United States and Canada

Russian Aggression Puts NATO in Spotlight

By STEVEN ERLANGER, New York Times

Russia’s annexation of Crimea has suddenly revived the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s central role as a counterweight to Moscow, and with it questions about the alliance’s options and ability to act.

Russian Navy ‘Rebalances’ to the Mediterranean

By Thomas R. Fedyszyn, U.S. Naval Institute

As the U.S. military “rebalances” to the Asia-Pacific theater, the Russian Navy is pivoting back into the same European waters it became very familiar with during the Cold War.

US Suggests Baltics War Games in Response to Russian ‘Land Grab’

By Roberta Rampton, Reuters

The United States is considering sending troops for war games in the Baltic states bordering Russia, Vice President Joe Biden said on Tuesday in an effort to reassure NATO allies alarmed at the Kremlin’s intervention in Ukraine.

Geopolitics 101: History Matters

By Harlan Ullman

As President Vladimir Putin moves to consolidate Russian autonomy over Crimea with a referendum, the West continues to struggle to find acceptable policies to reverse or punish this encroachment. Short of a military response that would be profoundly reckless and exceedingly dangerous, in these policy deliberations by the West led by Washington, history seems to […]

Report: Delays in Missile Defense for Poland, Romania

By Rachel Oswald, Defense One

The Defense Department presently intends to declare the second and third phases of the European Phased Adaptive Approach “technically capable” in 2015 and 2018.

US Issues Targeted Sanctions on Russian Elites

The US and EU rejected Crimea’s referendum Sunday, issuing statements and new sanctions outlining the West’s overwhelming disapproval of Russian activities in Crimea.

White House List of Russian and Ukrainian Individuals Under US Sanctions

By White House

President Obama today issued a new Executive Order (E.O.) under the national emergency with respect to Ukraine that finds that the actions and policies of the Russian government with respect to Ukraine -– including through the deployment of Russian military forces in the Crimea region of Ukraine –- undermine democratic processes and institutions in Ukraine; threaten […]

US Army to Proceed with Planned Exercise in Ukraine

By Nancy Montgomer, Stars and Stripes

Atlas Vision is canceled. But Rapid Trident is still a go.

Obama Administration Turns Down Request from Ukraine for Weapons and Ammunition

By Adam Entous, Wall Street Journal

Ukraine’s interim government has appealed for U.S. military aid, including arms, ammunition and intelligence support, according to senior U.S. officials.

Will Long Simmering Problems Make NATO a Relic?

By William Cohen and James Jones, Spiegel

[I]t’s important for our European friends to understand that discontent can, and does, flow in more than one direction.