NATO expansion
The time has come to review the agreements concerning the U.S. bases [on Italian soil]. I do not think that Italy should continue to host on its territory, without much needed revisions, American military enclaves, as policy tools that are not always in our best interest.
Sergio Romano, A che cosa servono le basi americane in Italia, Corriere della Sera, 10 October 2015
Russian presidential envoy to Afghanistan and head of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Second Asia Department Zamir Kabulov told a Russian newspaper that Afghanistan’s first Vice President Abdul Rashid Dostum has requested Moscow’s support to fight against ISIS insurgents.
Russia to Sell Modern Attack Helicopters to Afghanistan, the Diplomat, 9 October 2015
Baghdad intends to lean on Russia in the war on Islamic State after U.S.-led coalition airstrikes produced limited results. Russian military action in Iraq would deepen U.S. fears that it is losing more strategic ground to rivals in one of the world’s most critical regions.
Iraq leans toward Russia in war on Islamic State, Reuters, 7 October 2015
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said that President Bashar al-Assad should be involved in any Syrian peace talks
Merkel: Assad must be included in Syria peace talks, Al Jazeera, 24 September 2015
I know from my conversations with (Russian President Vladimir) Putin that he (does not accept) phrases like when Barack Obama said Russia was a regional power. What does that mean? You can’t talk about Russia like that. We must, I say frankly, treat Russia properly. Russia should be treated as an equal.
The West must ‘treat Russia properly’: Juncker, Yahoo News, 8 October 2015
French President Francois Hollande has said that following recent ceasefire progress in Ukraine he hopes to see the end of sanctions against Russia.
Ukraine conflict: France hopes to end Russia sanctions, BBC, 7 September 2015
France and Germany have both expressed reservations about the way in which the negotiations have been conducted on several occasions. Faced with increasing concern over the direction of the negotiations, Matthias Fekl announced that France would be prepared to abandon the whole process if it does not receive the concessions it wants. “If nothing changes, that will show that there is no willingness to ensure a mutually beneficial negotiation process,” he explained.
“France is examining all its options, including abandoning the negotiations all together,” Matthias Fekl said. This option may strike a chord with some other member states, as the European Commission has taken responsibility for the negotiations upon itself, leaving the 28 countries on the side-lines.
France threatens to pull out of TTIP negotiations, EurActiv, 29 September 2015
The TPP does not include:
South Korea, nominal gross domestic product $1.4-trillion.
Indonesia, nominal GDP $900-billion.
Taiwan, nominal GDP $500-billion.
Thailand, nominal GDP $400-billion.
Colombia, nominal GDP $380-billion.
The Philippines, nominal GDP $330-billion.
China, nominal GDP $10.5-trillion.
Russia, nominal GDP $ 1.860-trillion.
Stefano Fait, forecasting foresight anticipation 