Europe & Eurasia

Legislation Will Soon Expand Cyber Power of French Government

By Wall Street Journal

The pending French measures would require Internet providers, telecom operators and content companies to give up “communications, information or documents processed or preserved by their networks or electronic communications services” when demanded by law enforcement.

Cancelled: Dec. 12 Event with Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt

Due to ongoing developments in Ukraine, Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt has postponed his DC travel and will remain in Kyiv. Accordingly, tomorrow’s public event “US Response to Ukraine’s S.O.S.” has been cancelled.

Ukraine on the Edge

By Sabine Freizer

Need for Dialogue on Institutional Reform Too many of the statements being made by foreign officials on the political crisis growing in Ukraine over the past three weeks have described it as a clash between pro-Western values and Russian imperialism. But talking about values will not provide a solution to the dispute. Instead all parties […]

The Eastern Partnership Summit: What’s Next?

To discuss the challenges that remain for European leaders in continuing to develop the relationship with the eastern partners after Vilnius, and to articulate a vision for transatlantic cooperation on the Eastern Partnership going forward, the Atlantic Council’s Transatlantic Relations Program hosted a members’ conference call with H.E. Linas Linkevičius, minister of foreign affairs of […]

Chinese Hackers Spied on Europeans Before G20 Meeting: Researcher

By Reuters and New York Times

From Jim Finkle, Reuters:  Chinese hackers eavesdropped on the computers of five European foreign ministries before last September’s G20 Summit, which was dominated by the Syrian crisis, according to research by computer security firm FireEye Inc.

Putin Orders Strong Military Presence in Arctic

By Reuters and RIA Novosti

From Thomas Grove, Reuters:  President Vladimir Putin ordered Russia’s military to increase its focus on the Arctic and finish plans by the end of the year to upgrade military bases in the resource-rich region where world powers jostle for control.

Russia Deploys First Fighter Jets to Belarus

By Defense News and RIA Novosti

From Jaroslaw Adamowski, Defense News:  Russia has deployed the first four Su-27SM3 fighter jets to Belarus. The aircraft will be stationed at the 61st air base in Baranavichi, reported local daily Belorusskiy Partizan.

The Danger of Divergence: Transatlantic Financial Reform & the G20 Agenda

By Chris Brummer

Since the last report on this topic—The Danger of Divergence: Transatlantic Cooperation on Financial Reform, published in 2010 by the Atlantic Council and Thomson Reuters—the United States and Europe have worked to translate an ever-growing body of international financial regulations into legally binding domestic regulations. Although this process has been largely harmonious and remarkably consistent, […]

Europeans Less Able, Americans Less Willing?

By Daniel Keohane, German Marshall Fund of the United States

Europeans are becoming less capable militarily, having moved from a military reform to austerity paradigm since 2008.

Europe Needs a Strong and United Military

By Julian Lindley-French

Last month I had the honor of chairing a superb conference in Amsterdam on behalf of the Commander of the Royal Netherlands Army Lieutenant-General Mart de Kruif. Two key messages came out of this conference. First, if we Europeans want to keep Americans engaged in NATO and, by extension, engaged in Europe’s security European armed […]