2012-10-30 by Richard Weitz Ukraine is at the vortex of East and West. The Russian connection has been definitional, historically and moving forward. The EU relationship has been about joining a broader cause, the building of Europe. And the Americans are a useful counter with the Russians and viewed by…
2012-10-29 by Richard Weitz Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are the two most influential of the “stans,” having the largest land mass and population in Central Asia. Uzbekistan is also Kazakhstan’s major trading partner within Central Asia. Yet, the two countries, along with their presidents, are commonly seen as perennial competitors for regional…
2012-10-28 by Robbin Laird As the littoral combat ships come to the fleet, sailors and seamen are learning how to operate the ship and to shape the concepts of operations for the new ships. After the keel laying ceremony for LCS-6, I had a chance to talk to two of these…
2012-10-28 by Richard Weitz Israel and Azerbaijan have found each other to be attractive partners. Israel’s deepening ties with Azerbaijan have helped compensate for its deteriorating relations with Turkey over the Freedom Flotilla crisis. Meanwhile, Israel has provided Azerbaijan with important assistance in many areas. Azerbaijan has a history free of…
2012-10-28 by Richard Weitz Today’s parliamentary elections matter more than many people realize. Ukraine is the largest contiguous country on the European continent not extending into Asia. It shares borders with the Russian Federation, Belarus, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Moldova, but the most important geopolitical consideration at present is…
2012-10-27 By Richard Weitz In the immediate aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the leaders of the former Soviet republics in Central Asia, including Uzbekistan, supported various measures to preserve economic, security, and other ties with the other former Soviet republics. Uzbekistan was a founding signer…
2012-10-26 By Richard Weitz Proponents of repealing the arms embargo have offered a variety of arguments for removing it. First, they note that the embargo complicates the EU’s relations with China and partially negates EU efforts to develop a strategic partnership with Beijing regarding key international issues. For example, in…
2012-10-24 By Harald Malmgren The mid-October Euro Summit illuminated widening divisions between the leadership in France and Germany. It is the German leadership which is most opposed to a single bank supervisor and a comprehensive “banking union” for the EU. In German politics, a EU banking union is little more than…
