Rose Gottemoeller, the chief U.S. negotiator of New START, visited Poland, Ukraine and the three Baltic states in recent days to hear how these countries view the issue of tactical weapons.

A new survey suggests EU insiders are far from impressed with the Barroso-II track record as it currently stands.

The Egyptian crisis yesterday (8 February) entered a new and potentially critical phase as thousands of Suez Canal service workers began an indefinite strike two weeks after protests against the Mubarak regime began.

The unrest roiling countries such as Egypt and Tunisia could cause economic hardship in Europe and increase illegal immigration, NATO's top official warned Monday.

EUobserver has learnt that Ms Ashton is intending to travel to the country as an extension of a previously scheduled trip to post-revolutionary Tunisia on Monday (14 February).

Russia sees the planned U.S. missile defense system as a potential threat to its nuclear forces and may review its participation in a landmark nuclear arms treaty, officials said Monday.

NATO's new headquarters, under construction in Brussels, are expected to cost 1 billion euros (1.4 billion dollars), alliance officials said.

Protesters enraged by Mubarak's latest refusal to step down promised massive demonstrations Friday — possibly including a march on the presidential palace — as they warned that Egypt could explode in violence and pleaded for the military to intervene.

NATO will remain the most powerful military alliance, though some of its states are reducing defense spending as part of broader austerity measures. These reductions may impact partner nations’ contributions to our collective security.

What is happening in Egypt is likely to happen elsewhere in the region. There are no democratic regimes in the Arab world, nor has there ever been one (with the possible exception of Iraq).

But the revolt in Tunisia, the gigantic wave of demonstrations in Egypt and the more recent marches in Yemen all make clear that Bush had it right - and that the Obama administration's abandonment of this mind-set is nothing short of a tragedy.

The looming battle over the defense budget could produce a useful national discussion about American foreign and defense policy. But history has provided some lessons, and for the United States the lesson has been fairly clear.

A Cold War between them would bring about an international choosing of sides, spreading disputes into internal politics of every region at a time when issues such as nuclear proliferation, the environment, energy and climate require a comprehensive global

Why the change of tone? Why now? Many complex theories have been hatched to explain it. This being Russia, none can be proved. But perhaps the explanation is very simple: Oil is once again above $90 a barrel - and the price is rising.

Relations with Moscow are about to grow more challenging. This is partly because some of the easy pickings - including this treaty - have already been harvested. The problems that lie ahead are going to be a tougher test of the reset.