Europe & Eurasia

Living With Putin Redux

By Ross Wilson

Few people think that the upcoming Russian presidential election will result in anything other than Vladimir Putin’s restoration to the Kremlin. No credible opposition figure exists – or can be allowed to exist given the logic of the Russian system. Putin may not get the 51per cent required for a first round win, but victory […]

Qatar PM calls for arming Syrian rebels

By Michael Peel and Abigail Fielding-Smith, the Financial Times

From Michael Peel and Abigail Fielding-Smith, the Financial Times:  The oil-rich Gulf state of Qatar backed arming Syrian rebels on Monday, echoing fresh calls from opposition figures for a military response to the relentless regime bombardment of anti-government strongholds. As Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani, Qatar’s prime minister, said opponents of President Bashar al-Assad should […]

On to Chicago: Enter the European Union

By Sven Biscop

At the NATO Summit in Chicago a first assessment of the Alliance’s Smart Defense initiative is expected. As the European Union is invited, the first results of its Pooling & Sharing Initiative will be discussed as well. On the NATO side in particular there is a search for “flagship projects” substantial enough to present to […]

All NATO staff withdrawn from Afghan ministries after killing of US soldiers

By the BBC

From the BBC:  Two Nato officers have been killed in the interior ministry in the Afghan capital Kabul, coalition officials say.

The U.S. and Denmark – NATO Allies and Global Partners

By the White House

The European Union and the Syrian Gridlock

By Vivien Pertusot

The United Nations account of the 8317 dead and counting in Syria is disturbing, even more so as the international community remains divided and actions to curb violence have proved unsuccessful. In this apparent gridlock, the European Union has adopted a hard-pressed and steady posture against the regime. The pressure may be growingly biting, yet […]

Eurozone Crisis: ‘Behind the name-calling… lies a complete breakdown of trust’

By Philip Stevens, the Financial Times

From Philip Stevens, the Financial Times:  Another week, another sticking plaster. The deal to prop up Greece has bought some more time. The important thing – or so we are led to believe – is that the wound has been cauterised. Again.

How to Halt the Butchery in Syria

By Anne-Marie Slaughter, the New York Times

Post-Revolutionary Institutional Reform in Egypt: Lessons From the Ukraine

By Nadine Abdalla

 Most historians agree that the first wave of democratic transitions that swept Eastern Europe in the late 1980s – transforming Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic – was  significantly more successful than the second wave that occurred in countries such as Ukraine, Serbia, and Georgia, proving yet again that the road to reform and democracy […]