Europe & Eurasia

Austria Boosts Peacekeepers in Balkans After Golan Withdrawal

By Georgina Prodhan, Reuters

Austria will send more peacekeepers to the Balkans and Africa after its withdrawal from the Golan Heights last year raised questions about the neutral Alpine country’s international commitment.

A Srebrenica Moment in Syria?

By R. Nicholas Burns

As the savage killings and stratospheric refugee numbers in Syria continue to climb, a key question emerges. When will the United States and other global powers experience a “Srebrenica moment,” when they can no longer stand on the sidelines and resolve instead that they finally have to act?

Russia, NATO Plan Joint Operation on Syria’s Chemical Weapons

By Gabriela Baczynska and Adrian Croft, Reuters

Russia and NATO are drawing up plans for a rare joint naval operation in the Mediterranean to protect the U.S. ship that will destroy Syria’s deadliest chemical weapons, officials and other sources said.

What is the Source of Putin’s Domestic Support?

By Gregory Feifer, POLITICO

[T]he real glue holding the population to Putin’s regime isn’t rising expectations but the country’s all-encompassing corruption

NATO Chief Expresses Concern over Italian Marines’ Case in India

By Justyna Pawlak, Reuters

NATO warned India on Wednesday that using anti-terrorism legislation to try two Italian marines accused of killing two fishermen would undermine international efforts to combat piracy.

France Investing a Billion Euros to Upgrade Cyber Defenses

By Reuters and AFP

From Marine Pennetier, Reuters:  France unveiled plans on Friday to bolster long-neglected defences against cyber attacks, with 1 billion euros ($1.36 billion) of investment foreseen to bring the country’s technology up to speed with NATO partners.

Transatlantic Troubles

By Jan Techau, Carnegie Europe

For at least twenty years, America’s capital has been losing its sentimental Europe-friendly leanings.

The Price of Pulling Back From the World

By Stephen Sestanovich, New York Times

So what’s a retrenchment president to do? If Eisenhower, Nixon and Bush — our best prepared foreign-policy presidents — found it hard to manage a downsized strategy, Mr. Obama should expect the same.

Modernizing the Military: The Case of Norway

Despite its relatively small size, Norway punches above its weight in defense investment and leadership in NATO operations at a time when many European countries are cutting defense budgets and turning inward. ​Norway is at the forefront of NATO’s efforts to modernize military forces and enhance interoperability to ensure the Alliance’s continued effectiveness in a new security landscape.

NATO’s New Power Triad: US, UK, and France Should Deepen Defense Cooperation

By James Stavridis and Leo Michel, Foreign Policy

At the strategic level, informal trilateral consultations among top U.S., British, and French policymakers and military officials are nothing new.