Western Europe

Over Twenty Warships Participating in NATO Exercise ‘Noble Justification’

By NATO

A large fleet of naval vessels is taking part in the multinational “Noble Justification” military exercise which is underway in the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean.

After 25 Years, Germans Present the Berlin Wall’s ‘Signature Segment’ to Atlantic Council and Washington

By New Atlanticist

In the quarter-century since the Berlin Wall fell, a group of Germans has created a particular memorial to that event: a three-ton segment of the wall signed by the government and other leaders who managed the peaceful ending of the Cold War. This week, they presented it as a gift to the American people, to […]

Sarkozy: the French Paradox

By Nicholas Dungan

Nicolas Sarkozy’s return to politics is fraught with uncertainties, not least about the man himself. In French, “retour” can mean a return, or it can signify a comeback. If Sarkozy attempts a personal comeback, to avenge his defeat by François Hollande in 2012, he may well lose. If his return genuinely means a new man […]

Defense Minister: Germany Unable to Meet NATO Commitments

By Deutsche Welle and AP

From Deutsche Welle:  Germany could not currently fulfill its NATO commitments in the event of an attack on a member of the alliance, owing in part to severe backlogs in replacement parts for its aircraft.

STRATCOM, DoD Sign Space Operations Agreement With Allies

By Cheryl Pellerin, DoD News

Officials from the Defense Department, U.S. Strategic Command and three allied nations signed a memorandum of understanding yesterday on combined space operations to strengthen deterrence, enhance resilience and optimize resources.

Scotland’s ‘No’ to Independence Avoids Cataclysm for UK, Former NATO Chief Says

Lord George Robertson: Scottish Vote May Calm Other Secession Moves Yesterday’s decisive rejection of independence by Scottish voters has sidestepped a “cataclysmic” degradation of Britain, a pillar of the transatlantic community, said Lord George Robertson, a former secretary-general of NATO. It is likely to slow down other secession movements, which challenge governments in Spain, Belgium, […]

Spain to Replace Dutch in Turkey Patriot Missile Deployment

Spain will send a Patriot anti-ballistic missile battery to Turkey’s southern border with Syria as part of a NATO initiative, Defence Minister Pedro Morenes said on Wednesday, replacing the Netherlands’ contribution to the deployment.