United States and Canada

America is listening to Russia’s call for new security arrangements in Europe

By the Economist

From the Economist: In theory, Russian diplomats accredited to NATO are welcome friends: the reality is murkier. For more than a decade now, Russian officials have been trusted to roam the alliance’s maze-like headquarters in Brussels just like envoys from other “partner countries” such as Sweden, Finland or Malta. In practice, says a diplomat, everyone […]

Could China fill a power vacuum in eastern Europe?

By the Economist

From the Economist: As the countries of eastern Europe bump nervously between a near-neutralist Germany, a revisionist Russia and an absent-minded America, the search is on for a powerful outsider, with strong interests in the region, willing to put all kinds of clout behind the smaller countries’ sovereignty and independence… Maybe China. It has plenty […]

New NATO command activated in Kabul; continues Afghan training

By NATO

From NATO: A newly established NATO command was activated today at Camp Eggers in Kabul, as the Combined Security Transition Command -Afghanistan merged with the new NATO Training Mission – Afghanistan to create a unified command for the training of the Security Forces in Afghanistan… “Our mission is about teaming with Afghans to build a […]

Who is NATO’s Miracle Worker?

When Barack Obama became President, the debate in European capitals was over how quickly they could decrease the number of troops contributed to NATO’s war in Afghanistan. Yet in the past week, something remarkable has happened in NATO, some of our European allies are actually sending more troops to Afghanistan, not just for temporary duty […]

Post-Crisis Defence Spending in the EU is Lower and Less Effective Than in the US

By the NATO Parliamentary Assembly

From the NATO Parliamentary Assembly: Defence budgets worldwide have taken a knock as a consequence of the global financial crisis. But as the world’s economies start to show signs of recovery, a “big disparity” is emerging between the EU and North America. This may place a strain on the North Atlantic Alliance, according to Senior […]

Barack Obama ‘risks Suez-like disaster’ in Afghanistan, says key military adviser

By the Guardian

From the Guardian: A key adviser to Nato forces warned today that Barack Obama risks a Suez-style debacle in Afghanistan if he fails to deploy enough extra troops and opts instead for a messy compromise… “Time is running out for us to make a decision. We can either put in enough troops to control the […]

US and EU: Transatlantic Partnership for the 21st Century

By Marc Grossman

In the 1970s, Henry Kissinger famously asked, “who do I call if I want to speak to Europe?” After more than three decades, he may finally get his answer. Last week, the European parliament began debating the powers and responsibilities of a new president of Europe, a position made possible by the recent decision of […]

NATO may lose in Afghanistan

By the Economist

From the Economist: In August 2009 General Stanley McChrystal, America’s (and NATO’s) top commander in Afghanistan, said that the international effort there was at grave risk of failing. He reckoned he had a year to start turning things around, or risk losing American support. If that is right, while professing support for General McChrystal’s efforts, […]

Americans and Western Europeans Agree on Afghanistan-Pakistan Extremist Threat

By the Pew Research Center

From the Pew Research Center: A transatlantic consensus exists with regard to the threat posed by extremists in Afghanistan and Pakistan, even though Americans and Western Europeans generally disagree about what policy to pursue in Afghanistan. A 14-nation survey by the Pew Research Center’s Global Attitudes Project, conducted Aug. 27 through Sept. 24, finds Americans […]

Europe is not yet whole, free or entirely at peace

By the Miami Herald

From the Miami Herald: Europe is not yet whole, free or at peace. Throughout wider Europe other walls remain — historical animosities, ethnic hatreds, struggles for power and control. Festering tensions can explode, as we discovered in the Balkans and again last year when Russia clashed with Georgia. Successful reforms could resonate significantly across the […]