United States and Canada

U.S. Ranked 4th in Cyber Defense

By Zachary Fryer-Biggs, Defense News

From Zachary Fryer-Biggs, Defense News:  The U.S. ranked behind Finland, Israel and Sweden in a new report analyzing the ability of countries to defend themselves against cyber attacks.

Obama supports Georgia ‘ultimately’ becoming a member of NATO

By Barack Obama, the White House

From Barack Obama, the White House:  On defense and security, I expressed my gratitude to the President for the extraordinary contributions that have been made by the Georgian military in Afghanistan. 

Twenty Years of Kazakhstan Independence and US-Kazakhstan Relations

On January 31, the Atlantic Council hosted a conference entitled “Twenty Years of Kazakhstan Independence and US-Kazakhstan Relations” at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Washington, DC. 

Flournoy on Afghanistan Strategy and Military Capabilities Gap in NATO

By Jim Garamone, American Forces Press Service

From Jim Garamone, American Forces Press Service:  I think we’ve turned around the strategy in Afghanistan,” she [Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Michelle Flournoy] continued. “I think there has been a lot of progress there. For the first time in five years, violence is down in Afghanistan.”

NATO allies grapple with shrinking defense budgets

By Craig Whitlock, the Washington Post

From Craig Whitlock, the Washington Post:  NATO allies are confronting a sustained weakening of the military alliance as ailing economies are forcing nearly all members, including the United States, to accelerate cuts to their defense budgets at the same time. The Pentagon’s recent decision to eliminate two of the Army’s four brigades in Europe is […]

German Angst as U.S. troops bid “Auf Wiedersehen”

By Alexandra Hudson, Reuters

From Alexandra Hudson, Reuters:  Walter Brunner, a lively 82-year old whose blue baseball cap matches the color of his eyes, leans across a red leather booth at the American-style diner in this southern German town and tries to make light of the looming pullout of U.S. troops.

The Presidential Campaign and America’s Strength Abroad

By David Ignatius, the Washington Post

From David Ignatius, the Washington Post:  The foreign policy theme that should dominate this year’s presidential campaign is “American renewal.”

NATO will settle for political declaration instead of concrete Smart Defense projects at Chicago Summit

By Anders Fogh Rasmussen, NATO

From Anders Fogh Rasmussen, NATO:  I hope we will be in a position to adopt a political declaration on smart defence as a framework, as a political framework, for, I would call it a new way of doing business, in the coming years.

Managing US-Russian Relations During the Year of Political Transitions: A Perspective from Moscow

On January 27, the Atlantic Council held an off-the-record discussion on developments in Russia and in US-Russian relations with Dr. Sergey Rogov, the director for the Institute for US and Canadian Studies at the Russian Academy of Sciences. Ambassador Richard Burt, Senior Advisor at McLarty Associates and member of the Atlantic Council’s Board of Directors, […]