Category: NATOSource

NATO Reset With Russia, but With Reassurance

By Linas Linkevicius, the International Herald Tribune

From Linas Linkevicius, the International Herald Tribune: The strategic concept will have to explain to our societies what NATO stands for in the 21st century. Allies approach this task from two different perspectives.

French General Receives Reprimand for Criticizing US Strategy in Afghanistan

By Le Monde

Clinton to Europe: “we are always strongest when we work together”

By Hillary Clinton, the Council on Foreign Relations

From Hillary Clinton, the Council on Foreign Relations:  As Dean Acheson put it in 1951, the ability to evoke support from others is quite as important as the capacity to compel.

As Azeri and Armenian forces continue fighting, EU fears escalation

By Zaman

From Zaman:  The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said on Tuesday that tensions between Azerbaijani and Armenian forces is continuing to mount, as fierce fighting persisted between the two nations on Monday and early Tuesday.

Serbia bows to EU, softens stance on Kosovo

By Reuters

From Reuters:  Serbia made a major concession to the European Union on Wednesday by agreeing to soften a draft U.N. resolution on the future of Kosovo and seek dialogue with the breakaway country. "We have found a formula to open a dialogue on future solutions," President Boris Tadic said in a statement. … Belgrade said […]

Uncoordinated Defense cuts threaten NATO’s future

By Tomas Valasek, the Wall Street Journal

From Tomas Valasek, the Wall Street Journal:  As European governments rein in spending, defense budgets are falling, often dramatically. Germany plans to cut its armed forces by a third and the U.K. wants to reduce military spending by as much as 20%.

Post-Obama meeting, NATO chief discusses “transition dividend”

By Anna Mulrine, the Christian Science Monitor

From Anna Mulrine, the Christian Science Monitor:  Tuesday, as [NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh] Rasmussen arrived in Washington to meet with Obama in advance of a November NATO summit, the NATO Secretary General seemed to take this idea a step further, that even “if we transition a province here and there,” soldiers in the area “cannot […]

NATO: A Fat, Bloated, Job Creation Project?

By James Joyner, the New Atlanticist

From James Joyner, the New Atlanticist:  Lost amidst the welcome news of British-French cooperation on military cost-sharing in some tough talk from their ministers of defense on NATO. Last week, I noted that the FT‘s superb reporter Ben Hall buried the lead, waiting until the 13th paragraph of a story to pass along Liam Fox‘s pronouncement […]

Deployment of Russian S-300 missiles in Abkhazia no threat to region – Kouchner

By RIA Novosti

From RIA Novosti:  The deployment of Russia’s S-300 air defense systems in Abkhazia does not disturb the balance of power in the region, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said on Tuesday. "What Russia has deployed in Abkhazia are anti-missile systems, and I don’t see any serious disturbance to the balance in the region," Kouchner said […]

Putin reset on the “sincerity of President Obama”

By RIA Novosti

From RIA Novosti:  Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Monday he was convinced of the sincerity of U.S. President Barack Obama’s moves to develop relations with Russia. "We give the initiatives of the U.S. administration great attention," Putin said at a meeting with members of the Valdai International Discussion Club. "I am convinced in […]