Europe & Eurasia

Battling US for huge deal, Eurofighter woos Japan

By Eric Talmadge, the AP

From Eric Talmadge, the AP:  In a deal that could be worth billions of dollars and determine one of the primary fighter jets in Asia for decades to come, European aircraft makers are trying to convince Japan to do something it has never done before – snub America.

New poll in Turkey reveals support for NATO, but not US

By Christopher Torchia, the AP

Obama to make state visit to Britain in May

By Adrian Croft, Reuters

From Adrian Croft, Reuters:  President Barack Obama will make a state visit to Britain in May at the invitation of Queen Elizabeth, Buckingham Palace said on Thursday. Obama will be accompanied by his wife, Michelle, on the May 24-26 visit when they will stay at Buckingham Palace, the queen’s residence in London.  The White House […]

Rasmussen plans to discuss Ukraine’s participation in NATO missile defense system

By Interfax

From Interfax:  NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has said that during his visit to Ukraine, he plans to discuss Ukraine’s possible participation in the NATO missile defense system. "What I would like to discuss during my visit to Ukraine is the question of Ukraine’s possible contribution to the Euro-Atlantic architecture of a missile defense […]

U.S. confirms $50 million aid for Ukraine’s nuclear security program

By RIA Novosti

From RIA Novosti:  The United States has officially confirmed that it will render Ukraine $50 million to support the country’s nuclear security program.

Turkey shelves EU reforms as accession hopes fade

By Ercan Yavuz, Zaman

From Ercan Yavuz, Zaman:  With key European Union states showing no sign of relenting in their opposition to Turkey’s accession, the government has postponed dozens of laws required to be passed to achieve harmonization with the 27-nation bloc’s standards until after the June elections, and even beyond.

Germany Feels Some Push Back as It Grows More Euro-Assertive

By Stephen Castle, the International Herald Tribune

From Stephen Castle, the International Herald Tribune:  For decades Germans wanted to become more European and took care not to be seen bossing around their allies on the Continent. But now that the government in Berlin wants Europe to become more like Germany, the temperature is rising.

The Value of the Visegrad Four

By Adrian Basora

In an issue brief titled “The Value of the Visegrad Four,” former U.S. Ambassador to Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic Adrian Basora examines the recently reinvigorated Visegrad Group–a regional grouping of Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic–as a possible channel for U.S.-Central European relations. Download the PDF