Category: Blogs

German Defense Minister Wants EU Military to Match NATO

By Andrea Shalal, Reuters

Germany’s defense minister said on Monday the European Union must modernize its military defense and security to match NATO’s drive to beef up its own security forces in the wake of a major Russian build-up.

Four Swift Blows to Putin’s Influence in Europe

By John E. Herbst

Moscow retains substantial influence in Europe. However, its ability to leverage that influence against Ukraine appears to be declining, as four decisions over the past two months illustrate. Moscow’s intervention in Syria is weakening the Kremlin’s position vis a vis Ukraine in the views of European policymakers. This was evident on October 12 at the […]

A Muddied Road to Brexit

By Fran Burwell

The November 3 ruling by a British High Court that Parliament must vote before the British government invokes Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty has been seen by many as making it less likely that the United Kingdom will leave the European Union. In reality, although it may slow the process, it could also lead […]

Russia has Violated NATO Air Space at Least Five Times this Year

By Michael Birnbaum, Washington Post

Just ahead of the U.S. presidential elections, Russian President Vladimir Putin appears to be pushing his conflict with the West to new heights.

An Israeli Pivot to Africa

By Liviya David

With increased partnership at the top of the agenda, a September meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and over fifteen African heads of state at the margins of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) marks a critical point in Israel’s recent refocus on Africa. Conventional analysis on recent Israel-Africa relations suggests that Israel’s primary […]

Dealing with Putin

By Ashish Kumar Sen

As presidential nominees, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have taken divergent views of Russia and its relationship with the United States. Clinton, a Democrat who as secretary of state presented a big red “reset” button to her Russian counterpart in 2009, has taken a hawkish view of Vladimir Putin’s Russia. Trump, on the other hand, […]

Does Europe Have an Islam Problem?

By Erwan Lagadec

Does Europe have an “Islam problem”? The recent string of terrorist attacks on the Continent suggests that the answer is self-evident. However, crisis response must start with a careful characterization of the issue at hand. Is Europe, then, confronted with the challenge of “integrating Islam”? Ultimately this might be true, but the limits of the […]

How Do You Solve a Problem Like Putin?

Russia’s cyberattacks and its aggression in Syria and Ukraine have created a climate of concern leading up to the US presidential election, but, rather than give in to hysteria, the next administration must consider policy approaches that manage the relationship with Russia and are focused on common interests, a professor of political science said at […]

Turkey’s Purges Weaken NATO

By Paul McLeary, Foreign Policy

On Thursday, Turkish police arrested another 45 air force pilots, just the latest salvo in a purge whose scope is unprecedented in NATO history.

UK Announces New Policy on Cyber Attacks: ‘We Will Strike Back in Kind’

By Philip Hammond, UK Government

In recognition of the risk cyber attacks pose, the government’s 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review classified cyber as a Tier One threat to the UK – that’s the same level as terrorism, or international military conflict.