International Organizations

EU risks US-China domination with military cuts: France

By Laurent Thomet, AFP

From Laurent Thomet, AFP:  Europe decided Friday to explore how to strengthen military cooperation as France warned that drastic defence budget cuts would leave the continent under Sino-American domination. French Defence Minister Herve Morin said he had told his European Union counterparts at a meeting in Ghent, Belgium, that plans to step up European military […]

Does the Obama Administration view our European allies “with general disdain?”

By  S.W., the Economist

From S.W., the Economist:  My colleague in this space last week delightfully dismembered Dinesh D’Souza’s nutty Forbes piece “analyzing” Mr Obama’s worldview and thought processes, but the fact remains that this administration does seem to view our old European allies with general disdain.

Russia received NATO invitation, but won’t attend Lisbon until questions are answered

By the Kyiv Post

From the Kyiv Post:  Russia has received an official invitation to attend NATO’s summit in Lisbon in November, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said. "We received an invitation just as I was about to leave for New York [on September 19]. We are now drafting a report to the president," Lavrov told Rossiya 1 television […]

The rival presidents of the European Union are vying for influence

By Charlemagne, the Economist

From Charlemagne, the Economist:  Last year’s Lisbon treaty, promoted as a means of making the EU more efficient, has in fact made this divide permanent by creating a second figurehead for Europe.

Turkey says Germany and France threatened by EU bid

By Reuters

NATO Secretary General on relations with Russia and missile defense

By Anders Fogh Rasmussen, NATO

From Anders Fogh Rasmussen, NATO:  I do believe that all parties realize that we need each other. I think the future of Russia lies within cooperation with the European Union, with NATO.

Critical Questions on Iran

By Stuart Eizenstat and Mark Brzezinski

A confluence of events in the next few weeks again will put Iran at the top of the Obama administration’s foreign policy agenda and could shape its course in the months ahead. The annual United Nations General Assembly this week is likely to include another anti-American, anti-Western, anti-Israel rant from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, while […]

At the U.N., Turkey Asserts Itself in Prominent Ways

By Mark Landler, the New York Times

U.S. Lauds Russia on Barring Arms Delivery to Iran

By David Sanger and Andrew Kramer, the New York Times

From David Sanger and Andrew Kramer, the New York Times:  The White House praised Russia’s president, Dmitri A. Medvedev, on Wednesday for publicly barring the shipment of an advanced antimissile system to Iran, even as American diplomats here discussed a plan to reopen negotiations with Tehran over its nuclear program.

NATO’s communication strategy and public support

By Stefanie Babst, atlantic-community.org

From Stefanie Babst, atlantic-community.org:  Most citizens find the policy- makings of large international organisations like the EU or UN too complex and far away from their day-to-day concerns. Where does the Transatlantic Alliance fit in this, in particular now that NATO approaches another Summit that will take place in Lisbon at the end of the […]