Atlantic Council blogs

The merits of a Russian relationship

By John Kerry, Politico

From John Kerry, Politico:  One year ago, the Obama administration launched an initiative to “reset” relations with Russia. As Russian President Dmitri Medvedev lands in Washington Tuesday, it’s clear that the outreach — which carried significant diplomatic and political risk — is paying off. … The cornerstone of our new cooperation is a new strategic arms […]

Gen. Stanley McChrystal recalled over Rolling Stone article

By Jon Boone and Matthew Weaver, the Guardian

From Jon Boone and Matthew Weaver, the Guardian:  General Stanley McChrystal, the US commander of all Nato-led forces in Afghanistan, has been recalled to Washington after he criticised Barack Obama‘s administration in a magazine profile due to be published later this week. A Nato official confirmed that McChrystal would travel to Washington tomorrow to explain […]

Sarkozy believes Europe and Russia must be Strategic Partners

By France24

China’s Renminbi Gambit

By James Joyner

Over the weekend, China announced just ahead of the Toronto G20 summit that it would "enhance the RMB exchange rate flexibility" in response to" the recent economic situation and financial market developments at home and abroad, and the balance of payments (BOP) situation" at home. What does this mean?

Gaza Flotilla Incident: Implications for Middle East Peace

By James Cook

As Israel prepares to conduct its official inquiry into the recent Israeli Defense Force (IDF) raid on the flotilla attempting to breach the blockade against Gaza, it is important to understand how this tragic incident affects U.S. national security interests in the Middle East.  The episode highlights the difficulty in balancing Israel’s legitimate security requirements […]

Turkey opposition gains ground amid eastward drift

By the AP

Russia Cuts Gas Deliveries to Belarus

By Ellen Barry, the New York Times

From Ellen Barry, the New York Times:  Russian President Dmitri A. Medvedev on Monday ordered Gazprom to cut deliveries of natural gas deliveries to Belarus over unpaid debts, a step which could jeopardize supplies to Poland and other European countries.

Blowback in Afghanistan?

By Don Snow

Whenever official Washington, be it the White House, the Pentagon, or the military, describe what is happening in Afghanistan, it is always discussed in terms of “progress.” This creates the mental construct that whatever is going on must be forward moving–we hardly ever think that progress can be negative. So, when things go well in […]

Budget Crisis Highlights Need for Improving NATO-EU Partnership

By Anders Fogh Rasmussen, NATO

From Anders Fogh Rasmussen, NATO: [A] NATO-EU strategic partnership would be a major cost-saver, especially in the area of military capabilities. We have already seen with the Strategic Airlift Capability Initiative that cooperation between NATO and the European Union is possible. Ten NATO nations, nine of which are also EU nations, as well as two EU […]

SecGen Rasmussen: “NATO membership does not come for free”

By Anders Fogh Rasmussen, NATO

From Anders Fogh Rasmussen, NATO: Economic prosperity also requires wise security choices. … By sharing the burden within NATO, individual Allies can achieve a far greater level of security than they could achieve through any national approach — and at far lower cost.