Opinion

Recent comments by Ukraine’s commander-in-chief, General Valery Zaluzhny, claiming that the war with Russia has reached a “stalemate[1],” have sparked fresh calls for a negotiated settlement. While this desire to end the bloodshed in Ukraine is perfectly understandable, anyone advocating a peace deal with Vladimir Putin must first reckon with the genocidal reality of Russia’s invasion. Putin himself has repeatedly made clear that he denies Ukraine’s right to exist and is determined to extinguish Ukrainian statehood. Unless he is defeated, any compromise agreement would merely set the stage for the ...

As the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine moves toward the two-year mark, Vladimir Putin is still far from achieving his original goal of extinguishing Ukrainian independence and subjugating the entire country. Nevertheless, there are no indications that the Russian dictator is looking to end the war. On the contrary, Putin evidently believes time is on his side in Ukraine, and appears more confident than ever that he can ultimately outlast the West. Putin’s preparations for a long war are perhaps most immediately apparent in Russia’s 2024 budget, which includes an unprecedented increase ...

There are some who are criticizing Ukraine for taking so long to win, and others who are questioning whether they can win at all. The conflict appears to be mired in a stalemate — a battle of attrition along the lines of World War I that’s heavy on fires but low on maneuver. Given that many Ukrainians have been trained by NATO allies, why is this the case?One answer is that we have not provided the Ukrainians with enough equipment to maneuver.In order to fight this war, Ukraine must be ...

Ukraine has shown surprising naval capability in the Black Sea[1], helping to protect its shores and shipping while keeping its predator’s fleet at bay. This achievement is remarkable because Ukraine is virtually bereft of warships[2]. It has succeeded through the skillful use of emerging technologies[3], such as explosive-laden uncrewed surface vessels[4], and of older ones, such as land-based missiles and naval mines.The current war is the latest in a long history of battles in the Black Sea, a crossroads whose fertile shores have induced numerous nations to seek to dominate ...

Ukrainian military prepare a mortar round for firing on September 25, 2023 in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. (Taras Ibragimov/Suspilne Ukraine/JSC “UA:PBC”/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)WARSAW — Last week’s European Council meeting in Brussels included attempts to forge unanimity among the 27-state bloc to reinforce Europe’s[1] dedication to backing Ukraine[2] against Russia’s invasion.The final document from those meetings was headlined by a statement[3] that “Ukraine is a priority and will remain a priority.” Other language includes a pledge to “continue to strongly support Ukraine for as long as it takes, including by economic, ...

Breadcrumb Trail LinksOpinion[1]Columnists[2]When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, its expectations of a quick and decisive victory evaporated quickly as Ukrainian Territorial Defence Forces proved more capable and resilient than anticipated.Published Oct 28, 2023  •  Last updated 2 hours ago  •  4 minute read A Ukrainian soldier reacts as he sits in front of Ukrainian flags symbolising fallen Ukrainian soldiers, at a makeshift memorial site at the Independence Square in Kyiv, on Oct. 26, 2023, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Photo by SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP via Getty ...

Where does Ukraine aid come from?  The Hill

How much longer can the West afford to continue supporting Ukraine? As Russia’s invasion enters its twenty-first month, this is the question growing numbers are now asking in Washington DC and other Western capitals.Concerns over mounting expenses are understandable but shortsighted. While Ukraine has so far received hundreds of billions of dollars in military aid, this figure pales into relative insignificance when compared to the far higher price the international community will have to pay in the event of a Russian victory.A wide range of Western politicians and commentators have ...

Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has changed the EU’s calculus about the costs and benefits of admitting new states to the union. European leaders long dismissed Ukraine’s membership as a bridge too far, but opinions have shifted dramatically[1] since the start of the war. Many EU officials and citizens saw Russia’s invasion as their so-called 9/11 moment: a game-changing event that posed a catastrophic risk to their values and way of life. Securing Ukraine’s place in Europe is now a top priority. Even enlargement skeptics, notably France[2], are now ...

You either want a rules-based international order or you don’t. Ukraine aid is the test. In a recent conversation with a group of academics and activists from developing countries, a high-level German decision-maker noted that while Germany is preparing to spend €100bn on its military, it does so with a heavy heart. “Putin,” he said, “made us do it.”Not all in the group agreed. Putin, many argued, is no excuse for arming yourself instead of helping the world, especially when there is a humanitarian emergency in Gaza following the October ...

Back in 2014, in Pisky, a fancy village with pools and tennis courts for the upper-middle class who worked in nearby Donetsk, I was shocked by the number of dogs left behind by owners fleeing the hostilities.Soldiers, like me, saved those pets when we could. The owners hadn’t meant to leave them to a lingering death, they just believed that they would return home someday soon. Because the war too would pass. Because everything does. Things will be fine.Seven years later, at the end of 2021, that conflict was still ...

If Russia wins the war in Ukraine, many other countries in the region will be faced with concerns about their own territorial integrity, a former Ukrainian president has told an event in Maynooth University.Speaking during a visit to Ireland, Viktor Yushchenko said Russian president Vladimir Putin was not just a “problem” for Ukraine.Mr Yushchenko, who was president of Ukraine between 2005 and 2010, had pushed for greater ties with the European Union and the West during his time in power, over the country’s relationship with Russia.The Ukrainian army was “fighting ...

Ukraine is entering a new phase in its southern counteroffensive. Meanwhile, it needs more Western arms as a matter of urgency. Ukraine’s counteroffensive is now limited to minimal attempts to move forward in the center of gravity near Robotyne. After almost five months — and most recently, only very laborious advances on foot — the troops are exhausted. Ukraine is taking an operational pause on this section of the front and, overall, is currently redeploying troops and resources, in part out of caution given the current US budget impasse on further ...

It’s far from clear that the US will agree to send more aid to Ukraine. That raises deeply worrying questions about the future. What if Western support evaporates so that Ukraine either loses the war or the peace?  Ukrainian defeat in the war against Russian aggression would be a catastrophic failure for the West on numerous fronts, but particularly from an economic perspective. First, if Russian troops were able to drive through Ukraine and reach the border with Poland, it is likely that tens of millions of Ukrainians would flee westward. As ...

In May of 2022, just over two months after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, US President Joe Biden signed into law the Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act. This piece of bipartisan legislation recalled the historic program used by the United States during World War II to help supply its allies and ensure the defeat of Nazi Germany. Ukrainian diplomats worked hard[1] to extend the Lend-Lease program beyond September 2023, but it expired on September 30.The Ukraine Lend-Lease Act was a powerful symbol of the US commitment to ...