Europe & Eurasia

Poland Acquires Over a Hundred Tanks from Germany

By Defense News, UPI, and Aviation Week

From Jaroslaw Adamowski, Defense News:  The Polish Defense Ministry has acquired 119 tanks from the German Army.

Russia’s Ukraine Power Play Pays Off

By Rajan Menon

The will-he-won’t-he suspense sowed by the speculation over whether Ukraine’s president Viktor Yanukovych would formally sign the Association Agreement with the European Union is over.

Lavrov: Iran Deal Nullifies Needs for Europe Missile Shield

By RIA Novosti and RT

From RIA Novosti:  Implementation of a deal on Iran’s nuclear program reached in Geneva this weekend will make the US missile defense system in Europe unnecessary, Russia’s foreign minister said Monday.

Report: NSA Bugged Merkel’s Phone at Request of State Department

By Siobhan Gorman, Wall Street Journal

Shortly after former government contractor Edward Snowden revealed himself in June as the source of leaked National Security Agency documents, the agency’s director, Gen. Keith Alexander, offered to resign, according to a senior U.S. official.

US Plans Increase in Arctic Operations

By AP and Reuters

From Lolita C. Baldor, AP:  The U.S. will assert its sovereignty in the Arctic, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel warned Friday, even as Russia, China and other nations stake claims and expand their use of the icy waters for military exercises and transit.

Text of Pentagon’s New Arctic Strategy

By Department of Defense

The DoD Arctic Strategy outlines how the Department will support the whole-of-government effort to promote security, stewardship, and international cooperation in the Arctic.

NATO’s Naval Leaders Meet to Discuss Global Security Challenges

By NATO Maritime Command

Today marks the beginning of a major conference in central London to address significant challenges to the future of global security and in particular maritime security.

US May Cut Military Spending in Europe by 20 Percent

By Peter Apps, Reuters

The United States may be compelled to cut its military spending in Europe next year by as much as a fifth in the latest round of reductions under “sequestration”, America’s top general in the region said on Thursday.

Navy Prepares Fleet for More Arctic Missions

By Kris Osborn, DoDBuzz

Navy leaders had been preparing to increase the services’ Arctic presence by the mid-2030s, but they are now accelerating the timetable to the mid-2020s due to the warming of the waters and the rapid pace of melting ice.

Lessons Learned from STEADFAST JAZZ

On November 21, the Atlantic Council hosted a non-for-attribution roundtable with top Allied military and government officials to discuss the 2013 STEADFAST JAZZ exercise and the lessons learned for the future readiness and capabilities of NATO.