I will not formally have Vrijpoort join the team, so to speak, but we can certainly provide much needed support in funds, logistics and information. That is why I ask you to let me send a military attaché to these meetings you are having with the Pelasgians and Tarusans. I genuinely believe that we can help Pannonia. You are our most important trading and political partner by far and I don't want to see your country tear itself apart.'

Weldaad waited for her counterpart to take it in and respond. She didn't expect full answers to all her offers but hoped that at least the door would be kept open for further discussions on the subject. Meanwhile, as she waited for Kovács to figure out what he wanted to say, the generals, sky admirals and intelligence officials sitting in her room waited patiently for their turn to brief the senior minister on possible infiltration and incursion plans into West Zara should the situation there turn south, both figuratively and literally. The very existence of Vrijpoort hung in the balance, but a foreigner from a large land surely couldn't understand the situation from that perspective.

OOC: My bad actually, I should've paid more close attention to the German "Seniorministerin" instead I did the anglo thing and tried to figure it out by the name.

Kovács understood what she said, but didn't much care because she spoke too much about her country, her thoughts, her goals, her priorities. "I'm happy to help you, but our strategic goals don't match. What Remion does or does not do, it is of little consequence right now. I don't have an Army worth anything right now. Many of my best officers and servicemen have deserted. No money brings that back, only time. I can have all of the luxurious equipment of your military instead, and that still would not matter because I have idiots behind the buttons. What I need is time. What happens in Zara is unfortunate, but I need it to be chaotic, and yet not interesting at the same time. I need Remion to not want to get involved. I need to obtain peace with one of my enemies so that I can commit fully against the other one. I need allies to come defend my country while I fix the problems my predecessor left me. So if you want my permission to send peacekeepers to West Zara? Go ahead, what difference does it make to me? Remion and you can fight as well. I cannot have your members in the room when you are not committed to the team however. You have to choose are you in, or are you out? If you are out, fine. Stay out of our way. If you are in then, I expect 100% commitment to our cause. Economics do not matter to me right now when I cannot see what my borders are three weeks from now. If you desire to discuss your peacekeepers with the EF, you have my support so long as you can maintain this region in the name of Pannonia."
 

Vrijpoort

Establishing Nation
Joined
Jul 27, 2018
Messages
583
Location
Berlin, Germany
Capital
Vrijpoort
Nick
Drei
Weldaad listened carefully, appreciating the frankness of Kovács, but her heart rate did increase as he elaborated. It was much worse than she thought. Engaging Remion was of no interest to her. The only thing that mattered at the end of the day was a stable border region. How to achieve that would be tricky, but at least she had Kovács' blessing of sorts.

'Thank you, Prime Minister, for your frank words. This call has been most helpful for me to get a better understanding of the situation. I think it best that Vrijpoort remain on the sidelines for now. If you need some mercenaries to operate the equipment that we can supply to you, just let me know. I will put you in touch with the best private military companies registered in Vrijpoort. Meanwhile our intelligence services will share information with you, Pelasgia and Tarusa as a friendly gesture. I don't expect anything in return, although if your team does come across anything that could be useful, we would appreciate it.'

The military staff in Weldaad's office were hunched over the maps, muttering quietly but rapidly in Vrijpoorts and pointing to various points along the border with West Zara. Weldaad turned her attention back to the phone.

'I wish you every good fortune, Prime Minister. We are here if you need anything.' She hung up the phone, drew in a deep breath and accepted the whiskey her assistant had readied for her.

'Gentleman, I want a briefing on special ops scenarios that can be launched within the next 24 hours. Disruption of Zaran militias. Explosions made to look like they came from the ZLA or supporters. Nothing too outlandish, but enough to paint a picture of who the bad guys really are. While we get that cooked up, I want a full plan for a peacekeeping incursion on my desk by morning. You get that going while I speak to our EF ambassador. If we can get them to grant their seal of approval, all the better. But we do it with or without their agreement. In the name of stability and peace for the greater good.'
 
Top