United States and Canada

British troops to leave Sangin this year, Liam Fox says

By the Telegraph

From the Telegraph:  British troops will be withdrawn from the Sangin area of Afghanistan later this year, Defence Secretary Liam Fox told MPs. He said the UK had agreed to a redeployment which will see US Marines assume responsibility for the area where nearly a third of UK deaths in the conflict have occurred.

Ukraine, NATO to hold Sea Breeze military drills in July

By RIA Novosti

Interim Ballistic Missile Defence for NATO forces ‘expected to be operational by the end of the year’

By ThalesRaytheonSystems

From ThalesRaytheonSystems:  ThalesRaytheonSystems (TRS) has been awarded a contract by NATO’s Active Layered Theater Ballistic Missile Defence (ALTBMD) Programme Office to provide the alliance commanders with real-time interim ballistic missile defence capabilities for deployed forces by the end of 2010.

Clinton and Putin disagree on ‘occupation’ of Georgia

By Hillary Clinton, the State Department

Where Is Your Military Might, Europe?

By Thérèse Delpech, the International Herald Tribune

Ashton places Polish agent in charge of security for the EU’s new diplomatic service

By Andrew Rettman, the EUobserver

From Andrew Rettman, the EUobserver:  EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton has hired a Polish secret service agent to be the main architect of internal security in the European External Action Service (EEAS). The agent, whose name is being kept under wraps, was parachuted into Brussels from Warsaw to begin work on 1 June and […]

Petraeus: ‘We Are in This to Win’

By Alan Cullison and Peter Spiegel, the Wall Street Journal

From Alan Cullison and Peter Spiegel, the Wall Street Journal:  Gen. David Petraeus took command of coalition forces under the pine trees near NATO headquarters in the Afghan capital Sunday, and called on civilian and military leaders to unite in their support for the war and show "we are in this to win.

Russian spying at cold war levels, say experts

By James Blitz, the Financial Times

From James Blitz, the Financial Times:  The widespread mockery of Russian spies after this week’s arrests in the US has angered well-placed British intelligence experts, who believe it would be foolish to underestimate the espionage efforts of the heirs of the KGB.

Poland welcomes Russian inspection of new missile defense system, “on a reciprocal basis”

By the State Department

From the State Department:  SECRETARY CLINTON:  Today, by signing an amendment to the ballistic missile defense agreement, we are reinforcing this commitment. The amendment will allow us to move forward with Polish participation in hosting elements of the phased adaptive approach to missile defense in Europe.

Clinton: “the doors to NATO remain open” for Ukraine

By Hillary Clinton, the State Department