European Union

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 […]

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 […]

Ukrainian Army Units Will Participate in NATO Response Force in 2010 and 2011

By the Kyiv Post

From the Kyiv Post: Ukrainian army units will participate in the 15th and 16th rotations of the NATO Response Force in the second half of 2010 and the first half of 2011 respectively. Chief of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces told this to Ukrainian reporters after a meeting of the Ukraine-NATO Military […]

EU Energy Security May Depend on Ukraine Election Runoff

By Alexandros Petersen

This winter may not see a natural-gas crisis in Ukraine, but then again, the country’s presidential election isn’t over. The outcome of the February 7 second round runoff may well determine whether the gas crises continue, and by extension, shape the future of European energy consumption.

NATO Eyes New Top Civilian Post in Kabul

By the Wall Street Journal

From the Wall Street Journal: The North Atlantic Treaty Organization plans to create a new top civilian post in Kabul to flank its military chief in Afghanistan, U.S. General Stanley McChrystal, and the British ambassador to Afghanistan [Mark Sedwill] is the leading contender, senior officials familiar with the matter said Wednesday. The announcement could be […]

Transatlantic Homeland Security

By Global Europe

From Global Europe: If Europeans and Americans are to be safe at home, the United States need to boost its direct cooperation with EU institutions, and those institutions must take their new responsibilities seriously… Creating common standards in airline security or reaching a legal accord on data protection will be difficult, given our different legal […]

Sikorski Criticizes Allies for Excluding Their Forces From Combat Missions

By the Telegraph

From the Telegraph: Poland’s foreign minister has said his country is willing to commit more troops to Afghanistan and criticised other European nations for excluding their forces from combat missions… Mr [Radek] Sikorski expressed his frustration over caveats used by other nations, including Germany, that often exclude their forces from combat operations in Afghanistan. “The […]

Pipeline Deals to Top Erdogan-Putin Agenda

By Reuters

From Reuters: Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan’s trip to Russia to pursue gas deals will boost the EU candidate’s quest to become a key transit hub for Europe, but highlights a difficult east-west balancing game for Ankara… Erdogan starts a two-day visit to Moscow on Tuesday where he is expected to meet Russian Prime Minister […]