Vladimir Putin was at a ceremony a few days ago at which he pressed the button that began the process of delivering natural gas to Germany through the Nord Stream pipeline. According to Gazprom, Nord Stream is the first direct link between Russia and the European gas transmission system. It runs under the Baltic Sea, […]
Imagine all the traffic lights going off, no more electric power, a shut down of all communication systems, disruption of nuclear power plants, and a nuclear launch all at the same time with one problem, the government is not in control and has been a victim of a cyberattack. What would be the consequences? Cybersecurity […]
Back in April 2011, the United States and the EU agreed to strengthen their cooperation by redefining the goals of the EU-US Working Group on Cyber-Security and Cyber-Crime. This group was established at the EU-US Summit in November 2010. A couple of weeks ago, the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Subcommittee on Security and Defense […]
Azerbaijani courts have convicted and sentenced seven defendants in cases relating to protests in April of this year and the parliamentary elections last November. Six defendants (Babek Hasanov, Zulfugar Eyvazov, Elshan Hasanov, Arif Alishli, Elnur Israfilov and Sahib Karimov) in Baku were convicted of charges of “organizing actions resulting in the violation of public order […]
All for one, one for all! Such is the musketeer oath logic behind a growing chorus of voices calling for an expansion of the bailout fund, launching a Eurobond, or even an outright transfer of money to debt-stricken nations. Only through debt mutualization will the euro (read the EU) be saved, say the musketeers. The […]
What does the Euro crisis mean for Europe? Will the Euro crisis lead to the end of Europe as we know it? Is Europe on the edge of being reduced to a simple historical moment only existing in history books? These questions were fostered during an excellent conversation on NPR led by Tom Ashbrook with […]
Badri Bitsadze, the husband of opposition leader Nino Burjanadze, was sentenced by a Tbilisi court on Friday to five years and six months in prison on charges stemming from violent demonstrations in late May. Bitsadze—whose whereabouts have been unknown for months—was sentenced in absentia by the court. Rumors have persisted since early June that he […]
One of the latest news from the High Representative Ashton is the appointment of 25 new Heads of EU Delegations around the world. This new wave of appointments is part of the 2011 rotating period. The list of appointees is composed of 16 individuals from Member States, seven from the EEAS, and two from the […]
Chief of Staff General Işık Koşaner and all of the force commanders of the Turkish Armed Forces resigned by 18:00 EET today (July 29, 2011). This is considered as the biggest protest in Turkish republican military history and the first time that the Chief of Staff has resigned together with the commanders of the navy […]
As news of the horrific attack in Norway ticked in, we drew our conclusions regarding the perpetrator’s motives and background. The media were quick to point out that Norway contributes to the coalition forces in Afghanistan and Libya, and that Norwegian newspapers had reprinted the Muhammad caricatures that first appeared in the Danish daily Jyllands […]
Currently reading about the question of European security for my dissertation, I came across a very insightful book – in French – entitled Un Monde sans Europe? (A world without Europe?). The manuscript’s research question is very simple: what are the challenges, and possible opportunities, for France and Europe in this transforming world? In order […]
Amnesty International has put up a petition addressed to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, appealing for the release of Jabbar Savalan, the young pro-democracy activist who was charged with drug possession and convicted in May. As noted on this blog earlier, Savalan was arrested “after calling for protest actions on Facebook and attending a youth conference in […]
Dear Comrade Readers, FPA Russia Blog will be back shortly, once its author returns/recovers from his Wedding! (Who said unpaid blogging about Kremlin machinations and Western hypocrisy isn’t the surest way to a girl’s heart?) If Mr Nikitin manages to successfully avoid detention at various border posts, he will return on the week of the […]
The international community has been involved in Afghanistan since 2001 as a consequence of the 9/11 attacks on U.S. soil. By 2003, NATO took control of the ISAF and expanded its operations across all Afghanistan. Likewise, the Europeans have been involved in Afghanistan through several types of missions. On one side, Europeans have contributed to […]
The EU’s diplomatic service, the EEAS, was from its inception placed in a difficult position. It is intended to implement policies stemming from both the nationally manned European Council and the supranational Commission. Bridging this gap has not proved an easy task, in particular at a time when the service is setting up shop, and […]