Europe & Eurasia

The Special Relationship in Peril

By Con Coughlin, the Wall Street Journal

From Con Coughlin, the Wall Street Journal:  The radical reappraisal of British foreign policy undertaken by Prime Minister David Cameron‘s new coalition government has raised serious questions about the future of Britain’s historic alliance with Washington..

EU takes ‘historic’ step on new diplomatic service

By Andrew Rettman, the EUobserver

From Andrew Rettman, the EUobserver:  Foreign relations chief Catherine Ashton will turn her attention to choosing the top officials and the main building for the European External Action Service (EEAS) after the EU Parliament approved the legal blueprint for the new body.

Former Foreign Minister: ‘Germany has found its place as Europe’s number one’

By Charlemagne, the Economist

From Charlemagne, the Economist:  Insults are being lobbed back and forth across the Rhine. The French cannot stop themselves from provoking the Germans.

Identities revealed in the largest spy swap since the Cold War

By Peter Baker, Ellen Barry and Benjamin Weiser, the New York Times

Obama sees Turkey turning eastward if snubbed by EU

By Reuters

From Reuters:  Turkey could end up seeking alliances outside the West if the European Union keeps it dangling over its bid for membership, U.S. President Barack Obama said in a newspaper interview on Thursday. Obama told Italy’s Corriere della Sera the United States believed it would be wise for the European Union to accept Turkey, […]

Officials: 3 arrested in Norway al-Qaida bomb plot

By the AP

NATO chief slams EU over ‘unfair’ Turkish treatment

By AFP

From AFP:  NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen criticized the European Union on Wednesday for what he called its "unfair" treatment of Turkey, writing in the Danish center-left daily Politiken. The NATO secretary-general advised the EU to "take a series of pragmatic steps to improve relations with Turkey, entirely outside the negotiations" between Ankara and Brussels […]

British troops to leave Sangin this year, Liam Fox says

By the Telegraph

From the Telegraph:  British troops will be withdrawn from the Sangin area of Afghanistan later this year, Defence Secretary Liam Fox told MPs. He said the UK had agreed to a redeployment which will see US Marines assume responsibility for the area where nearly a third of UK deaths in the conflict have occurred.

Poland Has a New President: What Does It Mean for the Transatlantic Relationship?

By Sally McNamara, Heritage Foundation

Ukraine, NATO to hold Sea Breeze military drills in July

By RIA Novosti