Germany

German Official Discloses that NATO To Discuss Sending More Troops to Poland

NATO defence ministers will discuss temporarily reinforcing forces in Poland when they meet in Brussels this week

Poland Concerned Germany is Impeding NATO’s Response to Russia

By Judy Dempsey, Strategic Europe

Poland fears that Germany will not make the hard decisions required to stop Russia from acting again.

Unprotected in the East: NATO Appears Toothless in Russia Crisis

By Spiegel

According to information SPIEGEL obtained by SPIEGEL, a draft version of a comprehensive, restricted internal NATO assessment of the situation reads: “Russia’s ability to undertake significant military action with little warning presents a wider threat to the maintenance of security and stability in the Euro-Atlantic area.

Spiegel: NATO Unprepared If Russia Moved into Baltic Members

By Deutsche Welle

According to the German magazine Spiegel, NATO is examining scenarios in the event of a Russian military move in Eastern Europe. Alarm bells are already ringing in eastern states, and NATO is keen to show it could cope.

Hesitation Within NATO will Encourage Russia to Test Alliance

By Artis Pabriks, atlantic-community.org

Since the end of the Russian-Georgian war in 2008, Russia has been seriously increasing its military budget (up 15-20% annually) and conducting military exercises with more than 100,000 personnel (Zapad 2009, Zapad 2013), targeted towards its western neighbours.

Ukraine Crisis Exposes Gaps Between Germany and NATO

By Spiegel

Frank-Walter Steinmeier wasted little time after returning to Berlin from the NATO foreign ministers’ meeting in Brussels last week.

Germany Mulls Military Support for NATO’s Eastern European States

By Madeline Chambers, Reuters

Der Spiegel said the defense ministry was ready to make available up to six aircraft for a strengthened air patrolling mission in parts of eastern Europe.

A Trading Power: Germany’s Hyperrealistic Foreign Policy

By Thomas Paulsen

German foreign policy is in dire straits, if we believe experts at home and abroad. Germany is criticized for being too passive on an international level, and for being unwilling to shoulder the kind of international responsibilities that would seem to be commensurate with its greater size.

NATO Commander Warns of Russian Threat to Separatist Moldova Region

By Washington Post and Reuters

U.S. and Ukrainian officials warned Sunday that Russia may be poised to expand its territorial conquest into eastern Ukraine and beyond, with a senior NATO official saying that Moscow might even order its troops to cross Ukraine to reach Moldova.