United States and Canada

NATO Launches Baltic Military Exercises

By Bloomberg

The Specter of Finlandization

By Ronald Asmus, the German Marshall Fund

From Ronald Asmus, the German Marshall Fund:  A specter is starting to haunt wider Europe — those countries located between the EU and NATO on one hand and Russia on the other. That specter is “Finlandization.” The return of this Cold War phrase reveals much about the changing spirit of the times and geopolitics of […]

Turkey’s Standoff Role Irks Allies

By the AP

From the AP: Turkey’s attempts to mediate Iran’s nuclear standoff with the West have evolved into an aggressive effort to forestall new UN sanctions. The assertive campaign is placing Turkey in opposition to longtime allies Israel and the United States. It also raises the question of whether NATO’s only Muslim member is becoming less of […]

Clinton: “We Do Have to Expect More From NATO”

By Secretary Hillary Clinton, the State Department

From Secretary Hillary Clinton, the State Department:  We have to do a better job of reforming NATO institutions and requiring them to be more cost-conscious and effective in order to maximize the impact of every dollar

NATO Chief Warns Britain: Don’t Cut Your Defence Budget Too Deeply

By the Times (London)

From the Times (London): Nato’s Secretary-General warned Britain yesterday not to cut defence spending too deeply as it grapples with its budget deficit. In an interview with The Times, Anders Fogh Rasmussen advised all cash-strapped Nato members to use the tough economic climate as an opportunity to make their armed forces more efficient to tackle […]

Is Obama’s Foreign Policy “Enemy-Centric?”

By Fred Hiatt, the Washington Post

From Fred Hiatt, the Washington Post:  Is the Obama administration’s foreign policy "enemy-centric?" That was the contention put forth this morning by a European who has been one of the most stalwart friends of the United States

Empty Patriot Launchers in Poland: “A Gun But No Ammunition”

By the AP

From the AP: For now, the U.S. has brought six mobile launchers for medium- to high-range Patriot missiles to Poland, but not the missiles themselves — similar to having a gun but no ammunition. The U.S. ambassador to Poland, Lee Feinstein, said missiles might arrive later. He, too, stressed that the equipment is only meant […]

Britain’s Nuclear Arsenal is 225 Warheads, Reveals William Hague

By Richard Norton-Taylor, the Guardian

A Hollow “Reset” with Russia

By Robert Kagan, the Washington Post

From Robert Kagan, the Washington Post:  [F]ew accomplishments have been more oversold than the Obama administration’s "success" in getting Russia to agree, for the fourth time in five years, to another vacuous U.N. Security Council resolution. It is being trumpeted as a triumph of the administration’s "reset" of the U.S.-Russian relationship, the main point of […]

Russian Paratroopers to Undergo Training in NATO Countries

By  Interfax

From Interfax: Russian paratroopers are preparing to travel to the United States, Germany and other countries to undergo advanced training, Airborne Troops Commander Lt. Gen. Vladimir Shamanov said. "The General Staff has ordered training to be organized for our servicemen with foreign armed forces and within the framework of the Russia-NATO format," Shamanov told the press […]