Russia’s War in Ukraine

Military news, global diplomacy, negotiations, and sanctions.

All four men sit on matching chairs in front of the flags of their respective countries, side by side, with their feet resting on the border of an ornate rug. Starmer and Zelensky's eyes are locked; the other two watch intently from either side.
All four men sit on matching chairs in front of the flags of their respective countries, side by side, with their feet resting on the border of an ornate rug. Starmer and Zelensky's eyes are locked; the other two watch intently from either side.

A Ukraine Peace Deal Could Be Getting Closer

Here’s what Trump can do to get there.

Argument
David Ignatius
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

Argument
Peter Pomerantsev, Sviatoslav Hnizdovskyi
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

Analysis
Anchal Vohra
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.

Ukraine’s New U.S. Ambassador Previews Her Pragmatic Approach to Washington

“I am Ukrainian, right? I’m not a Democrat or Republican.”

Interview
Sam Skove
Dmitriev, a man with white but balding hair in a suit and wearing glasses, stands next to a young soldier in an ornate dress uniform and helmet. The younger man is giving Dmitriev the side-eye.
Dmitriev, a man with white but balding hair in a suit and wearing glasses, stands next to a young soldier in an ornate dress uniform and helmet. The younger man is giving Dmitriev the side-eye.

Putin’s Unlikely Envoy to Washington

Kirill Dmitriev is a prominent purveyor of the Kremlin’s line—but real power may lie elsewhere. This article has an audio recording

Profile
Sam Skove, John Haltiwanger
Joe Biden, in silhouette, walks up stairs to board a plane, with ominous dark clouds in the background.
Joe Biden, in silhouette, walks up stairs to board a plane, with ominous dark clouds in the background.

Biden’s Long Shadow Over Ukraine

His administration failed Ukraine at almost every turn, shaping the war to this day. This article has an audio recording

Essay
Adrian Karatnycky

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.

Analysis
Keith Johnson
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.

Dispatch
Fabrice Deprez
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

Analysis
Yasir Atalan
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.

Argument
Petras Katinas

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.

Report
Sam Skove
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

Analysis
Kristi Raik
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.

Argument
Adrian Karatnycky
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

Argument
Nicholas Fenton, Maria Snegovaya

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

Analysis
Fabian Hoffmann
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.

Argument
Fredrik Wesslau
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.

Argument
Elisabeth Braw
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.

Analysis
Keith Johnson

Latest Stories

Russians arrive at the Syrym border crossing in Kazakhstan on Sept. 27.
Russians arrive at the Syrym border crossing in Kazakhstan on Sept. 27.

Central Asia Faces a Russian Migrant Crisis

As men flee Putin’s draft, Russia’s neighbors struggle to cope.

Analysis
Yan Matusevich
Businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin shows then-Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin his school lunch factory.
Businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin shows then-Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin his school lunch factory.

‘Putin’s Chef’ Steps Out of the Shadows

Yevgeny Prigozhin wants to ride the Wagner Group to greater glory.

Report
Amy Mackinnon
Russian President Vladimir Putin looks out the window at the Black Sea resort of Anapa, Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin looks out the window at the Black Sea resort of Anapa, Russia.

Putin’s World Is Now Smaller Than Ever

The moral and strategic disaster of the Russian leader’s war in Ukraine has ended his imperial dreams.

Excerpt
Angela Stent
A Taiwanese frigate launches a U.S.-made Standard missile.
A Taiwanese frigate launches a U.S.-made Standard missile.

The Russian Warship and the South China Sea

What lessons does the sinking of the Moskva have for Taiwan?

Argument
Alexander Wooley
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky talks during a press conference with NATO’s secretary-general.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky talks during a press conference with NATO’s secretary-general.

After Putin’s Land Grab, Zelensky Wants to Fast-Track NATO Membership

Ukraine likely won’t join NATO anytime soon, but it’s a big symbolic move in a war that’s increasingly going against the Kremlin.

