• About
  • News Feed
  • Quotes and articles
  • What Think Tanks Are Saying
  • Why U.S. Forces remain in Europe

Bruce K. Anderson

~ Security, National Defense and U.S. Interests at Home and Abroad

Bruce K. Anderson

Tag Archives: European Union

Judy Dempsey – Russia is Losing Germany

22 Friday Aug 2014

Posted by Bruce K. Anderson in European News, Foreign Policy, Military and Defense, Russia

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

EU, European Union, Germany, Russia, sanctions, Vladimir Putin

By Judy Dempsey, Strategic Europe, August 21, 2014

A three-page letter that was sent to German parliamentarians on August 18 makes sober reading.

Ostensibly, the letter is about how Europe’s sanctions against Russia and vice versa might affect the German economy. But the real message that Sigmar Gabriel, Social Democrat leader and minister for economic affairs and energy, Wolfgang Schäuble, federal minister of finance, and Christian Schmidt, food and agriculture minister, want to get across is that Germany’s special relationship with Russia is all but over… (more)

 

 

Advertisement

Commentary: Can Ukraine Shed Its Soviet Skin?

26 Thursday Sep 2013

Posted by Bruce K. Anderson in European News, Foreign Policy, Ukraine

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Eastern Partnership, European Union, Orange Revolution, Poland, Post-Soviet states, Russia, Soviet Union, Sweden, Ukraine

The European Union and Ukraine

The European Union and Ukraine (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By Adam Reichardt, The National Interest, Sept. 26, 2013

It is hard to believe that the election and events that set into motion Ukraine’s Orange Revolution took place nearly nine years ago. The scenes of young Ukrainians camping out on Kiev’s Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square), demanding that their voice be heard and the will of the people not be ignored, was a moment which many believed was not only an awakening for Ukraine, but also a significant change in the whole of the former Soviet Union. One of the largest of the former Soviet states (excluding Russia) had finally begun to make its first strides towards Europe.

The energy and hope that arose out of the Orange Revolution was one of the main drivers behind a movement to bring a final end to the already tattered Iron Curtain. This initiative, which was launched in 2009 under the leadership of Sweden and Poland, became known as the Eastern Partnership (EaP). The goal was to create conditions that would enable greater political association and further economic integration between the European Union and the partnership countries. The belief then was that this project would speed up democratic, economic, institutional and civil-society reforms to bring these states closer to Europe. Membership in the Eastern Partnership was opened to the remaining “European” states that were once members of the Soviet Union—Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. The 2008 war between Russia and Georgia further emphasized the need to create a stronger engagement with these countries, especially if they have aspirations to join the European community…

…The biggest Elephant in the East remains Ukraine, the largest of these countries. For both Europe and Russia, Ukraine is still considered to be the big prize. With a population of over forty-five million people (more than its western neighbor Poland) Ukraine’s potential as a consumer society is quite large. Opening up European markets to Ukraine and vice versa could be potentially a game-changer in the Eastern European region. A large section of Ukraine’s population is Russian-speaking, which can be advantageous to European companies who want to eventually do more business in Russia and other parts of the former Soviet Union… (more)

Related articles
  • Yanukovych Sure on EU Pact as Ukraine Braces for Russia Backlash – Bloomberg (bloomberg.com)
  • Ukraine’s EU trade deal will be catastrophic, says Russia (theguardian.com)
  • Russia warns Ukraine against EU deal (news.yahoo.com)
  • Russia or EU? Former Soviet republics face hard decisions (indrus.in)
  • Russia Opposes Free-Trade Deal Between the EU and Ukraine (americanlivewire.com)
  • Russia threatens Ukraine with bankruptcy over plans to sign EU agreement (telegraph.co.uk)
  • Ukraine and EU ridicule Russian threats (euobserver.com)
  • The Kremlin’s Collapsing Eurasian Sandcastle (nationalinterest.org)
  • Roubini Urges Ukraine to Sign EU Accord Over Russian Deal (bloomberg.com)

New report on European military capabilities

07 Tuesday May 2013

Posted by Bruce K. Anderson in European News, Foreign Policy, Military and Defense

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

European Union, Institute for Security Studies, Military of the European Union, Multilateral

By James Rogers, European Geostrategy, May 6, 2013

Chairman of the European Union Military Commit...

Chairman of the European Union Military Committe visits EUFOR HQ (Photo credit: European External Action Service – EEAS)

The European Union’s Institute for Security Studies published a report  commissioned by the European Union’s Military Committee to provide further reflection during 2013 about the future of European military capabilities.

