Category: Eurasia Center

Pride of Ukraine: Oleksandr Usyk’s historic victory boosts wartime morale

Ukrainian heavyweight boxer Oleksandr Usyk’s victory over Britain’s Tyson Fury in Saudi Arabia on May 19 was historic in many ways. The fight was the first unification bout in the heavyweight division for more than twenty years, with the heavyweight title belts from all four recognized governing bodies on the line. By defeating Fury, Usyk

Ukraine faces long-term mental health challenges among veteran community

Far away from the front lines of the country’s ongoing war with Russia, growing numbers of Ukrainian veterans are facing up to the psychological aftermath of their military service. These mental health challenges include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety. Given the sheer numbers involved, there are serious concerns over Ukraine’s ability to address

President Zelenskyy’s term is over but he’s still a legitimate wartime leader

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s five-year term in office ended on May 20, but he will remain in his post until security conditions allow for elections to be held. Predictably, the Kremlin is already exploiting this technicality to question Zelenskyy’s legitimacy, but Russia’s claims ignore the many obvious obstacles to holding a credible democratic vote in

Ukraine’s Western allies should fear Russian victory not Russian defeat

Since the launch of Russia’s full-scale invasion more than two years ago, Western military support for Ukraine has been plagued by endless delays, restrictions, and half-measures. This underwhelming response has typically been blamed on concerns over possible Russian retaliation and the desire to avoid a wider war. In reality, however, some Western leaders may also

Ukraine’s soccer stars aim for Euro 2024 glory amid Russian invasion

The eyes of the footballing world will be on Germany this summer as the country hosts the 2024 UEFA European Championship. For Ukraine’s national team squad, the upcoming tournament is much more than a quest for sporting success. They travel to Euro 2024 knowing that their participation will help raise awareness of Russia’s ongoing invasion,

A bold policy to protect the US by helping Ukraine stop Russian aggression

Ambassador John Herbst, senior director of the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center, testifies before the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe hearing on “Closing the skies, liberating Ukraine.” Video from the hearings and other testimonies can be found below. Below is the oral argument presented by Ambassador John Herbst. The greatest national security challenge facing

Anger and defiance in Kharkiv as advancing Russian troops draw closer

Residents of Kharkiv have been monitoring reports with increasing urgency for the past five days as a new Russian offensive edges closer to the city. The stresses of war are nothing new to the Kharkiv population, which has been under daily bombardment since the start of the current year. Nevertheless, the opening of a new

Russia’s growing kamikaze drone fleet tests Ukraine’s limited air defenses

The past few months have been a particularly challenging period for Ukraine’s overstretched air defense units. With the country suffering from mounting shortages of interceptor missiles, Russia has exploited growing gaps in Ukraine’s defenses to bomb cities and vital civilian infrastructure with deadly frequency. These escalating attacks have led to renewed calls from Ukrainian President

Putin appoints economist as defense minister as Russia plans for long war

Vladimir Putin has appointed technocrat economist Andrei Belousov as Russia’s new defense minister in a shake-up that underlines his determination to wage a long war of attrition against Ukraine. The relatively unknown Belousov replaces long-serving Sergei Shoigu, who will now take up a new post as Secretary of Russia’s National Security Council. Shoigu had led