Resetting Georgia
Young couples sip wine in sidewalk cafes and children play in fountains, seeking relief from the searing heat. Elsewhere, elderly men play chess on park benches and traders hawk their wares from makeshift kiosks. It's another summer in Georgia's scruffy, chaotic, but charming capital. But there's one change this season: For the first time in years, there are no rumors of war. READ MORE
The Realist Prism: Moving Beyond NATO's Perpetual Crisis
Just as the turning of the leaves heralds the arrival of winter's chill, so too are there unmistakable signs whenever a summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization draws near. The media is filled with commentary about "NATO's crisis," while statements percolate forth from the alliance's capitals about NATO's clear purpose for the 21st century. READ MORE
The Reset Blooms
Over the past year, I was skeptical of the Obama administration’s vaunted “reset” of relations with Russia. In January of this year, I wrote, “The problem is simple: not only are many Russian and American interests today out of alignment, the political realities in both countries work against any effective partnership being developed.” READ MORE
A Corporate Ostpolitik
From the Vltava to the Volga, Germany's relationship during the last century with Central and Eastern Europe was a tumultuous affair. But ties between Berlin and the countries to its east in the new millennium are proving to be a lot happier and mutually beneficial. READ MORE
EU Foreign Policy Roundup
There's a lot of fresh news on the EU foreign policy front, so here's a roundup of salient headlines. READ MORE
Will the U.S. Lose Europe to Russia?
The United States used to call wayward members of NATO back to the reservation with a whistle or a shout. It decided what was deviation from doctrine, and that decision was pretty much law. READ MORE
Russia’s Message to Turkmenistan: Export Your Gas Anywhere Except Europe
On October 28, Turkmenistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement strongly contradicting the Russian government’s views on the bilateral gas trade and on Turkmen gas export policy in general. The statement follows six days after Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and a governmental delegation held talks with President Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedov in Ashgabat. READ MORE
Ukraine’s Foreign and Security Policy Controlled by Russia
President Viktor Yanukovych’s foreign and security policy is controlled by Russia and coordinated with Moscow. The same conclusion is already appearing among European elites after seeing first-hand how Ukrainian foreign policy personnel work closely with Russia. READ MORE
Gazprom Keeps Grip on Polish Pipeline
Poland and Russia appear to have phrased their new gas agreement in a way that will only formally observe European Union rules on third-party access to the pipeline. In reality, Russia’s Gazprom will keep nearly full control of the Yamal-Europe pipeline that supplies Poland and customers in Germany. READ MORE
All Things Must Pass
‘Kyrgyz question’ will become one of the central ones at December’s OSCE Summit in Astana? READ MORE
