NY Times: Obama Ends a 'Special Relationship' (with Eastern Europe) - by Judy Dempsey

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Obama Ends a 'Special Relationship'(with Eastern Europe - by Judy Dempsey

With Barack Obama in the White House, the deployment of the missile shield in Eastern Europe is no longer a given, as defense experts question its costs, its effectiveness and even its location. As a result, the certainties of the Bush era have given way to a sense of betrayal — but maybe also realism — on the part of the East Europeans. Throughout the Bush administration, the East Europeans had supported the U.S. war on terrorism. They had broken ranks with many other European Union countries in supporting the invasion of Iraq by sending troops. They had turned a blind eye to renditions and interrogation centers (though there were also West European countries that did that).Note EU-Digest: This is a pragmatic and intelligent move by the Obama Administration. As we have often commented in EU-Digest, the Bush Administration did the EU a disservice in having a special relationship with the Eastern European members of the EU, because it created instability within the Union, specifically as it related to the EU ties with Russia.