Politics & Diplomacy

Trouble in River (Thames) City?

By Harlan Ullman

Britain’s May 6 election and the formation of the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government were remarkable events. With Tory leader David Cameron as prime minister and Lib Dem head Nick Clegg as deputy PM, some commentators regard this union as transformative in changing the way British politics are conducted.

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 […]

Goodbye to Europe?

By James Joyner

"It is more than a little ironic that NATO has committed itself to defining a new strategic concept at precisely the moment the transatlantic relationship counts for less than at any time since the 1930s."  So begins an FT op-ed by CFR president Richard Haass.

The EU, NATO and the Limits of Burdensharing

By Charlemagne, the Economist

From Charlemagne, the Economist: Since 1949, Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty has bound NATO members to a solemn vow: an armed attack on one of the alliance shall be treated as an attack against all. With international markets closed to Greece, and contagion threatening Portugal and Spain, European Union leaders agreed to a […]

In First Move, Cameron Cultivates UK Role in Europe’s “Triangle of Power”

By the New York Times

Greek, Turkish PMs Meet, Discuss Defence Cuts

By Reuters

From Reuters: The prime ministers of longtime rivals Greece and Turkey met on Friday to ease tensions and discuss cuts in defence spending, a crucial step for Athens as it struggles with a debt crisis that is shaking the euro. Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan arrived in Athens with 10 ministers and about 80 businessmen to […]

Whither Europe (and NATO)?

By Stephen Walt, Foreign Policy

From Stephen Walt, Foreign Policy:  In the past, Euro-optimists like Princeton’s Andrew Moravcsik have argued that crises like this just make Europe stronger, by forcing it to get its house in order and strengthen the relevant supra-national institutions. Maybe, but I’d be more convinced if my friend Andy hadn’t described Europe as being "stronger than […]

West Europeans Target US Nukes at Treaty Session

By the AP

From the AP: Germany and other West European nations at the U.N. nonproliferation conference are calling for elimination of U.S. tactical nuclear weapons in Europe — "leftovers from the Cold War" — as a way to advance global arms control. "They no longer serve a military purpose and do not create security," German state minister […]

Biden Seeks Cooperation from European Parliament

By the Financial Times

From the Financial Times:  Joseph Biden, the US vice-president, on Thursday sought to win over members of the European parliament opposed to a bank data sharing system that Washington believes is crucial to winning the war on terror. Mr Biden, the most senior US leader to address the European parliament since Ronald Reagan in 1985, […]

VP’s Trip to Europe Billed as “a Big Freaking Deal in the Security Sphere”

By Josh Rogin, Foreign Policy

From Josh Rogin, Foreign Policy: President Obama had to cancel his most recent trip to Europe due to the huge ash cloud, but this week Europeans will get the next-best thing — a visit from Vice President Joseph Biden. The White House is billing the trip as a big freaking deal in the security sphere, […]