Report
Robbie Gramer, Jack Detsch, Amy Mackinnon
The city of Mariupol, Ukraine
The city of Mariupol, Ukraine

Russia’s Annexed Land Is a Crime Scene

Ukraine needs help documenting Russian atrocities.

Argument
Melinda Haring, Vladislav Davidzon
A man carries his son as they walk past a graffiti on a wall depicting a Ukrainian soldier firing a U.S.-made Javelin portable anti-tank missile system, in Kyiv, on July 29.
A man carries his son as they walk past a graffiti on a wall depicting a Ukrainian soldier firing a U.S.-made Javelin portable anti-tank missile system, in Kyiv, on July 29.

In Washington, Everyone Wins if Ukraine Wins

How backing Kyiv can bridge the partisan divide and make U.S. foreign policy great again.

Argument
Gideon Rose
A worker removes McDonald's logotype from a restaurant in Moscow on June 17.
A worker removes McDonald's logotype from a restaurant in Moscow on June 17.

Russia’s Clueless New Oligarchs

A new generation of business owners with no experience are snapping up Western companies’ assets at fire-sale prices.

Argument
Elisabeth Braw
Russian and Belarusian troops take part in joint military exercises.
Russian and Belarusian troops take part in joint military exercises.

Russia’s Stripped Its Western Borders to Feed the Fight in Ukraine

But Finland and the Baltic states are still leery of Moscow’s long-term designs.

Report
Robbie Gramer, Jack Detsch
Tanks in the German armed forces participate in military exercises near Bergen, Germany, on Oct. 14, 2016.
Tanks in the German armed forces participate in military exercises near Bergen, Germany, on Oct. 14, 2016.

Baltic States Wanted German Tanks in Ukraine Yesterday

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz promised a new foreign policy. Critics say he has yet to deliver.

Report
Robbie Gramer, Amy Mackinnon
U.S. President Joe Biden listens to remarks in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington on May 19.
U.S. President Joe Biden listens to remarks in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington on May 19.

Russia’s Defeat Would Be America’s Problem

Victory in Ukraine could easily mean hubris in Washington.

Argument
Stephen M. Walt
Peace activists wearing masks of Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) and U.S. President Joe Biden pose with mock nuclear missiles in front of the U.S. Embassy in Berlin on Jan. 29, 2021.
Peace activists wearing masks of Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) and U.S. President Joe Biden pose with mock nuclear missiles in front of the U.S. Embassy in Berlin on Jan. 29, 2021.

The Crazy Logic of Brinksmanship Is Back

The West can only counter Putin’s nuclear threats with ruinous threats of its own. This article has an audio recording

Analysis
James Traub
People gather in front of a shuttered post office in Ukraine.
People gather in front of a shuttered post office in Ukraine.

Postal Workers Are Keeping Ukraine’s Front-Line Villages Alive

Deliveries of packages and pension payments have helped uphold a fragile sense of normalcy for civilians under fire.

Dispatch
Fabrice Deprez
A Ukrainian soldier walks by a burnt vehicle.
A Ukrainian soldier walks by a burnt vehicle.

Diplomacy Is Still (Just About) Possible in Ukraine

The Black Sea agreement offers a model for off-ramps to escalation.

Argument
Eugene Chausovsky
Russian servicemen gather at Red Square in Moscow.
Russian servicemen gather at Red Square in Moscow.

Russia Is Sending Its Ethnic Minorities to the Meat Grinder

Chaotic mobilization sparks renewed fears that the pain will not be shared evenly across Russia.

Report
Amy Mackinnon
Soldiers take part in a military exercise at the Adazi military base, north east of Riga, Latvia, on March 8, 2022.
Soldiers take part in a military exercise at the Adazi military base, north east of Riga, Latvia, on March 8, 2022.

The Baltics Hunker Down for the Long Game Against Russia

The Kremlin is down but not out in Ukraine, and the Baltic states want to make sure they’re not next.

Dispatch
Robbie Gramer
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