European Union

Dept. SecDef meeting with NATO and EU to improve cyber security

By Jim Garamone, defense.gov

From Jim Garamone, defense.gov:  Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III is meeting with NATO and European Union officials here to strengthen cyberdefense capabilities. This is Lynn’s second visit to the alliance in four months to discuss cybersecurity. “It’s an opportunity for Deputy Secretary Lynn to meet and discuss with NATO and EU leaders ways […]

Baltic states invited to join Nordic defense organization

By AFP

From AFP:  Nordic nations on Friday invited the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to join a body that aims to smooth cooperation among the region’s armed forces, the Estonian military said. Lieutenant Commander Ingrid Muehling told AFP that the Baltic trio were formally asked to join NORDEFCO at the close of a two-day […]

UK-Nordic-Baltic Summit to develop “alliance of common interests”

By George Parker and Andrew Ward, the Financial Times

Hungary’s Media Law Draws EU Protests

By James Joyner

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was greeted with protests from some EU parliamentarians when he addressed them as its rotating president of the European Council.   Spiegel: Orbán began his speech to the European Parliament at 10:36 a.m. on Wednesday morning. He had hardly had time to greet the assembled deputies before being interrupted by […]

Belarus lashes out over EU Sanctions

By RIA Novosti

From RIA Novosti:  Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Thursday ordered the government to respond to the European Parliament’s sanctions against him and scores of other officials. "If anybody attempts to impose economic or any other sanctions against the country, we should respond and prepare counter-measures," Lukashenko told a government meeting. … Earlier on Thursday, the […]

Executive Suspended for Criticizing E.U. Satellite

By Kevin J. O'Brien, the New York Times

From Kevin J. O’Brien, the New York Times:  The chief executive of the largest satellite company in Germany was suspended on Tuesday for telling American diplomats that the Galileo satellite project in Europe was redundant, cost-inefficient and designed to benefit French business interests, according to cables published by WikiLeaks.

PM Erdogan: Turkey will not “wait at the EU’s door like a docile supplicant”

By Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Newsweek

China’s buying spree raises hope, and fear in Europe

By Charlemagne, the Economist

From Charlemagne, the Economist:  On his tour of Europe this month, China’s vice-premier, Li Keqiang, announced his country’s plan to buy cheap European government bonds, as Chinese companies purchased shares in European petrochemical ventures, tens of thousands of cars and even a few million euros’ worth of Spanish wine and ham to top off the […]

Bulgarian lawmakers push to have 35 ambassadors with KGB past fired

By RIA Novosti

Is Germany Out Growing the Franco-German Partnership?

By Steven Erlanger, the New York Times

From Steven Erlanger, the New York Times:  While the agonies of the European Union — sovereign defaults, deficits and bubbles — unfold like a great wonk drama, at their core is something more intimate: the fractured tale of Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy.