Corruption has long been a favorite weapon in Vladimir Putin’s arsenal. He used it extensively against Ukraine over a number of years to help prepare the ground for the full-scale invasion of February 2022. The Russian leader now appears to be employing the same weaponized corruption tactics honed earlier in Ukraine to undermine Europe and
In recent weeks, Russia has launched the largest bombing campaign of the war with a series of major overnight attacks targeting Ukraine’s civilian energy infrastructure. This has resulted in comprehensive damage to the Ukrainian power grid and plunged millions into darkness. Unless Ukraine urgently receives additional air defense systems and ammunition from its Western partners,
The March 22 terror attack on a Moscow concert hall was the deadliest in Russia for almost two decades. While the official investigation into the attack is still underway, it is already becoming increasingly clear that the Kremlin intends to ignore overwhelming evidence of Islamic State responsibility in order to accuse the Ukrainian authorities and
Over the past week, representatives of the Islamic State have gone to considerable lengths to confirm they were behind the March 22 attack on a Moscow concert hall that left more than 140 people dead. In the immediate aftermath of the killings, the radical Islamist group issued a series of statements claiming responsibility. They then
The end of March will mark eight months since United States President Joe Biden first requested supplemental aid to resupply Ukraine’s armed forces and help the country prepare for coming Russian offensives. With Congress beginning yet another recess, there may finally be an end in sight to the partisan logjam, but the shape that Ukraine
We had the opportunity to visit Kyiv last week and met many Ukrainians, both inside and outside of government. We found them understandably war-weary but resolved to continue the fight, believing they can prevail and drive out the Russian aggressors. We also heard growing exasperation with their most important partner, the United States. In February
If Putin wins in Ukraine, will he go further? This is the question currently being asked with increasing urgency in capital cities throughout Europe. Skeptics note that the failures of the past two years have exposed the limitations of the Russian military, and claim a triumphant Putin would be in no position to expand the
Vladimir Putin has dismissed Russian Navy chief Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov, Kremlin media confirmed this week. The removal of Yevmenov is the biggest shakeup among Russia’s military leadership in almost a year, reflecting mounting frustration in Moscow over the country’s heavy losses in the Battle of the Black Sea. Putin’s patience appears to have finally run
History has always served as an ideological battlefield, but few rulers in the modern era have weaponized the past quite as ruthlessly as Vladimir Putin. For more than two years, the Russian dictator has sought to justify Europe’s largest invasion since World War II by portraying it as a sacred mission to reclaim “historically Russian
As Ukrainians fight for national survival against Russia’s ongoing invasion, the country is continuing to implement important domestic reforms. These reforms play a crucial role in strengthening Ukraine’s wartime resilience, and also set the stage for a successful postwar recovery. The international community has a clear interest in helping Ukraine achieve further reform progress. Since
