Security Dynamics in the Former Soviet Bloc focuses on four former Soviet sub-regions (the Baltic Sea region, the Slavic republics, the Black Sea region, and Central Asia) to explore the degree to which 'democratic security', which includes de-politicisation of, and civilian oversight of, the military, resolution of conflicts by international cooperation, and involvement in international organisations. It examines how far states in these regions have developed cooperative foreign and security policies towards their immediate neighbours and key Western states and organisations, explores the interplay between internal and external aspects of democratic security building, and uses case-study examples to show how inter-state bi-lateral and multi-lateral relations are developing.

Security Dynamics in the Former Soviet Bloc focuses on four former Soviet sub-regions (the Baltic Sea region, the Slavic republics, the Black Sea region, and Central Asia) to explore the degree to which 'democratic security', which includes de-politicisation of, and civilian oversight of, the military, resolution of conflicts by international cooperation, and involvement in international organisations. It examines how far states in these regions have developed cooperative foreign and security policies towards their immediate neighbours and key Western states and organisations, explores the interplay between internal and external aspects of democratic security building, and uses case-study examples to show how inter-state bi-lateral and multi-lateral relations are developing.

Security cooperation is an important instrument of the U.S. government for advancing national security objectives vis-a-vis allies and partner countries. This report characterizes security cooperation mechanisms for capacity-building, produces a detailed database of the mechanism elements, develops and applies a preliminary means of evaluating select mechanisms, and recommends ways to improve mechanism effectiveness and efficiency.

The U.S. government is facing the dual challenge of building its own interagency capacity for conducting stability operations while simultaneously building partner capacity (BPC) for stability operations. This study finds that although BPC and stability operations are receiving a good deal of attention in official strategy and planning documents, insufficient attention is being paid to the details of an integrated strategy.

Security assistance and security cooperation are interrelated missions that rely on military staffs in U.S. embassies in partner countries. In countries threatened by insecurity or instability, actions may be required that are not easily accomplished under current systems. This report examines three options for improving current approaches to security assistance and cooperation. They range from changes in current practices to options requiring new policies, procedures, organizations, or authorities.

The authors describe possible regional security structures and bilateral U.S. relationships with Iraq and Afghanistan. They recommend that the United States offer a wide range of security cooperation activities to compatible future governments in Kabul and Baghdad and should also plan to hedge against less-favorable contingencies. They emphasize that the U.S. Air Force should expect to remain heavily tasked for the foreseeable future.This book frames potential long-term U.S. security relationships with Iraq and Afghanistan in a regional context and posits roles of U.S. forces, especially the Air Force, in supporting these relationships under a variety of contingencies.

The problem of multinational force compatibility requires a planning framework to guide the U.S. Army's investments with partner armies. This report defines the Niche Capability Planning Framework, which provides a conceptual template for integrating the various considerations implicit in a strategy for cultivating compatible niche capabilities in armies that lack a stable, long-term, collaborative program of assistance with the U.S. Army.

This report presents a framework for assessing U.S. Army International Activities (AIA). It also provides a matrix of eight AIA "ends," derived from top-level national and Army guidance, and eight AIA "ways," which summarize the various capabilities inherent in AIA programs. In addition, the report describes the new online AIA Knowledge Sharing System (AIAKSS) that is being used to solicit programmatic and assessment data from AIA officials in the Army's Major Commands.

NATO's quickly evolving relationship with Central and Eastern Europe is forming a new basis for security in the region. Enlargement into the former-Soviet bloc, the conflict over Kosovo, and developing foreign and domestic events are drastically changing the technical aspects of security management, the perceptions of security held by the region's countries, and the actual security situation on the ground. Almost NATO broadly examines the region's current security situation and specifically explores NATO's relationship with Slovakia, Slovenia, Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine, and the Baltic states all non-members, but each with its own expectations for membership and relationship to the organization. Russia's interaction with NATO since the end of the Cold War and that country's crucial role in the region's future rounds out the regional coverage. The book's connective tissue is a broader concept of security that encompasses the European Union, environmental concerns, minority issues, and economic and political performance as Europe moves into the 21st century. The interrelationship and significance of varied concepts of security are summarized and further developed in the concluding chapter, along with an effort to place developments in the region within a more theoretical perspective. The result is a book of significant breadth and substantial utility, one invaluable to readers trying to understand the region and NATO's role in its security.

A key country for stability and security in Europe, Ukraine is struggling to create consistent foreign and security policies. Political alliances, identity struggles, economic goals, and geopolitical position all pull this newly emergent state in different and often conflicting directions. Due to its dependencies on both the West and Russia, Ukraine's foreign policy is in a state of flux. To ensure stability in this newly-emergent state, the contributors to this volume argue that the West should be more assertive in offering an unambiguous developmental perspective, supporting democracy and the rule of law, and offer E.U. affiliation in the near future. International Relations theory and Ukraine's foreign policy are examined in the first section, followed by chapters exploring civil-military relations. Next comes a look at Ukraine's foreign and security policy orientations in comparative context. The book concludes with chapters focusing on matters of national identity, ideology, and their impact on Ukrainian security policy. Scholars and analysts of contemporary Eastern European politics will be interested in what these well-known scholars and government officials have to say about the contemporary state of affairs in this pivotal nation.