Atlantic Council

A glimpse into some of the true motivations for alliance membership in potential applicants.

From B92.net: “NATO membership is a sure ticket into the European Union,” [leader of Serbia's SPO party, Vuk] Draškovi? said. He said that he believed that NATO membership would enable Serbia to achieve a presence in Kosovo, claiming that membership would not sour relations with Russia."

It was also stated tha...

From AFP: The North Atlantic Treaty Organization's outgoing top commander, General John Craddock, had a few parting shots for Europe as he formally handed over his post Tuesday, criticizing the continent's engagement in Afghanistan.
In an interview to be published Wednesday in Germany's Stuttgarter Zeitung, the U.S. general said European leaders often used critical public opinion "as an excuse not to forge ahead" in hotspots such as Afghanistan....

The Turkish government appears more interested in using talks with the EU to resolve Cyprus, than advancing membership. While any progress on Cyprus is desirable, does the switch in priorities from EU membership reveal a discreet, yet nonetheless decisive, realignment of Turkey's foreign policy and abandonment of Mustafa Kemal's legacy by Erodgan, Davutoglu, and the AK party?

From ...

From AP: Despite last year's disruption of ties with NATO, Russia has continued cooperating with individual NATO nations such as the U.S., France or Germany by allowing them to use Russia's rail network and aerial corridors to resupply international forces in Afghanistan, and its navy has worked with NATO warships on their joint anti-piracy patrols.

NATO commanders have been particularly interested in Russia's cooperation on the transshipments of military supplies to the rapidly expanding U.S.-led force in Afghanistan....

From Reuters: Similar Russian exercises in the same region last August allowed Moscow to send troops and tanks into Georgia quickly to repel government troops who tried to retake South Ossetia. The brief war raised fears in the West over security of gas transit routes from the Caspian Sea to western Europe.

The manoeuvres will involve 8,500 military personnel, 200 tanks, 450 armoured vehicles and 250 pieces of artillery....