Europe & Eurasia

Fears of regime change add new dimension to Russia-Ukraine tensions

By Deutsche Welle

From Deutsche Welle: Medvedev is unlikely to lose much sleep over any EU response should the Kremlin – one way or another – install its favored candidate in the Kyiv hot seat. The EU, currently hugely dependent on Russian gas, imposed no serious penalty on Moscow over the war with Georgia and recent signs hint […]

FACTBOX: German parties’ election policies

By Reuters

From Reuters: FOREIGN POLICY * CDU/CSU – Against Turkey joining the EU. Germany should continue its participation in NATO’s mission in Afghanistan. * SPD – Should leave open the possibility of Turkey joining the EU. Chancellor candidate Frank-Walter Steinmeier has said Germany should start thinking about when to pull its troops out of Afghanistan.* FDP […]

NATO and Ukraine strengthen their cooperation

By NATO

From NATO: NATO and Ukraine took their relationship to a higher level by the signing of a “Declaration to Complement the Charter on a Distinctive Partnership between NATO and Ukraine” at NATO Headquarters on 21 August . . . The Declaration gives the NATO-Ukraine Commission (NUC) a central role to play in the process launched […]

Poll: about half of Ukrainians favor EU, most dislike NATO

By the Kyiv Post

From the Kyiv Post: According to the polls findings, 46.8% of Ukrainians have a favorable opinion about the EU, with 11.3% of them claiming they have a very favorable opinion about the EU. Twenty-two point six percent of the respondents have an unfavorable view of the EU, 8.9% of them with a very unfavorable view. […]

Lockerbie Bomber Released Over U.S. Objections

By James Joyner

The man who murdered 270 people by bombing Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988, has been given a compassionate release from prison so that he may spend his dying days with his family.

Russia Upgrades Spying on NATO Countries

By Jorge Benitez

The Russian news service Interfax announced today that Moscow has expelled two Czech diplomats in an apparent tit-for-tat for yesterday’s reported expulsion of two Russian diplomats by the Czech Republic.

New Chapter of Russian Spy Cases Against NATO and its Members.

The Russian news service Interfax announced today that Moscow has expelled two Czech diplomats in an apparent tit-for-tat for yesterday’s reported expulsion of two Russian diplomats by the Czech Republic. A Russian official argued that, “this unfriendly act by the Czech side, which declared two of our diplomats ‘persona non grata’, could not be left […]

Russian diplomat: Georgia’s, Ukraine’s NATO membership no longer on agenda

By the Kyiv Post

From the Kyiv Post: “Russia and NATO bear common responsibility for security on the Euro-Atlantic area. The fact that the theme of these two countries’ membership of NATO is no longer on the political agenda is above all a victory of common sense,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said in an interview with Interfax. […]

Combined NATO-EU Operation Foils Piracy Attack

By NATO

From NATO: Dramatic events in the Gulf of Aden last night demonstrated the level of co-operation that now exists between the international counter piracy forces in that region. Following an approach by pirates, the Turkish flagged merchant vessel ELGIZ NUR CEBI issued a distress call. The rapid, determined and coordinated response by both NATO and […]