Atlantic Council
Wednesday, June 29, 2016 - 06:37
By invading Ukraine and annexing Crimea, Russian President Vladimir Putin has transformed the security situation in the Black Sea. Upon capturing those territories, Moscow lost no time in seizing Ukrainian energy facilities in the Black Sea and accelerating its ongoing military modernization there. As a result, Moscow has built a combined arms force of land, sea, air, and electronic forces that NATO leaders admit is fully capable of denying access to NATO forces seeking to enter the Black Sea during a conflict. It has also deployed nuclear-capable weapons to the Black Sea area and is apparently building a similar network of anti-access area denial (A2/AD) capabilities against NATO in both the eastern Mediterranean around Syria and in the Caucasus.
Friday, May 20, 2016 - 06:39
The Obama administration has, in the conduct of its war against terrorism, embraced a “shortsighted” approach that sets aside a democratic agenda and overlooks human rights abuses committed by some of its closest allies and partners in the Middle East, Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, said on May 18.
Wednesday, March 30, 2016 - 17:47
According to a leaked 2011 report 37 organizations are currently at risk of being prosecuted, based on recommendations from a government fact-finding committee tasked with investigating foreign funding received by civil society organizations.
Wednesday, March 30, 2016 - 17:08
Western policymakers who believe the Minsk accords would work if only Ukraine made the requisite constitutional and electoral concessions are missing a key point: that they, and Russia, forced Ukraine to make security its priority by violating the 1994 Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances.
Monday, August 17, 2015 - 12:00
The United States has informed the Turkish government that the U.S. deployment of Patriot air and missile defense units in Turkey which expires in October will not be renewed beyond the end of the current rotation. Other relevant Allies have also been consulted.
Wednesday, May 27, 2015 - 08:09
Should the United States arm the Kurdish Peshmerga directly, without the consent and participation of the government in Baghdad? This is a critical question that US officials, both in the White House, the Defense Department, and the US Congress, have no doubt asked themselves ever since mechanized US troops stormed across the Iraqi border in March 2003 to overthrow Saddam Hussein’s regime.
Wednesday, April 15, 2015 - 08:30
In the wake of the hostage shootout at Bardo Museum in Tunis that left more than twenty dead, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently announced that U.S. military aid to Tunisia would triple to combat “those who threaten the freedom and safety of the nation.” The renewed global focus on countering violent extremism, however, should also draw scrutiny to an opaque security sector that continues to act with impunity.
Wednesday, December 3, 2014 - 04:43
At the NATO Wales Summit in September 2014, Allied leaders approved a Readiness Action Plan to ensure the Alliance is ready to respond swiftly and firmly to new security challenges. The plan provides a comprehensive package of measures to respond to the changes in the security environment in and near Europe. It responds to the challenges posed by Russia. It also responds to threats emanating from the Middle East and North Africa.
Monday, November 10, 2014 - 07:44
Egypt underwent its first Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in four years on November 5. Egypt’s three-hour UPR witnessed statements from Egypt and other member states, with over a hundred member states offering recommendations.
Thursday, October 2, 2014 - 06:41
"The Summit set a clear course. The decisions taken in Wales will ensure that NATO stands ready to face the future. My responsibility is to implement those decisions.This is a demanding job at a demanding time. And I count on all Allies to engage and deliver."