Russia’s War in Ukraine

Military news, global diplomacy, negotiations, and sanctions.

Maria Semyonova, wife of a Russian soldier, poses in front of a recruitment poster in Moscow on December 17, 2023.
Maria Semyonova, wife of a Russian soldier, poses in front of a recruitment poster in Moscow on December 17, 2023.

How to Fight Putin on the Information Battlefield

The West can’t fully adopt Russia’s methods—but it should study them. This article has an audio recording

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meets Ukrainian troops being trained to command Challenger 2 tanks at a military facility on February 8, 2023 in Dorset, England.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meets Ukrainian troops being trained to command Challenger 2 tanks at a military facility on February 8, 2023 in Dorset, England.

Ukraine Can Only Rely on Itself

In any peace deal with Russia, security guarantees from outsiders won't guarantee much. This article has an audio recording

A blond woman in a black suit sits behind a sign with her last name on it. The EU flag is seen behind her.
A blond woman in a black suit sits behind a sign with her last name on it. The EU flag is seen behind her.

Battlefield Strategy

A fiery orange and black explosion behind a gray razor wire fence.
A fiery orange and black explosion behind a gray razor wire fence.

Ukraine Is Hitting Russia Where It Hurts: Its Oil Refineries

Kyiv’s two-year offensive against Russian oil facilities has intensified, eating away at Moscow’s energy revenues.

Soldiers of the 115th Mechanized Brigade in a house where they are staying when not on the front lines near Lyman, Ukraine.
Soldiers of the 115th Mechanized Brigade in a house where they are staying when not on the front lines near Lyman, Ukraine.

The Mood on the Front Line, Three Years On

Ukrainian troops watch with anxiety as the United States moves closer to talks with Russia over the war.

Drones fly above grass in an open field dotted with trees and small sheds.
Drones fly above grass in an open field dotted with trees and small sheds.

How Russia Is Escalating the Drone Arms Race

Routine strikes involve smaller, daily launches designed to keep steady pressure on Ukraine. This article has an audio recording

The oil tanker Eagle S is seen anchored near the Kilpilahti port in Porvoo, on the Gulf of Finland, on Jan. 7.
The oil tanker Eagle S is seen anchored near the Kilpilahti port in Porvoo, on the Gulf of Finland, on Jan. 7.

The ‘Paper Tiger’ Still Has Its Shadow Fleet

Trump says Russia is in economic trouble—but there’s a loophole in the West’s sanctions.

Wartime Diplomacy

From left, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during a bilateral meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.
From left, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during a bilateral meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.

Trump Makes U-Turn on Ukraine Rhetoric

Trump says Ukraine can win back all of its territory.

A Finnish defender is seen near the front during the Finnish-Soviet Winter War in early 1940.
A Finnish defender is seen near the front during the Finnish-Soviet Winter War in early 1940.

The Ghost of Finlandization Is Haunting the Ukraine Debate

A 1944 armistice that traded land for peace is a poor precedent for ending Russia’s war. This article has an audio recording

U.S. President Donald Trump announces U.S. strikes on Iran with Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth standing alongside, at the White House in Washington on June 21.
U.S. President Donald Trump announces U.S. strikes on Iran with Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth standing alongside, at the White House in Washington on June 21.

An Emerging Trump Doctrine?

Success in the Middle East could be a template for a new approach to Russia’s war.

Workers construct an outdoor ice skating rink in Red Square in downtown Moscow on Nov. 9, 2021.
Workers construct an outdoor ice skating rink in Red Square in downtown Moscow on Nov. 9, 2021.

What the Next Round of Sanctions Against Russia Should Look Like

Moscow has successfully restructured its economy on an impressive war footing, but there are weaknesses under the hood. This article has an audio recording

Regional Dynamics

U.S. Marines take part in the international military exercise Cold Response 22 near Sandstrand in northern Norway on March 21, 2022.
U.S. Marines take part in the international military exercise Cold Response 22 near Sandstrand in northern Norway on March 21, 2022.

A Russia-NATO War Would Look Nothing Like Ukraine

Moscow will seek to avoid a full-on war and focus on breaking the bloc’s resolve. This article has an audio recording

Ukrainian soldiers hold the Ukrainian and Lithuanian flags over the coffin of Tomas Valentelis, a Lithuanian volunteer in the Ukrainian army who was killed in battle in Ukraine, at a funeral ceremony in Kyiv on April 16.
Ukrainian soldiers hold the Ukrainian and Lithuanian flags over the coffin of Tomas Valentelis, a Lithuanian volunteer in the Ukrainian army who was killed in battle in Ukraine, at a funeral ceremony in Kyiv on April 16.

To Deter Russia, Europe Needs Ukraine

A Ukraine-Baltics defense pact would bring Kyiv into Europe’s security architecture.

The oil tanker Eagle S next to Finnish border guard ship Uisko and tugboat Ukko in the Gulf of Finland on December 28, 2024.
The oil tanker Eagle S next to Finnish border guard ship Uisko and tugboat Ukko in the Gulf of Finland on December 28, 2024.

Anchors Away

Finland’s failure to convict Russian crew clears the way for more cable-cutting attacks.

A photo of two white tanks near a yellow crane. A blue-and-white tanker carrying liquified natural gas is docked nearby in snow and sea ice. White smoke billows out of its smokestack.
A photo of two white tanks near a yellow crane. A blue-and-white tanker carrying liquified natural gas is docked nearby in snow and sea ice. White smoke billows out of its smokestack.

