Articles and analysis

The German question and a broken NATO

By George Friedman

German Chancellor Angela Merkel went to St. Petersburg last week for meetings with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev. The central question on the table was Germany's position on NATO expansion, particularly with regard to Ukraine and Georgia. Merkel made it clear at a joint press conference that Germany would oppose NATO membership for both of these countries, and that it would even oppose placing the countries on the path to membership. Since NATO operates on the basis of consensus, any member nation can effectively block any candidate from NATO membership.

Reflections from the West Wing on the "end of the world"

By Paula Jaegar, Research Associate, U K Defence Forum

Ron Silver, West Wing actor, author, sometime intelligence agent and lifelong Democrat, said at a meeting in the House of Commons as the UK's £half trillion rescue package for banks was launched that in the midst of the financial maelstrom we would have to get used to the idea of the world crumbling on almost every front. Our special correspondent was there.

Why the European Constitution has imperilled European security

by Tony Koutsoumbos

Few reforms are needed more urgently in Europe today than the forging of a coherent and, as far as possible, single EU foreign policy and yet few reforms are less likely to see the light of day in the current political climate. The blame for this must lie squarely at the feet of the European Council, ultimately responsible for trying to insert the proposals for an enhanced decision making process and an EU foreign minister, amongst others, into a confusing constitution that never had much chance of being approved by an angry electorate.

Articles and analysis

The German question and a broken NATO

Reflections from the West Wing on the "end of the world"

Why the European Constitution has imperilled European security

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