European Union

Georgia Drifts Away from the West

By Matthew Czekaj

The West is losing Georgia, and the West has only itself to blame.  Since the April 2008 NATO Summit in Bucharest, at which the Alliance declared that Georgia (and Ukraine) would become a member, Europe and the United States have done almost nothing to more fully integrate the Caucasian country into the transatlantic community.  The […]

Merkel and Medvedev Support Upgrading Russia-EU Committee on Foreign Policy and Security

By RIA Novosti

From RIA Novosti:  Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and German Chancellor Angela Merkel suggested considering a creation of Russia-EU committee on foreign policy and security at ministerial level. "In particular, the committee could be empowered to become a forum to exchange views on current issues of international politics and security, to develop guidelines for joint civil/military […]

Greece Decreases Participation in International Missions

By AFP

From AFP:  Greece’s military is to massively scale back a peacekeeping mission to Kosovo and cut anti-piracy patrols in Somalia as the nation battles a major debt crisis, the general staff said on Thursday. The move will overall save the military over 23 million euros (28 million dollars), general staff spokesman colonel Nikos Bonoras told […]

Ukraine Is Not Yet Lost

By Alexandros Petersen and Tamerlan Vahabov

Since this winter’s presidential election, in which pro-Russian Victor Yanukovich emerged the victor, Ukraine has experienced a massive turnaround. Its politics, security policy, cultural and language policies and energy policy all look toward Moscow for guidance. U.S. and European commentators have begun to speak about the loss of Ukraine.

Britain Is No Longer America’s Bridge to Europe

By Charles Kupchan, the Council on Foreign Relations

From Charles Kupchan, the Council on Foreign Relations:  [T]he effort to reclaim the US-UK “special relationship” as the foundation of British statecraft promises to leave Britain in a geopolitical no-man’s land and marginalise its international influence. The UK will enjoy far greater sway over transatlantic and global affairs by becoming a leading voice within the […]

Statement by the Secretary General of NATO on Israeli Operation Against Ships Bound for Gaza

By NATO

From NATO:  [T]he North Atlantic Council (NAC) met for an extraordinary meeting to discuss the recent Israeli operation against ships bound for Gaza. There was an extensive exchange of views among Allies on all aspects of this tragic event. I would like to express my deep regret over the loss of lives and the other […]

The Balkans Deserve This

By Hillary Clinton, Catherine Ashton and Miguel Angel Moratinos; the Guardian

From Hillary Clinton, Catherine Ashton and Miguel Angel Moratinos; the Guardian:  On Wednesday the EU Spanish presidency will host a ministerial meeting in Sarajevo attended by senior leaders from EU member states, the western Balkans, the US, Russia and Turkey to reaffirm our shared commitment to the security of the Balkans

NATO, Police Fire Teargas at Protesters in Kosovo

By Reuters

The Specter of Finlandization

By Ronald Asmus, the German Marshall Fund

From Ronald Asmus, the German Marshall Fund:  A specter is starting to haunt wider Europe — those countries located between the EU and NATO on one hand and Russia on the other. That specter is “Finlandization.” The return of this Cold War phrase reveals much about the changing spirit of the times and geopolitics of […]