The report argues that we are likely to face a series of growing threats and challenges, particularly in relation to the changing balance of global power… (more)

Related articles

  • UK to lead largest European military exercise, Joint Warrior (stratrisks.com)
  • EADS CEO Sees European Military Cuts Eroding Defense Industry – Bloomberg (bloomberg.com)
  • Nato chief: EU soft power is ‘no power at all’ (euobserver.com)
  • NATO chief urges EU nations to invest in security, defence Brussels (en.trend.az)
  • [Interview] Sweden: who needs Nato, when you have the Lisbon Treaty? (euobserver.com)
  • NATO: Responsible for the “territorial defence of Europe” and “peace-making” ? (latestnewssyria.wordpress.com)
  • Hillary Clinton sends a stern message to Europe to invest in NATO’s future (upi.com)
  • The E.U. Must Take on a Military Role (carnegie.ru)
  • Coping with Sweden’s neutrality dilemma after Russian mock attack (pleventhinkers.wordpress.com)
  • Europe ignores collective security system flaws at own peril (indrus.in)

Time to Bite the Bullet on European Defence

12 Tuesday Feb 2013

Posted by Bruce K. Anderson in European News, Foreign Policy, Military and Defense

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

defence spending, defense spending, European Union, Military budget, NATO

Military expenditure as percent of GDP, data t...

Military expenditure as percent of GDP Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

By Clara M. O’Donnell, Centre for European Reform, Feb. 1, 2013

 

Europe’s military spending is in free fall. As highlighted during a seminar organised by the CER in December as part of the FR-UK Defence Forum, the EU countries combined have reduced defence spending from €200 to €170 billion since the start of the economic crisis in 2008. In response, governments have signed up to a variety of new bilateral and multilateral initiatives. These are designed to limit the impact of budget cuts on their armed forces. But so far, the savings incurred pale in comparison. At the December discussions, participants estimated them at €200 to €300 million. Many sensitivities relating to national security make it hard for governments to implement collaborative defence efforts. But at a time when Europe’s neighbourhood is replete with instability and the United States is scaling back its own armed forces, Europeans need to do more to stem the damage to their militaries.

 

Notwithstanding their budget cuts, taken together EU states are still the second largest defence spenders in the world. And not all European countries are reducing the level of funding to their armed forces. According to a 2011 study for the European Parliament, Finland and Denmark have maintained military spending steady in recent years. Poland and Sweden have increased it… (more)

 

Related articles
  • Britain’s Place in Europe (fairobserver.com)
  • Nato chief: EU must spend more on military (euobserver.com)
  • David Cameron signs up to more joint military operations with Europe (telegraph.co.uk)
  • The poster child for cybersecurity done right: How Estonia learnt from being under attack (zdnet.com)
  • Joe Biden balms US-European relations (euronews.com)
  • Service chiefs deserve clarity on the defence budget (telegraph.co.uk)
  • Nato chief: Mali shows holes in EU defence (euobserver.com)

 

Estonia backs Georgian integration with EU and NATO

01 Friday Feb 2013

Posted by Bruce K. Anderson in Baltics, Caucasus, European News, Foreign Policy, Military and Defense

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Estonia, European Union, Georgia, NATO, Tbilisi, Toomas Hendrik Ilves

 

English: Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves.

Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Kyiv Post, Jan. 31, 2013

Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves has reiterated his country’s support for Georgia’s plans of integration into the European Union and NATO.

“Estonia previously supported and continues to support democratic Georgia and your state’s plans to integrate into the European Union and NATO,” he said at a meeting with Georgian Foreign Minister Maja Panjikidze in Tallinn on Thursday… (more)

Related articles
  • Estonia supports Georgia’s policy on European integration and accession to NATO (en.trend.az)
  • Estonia: path to growth via austerity defies eurozone doubters, and Krugman (blogs.ft.com)
  • Georgian Defence Minister on official visit to Great Britain (brucekanderson.com)

The Future of American Landpower: Does Forward Presence Still Matter? The Case of the Army in Europe

06 Tuesday Nov 2012

Posted by Bruce K. Anderson in Foreign Policy, Military and Defense

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

European Union, Forward Presence, Land Forces, Landpower, Strategic Studies Institute, U.S. Army Europe, United States, United States Armed Forces

Saber Junction 2012 [Image 3 of 9]

Saber Junction 2012 [Image 3 of 9] (Photo credit: DVIDSHUB)

By Dr. John R. Deni, Strategic Studies Institute

“In fact, the primary purpose of U.S. forces in Eu­rope today is to build interoperability and military capability within and among America’s most capable and most likely future coalition partners through se­curity cooperation activities like exercises and train­ing events. This shift in purpose means that U.S. force presence in Europe is no longer—if indeed it ever was—a useful tool in extracting a greater commitment to increased defense spending on the part of America’s European allies.” http://t.co/o8qClsXf

