Category: Ukraine

Historic day for Ukraine as EU launches official membership talks

Ukraine began official membership talks with the EU on June 25, providing the embattled East European nation with a powerful morale boost as it continues to fight for survival against Russia’s ongoing invasion. The talks, which took place within the framework of an intergovernmental conference in Luxembourg, marked the launch of a process that could

Kyiv Pride event highlights changing attitudes in wartime Ukraine

On June 16, members of Ukraine’s LGBTQI+ community and allies gathered in central Kyiv to celebrate the first Pride March in the Ukrainian capital since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion more than two years ago. The event highlighted changing attitudes in wartime Ukraine as the country stands defiant against Russia and embraces a European

Russia’s flagship international forum showcases Putin’s pariah status

Not so long ago, the annual St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) was widely seen as one of the “be there or be square” events for the world’s business elites, political leaders, and global influencers. Often called Russia’s Davos, SPIEF takes place every June in Russia’s second city, which also happens to be Vladimir Putin’s

Putin just reminded the world why Russia must lose

On the eve of last weekend’s Global Peace Summit in Switzerland, Vladimir Putin unveiled a peace proposal of his own. The presentation of this rival peace plan was an obvious attempt to undermine Ukraine’s Swiss initiative, but it also served as a timely reminder that Putin is waging an old-fashioned war of imperial conquest and

FPV drones in Ukraine are changing modern warfare

The full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine is often referred to as the world’s first large-scale drone war. But what exactly does “drone war” mean in practical terms, and how is this war being waged? Media coverage of the drone war often focuses on particular models such as the Shahed drones used by Russia to attack

Experts react: Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte will be NATO’s next secretary general. How will he lead the Alliance?

NATO’s Dutch tilt is official. After a seven-month campaign, outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte received unanimous approval from all thirty-two NATO member states to become the Alliance’s next secretary general. Rutte won his last remaining necessary endorsement from Romania on Thursday. A staunch advocate of military aid for Ukraine with a political reputation as

Ending the war in Ukraine requires something for everyone to hate

The war in Ukraine seems as difficult to end as it is horrific to watch. It’s a bloody puzzle: Why have Ukraine and Russia continued fighting for so long, tearing each other to pieces? Why can’t they get to a peace deal and end the slaughter? In a recent book, I examined why some wars

Ukraine’s peace summit offers solidarity but no breakthroughs

Over the weekend of June 15-16, almost one hundred representatives of countries from around the globe and several international organizations gathered in Switzerland for a Summit on Peace in Ukraine. Described by some commentators as “the largest diplomatic effort” in Ukraine’s history, the summit was designed to rally international support for the Ukrainian vision of

Holding Putin’s propagandists accountable for crimes in Ukraine

At dawn in May 2020, a French police raid on a sleepy village near Paris ended a 26-year manhunt for one of the Rwanda genocide’s most notorious fugitives. By October 2022, 89-year-old Felician Kabuga was standing trial in The Hague for crimes without a statute of limitations: Genocide, direct and public incitement to genocide, and conspiracy

Ukraine’s recovery cannot begin without enhanced air defenses

“United in defense, united in recovery, stronger together,” was a key slogan at the 2024 Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC) held in Berlin on June 11-12. It is an apt summation of Ukraine’s aspirations as it copes with the unprecedented destruction of approximately half of the country’s electric power and district heating capacity by targeted Russian