Energy & Environment

Russia to deploy 2 army brigades in Arctic

By the AP

Ukraine secretly ramps up ties with NATO: report

By AFP

From AFP:  Ukraine is ramping up cooperation with NATO, dealing a blow to Moscow’s hopes that its neighbour would align itself closer to Russia under President Viktor Yanukovych, a report said on Tuesday.

Discord between France and Germany

By Peggy Hollinger and Quentin Peel, the Financial Times

From Peggy Hollinger and Quentin Peel, the Financial Times:  The German government was first deeply irritated by French president Nicolas Sarkozy’s recognition of the opposition Libyan National Council without consulting European partners. A few days later, Paris was taken aback by Berlin’s decision to mothball some of its nuclear reactors following the Japan disaster, bolstering […]

Putin Questions Europe’s Foreign and Energy Policies

By Stephen Castle, the New York Times

From Stephen Castle, the New York Times:  Prime Minister Vladimir V. Putin of Russia warned European officials on Thursday that uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East could produce governments hostile to the West, and he criticized the European Union’s energy policy.

Italy’s Trials

By the Editors of the New York Times

From the Editors of the New York Times:  Italian governments are rarely known for efficiency. But even the country’s most pressing problems are being ignored since a court ruled last week that Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi must stand trial on charges of prostitution with an under-age girl and abusing his office to cover it up.

Nato seeks Gulf security partners

By Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Gulf News

From Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Gulf News:  I see a number of opportunities to bring fresh momentum, scope and substance to our partnership in the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative.

A More Optimistic Davos

By Richard Edelman

I have come down from the mountains for the twelfth time, with my head still aching not from excessive partying but from information overload at the World Economic Forum. Imagine being invited to an all you can eat buffet, with the most delectable foods laid before you, but with an unrealistic ten minute time limit […]

Uzbek Leader’s Visit to Brussels Was NATO’s Idea

By Eurasianet.org

From Eurasianet.org:  NATO, not the European Union, initiated the idea of inviting Uzbekistan’s controversial leader, Islam Karimov, to visit Brussels, according to an aide to European Commission President José Manuel Barroso.

Ukraine and Russia Negotiating “Gas for Fleet” Agreement

By RIA Novosti

From RIA Novosti:  The Russian and Ukrainian finance ministries will draw up a draft agreement within two months on the extension terms of the lease of the Sevastopol port to Russia, Russian Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin said on Tuesday. Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev signed an agreement to extend the […]