European Union

German defense minister seeks more European military cooperation

By  Catherine Bolsover, Deutsche Welle

From Catherine Bolsover, Deutsche Welle:  German Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg said he is willing for Germany’s military to share some of its duties with other armies in Europe. In an opinion piece written for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung daily on Thursday, Guttenberg said there could be a "sharing of roles and duties" among European countries. […]

EU calls for more joint defense projects such as the European Air Transport Command

By the AP

From the AP:  European defence ministers are urging member states to pool their defence resources in order to maintain military capabilities at a time of economic austerity and sharp cuts in defence spending. Ministers say the newly launched European Air Transport Command [EATC] should serve as an example of how greater integration in strategic transport […]

Europe’s Piecemeal Failure

By Alistair Darling, the New York Times

From Alistair Darling, the New York Times:  When I look at events in Europe today, with Ireland getting bailed out and talk of crises brewing elsewhere on the continent, I am reminded of the weeks leading up to the banking crisis in 2008.

Aide to British MP Suspected of Spying for Russia

By Ravi Somaiya, the New York Times

Transatlantic Division of Labor: NATO Hard Power and EU Soft Power?

By Howard LaFranchi, the Christian Science Monitor

From Howard LaFranchi, the Christian Science Monitor:  "If one were to say that Europe is going only in the direction of soft power, I would not agree," says Gen. Stéphane Abrial, NATO’s supreme allied commander for transformation.

Transatlantic Division of Labor: NATO Hard Power and EU Soft Power?

By Howard LaFranchi, the Christian Science Monitor

From Howard LaFranchi, the Christian Science Monitor:  "If one were to say that Europe is going only in the direction of soft power, I would not agree," says Gen. Stéphane Abrial, NATO’s supreme allied commander for transformation.

Cables Reveal NATO Split over Russia

By Andrew Rettman, the EUobserver

From Andrew Rettman, the EUobserver:  One cable dealing with an extraordinary meeting of Nato ambassadors in Brussels on 12 August ran with the sub-heading: "Nato allies lack cohesion during first meeting on Georgia crisis."

A Swiss Alternative to Competing Visions of Europe’s Future?

By Kenneth Weisbrode, the Diplomatic Courier

From Kenneth Weisbrode, the Diplomatic Courier:  Calls for the transformation of Europe into something resembling a larger version of Switzerland have grown louder of late. Although European “neutrality” was a periodic Cold War bugbear, it now seems less offensive. Who would object to a prosperous, peaceful, stable and relatively liberal, multilingual polity? … The reason […]

Does the EU have “NATO envy?”

By Charlemagne, the Economist

From Charlemagne, the Economist:  It is the biggest, closest and richest friendship in the world, and its most important military alliance. America and Europe account for half of global GDP and nearly one-third of trade. Each side of the North Atlantic has more than 1 trillion invested in the other. Yet the partnership is strangely unbalanced. […]

Pro-European alliance ahead in Moldova elections

By the AP

From the AP:  Moldova’s governing pro-Europe alliance was leading the opposition Communists, election results indicated Monday, but it appeared the coalition was just short of winning enough legislative seats to end the country’s year-long political deadlock.