Category: Freedom and Prosperity

Ukraine’s Diia platform sets the global gold standard for e-government

Several thousand people gathered at the Warner Theater in Washington DC on May 23 for a special event dedicated to Ukraine’s award-winning e-governance platform Diia. “Ukrainians are not only fighting. For four years behind the scenes, they have been creating the future of democracy,” USAID Administrator Samantha Power commented at the event. According to Power,

Exploring the secrets of Ukraine’s successful wartime diplomacy

Since the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion fifteen months ago, Ukraine has been forced to fight for national survival on the battlefield while at the same time creating and maintaining a broad international coalition of partners prepared to arm the country. Ukraine’s ability to address these unique challenges offers a range of potentially important lessons

Ukraine must reduce role of state in the economy to boost EU integration

The European Commission’s Spring economic forecast for Ukraine, which was published last week, offered a more upbeat assessment of the country’s prospects than might have been expected given the devastating impact of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Despite contracting by nearly 30% in 2022, the Ukrainian economy has, according to the Commission, “demonstrated remarkable resilience” under unprecedented

Russian narratives ignore real reasons for Western support of Ukraine

Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolay Patrushev gave a lengthy interview to Russian publication Izvestia in early May that read like a script for Russian officials and sympathisers seeking to justify the invasion of Ukraine. Patrushev’s arguments should not be taken lightly; he is one the most influential figures in today’s Russia, perhaps the second most

China, Iran, Belarus, and Armenia all fear a Russian defeat in Ukraine

There is no question that the full-scale invasion of Ukraine has dramatically undermined Russia’s global standing, but it is also true that international responses to the war have been far from uniform. The democratic world has almost universally condemned Russia’s invasion and has united in support of Ukraine, while many in the Global South have

Ukraine’s European integration is the key to a sustainable peace

On her first foreign trip since winning reelection in March, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas paid a highly symbolic visit to Ukraine. While in the country, the Estonian leader declared: “For peace in Europe, we need Ukraine in the EU and NATO.” The people of Ukraine would certainly seem to agree. After over a year

New Bernard Henri-Lévy documentary challenges Ukraine fatigue

For anyone seeking to make sense of Russia’s war in Ukraine, viewing French public intellectual Bernard Henri-Lévy’s new feature-length documentary “Slava Ukraini” (“Glory to Ukraine”) isn’t an option. It’s a must. A gritty, intense, and probing examination of the impact of the war, it offers what is surely the ultimate antidote to Ukraine fatigue. As

Andriy Yermak: Italy is defending common European values in Ukraine

Thirty years ago, I was a young Ukrainian lawyer who visited Italy for the first time and fell in love. A lifelong passion was born for the songs of Mina and Celentano, the films of Fellini, Vittorio De Sica, and Sorrentino, dishes like risotto alla milanese and cannoli siciliani, the Italian people, and the many

Britain becomes first country to supply Ukraine with long-range missiles

Britain has begun supplying Ukraine with long-range missiles, officials in London confirmed on May 11. The news represents a major milestone in international efforts to support the Ukrainian fightback against Russia’s ongoing invasion. Ukrainian leaders have been calling on international partners to provide long-range missiles for some time, arguing that such weapons are needed in

Greater clarity is needed in US policy toward Ukraine

Fifteen months into Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Biden administration has yet to resolve a central tension in its thinking about this war of aggression in the heart of Europe. Is the US aim to shape the future toward a rules-based order in which the sovereign independence of states is affirmed and accountability for