Related articles
  • Army Creates ‘ Office of Strategic Landpower ‘ (12160.info)
  • Europe Remains Important to New Strategy, General Says (defense.gov)
  • Saber Junction Reflects Post-Afghanistan Training Model (defense.gov)
  • A look at the Army’s plans to adapt to the 21st century (fabiusmaximus.com)
  • Survey: Americans Do Not Believe Defense Spending Is Too High (heritage.org)
  • UK warns Europe on defence as US looks away (guardian.co.uk)
  • Why Are U.S. Troops Still Stationed In Europe? (warnewsupdates.blogspot.com)
  • DOD Announces U.S. Force Posture Revision in Europe (waronterrornews.typepad.com)

Brookings: Are Europeans a Better Transatlantic Security Partner than Meets the Eye?

14 Saturday Jul 2012

Posted by Bruce K. Anderson in Foreign Policy, Military and Defense

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

European Union, Europeans, Government, International security, Transatlantic Security, United States

Brookings: Are Europeans a Better Transatlantic Security Partner than Meets the Eye?

Clara M. O’Donnell and Patryk Pawlak, July 6, 2012

The latest wave of European military spending cuts is swelling the ranks of Americans who believe that Europeans are not contributing enough to global security. But this assessment is too harsh. It is true that Europeans spend less on defence than their American counterparts. They have also been less willing to use force in recent years. But the US itself is reassessing the merit of its military interventions over the last decade. And when one takes into account policies that are not strictly military, such as aid, sanctions and homeland security, Europeans are making some significant contributions to international stability. (more) http://t.co/VfFVJpv0

 

Related articles
  • Germany’s vision of a European superstate threatens national sovereignty and the transatlantic alliance (blogs.telegraph.co.uk)

  • Bruce K. Anderson

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Recent Posts

  • Judy Dempsey – Russia is Losing Germany
  • Daily Beast- Putin’s Sleight-of-Hand Invasion
  • Is Putin this century’s Hitler?
  • NATO standards in former Warsaw Pact countries
  • 300 Lithuanian troops to take part in NATO exercises in Poland and Baltics

Twitter Posts

  • @GalvestonFerry Are all 4 boats on the Bolivar side right now? None to be seen on the Galveston side 4 months ago
  • RT @TheWTFNation: You spelled ❌ wrong. https://t.co/fM1mKIFXIT 1 year ago
  • RT @ArmyCIO: During the Joint experiments at #ProjectConvergence21, data fabric capabilities played a key role by bringing together multipl… 1 year ago
  • RT @ArmyCIO: #ArmyCIO Dr. Raj Iyer and Army CDO Dr. David Markowitz are speaking at the @AFCEANOVA Virtual Army IT Day on Thursday. We’re l… 1 year ago
  • RT @ArmyCIO: #ArmyCIOYearInReview In March, the Enterprise Cloud Management Agency was distinguished as a field operating agency of the #A… 1 year ago
Follow @BruceKAnderson

My Facebook Page

My Facebook Page

Archives

  • August 2014
  • March 2014
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • November 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012

Categories

Tag Cloud

Afghanistan Anders Fogh Rasmussen Arctic Armenia Athens Austerity Azerbaijan Baltic Baltic region Baltic States Belarus BRIC Caucasus China Collective security Collective Security Treaty Organisation Czech Republic Erdogan Espionage Estonia Europe Europeans European Union Finland Foreign Policy Georgia Germany Government Greece International security Iran Iskander Israel Kaliningrad Kazakhstan Kofi Annan Kyrgyzstan Latvia Lithuania Mark Hertling Mavi Marmara Middle East Military exercise Missile Defense MV Mavi Marmara NATO NATO Response Force North Atlantic Treaty Organization Pentagon Poland Russia Russian Armed Forces sayings Secretary General of NATO Smolensk South Ossetia Soviet Union Steadfast Jazz Sweden Syria Tajikistan Tbilisi Transatlantic Security Turkey U.S. Army Europe U.S. Forces Ukraine United States United States Armed Forces United States Army United States European Command USAREUR Vladimir Putin weather Zapad 2013

Blogroll

  • Baltic Review
  • Brookings Foreign Policy
  • Carnegie Europe
  • Discuss
  • Eastern European Forum
  • EurasiaNet
  • European Geostrategy
  • Foreign Policy Review
  • Get Polling
  • Get Support
  • Institute for the Study of War
  • Jamestown Foundation
  • Learn WordPress.com
  • South Caucasus Diary
  • Tamada Tales
  • The Bug Pit
  • The Daily Cheese
  • The European Strategist
  • The Turko-file
  • Theme Showcase
  • WordPress Planet
  • WordPress.com News

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Follow Following
    • Bruce K. Anderson
    • Join 30 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Bruce K. Anderson
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar