United States and Canada

International Maritime Safety and Security Exchange

By Harry G. Ulrich III

An International Maritime Safety and Security Exchange is urgently needed to improve efficiency and security through increased domain awareness and expedited information sharing, says retired Admiral Harry G. Ulrich III, former Commander of  U.S. Naval Forces in Europe. Download the PDF

D-Day’s Legacies Live Today

By  Cathy Gramling, EUCOM

From Cathy Gramling, EUCOM:  The D-Day Foundation has verified the names about 2,500 American servicemen killed on that one day alone. 2,500 Americans on one day. Our Allies fought alongside us, too, and estimates are that nearly 2,000 of them were killed that day, too. But the anniversary of D-Day isn’t just about the men who died […]

Britain Is No Longer America’s Bridge to Europe

By Charles Kupchan, the Council on Foreign Relations

From Charles Kupchan, the Council on Foreign Relations:  [T]he effort to reclaim the US-UK “special relationship” as the foundation of British statecraft promises to leave Britain in a geopolitical no-man’s land and marginalise its international influence. The UK will enjoy far greater sway over transatlantic and global affairs by becoming a leading voice within the […]

How Do You Say “Frenemy” in Turkish?

By Steven A. Cook, Foreign Policy

From Steven A. Cook, Foreign Policy:  Nowhere is Turkey asserting itself more than in the Middle East, where it has gone from a tepid observer to an influential player in eight short years. In the abstract, Washington and Ankara do share the same goals: peace between Israel and the Palestinians; a stable, unified Iraq; an […]

Russian Warship to Join NATO Baltic Exercises

By RIA Novosti

From RIA Novosti:  An amphibious assault landing ship, the Kaliningrad, will take part in the BALTOPS-2010 naval exercises in the Baltic Sea on June 7-18, Russia’s Baltic Fleet spokesman said on Tuesday. The BALTOPS exercise has been held annually since 1994 within the framework of the NATO Partnership for Peace Program. It is aimed to […]

The Balkans Deserve This

By Hillary Clinton, Catherine Ashton and Miguel Angel Moratinos; the Guardian

From Hillary Clinton, Catherine Ashton and Miguel Angel Moratinos; the Guardian:  On Wednesday the EU Spanish presidency will host a ministerial meeting in Sarajevo attended by senior leaders from EU member states, the western Balkans, the US, Russia and Turkey to reaffirm our shared commitment to the security of the Balkans

Germany Takes a Turn at Guarding Icelandic Airspace

By IceNews

From IceNews:  The German airforce, the Luftwaffe will protect Icelandic airspace between 7th and 25th June. The German force will be temporarily stationed in Iceland at the invite of the Icelandic government and its patrols will form part of the NATO security pact for Iceland, which has no military of its own. Around 140 German […]

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 […]