Category: Russia

Time to make Russia worry about the West’s red lines in Ukraine

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine first began more than two and a half years ago, talk of Russian red lines has been a major feature of the international debate surrounding the war. Throughout this period, the Kremlin has relentlessly exploited this preoccupation with Russian red lines to fuel Western fears of escalation and limit

How Ukraine’s Kursk incursion echoes the Gettysburg campaign

In the early days of Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk region, the Atlantic Council’s Daniel Fried likened Ukraine’s bold maneuver to George Washington’s historic raid across the Delaware River. At the time, this analogy was fitting, given the information available and the perceived objectives. However, as the operation approaches the six-week mark, it has become

Concerns grow over possible Russian sabotage of undersea cables

The United States has recently detected indications of increased Russian military activity around key undersea cables, CNN reports. The news is adding to existing concerns over the vulnerability of critical undersea communications infrastructure at a time when the Kremlin is accused of waging an escalating hybrid war against the West in parallel to its ongoing

Why Ukraine will remain central to the future of European security

Although it is currently common to talk about the West as a unitary actor in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian War, the stakes actually differ significantly on the two opposite sides of the Atlantic. Most obviously, if Russia succeeds in Ukraine and goes further, Europe will become a battlefield. With this in mind, it makes

What does Iran get for sending ballistic missiles to Russia?

Today, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken revealed that Iran has delivered close range ballistic missiles (CRBMs) to Russia, which he expects Russian forces will use against Ukraine within a matter of weeks. At the same time, the US Department of the Treasury announced the imposition of additional sanctions on Iranian and Russian individuals and

Ukraine’s biggest wartime government shakeup prompts muted reaction in Kyiv

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy presided over his government’s largest wartime reshuffle in early September, with nine ministries getting new permanent leadership. As the news filtered into Western capitals, media and experts alike scrambled to make sense of the changes. Back in Kyiv, many lawmakers and analysts appeared relatively unmoved by the announcements, in contrast to

Too many still view Ukraine through the prism of Russian imperialism

“There are only so many books on Ukraine we can review each month,” an editor from a major British newspaper tells me at one of the country’s largest literary festivals. He looks a bit uncomfortable, almost apologetic. He wants me to understand that if it were up to him, he’d review a book on Ukraine

Indian PM Modi visits Ukraine to open new foreign policy horizons

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid an historic visit to Kyiv in late August, becoming the first Indian leader to travel to the country since Ukraine regained independence in 1991. Modi’s arrival in the Ukrainian capital was billed as part of ongoing international efforts to secure a peaceful resolution to the war between Ukraine and

Moscow escalates nuclear threats as Ukraine erases Russia’s red lines

The Kremlin has this week announced plans to revise its nuclear doctrine, less than one month after Ukraine’s surprise invasion of Russia made a complete mockery of Moscow’s frequent nuclear threats. In a September 1 interview, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov confirmed that Russia is in the process of amending its doctrine on the