Atlantic Council blogs

Could China fill a power vacuum in eastern Europe?

By the Economist

From the Economist: As the countries of eastern Europe bump nervously between a near-neutralist Germany, a revisionist Russia and an absent-minded America, the search is on for a powerful outsider, with strong interests in the region, willing to put all kinds of clout behind the smaller countries’ sovereignty and independence… Maybe China. It has plenty […]

New NATO command activated in Kabul; continues Afghan training

By NATO

From NATO: A newly established NATO command was activated today at Camp Eggers in Kabul, as the Combined Security Transition Command -Afghanistan merged with the new NATO Training Mission – Afghanistan to create a unified command for the training of the Security Forces in Afghanistan… “Our mission is about teaming with Afghans to build a […]

Who is NATO’s Miracle Worker?

When Barack Obama became President, the debate in European capitals was over how quickly they could decrease the number of troops contributed to NATO’s war in Afghanistan. Yet in the past week, something remarkable has happened in NATO, some of our European allies are actually sending more troops to Afghanistan, not just for temporary duty […]

Passage to America: Great Expectations for Manmohan Singh

By Shuja Nawaz

Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh’s first state visit to Washington next week is the highly awaited event of the political season for this “city of magnificent intentions.”  Though of course, Dickens did use that phrase in a different context in the 19th century.

Facing the Indian Conundrum: Obama’s Date with Singh

By Arun Prakash

Although he has met President Barak Obama more than once in the recent past, Dr. Manmohan Singh’s forthcoming maiden state visit to the U.S. is assigned great significance and has New Delhi speculating about the likely nature and content of their dialogue.

U.S.-India Relations: Testing Times Ahead

By Mohan Guruswamy

By the time Dr. Manmohan Singh visits the White House on November 24, President Obama would have largely recovered from the jetlag after his travels in East Asia.  But one can be sure that the impressions made by the optimistic and focused leaders of the three great economic powerhouses of the region – the ASEAN, […]

Expanding the U.S.-India Comfort Zone in a Time of Uncertainty

By M.J. Akbar

Dr. Manmohan Singh’s American month began with a warm lunch for George Bush in Delhi and will end with a more constrained dinner with Barack Obama in Washington.

Striving for a True U.S.-India Strategic Partnership

By Rani Mullen

The Indian prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh’s visit to Washington is the first official state visit of the Obama administration, an indication of the importance the administration attaches to the Indo-U.S. relationship.

Belgian Van Rompuy, UK’s Ashton win top EU jobs

By Reuters

From Reuters: European Union leaders named Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy, who is little known outside his own country, as the bloc’s first president on Thursday to lead efforts to make it more influential on the world stage. They also chose Baroness Catherine Ashton, a Briton little known even in her own country, as […]

Fighting Pirates with Guns

By Derek Reveron

Piracy remains in the headlines. This week, the United Nations held a special meeting to consider the subject, the captain of a chemical tanker was killed when his ship was hijacked, a Spanish fishing vessel was released after a ransom was paid, and the Maersk Alabama evaded capture by fighting the pirates with guns.