Americas

US Officials Blame Russian Espionage for Leaked Nuland Call

By BuzzFeed, New York Times, and Reuters

From Rosie Gray, BuzzFeed:  Top U.S. officials are strongly suggesting that Russia is responsible for recording and releasing the tape of a phone call between the top U.S. diplomat for Europe and the ambassador to Ukraine.

US Diplomat Apologizes for Profane Remarks on EU

By Washington Post and Department of State

From Anne Gearan, Washington Post:  The top U.S. diplomat for Europe apologized Thursday for comments about the European Union that were — to put it lightly — undiplomatic.

What’s Next for US-Cuba Relations?

US-Cuba relations have been at a stalemate for decades, but a recent poll shows Americans — especially those who have traveled to Cuba — want closer ties with the island. On February 11, the Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Latin America Center will release the first national poll that centers solely on Americans’ attitudes toward US-Cuba relations. […]

NATO Must Get More Serious on Cyber Security

By Julianne Smith, Chatham House

These are important and critical parts of NATO’s cyber security work but they fail to do two things.

Putin Aide Warns US on Ukraine, Says Russia Could Act

By Alastair Macdonald, Reuters

A senior Kremlin aide accused the United States on Thursday of arming Ukrainian “rebels” and, urging the Kiev government to put down what it called an attempted coup, warned it could intervene to maintain the security of its ex-Soviet neighbor.

After Afghanistan, How Will We Fight the Next Multination War?

By Stephen Saideman, Globe and Mail

As 2014 seems to be the year that we look back and ponder what the Afghanistan war means for the future, the question becomes: what of NATO?

Urbanization in Latin America

By Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center

Cities are global leaders whose innovative policies are increasingly transcending boundaries to shape domestic and international trends. The relative power of cities to influence the global agenda will only increase in the coming decades. More than half of the world’s population lives in urban areas; by 2050, 70 percent, or more than six billion people, […]

Russia Named World’s Third-Largest Military Spender

By RIA Novosti

Russia is now the world’s third-largest military spender after the United States and China, pushing the United Kingdom into fourth place

French Fighter Jets Operate from the USS Truman in Joint Operation

By Navy News Service and Stars and Stripes

From Navy News Service:  Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group (HST CSG) and French Navy Task Force 473 concluded five weeks of combined carrier strike group operations

American Tanks Return to Europe After Brief Leave

By Michael S. Darnell and John Vandiver, Stars and Stripes

From Michael S. Darnell, Stars and Stripes: Less than a year after they left European soil, American tanks have returned to military bases in Germany where they had been a heavy presence since World War II.