Section: The American Interest (USA)
Here Comes the Turkish Stream
When Putin told reporters that Moscow would no longer be pursuing the so-called South Stream gas pipeline into Europe last December, analysts called it a blow against the Russian president’s strategic goals in the continent. South Stream, after all, was intended to allow Gazprom gas to find its way to European customers without transiting...
Europe’s Island of Stability
Once a bastion of staid, steady bureaucracy, Europe has lately become a house of high drama. In the Mediterranean, thousands of migrants have drowned as they attempt to flee to Europe. To the east, Russian aggression in Ukraine and the wider neighborhood is rattling even the most peaceable of Nordic nations. The Greek government seems ready to...
What Happened to New Europe?
The former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld is commonly given credit for coining the term “New Europe” a decade ago, in reference to the post-communist countries of Central and Eastern Europe. At the time, these countries were counted amongst the most staunchly pro-American members of NATO—and also among the boldest economic reformers on the...
The Failures of Putin’s Ukraine Strategy
A little over a year since Moscow seized Crimea and instigated the “Russian spring” in a bid to detach the entire east and south of Ukraine, the Kremlin would seem to be the master of the situation. By all accounts Russian rule remains wildly popular in Crimea itself, with the notable exception of the Crimean Tatars, who are not numerous enough...
No Quiet on the Eastern Front
Tensions with the West are approaching a fever pitch ahead of Russia’s celebration of the 70th anniversary of its victory in World War II on Saturday. A rehearsal in Red Square on Monday featured the debut of Russia’s new Armata T–14 third-generation main battle tank—the world’s first completely new tank design in over 35 years...
NATO and Sweden Send in the Subs
After more than a year of frequent and provocative incursions by Russian ships, jets, and subs all around Europe, NATO is holding a huge submarine exercise in the North Sea, adjacent to the Baltic. The alliance forces are joined by increasingly close partner Sweden (whose waters also played unwitting host to a purported Russian sub not too long...
Airing Putin’s Dirty Laundry
Despite the hopes of Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, Russia has returned as a security threat to its neighbors, to the Unites States, and to our allies. No one believes that Russia is now on a path to becoming a peaceful liberal democracy that respects national sovereignty, human rights, and free speech.The new Russian threat is not...
The Baltimore Spring
In the early months of 2011 what soon became known as the Arab Spring arrived from Tunisia to Egypt, to Cairo, to Tahrir Square. And what did its arrival bring? It brought street protests of a rather heterogeneous nature. There was a small but telegenic cadre of idealist youth demanding a new politics, if not a specifically democratic politics....
Russia and China to Stir Up Mediterranean
With The U.S. and Japan gazing lovingly at each other over defense issues and Northern Europe looking quite serious indeed about keeping foreign subs out of its waters this week, Chinese and Russian are getting set to hold their first ever joint naval exercises on the Mediterranean. This month, the countries’ ships will conduct live fire...
Russia Gets Personal with Poroshenko
Moscow is going after Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko’s personal holdings, seizing assets in a raid on the roughly $40 million Russian facility of his candy company, Roshen, in Lipetsk. The company is the backbone of Poroshenko’s huge fortune. Radio Free Europe has more: The April 28 seizure is the latest in a series of raids...