The China-Russia Axis Is Getting Firmer, and It’s Built on Gas

Moscow pivoted to the east a decade ago, but it is now besmitten—or captive.

Latest Stories

Pro-Russian fighters of Vostok (East) battalion rip apart an Ukrainian flag outside a regional state building in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk on May 29, 2014.
Pro-Russian fighters of Vostok (East) battalion rip apart an Ukrainian flag outside a regional state building in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk on May 29, 2014.

The Conversation About Ukraine Is Cracking Apart

What government officials are saying in public, and private, is fascinating—and full of contradictions.

A portrait of Russian President Vladimir Putin on a tombstone.
A portrait of Russian President Vladimir Putin on a tombstone.

An End to the War Doesn’t Mean the End of Putin

Russia may well emerge from the war poor, belligerent, and with President Vladimir Putin still in power.

Flags of the European Union countries are gathered together ahead of the EU enlargement ceremony April 30, 2004 in Dublin, Ireland.
Flags of the European Union countries are gathered together ahead of the EU enlargement ceremony April 30, 2004 in Dublin, Ireland.

Ukraine’s War Has Finally Made Europe a Home

Russia’s invasion has made Europeans more emotionally attached to the continent than ever before.

A Ukrainian flag is readied to be unfurled.
A Ukrainian flag is readied to be unfurled.

A Surreal Evening at the Russian Embassy

Caviar and vodka on the eve of the one-year anniversary of the war in Ukraine.

A wounded soldier holds his head.
A wounded soldier holds his head.

‘Killing Was a Game for Russians’

The war in Ukraine is a year old. Here are the stories of some who have survived.

Police officers detain a man during a protest against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Police officers detain a man during a protest against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Putin Needs Repression to Run an Unpopular War

The Russian state is doing more than ever to crush dissent.

Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers his annual state of the nation address.
Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers his annual state of the nation address.

Putin Should Have Known His Invasion Would Fail

Russian intelligence ignored facts in favor of wish-casting.

Russian sergeant Aleksander Aleksandrov (R) and captain Yevgeny Yerofeyev (L) listen to the verdict during a court hearing on April 18, 2016 in Kyiv.
Russian sergeant Aleksander Aleksandrov (R) and captain Yevgeny Yerofeyev (L) listen to the verdict during a court hearing on April 18, 2016 in Kyiv.

Ukraine Can Change the Future of Prosecuting Crimes of Aggression

The right to life trumps the right to fight, and knowledge of a war’s damage trumps belief in its justice.

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a concert marking Defender of the Fatherland Day at Luzhniki stadium in Moscow on Feb. 22.
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a concert marking Defender of the Fatherland Day at Luzhniki stadium in Moscow on Feb. 22.

Russia Sanctions: 10 Lessons and Questions for What Comes Next

What has the West learned from one year of unprecedented economic sanctions?

Putin is seen from the side, standing at a podium.
Putin is seen from the side, standing at a podium.

Where Is Vlad’s Mind?

Putin’s anti-Western speech elicited eye rolls, even at the Kremlin.

A person in military uniform is seen from the back, holding a door open in daylight.
A person in military uniform is seen from the back, holding a door open in daylight.

A Report Card on the War in Ukraine

If year two of the war were a carbon copy of the first, Russia would control almost one-third of Ukraine next February.

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a ceremony to mark the 75th anniversary of the Federal Medical-Biological Agency in Moscow.
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a ceremony to mark the 75th anniversary of the Federal Medical-Biological Agency in Moscow.

‘Putin Still Believes Russia Will Prevail’

Angela Stent and Michael Kofman discuss one year of the war in Ukraine—and what to expect next on the battlefield.

Mark Rutte, Prime Minister, of the Netherlands speaks during a United Nations Security Council meeting to improve United Nations Peacekeeping Operations on March 28, 2018 at the United Nations in New York.
Mark Rutte, Prime Minister, of the Netherlands speaks during a United Nations Security Council meeting to improve United Nations Peacekeeping Operations on March 28, 2018 at the United Nations in New York.

The War in Ukraine Affects Us All

The Netherlands’ prime minister argues that Russia’s war is a great-power conflict—with the world’s small states near its center.

People pose for photographs in front of a picture of a postage stamp showing an artists impression of the Kerch bridge on fire on October 8, 2022 in central Kyiv, Ukraine.
People pose for photographs in front of a picture of a postage stamp showing an artists impression of the Kerch bridge on fire on October 8, 2022 in central Kyiv, Ukraine.

Ukraine Is Serious About Taking Back Crimea

A Ukrainian attack on the Russian-occupied peninsula might only be a matter of time.

A new map displayed at a book store in Moscow shows several regions of eastern and southern Ukraine as part of Russia, on Feb. 8.
A new map displayed at a book store in Moscow shows several regions of eastern and southern Ukraine as part of Russia, on Feb. 8.

The Return of the Russia Question

What kind of country do Russians want to live in after the war?

Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers his annual state-of-the-nation address at the Gostiny Dvor conference center in central Moscow.
Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers his annual state-of-the-nation address at the Gostiny Dvor conference center in central Moscow.

Putin’s New START Announcement and the Future of Arms Control

Russia and the United States hold about 90 percent of the world’s nuclear weapons. What happens when they’re no longer talking?

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