About: Nato
Belgium debates phase-out of US nuclear weapons on its soil
It's one of Belgium's worst kept secrets. Lawmakers on Thursday (16 January) narrowly rejected a resolution asking for the removal of US nuclear weapons stationed in the country and joining the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).
Von der Leyen fails to convince that her Commission is ‘geopolitical’
New European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was put on the spot during her visit to Zagreb on Friday (10 January). Asked how she would prove that her Commission is ‘geopolitical’, given the EU's weak response to growing challenges in the region, von der Leyen failed to provide convincing answers.
Iran ready to ‘stand down’ says Trump, urges greater NATO involvement in Middle East
US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday (8 January) that Iran appeared ready to 'stand down' from further conflict with the US, stating that Iranian missile strikes on bases in Iraq had not harmed any US troops stationed there.
NATO, EU call on Iran to avoid ‘further provocations’
Tehran should avoid “further violence and provocations”, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg warned Monday (6 January) evening following an extraordinary meeting between Alliance members, as tensions mount in the Middle East after US forces killed Iran’s top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani....
Europeans brace for fallout from Soleimani killing
Fearing the fallout from the killing of Iran's General Soleimani, Europeans on Sunday (5 January) called to de-escalate the crisis which threatens to collapse the landmark 2015 nuclear deal and puts NATO's training mission in Iraq in jeopardy.
Trump threatens to hit 52 Iranian targets, Borrell urges ‘de-escalation’
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Saturday (4 January) stressed the "need for de-escalation" after the US assassination of a top Iranian in Baghdad, while US President Donald Trump threatened to hit 52 Iranian sites “very hard” if Iran attacks Americans or US assets.
Wind of change in Europe’s defence policy
As Europe struggles with financial and political obstacles besetting its joint defence policy efforts, and NATO faces internal rifts and an increasingly assertive Russia and China, here are six issues to watch in Europe's security and defence in 2020.
The Year in Review: Challenges and Choices of 2019
It’s been a very busy European election year and most of us are heading for a well-deserved Christmas break. Meanwhile, if you do fire up your browser, here you can catch up on our 30 most read stories that made waves in 2019.
After years of delays, NATO receives US-made spy drones
NATO will receive its second US-made Global Hawk drone on Thursday (19 December) and aims to have all five unmanned aircraft of its $1.5 billion surveillance system operational in 2022, alliance officials said on Tuesday.
Pentagon chief seeks clarification following Erdogan’s nuclear base comments
US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said on Monday (16 December) that he needed to speak with his Turkish counterpart to understand how serious President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was when he said he could shut down the Incirlik air base, which hosts US nuclear warheads.
US Senate committee approves Turkey sanctions bill
A US Senate committee backed legislation on Wednesday (11 December) to impose sanctions on Turkey after its offensive in Syria and purchase of a Russian S-400 missile system, seeking to push President Trump to take a harder line against Ankara.
Turkey continues to block NATO’s Eastern defence plans
Ankara has not shifted from its intentions to block the final decisions related to updating NATO's defence plan of the Poland and the Baltic States. Meanwhile, Eastern European calls for assurances of alliance commitments become more vocal.
New SPD leadership on its way to challenge Germany’s Grand Coalition
Germany's Social Democrats (SPD) officially elected Saskia Esken and Norbert Walter-Borjans as the new chairmen at a national conference on Friday (6 December). There was no vote about remaining in the Grand Coalition with the CDU/CSU conservatives, but the new leadership appears to have 'declared war' on them. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Tweets of the Week: Commission Handover, NATO jokes, Malta Rule of Law
VDL Commission takes up its seat, Trump under fire as NATO leaders meet, and Rule of Law in Malta feeling the heat.
With new focus on China, NATO patches up stormy summit
NATO leaders wrapped up their acrimonious 70th-anniversary meeting in relative harmony on Wednesday (4 December), bridging a series of intense internal divisions and agreeing to focus more on the challenge of China's "growing international influence" and military might.
Did Hungary turn to the Russian Duma for support against Ukraine?
Hungary has a deep controversy with Hungary over minority rights. In this context, a heated controversy has unfolded over reports that Budapest asked the Duma, the lower chamber of Russia's parliament, for joint efforts to uphold minority rights in Ukraine.
Nobody needs NATO more than France, says Trump
US President Donald Trump weighed into the war of words on the state of NATO on Tuesday (3 December), wasting no time to hit back at French President Emmanuel Macron’s “brain death” claims. Speaking at a breakfast session alongside NATO...
Expert: Nazarbayev pushed Russia and Ukraine to meet in Paris
In a wide-ranging interview, Ariel Cohen, a US lobbyist with ties to Kazakhstan, spoke about the various international initiatives of the Central Asian country, including improving US-Russia relations, finding a solution to the Ukraine crisis, nuclear arms control and more.
NATO upgrades its ageing ‘eyes in the sky’
Boeing, the world's largest aerospace company, signed a $1 billion contract to modernise NATO’s fleet of AWACS surveillance aircraft on Wednesday (27 November), striking a more optimistic note at a time of widening cracks in the transatlantic defence alliance.
Germany pledges to raise military spending, play more active role in NATO
Germany has pledged to play a more active role in NATO with Chancellor Angela Merkel promising to raise military spending to 2% of the country’s GDP by the beginning of the 2030s. EURACTIV Germany reports.
CDU politician calls for better Franco-German ties after NATO row
Germany and France must bury their differences and pursue a constructive partnership with concrete ideas, an ally of German Chancellor Angela Merkel said after a public spat between the two European Union heavyweights over NATO.
NATO braces for the new space age
NATO foreign ministers have formally recognised outer space as the fifth military frontier alongside air, land, sea and cyber on Wednesday (20 November), in response to growing concerns over protecting satellite and navigation assets from enemy interference.
EU faces rift over enlargement policy after French ‘non’
European Union members wrangled over the rules for joining their club on Tuesday (19 November), after France triggered anger by seeking to postpone bids from Albania and North Macedonia. At the 17-18 October summit, EU heads of state and government...