... defense relations. While rebuffing economic concerns, the Finnish government is using this opportunity to enact several defense agreements to persuade the Finnish people towards a closer relationship with the West. Although Finns generally do not support NATO membership, both Stubb and Niinisto, members of the National Coaltion Party, continue to suggest discussing NATO membership. Niinisto recently has expressed this desire in June.[7] At the same time, Stubb has stated that Finland will hold a new position ...
Although some pundits believe that no nation should consider joining NATO in light of Ukraine’s situation[1], the crisis nevertheless has fundamentally changed NATO’s relationship with Sweden. This change for Sweden comes due to a combination of already present concerns such as defense capabilities and reliability ...
... country as a step towards resolving its many problems?
One school of Russian analysts believes that tension over the election results will inevitably lead to dramatic exacerbation of interethnic strife. This might be mitigated by the presence of the NATO troops before most of them withdraw (by the end of 2014, followed by the final withdrawal at the end of 2016). After 2016, the Afghan National Army and Security Forces will be most likely not capable of preventing the return of the old bloody feuds....
... Organization has stepped up its military activity on Russia's borders over the past six months. The redeployment of combat aircraft by the “old” members of the alliance in East European member-states and the almost continuous presence of NATO ships in the Black Sea are two of the most vivid examples of this mobilization.
A Thaw in Europe
Since the dissolution of the Warsaw Treaty Organization and the collapse of the USSR, the “militarization” of Europe has steadily declined....
Interview with Farkhod Tolipov
Interview
Today pundits are talking at length about cooperation between NATO and the CSTO over Afghanistan in 2014. We met with
Farkhod Tolipov
, PhD in Political Science, Director of Caravan of Knowledge, an Uzbek think tank, to ask his opinion about the relevance of such discussions and the parties’ capabilities ...
... economically, agreed. And there is now a free trade area in CIS. So they have to harmonize their obligations under these economic arrangements with the economic arrangements which they want to join, if they want to join.
CHILCOTE: Can Ukraine be part of NATO? Is that acceptable for Russia?
LAVROV: This would already be not only the issue of Ukrainian people and of NATO, this would be an issue of Russia because we entered into agreements with NATO members that originally NATO would not be expanded, then,...
... the future Afghan president will usher in an era of improvement and renewed development, many fear that the new leader will be no better than his predecessor, will fail to stabilize the domestic arena, where security remains the key concern. Besides, NATO is set to withdraw most of its contingent from Afghanistan by the end of this year, giving way both to fresh risks and new opportunities. These developments are closely watched by the Central Asian states, not least due to their impact on regional ...
... bilateral military activities with Russia[6].
Are we facing a security dilemma in the Arctic?
One should bear in mind that the Arctic stretches along the borders of two overlapping security communities, one pivoting on Russia and the other on NATO.
As far as Russia is concerned, under the Security Strategy until 2020 that was approved in 2009, Russia has been increasing its military and naval presence in the Arctic and is determined to maintain its position as a leading power. The Strategy ...
Beyond Kissinger’s Principles for Ukraine, Russia and NATO
Beyond Kissinger’s Principles for Ukraine, Russia and NATO
One of the great ironies of human experience is that the voice of “wisdom” in old age is often considered “utopian” or “unrealistic” when the same ...
History: Anniversaries and Crises
April 4, 2014 marked the 65th anniversary of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Celebrating would have been inappropriate against the background of current developments in Ukraine, which NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen
described
as “the gravest threat to European security and stability since the end of the Cold War”. However, NATO countries never intended to hold any celebration. The next NATO summit in Wales ...
