Europe & Eurasia

Ukraine Elections: Let’s Not Get Carried Away

By Nikolas Gvosdev

Adrian Karatnycky’s analysis of Ukraine’s  presidential run-off election ends on a positive note.

NATO’s New Senior Civilian Representative in Afghanistan Takes Up Role

By NATO

From NATO: On 7 February, on his first day as NATO’s newly appointed Senior Civilian Representative in Afghanistan (SCR), Ambassador Mark Sedwill, was publically welcomed by his military counterpart, the Commander of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), General Stanley McChrystal, at a senior level briefing, at ISAF Headquarters in Kabul. Ambassador Mark Sedwill was […]

José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero Event Transcript

José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero Event NOTE: Prime Minister Zapatero spoke in Spanish.  The text of his remarks below is transcribed from a translator’s audio. Speakers: Frederick Kempe, President and CEO, Atlantic Council General James Jones, National Security Advisor Senator Chuck Hagel, Chairman, Atlantic Council José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, Prime Minister of Spain

EU Summit Scrapped After Obama ‘Snub’

By the BBC

From the BBC: The European Union has scrapped a summit with the US, after President Barack Obama decided not to attend. The event in Madrid in May was to have been the highlight of Spain’s six-month EU presidency, and the cancellation is seen as a humiliating blow. Officials say the summit may take place later […]

Albright to Lead Strategic Concept Meetings in Moscow

By RIA Novosti

From RIA Novosti: A group of NATO experts will visit Moscow on February 10 to discuss the alliance’s future plans, NATO official representative James Appathurai said on Tuesday. He added that the so-called group of wise men, headed by former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, would hold discussions in the Russian Foreign Ministry with […]

A Pact with France will Keep Us Fighting Fit

By the Times (London)

From the Times (London): That should not just mean the continuation of our strategic partnership with the United States but an historic enhancement of our bilateral defence co-operation with France, Europe’s other serious military power. Britain and France are Europe’s two nuclear weapon states. If closer co-operation and a degree of partnership are on the […]

France Hopes for Deal on Military Plane this Week

By the AP

From the AP: France hopes that Airbus and the seven governments which ordered the A400M military transport plane can agree new financing terms to save the troubled program by the end of the week, the defense minister said Monday. Herve Morin told journalists that the positions of the seven countries – Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, […]

Obama to Skip Annual EU Summit

By the Wall Street Journal

From the Wall Street Journal: The White House has decided that President Barack Obama will not attend what has been an annual summit with the European Union this spring, as Mr. Obama scales back from his record-setting foreign travel last year… The decision to skip the EU summit will likely disappoint many Europeans, especially in Spain, […]

Albright Briefs European Parliament on New Strategic Concept

By the European Parliament

From the European Parliament: EU-NATO co-operation, the new international security environment, NATO’s relations with Russia and “open door” policy, and the importance of winning public support when redefining NATO’s role in the 21st century, were among the issues discussed by MEPs on Wednesday with Madeleine K. Albright and Jeroen van der Veer, Chair and Vice […]