Russia's 'New' Tools for Confronting the West:
Continuity and Innovation in Moscow's
Exercise of Power
Please find a link to Chatham House's illuminating article below:
NATO's Readiness Action Plan: Strategic
Benefits and Outstanding Challenges
Please find the link to the Strategic Studies Quarterly article, "NATO's Readiness Action Plan" below.
Abstract
In response to the reemergence of Russian military assertiveness and the rise of the Islamic State, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) unveiled a major initiative—the Readiness Action Plan (RAP)—at its September 2014 summit in Wales. With only a few months until the next NATO summit in Warsaw, Poland, now is an opportune time to evaluate the RAP and the steps taken to implement it so far. This article argues that, despite the limited scale of some of its measures, the RAP offers four major strategic benefits, which collectively outweigh its drawbacks. Even so, its effectiveness faces a series of significant challenges. To address them, there are nine policy recommendations NATO leaders should consider before they convene in Warsaw in July 2016. These recommendations are designed to allow the RAP to achieve the benefits it promises, thereby bolstering NATO’s ability to protect its members from aggression and to allow the alliance to respond effectively to crises.
The Secretary General's Annual Report 2015
Please find the link to the second annual report drafted by Jens Stoltenberg as NATO Secretary General. The report provides an overview of how NATO promoted and supported peace and security in 2015. It includes details on how NATO is enhancing deterrence and defence, investing in security, transforming capabilities, building relationships, sharing expertise, advancing the role of women in peace and security, and adapting as an institution.
This year’s report provides broader, more detailed coverage of what NATO does. The report also includes updated figures on the defence expenditures of NATO countries.
The full report is available