Defence

"Turkey is successfully managing to implement a strategic balancing act in its relations with the US and Russia. Other regional actors may look at this policy and take good note", argues Benyamin Poghosyan in this op-ed

Turkey is teetering between Russia and Ukraine: while not supporting Crimea's reunification with Russia, Ankara opposes Western sanctions against Moscow, writes thje Russian newspaper.

Georgian politicians of all persuasions, who constantly wrap themselves up in EU and NATO flags, have been acting in a way which makes Georgia look like an unstable banana republic not an aspirant for EU or NATO membership. There seems to be no one in Georgia who is able to exercise restraint on a political class that has got used to shooting from the hip, creating a highly polorised, divided and disillusioned society. The international community now needs to step in and step up.

The pillars of Putinism can be routed back to a Soviet-era understanding of international relations and contested world order and see the 'westernisation' of the domestic or regional environment in the vicinity of Russia's 'sphere of key interests' as a source of concern., writes Edward Abrahamyan

NATO's Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, who is in Turkey for the meeting, on Monday also met with Turkish president Recip Tayip Erdogan. Speaking earlier Stoltenberg said that the NATO allies stand with Turkey as it faces serious security challenges.

Five ships from Standing NATO Maritime Group Two (SNMG2) participatied in the annual Romanian-led naval exercise Sea Shield in the Black Sea April 5-13.

Meeting in Washington D.C. on Thursday (4 April 2019), NATO Foreign Ministers agreed a package of measures to improve NATO's situational awareness in the Black Sea region and strengthen support for partners Georgia and Ukraine.

US Permanent Representative to NATO, Ambassador Kay Bailey Hutchison, said that a package of measures will be approved during a two-day conference to begin in Washington on Wednesday

Benyamin Poghosyan argues in this op-ed for commonspace.eu that it is time for Armenia to deepen its relations with Iran and China, out of necessity rather than choice.