The constructive oped in today’s New York Times by three experienced analysts, Oded Eran, Giora Eiland and Emily Landau, concludes that the key to a tougher Security Council Resolution is Russia and that this provides an opening for Barack Obama to offer Moscow a grand bargain: the US to suspend or even cancel its Eastern [...]

‘Solidarity’ used to be regarded as a foundation stone of the ECSC, EEC, EC and now EU.  In response to criticism by Nicolas Sarkozy of the proposed siting of the US missile, system, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that it wasn’t Sarkozy’s place to take a stand on missile defence. Tusk said missile defense [...]

Among the thousands of congratulatory messages received by Barack Obama was one from Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev:  “Russian-American relations have historically been an important factor for stability in the world and have great importance and sometimes key significance for resolving many of today’s international and regional problems”, Mr Medvedev said in his telegram.”We in Russia [...]

I commend the Insitute for Strategic Studies’ Chaillot Paper 111, written ny Marcin Zaborowski.  This publication of 126 pages gives a clear and readable account of George W Bush’s legacy and provides an indication of where American foreign policy may next be heading.  I’ve encapsulated below the key elements.     America’s grand strategy changed during [...]

Most of the media reporting of the meeting of the European Council in Brussels was, understandably, on the financial crisis.  The following is a summary of all decisions, which is worth browsing, as it gives   a flavour of the priorities and extent of current activities:(para numbers do not necessarily correspond to conclusions) Summary 1.   Finance [...]

The op-ed by Henry Kissinger and George Shultz (International Herald Tribune, 30 September) is worth a careful read. I do not share Kissinger’s balance of power view of the world but this is not the theme.  They favour a rapid evolution toward EU membership for Ukraine, questioning the urgency with which NATO membership of Georgia [...]

Perhaps my frustration is causing too much repetition of what I write. But I am depressed at our collective failure in Europe to pull ourselves together. Forget for a moment the Lisbon Treaty, instititutional reform, administrative reorgnisation…It is indisputable that that the European Union has helped bring peace, stability and prosperity to Western Europe and [...]

The United States is apparently continuing to fight the Taliban on Pakistani soil without government approval. Wasn’t that once an act of war? Last month, Russia attacked Georgia, rightly giving rise to widespread Western condemnation. Arguments can be proffered as to the difference between the two but both involve illegal territorial interference with national sovereignty, [...]

My post of 5 September, ‘Russia: it’s time to be realistic’, concluded that unless Russia’s legitimate grievances are met, the EU will not progress beyond issuing consensual but ineffective declarations.  And this means Georgia and Ukraine not becoming full members of NATO, and no US anti-missile bases being sited in the EU.  The US House [...]

“Russia is back on the stage as a responsible state capable of protecting its citizens” (Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov). The emergency EU summit has met, deliberated and concluded as follows: Strong condemnation of unilateral recognition of the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Need for the six-point agreement of 12 August to be implemented. Given [...]