United States and Canada

The Value of the Visegrad Four

By Adrian Basora

In an issue brief titled “The Value of the Visegrad Four,” former U.S. Ambassador to Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic Adrian Basora examines the recently reinvigorated Visegrad Group–a regional grouping of Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic–as a possible channel for U.S.-Central European relations. Download the PDF

NATO allies concerned about nuclear weapons in Kaliningrad

By Vanessa Gera, the AP

From Vanessa Gera, the AP:  Rose Gottemoeller, the chief U.S. negotiator of New START, visited Poland, Ukraine and the three Baltic states in recent days to hear how these countries view the issue of tactical weapons.

Leaked cables show US used informer in NATO chief’s office

By DPA

From DPA:  NATO staff under the command of both the current NATO chief, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, and his predecessor Jaap de Hoop Scheffer supplied information to authorities in the US, according to the cables released by the whistleblower website WikiLeaks.

Joint Forces Command to be shut down by March 2012

By Robert McGabe, the Virginia Pilot

NATO’s role in the new National Military Strategy of the United States

By the 2011 National Military Strategy of the United States

From the 2011 National Military Strategy of the United States:  NATO will remain the most powerful military alliance, though some of its states are reducing defense spending as part of broader austerity measures.

The New Face of War? One in 50 Troops in Afghanistan Is a Robot

By David Axe, the Danger Room

From David Axe, the Danger Room:  There are more than 2,000 ground robots fighting alongside flesh-and-blood forces in Afghanistan, according to Lt. Col. Dave Thompson, the Marine Corps’ top robot-handler.

U.S. Has Secret Tools to Force Internet on Dictators

By Spencer Ackerman, the Danger Room

From Spencer Ackerman, the Danger Room:  When Hosni Mubarak shut down Egypt’s internet and cellphone communications, it seemed that all U.S. officials could do was ask him politely to change his mind.

Nato chief warns Europe over defence budgets

By James Blitz, the Financial Times

From James Blitz, the Financial Times:  Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Nato’s secretary-general, has issued a stark warning that European nations “cannot afford to get out of the security business” by slashing national defence budgets in order to help meet fiscal deficit targets.

Report: Russia warns US over missile defense plans

By Vladimir Isachenkov, the AP

NATO Chief warns of a weaker and divided Europe, “adrift from the United States”

By NATO

From NATO:  Over the past two years, defence spending by NATO’s European member nations has shrunk by some 45 billion dollars – that is the equivalent of Germany’s entire annual defence budget.