United States and Canada

Who is winning Eastern Europe’s great game?

By Katinka Barysch, the Center for European Reform

From Katinka Barysch, the Center for European Reform:  The US is withdrawing from the former Soviet space; the European Union struggles to be taken seriously there. Does that leave Russia free to strengthen its influence in the countries around its borders? Not necessarily, for the situation in the region is complex. … Although by far […]

Biden verifies Afghan deadline quotation, then interprets it

By ABC

Hungary’s strongest leader targets the media

By the Washington Post

Defense system on NATO ships compatible with new anti-aircraft laser

By the BBC

Warships begin active phase of the Sea Breeze 2010 exercises

By RIA Novosti

From RIA Novosti:  Fifteen Ukrainian, U.S. and Turkish warships sailed out of Ukraine’s Black Sea port of Odessa on Sunday to begin the active phase of the Sea Breeze 2010 exercises, the Ukrainian UNIAN news agency reported. The military drills, focused on the planning and conduct of international anti-piracy operations, began in southern Ukraine on […]

Russia rotates its peacekeepers in Transdnestr

By RIA Novosti

From RIA Novosti:  Russia starts on Monday a regular rotation of its peacekeeping contingent in Moldova’s breakaway region of Transdnestr. The peacekeeping operation in the region is carried out by the Collective Peacekeeping Forces (CPF), comprising 402 Russian, 492 Transdnestrian, 355 Moldovan troops and 10 Ukrainian observers. The peacekeepers man a total of 15 checkpoints […]

Official – Troops out of Afghanistan by 2014

By Jonathan Owen and Brian Brady, the Independent

From Jonathan Owen and Brian Brady, the Independent:  A communiqué containing a blueprint for British troops to pull out from Afghanistan in four years’ time has been leaked ahead of a major international conference this week. British troops are to pull out of Afghanistan by 2014, under a secret blueprint for drawing down coalition forces […]

Canada to buy 65 F-35 stealth fighter jets

By AFP

Europe falls out of love with Barack Obama

By Nile Gardiner, the Telegraph

Russian military denies ‘illusion of power’

By Bill Gertz, the Washington Times

From Bill Gertz, the Washington Times:  The Russian military responded to comments in this space last week by Navy Adm. James Winnefeld, commander of the U.S. Northern Command, who stated that increases of Russian strategic bomber flights near the U.S. and Canada airspace over the past several years were an attempt by Moscow to maintain […]