Europe & Eurasia

Hammond: NATO split on whether main threat coming from Russia or MENA?

By Philip Hammond, E-Ring

From Philip Hammond, E-Ring:  The further east you go, the more of the concern remains that we should be prepared for a — maybe not full-blown state-on-state conflict — but we need to be prepared to protect the borders of NATO

Britain: European defense budget too small, yet ‘vast amounts of it are wasted’

By Philip Hammond, E-Ring

From Philip Hammond, E-Ring:  It’s the NATO planning process and looking at the overall capability that European NATO needs to be able to field and making sure that in the next planning framework horizon we get the capabilities we need

NATO Secretary General: Striking a new transatlantic deal

By Anders Fogh Rasmussen, NATO

Should the EU develop a joint European Strike Force?

By Olivier de France and Nick Witney, European Council on Foreign Relations

From Olivier de France and Nick Witney, European Council on Foreign Relations:  [T]he European Council needs to shake up the system by itself demanding that blueprints be produced for one or two major, exemplary, integrative projects.

Pro-Assad Syrian hackers launching cyber-attacks on western media

By   Nick Hopkins and Luke Harding, Guardian

A Transatlantic Trade Deal Within Reach, With Significant Benefits At Hand

By Garrett Workman and Tyson Barker

According to a recent Atlantic Council-Bertelsmann Foundation study of trade experts and policymakers from the United States and Europe, there is widespread optimism that that two sides will be able to successfully negotiate a trade and investment deal. A transatlantic deal would have significant positive effects on the economies of both regions, particularly at this […]

Europe’s defense capabilities gap

By Thomas Enders and Wolfgang Ischinger, Munich Security Conference

From Thomas Enders and Wolfgang Ischinger, Munich Security Conference:  Demands are growing – as the recent crises in Mali and Libya illustrate – even as defence budgets steadily decline.

France releases Defense White Paper: Hollande to cut 24,000 military jobs

By Greg Keller, AP

From Greg Keller, AP:  France said Monday it will cut another 24,000 military jobs by 2019 as it attempts to maintain a force ready to deal with global threats at the time when the bill for France’s decades of deficit spending is due.

Britain may restore a permanent military presence in the Gulf

By David Blair, Telegraph

From David Blair, Telegraph:  The withdrawal of all British troops from Afghanistan next year will create a unique opportunity to reverse the "East of Suez" decision that formed a landmark in Britain’s retreat from imperial power, the Royal United Services Institute will say in a paper to be published today.

Dutch diplomat jailed for giving secret NATO documents to Russian agents

By AP

From AP:  A Dutch court has sentenced a diplomat to 12 years in prison for delivering confidential Nato and European Union documents to Russian agents.