Southern and Southeastern Europe

Putin’s Balkan Gambit

By Damon Wilson

Buoyed by Successes in Europe’s East, Russia’s Leader Turns His Gaze to Serbia and Its Neighbors Russian President Vladimir Putin’s attack on Ukraine aims to deny that nation a European future, partly by closing the door permanently to membership in NATO or the European Union. Putin’s aims, however, are not limited to extending a Russian […]

Defense Minister: Germany Unable to Meet NATO Commitments

By Deutsche Welle and AP

From Deutsche Welle:  Germany could not currently fulfill its NATO commitments in the event of an attack on a member of the alliance, owing in part to severe backlogs in replacement parts for its aircraft.

Spain to Replace Dutch in Turkey Patriot Missile Deployment

Spain will send a Patriot anti-ballistic missile battery to Turkey’s southern border with Syria as part of a NATO initiative, Defence Minister Pedro Morenes said on Wednesday, replacing the Netherlands’ contribution to the deployment.

Special Summit Series: Spain, Portugal, and NATO

By Jorge Benitez

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen described the Russia/Ukraine crisis as “the gravest threat to European security since the end of the Cold War.”

Which Members Oppose Greater NATO Military Presence in Eastern Allies?

By Editors of the Financial Times

The obvious answer is for Nato to bolster its military presence in the east, thereby signalling to Moscow that an attack there would indeed be treated as an attack on the whole alliance.

Special Summit Series: Greece and NATO

By Constantine A. Pagedas

Within its first few years of existence, NATO experienced its initial wave of expansion in 1952 when Greece and Turkey joined the alliance.

What NATO Needs to Do in the Wake of the Ukraine Crisis

By John Deni, Defense One

First, the alliance should announce its intent to permanently station troops in the East, most likely in Poland.

Video: Dueling NATO, Russia Naval Exercises On Black Sea

By Bug Pit and Navy Times

From Joshua Kucera, Bug Pit: Competing Black Sea naval exercises by NATO and Russia have again raised tensions in the region as the once sleepy sea has become a venue for geopolitical competition.

NATO Signals No New Members for the Present

By John-Thor Dahlburg, AP

Faced with a newly aggressive Russia, NATO has been mulling how to react, but it is ruling out one option: rapid expansion.