Category: Blogs

Russian, NATO Defense Ministers May Meet in June

By RIA Novosti

From RIA Novosti:  The Russia-NATO Council may meet on a ministerial level in the middle of June, the first such gathering since Russia’s August 2008 war with Georgia, Moscow’s ambassador to the military alliance said on Monday. "The preliminary date is June 10 or 11, although it is purely preliminary, because we cannot talk about […]

NATO: Reboot or Delete?

By Sarwar Kashmeri

It would be a pity to let NATO fade away; because it will then have to be reinvented someday. And that will not be easy. Today’s NATO is an increasingly dysfunctional organization, still searching for a new role two decades after the end of the Cold War. Left dangling in this state NATO will soon […]

Political Correctness

By Arnaud de Borchgrave

A gaffe in Washington is when someone inadvertently blurts out the truth. There is a reluctance in the nation’s capital, bordering on paralysis, to be politically incorrect. After six decades as a journalist, I have no hesitation in casting political correctness aside if it shades or distorts the truth.

NATO Urged to Look Beyond Borders

By Steven Erlanger, the New York Times

From Steven Erlanger, the New York Times:  NATO must be willing to fight and operate far from its borders to defend its members in a new world of terrorism, piracy and cyberattacks, according to a proposed strategy for the alliance released Monday. The proposal, “NATO 2020,” also urges the alliance to restore credibility to its pledge […]

Nato Faces Cyber Attack Threat, Says Study of Defences

By Richard Norton-Taylor, the Guardian

NATO Emphasises Defence Spending Despite Crisis

By Reuters

From Reuters: NATO states must reverse a steep decline in defence spending despite economic constraints if the alliance is to meet the security threats it faces, experts said on Monday. In a recommendation for NATO’s new 10-year strategic vision, experts led by former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said only six of NATO’s 26 […]

The Trajectory of NATO: An Interview with Andrew Bacevich

By Jason Harmala

In his latest New Atlanticist Podcast, Atlantic Council senior fellow Sarwar Kashmeri spoke with Boston University Professor of International Relations and History Andrew Bacecvich on NATO’s Strategic Concept and the trajectory of the Alliance.

Renewing the International Order

By Kurt Volker

After eight months of reflection, the senior Group of Experts appointed by NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, and led by former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, issues its report today. On this basis, the secretary general will prepare a new Strategic Concept for Allies to approve at a summit in Lisbon this November. […]

Poland Says No NATO Secrets Leaked in Kaczynski Crash

By RIA Novosti

From RIA Novosti: There were no NATO sensitive data or devices on board the Polish president’s plane that crashed in April near west Russia’s Smolensk, a top Polish military counterintelligence official has said. A Soviet-made Tu-154 aircraft crashed on April 10 when it attempted to land in thick fog, killing all 96 people on board, […]

U.S. Abandoning Russia’s Neighbors

By David J. Kramer, the Washington Post

From David J. Kramer, the Washington Post: Some 14 months ago on this page, I warned against a "grand bargain" between the United States and Russia as part of the Obama administration’s reset efforts with Moscow. One concern then was that the administration would pursue a "Russia first" policy at the expense of Russia’s neighbors.