NATO Is Vital to European Security
European-wide defense is based on two elements: the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the European Union. Understanding how each institution may develop in the coming […] More
Europe
Time for a More Active EU in Defense?
A proliferation of external threats, including terrorism and cyber attacks, combined with a fractious European Union places Europe in a vulnerable position at the start […] More
President Obama’s Legacy in Europe: A Mixed Bag
A bubble burst, consumers cut spending, and investment plummeted. Unemployment soared to astronomical levels, banks failed, and U.S. GDP declined. Europe and the rest of […] More
The New Administration and the NATO Alliance
The start of a new U.S. administration, elections across Europe in 2017 that could drastically alter politics on the continent, and an increase in the […] More
NATO’s Changing Face Under the Trump Administration
The future of the transatlantic defense alliance is in jeopardy, according to news reports from the past few months. It all started with then-candidate Donald […] More
NATO’s Future – Grim or Hopeful?
Poland and other countries in the region – particularly NATO members located on Europe’s eastern flank – look to the new American administration with both […] More
A Happy Ending for Europe in 2017?
A comparison with the 1848 domino-like revolutions that spread across Europe is a bit of a stretch, but far-right populism is definitely on a roll, […] More
Cracks in the Union: Europe and the World in 2016
Editor’s Note: Over the coming days, The Cipher Brief presents some of our most incisive coverage on key issues of 2016 and a look ahead […] More
Dealing with the Influx of Mideast Refugees
Europe is facing its biggest refugee crisis since the second world war, with a large number of refugees coming from the Middle East, particularly Syria […] More
Putin Praises Trump, Downplays Arms Race
Russian President Vladimir Putin took to the stage for a marathon end-of-year press conference on Friday, declaring Russian’s military might, denying accusations of hacking in […] More
NATO Reassures Russia Amid Tensions
NATO envoys and Russia’s ambassador to the 28-nation military alliance met in Brussels on Monday, as relations between the two sides remain tense. It was […] More
Russia’s Energy Leverage Wanes in Parts of Europe
Russia has historically used its dominance in the energy sector to influence Central and Eastern European governments. But since the Russia-Ukraine gas dispute in 2009, […] More
Russia’s Energy Influence Dropping
Russia undeniably wields some degree of influence over Central and Eastern Europe due to the high volume of energy exports it sends their way. However, […] More
Strategic Concerns for the EU and U.S.
Russia can influence politics in Central and Eastern Europe via the energy sector. Most of the Visegrad Group countries in Central Europe, for example, are […] More
Choppy Seas Ahead for U.S.-NATO Relations
Donald Trump’s win over Hillary Clinton for the presidency of the United States surprised a number of European leaders. Given Trump’s statements about NATO being […] More
Trump's Win Creates Uncertainty in Europe
The election of Donald Trump as the next U.S. President has created uncertainty among European leaders as they consider the future of defense and security […] More
Unsettling the Existing Balances
In recent years, defense analysts have increasingly turned their attention to the development of hypersonic weapons, a class of systems intended to strike fast, at […] More
Russia's Determination to Revise the Post-Cold War Order
The Russian economy has been in recession for nearly two years now, with GDP growth shrinking by 3.7 percent in 2015. However, as the recession […] More