By Ronald Asmus Russia is back, not as the democratic partner we had hoped for, but as an increasingly authoritarian actor eager to advance its own values and interests abroad. AP panelist Ronald D. Asmus calls for a new transatlantic Eastern Policy in Die Zeit on February 1, 2007.
By Peter Spiegel Los Angeles Times Fallon, nominated as the new head of U.S. forces in the region, tells a Senate panel that democracy is far off.
By The Associated Press Deutsche Welle The European Union and NATO could not deal jointly and effectively with a world crisis, NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer warned in Berlin.
By Steven Weisman International Herald Tribune European governments are resisting Bush administration demands that they put heavier economic pressure on Iranian companies. The resistance threatens to open a new rift between Europe and the United States over Iran.
By The Associated Press BBC News Online The US has rejected a call from the head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog for a “timeout” in the showdown with Iran over its nuclear programme.