Category: Blogs

NATO-Ukraine format meeting held in Warsaw

By defpro.com

A small step forward in NATO/Ukraine relations. From defpro.com: “Within the framework of NATO-Ukraine cooperation the meeting of Joint Working Group on Defence Reform (JWGDR) and planning conference on the program of development of civilian staff employed in the defence sector is being held on 13th-15th May 09, as reported by Poland’s Ministry of National […]

New Central Asia, Caucasus Funding Effective?

By Peter Cassata

The State Department’s proposed budget for the fiscal year starting in October 2009 includes significant increases in economic aid for Central Asian countries as well as a net reduction in the combined amount given to Azerbaijan and Armenia.  Questions about the aid’s effectiveness linger.

In Pakistan, Great Expectations … As Yet Unfulfilled

By Shuja Nawaz

Last week’s tripartite summit in Washington, D.C. during which President Barack Obama hosted President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan and President Asif Ali Zardari of Pakistan was a lot like a Chinese meal.

Craddock: NATO Political Leadership AWOL

By the New Atlanticist

Speaking at the Atlantic Council, NATO’s military commander addresses continuing weakness within the alliance. From the New Atlanticist: “Supreme Allied Commander John Bantz Craddock told the Atlantic Council that ‘political leadership in NATO is AWOL’ and that fixing the ‘imbalance’ between an enormous strategic ambition and modest political will is vital for success in Afghanistan […]

NATO Interests vs. National Interests

By Jeffrey Lightfoot

In his address yesterday to the Atlantic Council, NATO Supreme Allied Commander outlined a wish list of reforms he hopes the Alliance will take in the years to come to ensure the institution’s continued relevance in the 21st century.

Russia’s Big Fuss Over Little NATO Exercises

By David Smith

The first of two successive NATO Partnership for Peace (PfP) exercises began yesterday at the Vaziani Georgian Armed Forces Base, 30 kilometers east of Tbilisi.  The objective of Exercises Longbow and Lancer is to improve the abilities of the 14 participating nations to respond cooperatively to crises.

Afghanistan Commander Replaced

By James Joyner

The United States is making a shocking shake-up in the leadership of the Afghanistan mission, replacing General David McKiernan with Lt. General Stanley McChrystal, according to various reports.  McKiernan has been in his post less than a year.

Defence Minister Not Keen On Finnish Air Patrols Over Iceland | News | YLE Uutiset | yle.fi

<a “Defence Ministers of the Nordic countries will be meeting in Helsinki this coming Tuesday and Wednesday for talks on tighter defence cooperation. Earlier this year, a report drawn up by a group headed by former Norwegian Foreign Minister Thorvald Stoltenberg proposed that the the Nordic countries jointly take responsibility for Icelandic airspace once the […]

Asia to spend $60B on navies in 5 years

“SINGAPORE–Asian states led by China, Japan and South Korea are expected to spend some $60 billion to beef up their navies in the next five years, an industry analyst said Monday.That is bigger than what NATO countries — excluding the United States — are forecast to spend for new naval construction in the same period, […]