NATO leader Jens Stoltenberg warned on Sunday that the US and Europe are inextricably linked when it comes to defense. The secretary-general wrote in "The Observer" newspaper that considering the world's precarious security situation, this was "no time to question the value of the partnership" between countries on either side of the Atlantic. Although the op-ed article does not mention the US president-elect by name, Donald Trump famously vowed on the campaign trail not to support allies who do not pay their dues to the defensive union. Many member nations have struggled to meet the military spending target of 2 percent of GDP that is obligatory under the organization's treaty. Stoltenberg took the opportunity to remind the Republican leader that NATO had never hesitated to support the US in its time of need. "The only time NATO has invoked its self-defense clause, that an attack on one is an attack on all, was in support of the United States after the 9/11 … [Read more...] about NATO: US and Europe need each other
Europe
Anti-Muslim groups gain ground in Britain and across Europe
It's a street movement that has grown so rapidly in size some call it the biggest threat to social cohesion in today's Britain. The English Defence League (EDL), an anti-Muslim group drawing supporters from the far-right, now can expect a thousand supporters to come out in protest nearly anywhere in England - demonstrations which often descend into violence and racist, Islamophobic chanting. Now they're taking their far-right rhetoric to Europe. They had been planning to gather in Amsterdam on Oct. 30 to show support on what was originally to be last day in court for Geert Wilders, the anti-Islam Dutch politician charged with inciting hatred and discrimination against Muslims. On Oct. 22, however, a Dutch court ordered a retrial with a new panel of judges. It wasn't immediately clear how this would affect the EDL's plans. "We're not going anywhere. We're growing in strength. We're growing in number. We will be here next year; we will be here for the next 10 years," said EDL … [Read more...] about Anti-Muslim groups gain ground in Britain and across Europe
Europe’s approach to Russia’s gas power
The sanctions imposed by the West are taking a toll on Russia, where the economy is now estimated to be growing by only 1 percent, half earlier forecasts, Russia's economy ministry announced earlier this week. According to the ministry, the crisis in Ukraine is the reason for the drop in the pace of Russia's economic expansion. Moscow has also responded to the sanctions by announcing countermeasures that include a ban on Western food imports. Europe needs Russian gas But Russia also has one more weapon up its sleeve: natural gas. Terming the sanctions imposed by the EU as a "thoughtless and irresponsible step," the foreign ministry in Moscow said they will "inevitably lead to higher energy prices" in Europe. Unlike the US, which is not reliant on gas imports, Europe is heavily dependent on Russian gas. A quarter of the gas consumed in Europe comes from Russia. While Russian gas accounts for 38 percent of the total gas consumption in Germany, that figure in some southern and … [Read more...] about Europe’s approach to Russia’s gas power
Biden warns Europe against dependency on Russia for heating oil and natural gas
US Vice President Joe Biden warned European countries against becoming too dependent on Russian oil and gas, saying it would be "bad" for Europe. Biden was specifically referring to the Nord Stream 2 pipeline which is supposed to deliver natural gas from Russia to Germany via the Baltic Sea. He called it "a fundamentally bad deal for Europe," adding that "Europe needs diverse sources of natural gas, not, in our view, a Nord Stream 2 pipeline." He made his comments after meeting with Sweden's Prime Minister Stefan Lofven in Stockholm. A few years ago, a 1,200-kilometer (745 mile) underwater pipeline went online to transport natural gas from Russia to Germany. Nord Stream, a Russian-German joint venture, operates the pipeline. Over-dependence on Russian energy would also be bad for Ukraine , the vice president said. Ukraine is currently fighting a Kremlin-backed separatist movement in the east of the country. "To lock in great reliance on Russia will fundamentally destabilize … [Read more...] about Biden warns Europe against dependency on Russia for heating oil and natural gas
Tentative Europe reaches out to Trump’s America
On the wall over EU Commission Vice President Federica Mogherini's right shoulder is a huge framed poster of President Barack Obama, with the design that reads "HOPE" in capital letters. Mogherini said it dates from Obama's first presidential campaign, when he declared that "in America, anything is possible." The EU's foreign policy chief candidly noted that today, that phrase can be taken two ways. As a candidate, Donald Trump was often dismissive of the EU, saying, for example, that Britain would be better off after Brexit than as a member. With him as leader of the EU's closest partner, Mogherini is clearly focusing on the "hope" message. "It is still very unclear to us what will be the course of the foreign policy of the new administration," she said. "We will wait and see what comes on that side but from our side it will be important to continue to work together." Trump trip to NATO? Similar points came up over at NATO headquarters, where Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg … [Read more...] about Tentative Europe reaches out to Trump’s America