International Organizations

Belarus orders cutoff of Russian gas to Europe

By Deutsche Welle

From Deutsche Welle:  Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said on Tuesday that Russia and Belarus were facing a "gas war," similar to Russia’s 2009 conflict with Ukraine. He ordered that the flow of Russian gas to Europe via Belarus be stopped, saying Gazprom owes transit fees of $260 million (211 million euros) for the first half […]

The merits of a Russian relationship

By John Kerry, Politico

From John Kerry, Politico:  One year ago, the Obama administration launched an initiative to “reset” relations with Russia. As Russian President Dmitri Medvedev lands in Washington Tuesday, it’s clear that the outreach — which carried significant diplomatic and political risk — is paying off. … The cornerstone of our new cooperation is a new strategic arms […]

Turkey opposition gains ground amid eastward drift

By the AP

Budget Crisis Highlights Need for Improving NATO-EU Partnership

By Anders Fogh Rasmussen, NATO

From Anders Fogh Rasmussen, NATO: [A] NATO-EU strategic partnership would be a major cost-saver, especially in the area of military capabilities. We have already seen with the Strategic Airlift Capability Initiative that cooperation between NATO and the European Union is possible. Ten NATO nations, nine of which are also EU nations, as well as two EU […]

SecGen Rasmussen: “NATO membership does not come for free”

By Anders Fogh Rasmussen, NATO

From Anders Fogh Rasmussen, NATO: Economic prosperity also requires wise security choices. … By sharing the burden within NATO, individual Allies can achieve a far greater level of security than they could achieve through any national approach — and at far lower cost.

EU approves new sanctions on Iran

By the AP

From the AP:  The European Union on Thursday adopted new sanctions against Iran, the latest in a series of measures taken by the international community in an effort to halt the country’s nuclear program. The restrictions come on top of a fourth round of sanctions imposed last week by the U.N. Security Council to curtail […]

The Future of E.U.-Russian Relations

By Radoslaw Sikorski, the New York Times

From Radoslaw Sikorski, the New York Times: In areas like energy and military cooperation, some E.U. members act unilaterally, but these free-riders can in turn fall victim to other member states in other areas. To speak with one voice the E.U. should follow three basic rules. First it should seek an all-encompassing platform of cooperation […]

“Europe is Anything but an Equal Partner in the Transatlantic Relationship”

By Ana Palacios, the American Interest

From Ana Palacios, the American Interest:  But even as the glitz and glitter of celebrity culture politics seemed to define the Transatlantic mood, a deeper reality was dawning on Europeans who were paying attention to substance instead of spectacle. Obama remained an American President, protecting American interests, as he faced one of the most challenging […]

A Resurgence of Nationalism in Europe?

By Richard Burt, the American Interest

From Richard Burt, the American Interest:  For a host of reasons, the European project, one of the most impressive international achievements of the past fifty years, is in deep crisis.

Europe “a Reluctant Partner in Tackling its Own Security Challenges”

By Kurt Volker, the American Interest

From Kurt Volker, the American Interest:  Why does the world today no longer see Europe as a model, as it seemed to do only a few years ago? It’s simple: The world can’t be expected to believe in a European model that Europeans don’t seem to believe in themselves.