Western Europe

Most Germans Oppose Permanent NATO Base in Poland and Baltics: Poll

By Stephen Brown; Reuters

Nearly three quarters of Germans would oppose NATO having permanent NATO military bases in eastern Europe as requested by Poland and the Baltic states because of a perceived threat from Russia, according to a new poll released on Wednesday.

The Texas Air Base Where NATO Fighter Pilots Are Forged

By Joe Pappalardo, Popular Mechanics

Sheppard Air Force Base is not especially well-known in the United States. But in some parts of Europe, particularly Germany and the Netherlands, the base is famous for its role as a NATO pilot training center.

NATO Unlikely to Grant Georgia Step to Membership-Diplomats

By Adrian Croft, Reuters

NATO countries, wary of antagonising Russia, are unlikely to grant former Soviet republic Georgia a formal step towards membership of the alliance at a summit in September, NATO diplomats say.

A Beginning of Dialogue? Russia’s Ivanov and Germany’s Ischinger Discuss the Ukraine Crisis

By James Rupert

Four months into the Russia-Ukraine crisis, public discourse between Russia and the transatlantic West is not just polarized, it’s even toxic. Last month, when Ukraine and Romania barred Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitriy Rogozin’s jet from their airspace, he tweeted that he would visit those countries next time in a strategic bomber. Last week, Ukrainian […]

NATO Allies Mull Ending Patriot Mission in Turkey

By World Bulletin

NATO allies have started preliminary consultations on concluding the Patriot missile mission in Turkey at the end of 2014, German media reported on Sunday.

Germany to Rethink Arms Sales to Russia; Defense Minister Says “Indifference is Not an Option”

WASHINGTON – Germany’s Federal Minister of Defense Ursula von der Leyen affirmed today that Germany is committed to helping solve the challenges in Europe’s East and beyond alongside its transatlantic partners and the country will “rethink” its arms sales to Russia.

Storify: #FutureNATO with German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen

German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen visited Washington, DC on June 19th and spoke at an Atlantic Council event on how best to secure Europe amid rapid change and turbulence.

German Defense Minister: ‘Russia Has Destroyed a Massive Amount of Trust’

SPIEGEL: So is the Ukraine crisis a case for defense policy?

Putin Has Exposed Divisions in Europe

By Matthew Kaminski, Wall Street Journal

To the east Russia is on the march. After a spike in violence over the weekend in eastern Ukraine, the Kremlin on Monday cut gas exports to the country, using an economic cudgel to go with the military one.