Latest Articles about Europe
France Fears the Loss of Mistral Sale
President Dmitry Medvedev’s state visit to Paris was dominated by talks on Iran and Russian aspirations to purchase up to four French Mistral-class advanced amphibious helicopter-carrier warships. French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, was upbeat on both issues after his talks with Medvedev, directly connecting Iran and... MORE
Yanukovych Inaugurated: a Pseudo Kuchma Era?
Viktor Yanukovych was inaugurated as Ukraine’s new president on February 25. His first steps and statements have proved reminiscent of President Leonid Kuchma’s (1994-2004) first term. Yanukovych selected Kuchma’s former secretary as the head of his administration and demonstrated that in foreign policy he will... MORE
Hungary Hosts Region-Wide Summit on Energy Security
The prime ministers of eleven countries in Central and Southeastern Europe met on February 24 in Budapest, for the first Energy Security Summit in this region. Hungary initiated the meeting as the current chairman of the Visegrad Four group of Central European countries, inviting the... MORE
Yanukovych’s Election Opens Up Crimean Separatist Threat
Viktor Yanukovych’s inauguration as Ukrainian president on February 25 forced him to face the fact that the Party of Regions that he leads, has re-opened the Pandora’s Box of Crimean separatism. National Institute of Strategic Studies analyst Petro Burkovsky asked “Will President Yanukovych open up... MORE
Could a Trip to Paris Re-Energize Medvedev’s “Modernization?”
President Dmitry Medvedev has commenced his state visit to France today, and over the next three days he will receive red carpet treatment and dine in style. There is certainly a rich cultural program marking the officially sponsored “Russian year” in France and an opportunity... MORE
Adriatic Watch: a Must for the European Commission
Croatian Prime Minister, Jadranka Kosor, is expected in Moscow on March 2 for her first official visit (HINA, February 24). Kosor’s talks with the Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and Kremlin-connected energy companies may yield a breakthrough into Croatia’s energy sector. Such a breakthrough could... MORE
French Warship Sale to Russia: Another Symptom of NATO Erosion?
Pierre Lellouche was for many years a staunchly Atlanticist politician in a Gaullist-minded France. Currently serving President Nicolas Sarkozy as his State Secretary for European Affairs, Lellouche follows Sarkozy’s line in defending the French Mistral warship sale to Russia, regardless of its corrosive effects on... MORE
U.K. Prosecutors Lose a Legal Option in Preventing Terrorism
On January 29, 2010 an appellate court in Scotland declared it was quashing a terrorism charge against 24-year old Mohammed Atif Siddique, the first person to be convicted on charges related to Islamist terrorism in Scotland. [1] Initially convicted on charges of disorderly conduct, setting... MORE
NATO-Kazakhstan Transit Agreement: Unleashing the Potential of Northern Supply Route
NATO and Kazakhstan reached an agreement on January 27, allowing the Alliance to supply non-military goods through Kazakh territory to Afghanistan, substantially enhancing the capacity of the Northern Distribution Network (NDN) carrying supplies from Europe through Russia and Central Asia to Afghanistan. The deal came... MORE
Tymoshenko Refuses to Recognize Yanukovych as President
Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has withdrawn her appeal from the High Administrative Court against the February 7 election runoff result. This means that nothing will prevent the election winner Viktor Yanukovych’s inauguration on February 25. However, Tymoshenko refused to admit her defeat. Moreover, she told... MORE