Western Europe

UK Defense Minister: ‘Europe must find the political will to take on more responsibility for our own back yard’

By Phllip Hammond, RUSI

The Turn Away From Europe

By Josef Joffe, Commentary

From Josef Joffe, Commentary:  It almost goes unnoticed that the United States is closing a long chapter in its Atlantic history.

Britain’s Decade of Choices

By Julian Lindley-French

As I write this I am sitting in the Senate Chamber of Church House at the Chief of the Royal Air Force’s air power conference organised by the Royal United Services Institute. Church House is the Supreme Spiritual Headquarters of the Church of England and there can be no better place to discuss the future […]

France and transatlantic relations under the Hollande government

By Nicholas Dungan, Atlantic Council

From Nicholas Dungan, Atlantic Council:  On the global stage, France under Hollande will revert to a more traditional Gaullist posture, with the goal of indépendance nationale.

Intervening in Syria the right way

By   François Heisbourg, Washington Post

From  François Heisbourg, Washington Post:  Politically speaking, the United States is likely to recover room to maneuver after Nov. 6, whether President Obama is reelected or a president-elect Mitt Romney is working in tandem with the incumbent. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has been clamoring for active NATO support

Britain rejects US request to use UK bases in nuclear standoff with Iran

By Nick Hopkins, Guardian

From Nick Hopkins, Guardian:  Britain has rebuffed US pleas to use military bases in the UK to support the build-up of forces in the Gulf, citing secret legal advice which states that any pre-emptive strike on Iran could be in breach of international law.

Europe and the ‘Asia Pivot’

By Tomas Valasek, International Herald Tribune

From Tomas Valasek, International Herald Tribune:  What is NATO to do? One school of thought in Europe holds that an alliance with such widely different capabilities will not survive.

Two legislators resign from SNP over change in NATO policy

By Guardian

From Guardian:  Two Scottish National party members of the Scottish parliament who led a rebellion against proposals for an independent Scotland to join Nato have resigned in protest.

Hague: If EU completed free trade negotiations, ‘GDP could be increased by up to $77 billion a year’

By William Hague, British Foreign Ministry

From William Hague, British Foreign Ministry:  Many European economies are stagnant. Weak public finances, and a recovering financial system mean we cannot rely on increased public or consumer spending for growth.