Azerbaijan’s Regional Allies

10/28/2012
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…

The Impact of the Ukrainian Elections

10/28/2012
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…

Europe’s Launch Industry at ‘Turning Point’

10/27/2012
By Peter B. de Selding (Excerpt from Article) The French research minister said Oct. 26 that Europe’s launch vehicle sector is “at a turning point” and must begin investment in a next-generation rocket immediately given the changing competitive landscape. Addressing an issue that continues to divide France and Germany less…

Uzbekistan and Russia: Cooperation at Arm’s Length

10/27/2012
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…

USAF Chief of Staff, Mark Welsh, III Visits the F-35 Factory

10/25/2012
2012-10-25 The new USAF COS underscored the importance of the F-35 to USAF and its approach to air superiority and operations in denied air space. The F-35 brings several core capabilities to the USAF in shaping its evolving approach to global combat presence and capability. First, the aircraft is a…

The Euro Crisis: Waiting for German Elections

10/24/2012
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…